While I'm Thinking About It

Having recently been addressing an increase in cancer activity, Wayne has been keeping a reduced activity schedule. On Sunday night, June 26, 2016, he shared some information with the church he serves, Gainesboro Church of Christ, Gainesboro, TN. This incorporates part of that time and information...

Repurposed Posted on WordPress, May 2, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells She said, "I wish I was like I was at 16 again." Many of us understand the challenge of coping with the changes marking our years. That may be especially true as the decades really begin to pile up. We exchange our youth and vitality for experience, skills and wisdom. I did mention that we trade in our vitality, didn't I? Yes, there it is. Our vitality and youth slipping away in the trade. Perhaps that is what is most noticeable… our dwindling youth and vitality. We repurpose items all of the time. Have you ever wondered if any of those "repurposed" items wished they were still new? Of course you haven't. But is that idea any more ridiculous than my wishing I was not being "repurposed?" It is easy to be "All In" when my assignment is glitzy and glamorous. It can occasionally be more difficult when I am "repurposed." The view from an outsider looking in can often see great value in my new purpose, even if I am rusty and my tires are flat. The new be

Cannot Be Moderately Important Posted on WordPress, April 29, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells When we think of "distractions," noise, telephones, texts, interruptions of other origins come to mind. We have, in our minds the schedule for the day even if the schedule is empty and un-demanding. It is my schedule and I do not like nor appreciate being distracted from it or having it "hijacked" by someone else. Perhaps you feel the same. However, being a disciple of Jesus, a believer claiming Him as "Lord," is much more than some religious statement or answer to a catechism question. It is a matter of becoming a "bond-servant" in exchange for all of the "spiritual blessings in the heavenly places" that God provides (Ephesians 1:3). "Exchange' is not even a good word here, because it implies that I have offered up some item or service of value in the transaction… and I have not because I have nothing of equivalent value to offer. The "bond-servant" decision has, at its core, the reality that my life is no longer mine, but H

Playing Devil's Advocate Posted on WordPress, April 27, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells There is much discussion blended with sophistry these days. I suppose that has always been the case with humanity. Imagine Adam and Eve whispering to each other when they heard God calling for them in the Garden after they had followed the serpent's advice to ignore God's instruction. Eve may have been lashing out at Adam for not protecting her from herself (she would have been right to do so), after all he was standing right behind her. Adam making excuses, any excuses trying to deflect his guilt. Both eventually arguing about "words." I have been guilty myself. That is not to say it is OK… because it is not. There may be a place in debate training or training in logic and ethics in order to provoke thought and consideration, but to "play the devil's advocate" for sport or advantage is not only dangerous, but forbidden. Some will not be able to see through the charade, or worse yet, may attach to the false argument for personal ga

The Unpredictable Posted on WordPress, April 22, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells I read recently that when something unusual happens, pay attention. God is doing something. I don't know where I read it. If it was your blog, email or post please accept my apology for the lack of credits. I just do not remember. Paying attention to what is happening, especially when it is out of the ordinary can present a huge challenge. We easily get transferred to our own agendas when life becomes predictable. We forget the encouragement James gave the refuges to say (actually say) if God wills I will do this or that. We just make our plans because, after all, things are predictable. When the predictability fails we are likely caught with the "deer in the headlights" look wondering what just did (or did not) happen. If the whole "deer in the headlights" thing confuses any of my readers, just think of the expression on someone's face at a paralyzing moment when facing the unexpected. When the unexpected happens… Actually nothing unexpe

The Impact of a Life Well Lived Posted on WordPress, April 20, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells We can not measure the impact we have upon others. Parents teach their children to care for others above themselves by modeling that very attitude in the everyday mundane-ness of life. Teachers impact their students far beyond the curriculum by their personal carriage and deportment. So it is in the really important matters of life as well. There have been many whose impact on my life can be measured by my own reckoning. Others have made their mark in ways I can not distinguish or remember. Some have come into my life and passed through in what seemed to be a few insignificant encounters. Others have been a presence for a much longer period.We can never know the long-term impact. So it is with my impact upon others. The death graduation of one man has prompted this reflection. I heard of him from others and did not quite know what to do with their accounts of his faith, especially given his past. Then I met him. I still did

Surrounded by Children Posted on WordPress, April 18, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells I have taken a week off from writing, you may have noticed… but I suspect few have. It is both understandable and alright if you have not. Sometimes I need to be quiet and listen. Probably more often than I actually do. That is, however, a subject for another day. During my time of "quietness," I was touched by an expression I have heard so many times in my life when someone else was leading a group in prayer: "We are gathered as your children in your presence…" As Cindy and I have passed into our sixth decade of life, our children and grandchildren are busily engaged in their own lives, as they should be. But sometimes we long for them to come… just to be with us… without schedule… without agenda… without electronic devices… without wishing their "detention" in our presence would quickly come to an end… just because they want to be with us. Since we live some distance from all of them there are actually very few times that can happe

The Garbage Does Not Take Itself Out Posted on WordPress, April 7, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells A friend reported that her little girls had learned to say "b*#ch" in a foreign language. While that seems to be a rite of passage for children, it clearly demonstrates the aggressive proactive posture parents need to take in their children's lives. Whether it is with their electronic devices, television shows, music preferences or "new words" they pick up, the garbage doesn't take itself out now does it? Adults must stay on the offensive to keep themselves pure as well. The great deceiver, Satan, takes every opportunity to chip away at our holiness and make us comfortable with that which we would not have tolerated in our own lives in the past. It happens so slowly that we find ourselves making justifying arguments based upon technicalities instead of godly principles. Being God's "All In" disciple has its foundations well before associated behaviors become apparent. We respond to life and situations from the depths of

Jim Martin is Dean of the School of Theology with Harding Graduate School in Memphis, TN.

The Great Disconnect Posted on WordPress, April 5, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells There has always been, I suppose, a disconnect between theory and reality. We hear it in political conversations when candidates (or supporters) announce how something should be "fixed" and compare their "fix" to the reality when the "fixer" is elected to office. We hear people declare that "Islam is a religion of peace," but hear too often of murders and bombings taking place "in the name of Allah." True, there are religious zealots roaming around claiming connection to most all religious groups, but so many claiming that their "god" allows/commands/demands such seems pretty widespread on this one. But then we come to those claiming Jesus as their Lord. Claiming a "lord" requires focused obedience. It requires a "speak lord, thy servant heareth" approach to everything. When I claim His Lordship, yet think and behave according to my own thinking, I become the poster child for the great disconnect. "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and n

The "Last" Ride Posted on WordPress, April 2, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells A retired truck driver/rodeo cowboy spent 18 years preparing for his funeral. Sounds a bit odd, wouldn't you say? The story goes that after his retirement, he began riding a motorcycle, trying to recapture the excitement of the rodeo. He liked it so much that he planned, negotiated, and accomplished a funeral complete with: his embalmed body, on his '67 Harley, in a custom, see thru plexiglass casket, placed inside a custom, concrete vault, in a three plot burial site. Billie Standley obviously wanted to impress his friends on his "last ride" to the cemetery. I wonder if he was equally concerned with pleasing the Creator of the Universe in the last few years of his life. How easily we are distracted by our own goals when we should be focusing on God's wants and purposes. It looks really foolish when I see this kind of distraction driving someone else's life. The nagging question I need to constantly answer is: What does it look like when I d

God's "Oh-By-The-Way" Assignment Posted on WordPress, March 31, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells It was unexpected, but aren't the really moving encounters always like that? For example, when we were in Green Bay with our son, a newly drafted Packer lineman, while were getting a tour of the facilities, Brett Favre walked by and had a brief casual conversation. Later, I commended Cindy (my Red-Headed Irish Princess) on her great restraint. She could have reached out and touched him… but she didn't. Back to the story: I recently had that rare unscheduled day, so I took off after breakfast with the Misses, not knowing where I was going or what I was going to do. I considered a day-long road trip to see some old friends who lived a few hours away, but along the way was nudged into a brief side trip to see how low the water was in the lake. I think the Corps of Engineers was getting ready for the heavy rains predicted the next couple of days. As I pulled up to a boat launch ramp that I have used, I noticed a man standing ne

…Not As Those With No Hope Posted on WordPress, March 29, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells Grieving is a process. It is a painful and ongoing process. We grieve over many things: job loss, missed promotions, poor performance reviews, missed opportunities, lost loves, degrading friendships, etc. The list can seem endless. What usually comes to mind is the anticipation of death or the reality itself. The process is painful, but after a time it can morph into a dull ache. Energy is stolen and motivation is hiding away from view in some dark corner. Life goes on and needs are still met, but the darkness seems to be there… just behind that last corner. People who have studied such things mention predictable stages of grief that we float thru, back and forth, until some resolution and healing is achieved. That all sounds about right to me based upon my personal experience. In it all, though, there is a foundational limit in grief. Those who have no "hope" rooted in God and His love and care seem to have a much deeper darknes

Trust But Verify Posted on WordPress March 25, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells We are prone to accept the conventional wisdom of the day, and resist ideas that conflict with what "everybody just knows." After all, it is expensive to challenge the norms of culture. There is laughing, teasing, ridicule, and sometimes even being ostracized. Nobody wants to have that happen. There have been uncountable hoards who have "smoked like chimneys" and, concerning alcohol, "drank like fish." Thinking about that expression, it really does not make sense does it? I digress, so back to the subject: many people throughout history have smoked and drank a lot for a variety of reasons, but Enrico Caruso, the great operatic tenor did both for the expressed purpose of "protecting his voice!" By the way… he died at the age of 48. I wonder sometimes how many of the "truths" and "conclusions" of my culture I accept, just because I have always been told they are true. It is easy for me to expect others to challenge their beliefs and verify th

By The Way, You Have Cancer Posted on Wordpress, March 23, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells I talk to people who describe themselves as cancer survivors. Like many others I am in a category that is a little different: Still surviving with cancer. When told I had cancer in 2004, there were many thoughts and emotions to be processed… some over and over. It is interesting how a "sniff" of your own mortality gets one's attention. I recently visited with a man who had that day learned that he, like me has a cancer that, barring God's intervention, he will have until he graduates into eternity. I recognized the ongoing turmoil as we spoke of many things. The main thought I wanted to share, one that has been central in my walk, is that we are God's servant in all circumstances. That includes health challenges. He and I, as well as many others, are walking a health challenged path God has placed us on to accomplish His will. That will may be to change us, or to impact others. It is likely a blend of both. I told the gentleman

I Am Weary, But Forever Changed Posted on  on Wordpress, March 22, 2016 by Wayne C. Wells There are difficult times and difficult circumstances for each of us, whether pagan or "All In" disciple. It doesn't matter if we believe God exists and just ignore Him, or if we are marginal in our lip-service to God. Difficult times are ordained to be a part of human life as Job astutely observed: "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble" (Job 14:1). There are theoretical discussions and explanations for this reality that make perfect sense and are Biblically sound. I have been involved in that type of discussion and believe that pain and difficulties are tools to sharpen us and draw us to God, but it is not always the right time to speak about that. I sat with a family who had just lost their child, a child I had learned to love as well. When I arrived at the hospital and we had settled for a few minutes, it became obvious that it was time for me, the preacher, to say something. The mother l

There are difficult times and difficult circumstances for each of us, whether pagan or "All In" disciple. It doesn't matter if we believe God exists and just ignore Him, or if we are marginal in our lip-service to God. Difficult times are ordained to be a part of human life as Job astutely observed: "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble" (Job 14:1). There are theoretical discussions and explanations for this reality that make perfect sense and are Biblically sound. I have been involved in that type of discussion and believe that pain and difficulties are tools to sharpen us and draw us to God, but it is not always the right time to speak about that. I sat with a family who had just lost their child, a child I had learned to love as well. When I arrived at the hospital and we had settled for a few minutes, it became obvious that it was time for me, the preacher, to say something. The mother looked at me and said: "I do not want to hear that everything happens for a reason." I told her

On the way home from a recent trip, I was sitting with an adult nephew outside in the campground. We were commenting how nice the weather was... in Texas... in March... at least this March. How often do we enjoy the little niceties God delivers unrequested without the first thought of thanking Him for these little things. There are other little things: close parking places, breaks in the rain when we need to go in, clouds floating over to take the brunt of the sun in our eyes while driving, etc. I know that others look at these and think coincidence, especially since the parking places are not always close, the rain does not always break, and the clouds do not always hide the sun on a bright day. But I have learned to thank God for those as well, because I know that He has a plan, and I trust Him. Absolute confidence in and appreciation for/to the Creator of the universe certainly does absorb the stress of living, leaving only the peace that can not be explained to those not experiencing it. May you experien

  I had, on short notice, occasion to travel back to my childhood home in order to take care of some business. While there the thought came to me that I should "run by" to see an aging family member in a care facility. Up to that point I was so focused on my reason to make the trip that it had not occurred to me that God might have additional reasons. After visiting in the care facility I realized He did have additional things in mind and assume it was His nudging that brought the visit to mind. The lady was moved to tears when she saw me, happy tears I should add. She had been so lonely the week before and was overcome that I had "showed up." How quickly I forget to ask God what is on His agenda. At least when I was nudged this time I responded. Our task is to be faithful to His calling. It is His to take care of the success of the efforts. There was much success in that visit. Being "All In" requires an ear tuned in to God's voice. It is comforting to know that even when I do not listen well, He loves