A View From The Balcony

From the balcony today....

I viewed friends and family bid goodbye to a very fine young man....

Whose life was cut short.....

As I looked on....

I endeavored to place my son in the casket.....

I endeavored to sit on the front pew with my boy in the videos shown.....

Twas a feeling more than I cared to continue.....

I know each of our lives is but a few days and full of trouble...

But I think taking one's child and leaving them at a cemetery must be the worst....

Parents ought to never outlive their kids....

But the reality of life is....

Many times they do.....

And to walk with faith in the midst of such a trial must surely be the loneliest of walks....

And times like this remind me that....

All things work together for the good.................

I would rather read that....

All good things work together.....

But that is not how it is....

Some bad things....

Some sad things....

Some ugly things.....

Some terrible things....

Some things that I do not understand...

Some wonderful things...

Some dreams come true kinda things.....

Some failed dreams as well......

All those good things and not so good things work together....

For me...

And you...

For our good...............

There are more things about life that I do not understand than I do....

But this thing I know....

He is always in charge and in control.....

And to my friends who said goodbye to their boy today...

Please know you are in our prayers....

If one day I sit in your pew and walk in your shoes....

And you sit in the balcony looking down....

Please remind me...

That HE is in control.......

Blessings...

rks

Shared Honor

Pictured here is the official flag of the United Pentecostal Church that was flown over World Evangelism Center in Hazelwood Missouri....

And presented to the widow of Rev. Guy C. Broadway by Rev. D. R. Russo, Texas District Superintendent.....

Sis Broadway asked me to take this flag as a gift of memory for Bro Broadway....

I am truly honored to be included to hold this treasure.....

Bro Broadway was honored for his years of service....

I am honored to share his honor....

Steps Divinely Ordered....

Whewwww......

We have been so busy lately.....

But yesterday was an incredible day.....

Tracie told me she was going to a track and field day at Runyan Elementary school with some of her kids.....

I said I'd go with here since things were kinda slow....

So we stopped by Target to pick up a couple of the chairs in a bag.....

Those things are dangerous you know but I got the super size captain chair so at least when I stood up I wasn't wearing it....

Anyway front and center of the doors in the parking lot a dear lady began weeping when she saw us and came over for hugs and we cried together as the traffic just had to wait....

We have not seen her in some time....

Turns out she was praying yesterday morning for help and she ran into us an hour later.......

Steps Divinely Ordered.....

As we stepped onto the playground at the school kids started swarming Tracie...

My personal Pied Piper.....

Kids swarmed....

Tracie had me set up the chairs and left me ensconced in my super size foldable captain's bag chair in charge of the candy and her purse....

Why do women have to take purses to places like playgrounds and track and field days????

Anyway she left me in charge of her new chair she never sat in and began to work the crowd.....

It turns out she had over 40 of her little friends at the school....

Steps Divinely Ordered....

We were not certain how the Pentecostal Pastor and his wife would be received on the campus but there was nothing to fear....

Our Steps were Divinely Ordered.....

Teacher after teacher welcomed us and thanked us....

One of Tracie's little guys was not able to attend the event due to behaviour issues earlier in the day....

That was OK...

Tracie went to his room and there met more teachers and welcome....

Steps Divinely Ordered....

The principal came and welcomed us warmly.....

Steps Divinely Ordered....

The counselor not only welcomed us....

But begged Tracie to volunteer at the school....

Wow!!!

We run our own school at CUPC but now we are volunteering in a troubled school in the city....

Steps Divinely Ordered.....

Kids kept swarming us all day.....

No telling how many pictures were snapped.....

I guarded the candy bag with faithful rigor.....

Teachers asked for group pics with their classes....

Tracie's little friends all got pics and today she printed them all off and we went back down and found each kid and gave pics away.....

Got a call from a new family yesterday who wants to be involved in all of the stuff we are doing in the neighborhood!!!

Steps Divinely Ordered....

Monday Tracie is taking a birthday party to the school for her little friend who was in trouble Friday....

It turns out it is his birthday and he was mad because his daddy is in jail and his momma can't afford a birthday present.....

The Pied Piper is taking him a party.....

Steps Divinely Ordered....

Then while taking a couple of personal hours later yesterday we ran into Gary and Linda Wheeler along with Hayden their son ......

The meeting turned into a very nice evening shared at a restaurant....

The girls reconnected.....

The Bishop and Elder chuckled about our online personas that constitutes a running bickering battle...

God Bless the Wheelers and the work they are doing in Orange Texas......

After a long day the Lord blessed us with a very pleasant evening with friends....

Today back down to the neighborhood....

And tomorrow we pray we will continue to have our.....

Steps Divinely Ordered....

Blessings....

rks

Do I Answer This Fool Or Not?

Why is it some folks like to argue about everything.....

And have more opinions than their life span could have possible allowed?

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; Prov 12:15.......

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling. Prov 20:3......

A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident. Prov 14:16.....

OK...

Nuff said about that.....

But sometimes one comes face to face with a fool and has no choice but some sort of response.....

So I have tried to speak sense to some fools.....

I have tried to shake some sense into a few fools....

I have even tried to squash some fools.....

But to no avail......

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Prov 27:22

The writer indicated you can take a fool and grind him up like corn in a bowl.....

But even after grinding him up....

After chewing him up and spitting him out.....

After pulverizing him.....

He is still a fool.....

Now this is scary.....

Talk about a quandary.......

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. Prov 26:5....

Now I like this one....

Answer the fool so he won't be wise in his own idiocy......

The last thing we need is for the fool to reproduce himself.....

Now this is real scary.......

But there seems to be a line crossed in here somewhere.......

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Prov 26:4.....

And this is where the fool wins......

Too many times I have answered the fool according to his foolishness.....

Only to discover he was more successful converting me to his ways than I was him to mine.....

So?

Do I Answer The Fool Or Not?

Methinks I might have answered The Fool one two many times in this life....

What about you?

Blessings....

rks

Absalom's Place

I had occasion the last few days to have an old offense resurface. I have relived the myriad of emotions once again. In my devotion this week this lesson came back. So I share another part of my journey. Blessings…rks


Absalom…

The most promising son of a king…

Offended by his brother….

Amnon had forced Tamar to lay with him…..

Little sister raped by big brother….

Absalom harbored this in his heart until he spilled his brother’s blood….

Causing himself to lose audience with the king…

But the people loved Absalom for his size and beautiful hair…..

Absalom began to stand I the gate of the city and hijack or intercept those seeking judgment from the king…….

Usurping the king’s judgment…

He placed himself in a position to offer great wisdom to the masses…

And eventually stealing the hearts of the people….

Absalom declared himself king and David left the city……

Absalom strutted with truth and offense….

He felt justified in his wrong actions…

I am right…

I was done wrong….

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: Proverb 3:3

When some strut with truth they forget mercy......

Absalom made decisions that he eventually paid for with his life......

That started something in him that I find stirring....

Once he drew his brother’s blood……

He began to feel he deserved his father's throne......

And eventually even his father's wives.....

Hence the insurrection...

When reckoning day came….

David said deal gently...... 2 Sam 18:5

Reckoning always comes….

David had truth on his side...

But he also had mercy........

Absalom in the meantime had built a statue to himself....

Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place. 2 Sam 18:18

I have no sons he reasoned…

He called it Absalom’s Place….

He erected a personal monument to commemorate personal folly…..

And even with David asking for mercy for the boy......

The law of the harvest was in motion.....

Vengeance is mine saith the Lord….

Dad's mercy could not stop Joab’s men from pursuing and killing.....

Absalom paid dearly.....

David's hands remained blood free......

But long after Absalom's death....

The statue and memory of his demise continued.....

And when folks passed by....

They would forever remember the folly of Absalom....

That began when he drew his brother’s blood...

That began when he worked against his brother…..

Absalom's Place was a monumental memory of what could have been so much different.....

But pride....

Self Justification...

Self flaunting…

And rebellions built a monument.....

Instead of a heritage....

And every person who was to view the monument would remember his foolishness….

David’s hands were clean…..

And his heart was broken that his boy would reap the rewards of his own folly….

I trust I never build a monument to commemorate my personal flaunting of self justification and pride…

Blessings….

rks

Simply Said......

Thanks....................

Pastor's Perfectly Performing Possession

This is a repost. I was touched with a brand new appreciation for my perfectly performing possession last evening as I watched her pass out muffins to urchins and then take flowers to a nice little grandmother. Preacher Man you and I need to remember the emotions of our hard working wives. Blessings...rks

Pastor…..

When you got up this morning your perfectly performing possession was already performing…

Today she will perform for your children, church, family, community and you…..

If you handled one dilemma, she handled twenty…..

She keeps the women of your church lined up so you do not have to worry about the men….

She coordinated the chicken dinner to pay the insurance premium, while you sat over at the folding table with the brethren…

She will be there for prayer, teach her class, lead her choir, lead the praise team, dress her kids, iron her husband’s shirt, pick up the neighbor kids for Sunday School, make plans for the pot luck dinner, remind the youth leader about the car wash, clean up the mess left in the church nursery, answer the phone twenty seven times, get somebody to run up and pick Sis Juanita because her ride is out of town, smile like a china doll, clap when nobody claps, act like she is really enjoying your sermon, she works the altar, help the 8 year old change clothes to be baptized, welcome the visitor family from the other church, run interference for you while you greet the visitor family, listen to the chronic complainer, referee the spat between the two rivaling mommies, hug the grannies on afghan row, remind Sis Betty about the upcoming chicken dinner, fuss at the 16 year with chin whiskers, gather her stuff and kids and get them in the car, serve as hostess at the Waffle House for the same two high need families she hosted last service, take a cell call between words with the high need wives, gather up her kids and husband again and go home, finish homework, rinse out the dishes in the sink, scrub the kids, feed the dog, tuck in the kids, take a dip in the tub, and still have time and energy for you………

And while you will drift off to sleep pastor…..

She is left with the performances of the day racing through……

And the performances of tomorrow beginning to cloud the horizon of her mind…..

Pastor, the most vulnerable person in the parsonage is that perfectly performing possession you take so for granted….

Ah yes Pastor, we understand that you carry the souls of the saints and the responsibility of providing for your own family…..

But she dear sir holds it all together for you…..

She gives until she is emptied out to make your ministry and kids the best it can be…..

And who gives back to her…..

She gives until the emotional, spiritual and physical gauges in her body register empty….

Is it any wonder that some of those perfectly performing pastoral possessions have….

Found comfort in the attention of another man…..

Or withdrawn into her children and left you to pastor all alone…..

Or found solace in herself and became carnal because maybe a haircut, or coloring in the hair, or those gel nails, or that slinky outfit, or the color placed on the face might just make her feel like somebody……

She empties herself for you sir…..

What are you doing to make sure that her emotional tanks are not empty….

Pastor friend, I have seen so many of our wives seemingly change or have another spirit come over them all because they have given until they cannot….

Pastor, that perfectly performing person and possession that presides along side you in the parsonage……

Is the most vulnerable person there…….

Beware….

And care for her…

For pastor without her….

You are pitiful…

Pathetic…

And powerless

Trapped

I sat at my desk an hour this morning and listened to Tracie encourage and then we prayed together with a dear backslider lady who has found herself....

Trapped...

In a life of addiction.....

I have been dealing with a lady who made a bad decision for marriage over 25 years ago and now finds herself...

Trapped.....

In the aftermath of multiple marriages and failures......

I am reading the news stories of the 416 children taken from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints compound.....

Along with their mothers....

Who were bred for the purpose of breeding and insuring a greater reward in some form of a Mormon heaven for the perverts who kept them....

Trapped....

Tracie and I took a little 7 year old boy to lunch yesterday who needed special attention....

And learned that he has already begun dealing drugs.....

Trapped......

One of our little special 12 year old girls is now dating and from what I am seeing will be a mother in short order.....

Trapped.....

Ultimately each of us are responsible for our decisions....

We reap what we sow....

But so many are trapped because of a culture of bad decisions....

In so many cases the bad decisions of parents insure similar for their posterity....

Sins of fathers and mothers continued and passed on....

Bad behaviour learned....

But nevertheless the souls are.....

Trapped.....

I have come to a new conclusion.....

Really not so new....

My city does not need another police car....

Social program....

Or well meaning solution....

Rather....

My city needs a deliverer....

To deliver the people from the sins of fathers and mothers and self.....

The only way to escape the trap....

Is a blood covering of Jesus Christ.....

His blood provides escape....

His blood provides the only way....

His blood takes care of any and all who are.....

Trapped.....

But choose to escape.......

My job is to help provide the choice.....

Blessings...

rks

Maybe, Just Maybe

"Hey Bro Smith", the young lady called.....

As I walked our special neighborhood today and prayed for the residents of the community....

Tracie was off playing Pied Piper.....

I was praying and overwhelmed with the magnitude of the task at hand.......

Jesus wept when he looked at Jerusalem and saw the condition of the people.....

And today I think I felt a bit like he must have as I prayed over the hundreds of people who live in our community and have no hope.....

Today I prayed as I watched the young men wandering around the neighborhood still struggling with the after effects of Friday night.....

I was touched when I saw the young teenage girl as she sat on her porch dressed in her night clothes and the young man fawning over her.......

I was angered as I watched one of our little 12 year old girls walk across the the compound holding hands with her little boyfriend.....

Who is gonna keep her from getting pregnant before she is a teenager?

Overwhelmed.....

That these people are driven by the basest of emotions......

Lust....

Survival.......

With no hope......

Then Tracie and I went to find a family that had moved to another neighborhood....

Only to find a completely different area we did not know was there.....

Overwhelmed with where to start....

Overwhelmed with how do we help of save these people....

Overwhelmed that the harvest is plenteous but the laborers are few.....

We do not have enough help.....

There is no way we can bus all these to the church.....

Somehow we must bring the message to them in the streets......

Lord we need help!

Lord we need you!

How and where do we begin?

For years I have driven through Conroe and have seen people.....

Many times I have not even seen the people!

But now I pass through the city and see souls.....

I become overwhelmed with the souls....

Lost souls.....

Souls with no hope....

Souls driven by the basest of natures......

Lord how do I at least offer hope?

The size of the harvest is paralyzing....

The logistics are more than I can manage.....

The disciples told the Lord one day all we have is five loaves and two fishes.....

The Lord showed them that was enough....

And all we have at CUPC is a few people who are willing....

A van and suburban to bring folks in.....

But I have a feeling all we have is somehow going to be just enough....

Tomorrow we will bring as many as we can....

Others will bring themselves....

We will worship....

I will preach about a thirsty soul.....

And I just know that He will quench the thirst of a soul tomorrow.....

And so this morning my prayer and walk was interrupted by the young lady shouting "Bro Smith"......

You don't remember me do you?

I pause and look......

And look again at a young lady who was once a young girl in our Christian School who has drifted so far from God and is living in the depth of iniquity.....

Yes I do.....

And then I was able to spend a few moments and remind her that Jesus still loves her.....

That only he will help her out of her dilemma.....

And that the church is a place where no one has a past but everyone has a future....

Maybe just maybe....

Our feeble best might just be enough to facilitate His harvest......

Blessings...

rks

Build A Bridge

Tracie and I love San Francisco....

Some time back we were there for a wedding and I was left alone for an afternoon...

So I caught a cab and headed out to Golden Gate Bridge...

And walked it....

I walk daily and love to walk new places....

Golden Gate was the best...

As I remember the beauty of the bridge I ponder the bridges I have built myself....

Bridges with people...

The saints of CUPC....

The leaders of the community....

The not so pretty neighborhood Tracie and I have adopted....

And realize there is always a span between each of us that remains unbridged unless we personally bridge it....

A couple of years ago I made a New Years resolution to build bridges with people....

Since that time I have made literally hundreds and probably thousands of new friends...

Bridges are connectors...

They connect me to you....

They connect you to me....

This blog is an example....

I have connected with many new and old friends in the months Tracie and I together began blogging....

My friends across the country I have met via forum land are just across the bridge....

When one constructs a bridge....

He will really not know what he is going to find until he completes it and arrives on the other side...

Bridge building is not easy...

But oh so worth it to find an old or new friend...

You been building any bridges lately?

Hopefully you have not torn one down.....

In my several visits to New York City I have not walked The Brooklyn...

But I one day will....

And if I have not bridged to you yet...

One day I will....

Blessings....

rks

Sunday Was Precious

Sunday morning I was blessed to dedicate twin babies to the Lord....

The parents were proud yet stressed as they were learning how to get two kids dressed and to church....

The boy and girl were dressed alike and were so.....

Precious......

Sunday afternoon I was blessed to stand with my arm around an 82 year old widow as she wept....

Wept at the casket of her preacher husband of 62 years....

She repeated over and over again how much she loved him....

Precious in the sight of God is the death of his saints......

Precious.....

Sunday night I was able to pray with a young soldier boy on leave from his service in Iraq.....

Tears ran down his face as he was renewed in the Holy Ghost....

Renewed for the first time since he rebelliously ran off and enlisted....

But renewed none the less....

I rejoiced as his momma and daddy held his hands and he rejoiced in the presence of the Lord.....

Ps 49:8 For the redemption of their soul is precious........

Precious......

In one day....

A new commitment of parents....

A commitment of a preacher man back to the dust....

A recommitment of a soldier boy......

Heaven rejoiced....

So did I....

We thought the twins were precious....

God thought the death of the old preacher man was precious....

The Word said the soldier boy's renewal was precious.....

Now I know all you raging hormone type A personality dominant male types will take glee in kicking me around for the use of this word..........

But look at how God views the above events................

Precious......

Blessings.....

rks

Rev. Guy C. Broadway Memorial Service

Viewing
Sunday April 6 @ 2-5 p.m.
Klein Funeral Home
Highway 1488,
Magnolia Texas

Memorial Service
Monday April 7th @ 2.p.m.
Conroe United Pentecostal Church
1612 Oddfellow
Conroe, TX 77301

In lieu of flowers
Guy C. Broadway Memorial Fund
c/o Conroe UPC
1612 Oddfellow
Conroe, TX 77301

Rev. Guy C. Broadway

At dawn the flag was placed at half mast.....

As the Elder Statesman Reverend Soldier Guy C. Broadway crossed to the other side....

We knew he was to go soon....

Our prayer had been for angels to come and take him....

The other night Sis. Broadway heard him laughing and laughing.....

She wondered what that was about....

I think his angels had arrived and allowed him glimpse of the heavenly....

Replacing his fears with the joy of the eternal one....

He let go of the thread of life.....

His family released it.....

And angels gathered him up......

So while we lowered the flag here....

He was lifted up to his heavenly reward.....

And though we weep today....

He rejoices in the presence of the Saviour.....

Honorable mention should be made to....

His wife....

His family.....

His church.....

Therapy his dog....

Therapy stood guard last evening at the foot of his bed most of the night and even remained on duty after Bro Broadway left...........

Someone said today that nobody would have to worry about saying anything good about this man....

His life spoke for itself....

Bon Voyage good soldier.....

We will meet you in the morning.....

Heaven now has a new man in charge of lawn services.....

If there was a weed in heaven this morning.....

Guy C. had already got rid of it.....

Thanks to all who have prayed and called....

rks

Service plans forthcoming.....

A Week Full of Mondays

This week has already had three Mondays….

The first Monday I spent at the hospital with my brother….

The second Monday….

Tuesday….

I spent at the side of a dear soldier of the cross who is soon to cross over….

Tracie and I did take a break and go down to check on some of our special friends…..

Here I am visiting with a Mom about this little guy who has a health issue….

We were able to take him back some medicine…

Tracie playing 4 square with some of her friends

Cookie time!

Now it is the third Monday we have had this week….

And I spend it at the bedside of my dear elder……

And I ponder….

Harvest….

Laborers….

Family….

And a fading soldier……

The soldier’s wife is already grieving….

The kids are dealing with it all in their own ways….

Therapy, the puppy knows something is up…..

The phone just rang and my soldiers younger brother just passed away….

Tis a bad Monday for this bunch….

Phone call….

The soldier’s wife’s sister will be dead in hours….

Too much Monday……

Tomorrow will probably prove to be the fourth Monday of the week for these people…

Please pray for them….

Blessings…

rks