It is amazing what you can learn when you take the time, or should I say make the time, to be a little more observant. God’s classroom is big and school is always in session for those who will “stop to smell the roses”. This morning I am sitting on our screen porch as dawn slowly breaks on a new week. The backyard is alive with sounds of God’s nature waking up. For weeks now we have enjoyed the activity of a pair of bluebirds who annually nest in a box on our fence. First of all, I am impressed with their CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. Bluebirds are picky when it comes to where and in what they build their nest. I found this out the hard way when I replaced their old house for a new one last year. The thing was falling apart, so I thought they would appreciate a new house. Wrong. They rewarded my decision by nesting in the neighbor’s yard. So this year I searched high and low for a house similar to the one I threw away. Bingo! I found it and they are back. I have since determined that the new one was probably not deep enough. We could learn from the standards of bluebirds. The COMMITMENT of these small creatures is another thought to ponder. Not only are they committed to one another for life, but they are definitely committed to raising their young. It seems they unselfishly care for the every need of their babies. They do so with an amazing kind of team work. They COOPERATE. No sooner has one flown off than the other flies in. Sometimes one will be guarding the box while the other is inside. This brings up another point. These birds have COURAGE. They will tackle birds much larger than themselves to protect their nest. We could probably learn a thing or two from one of God’s small and brilliantly colored creatures.

From my backyard to yours,

Bro. James

Romans 4:9-25

 Big Sandals to Fill [36:38m]: Download (209)

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 It’s true you know.  You never have a second chance to make a first impression.  As the number of visitors continues to increase at DeSoto Hills, it is imperative that we be reminded of this.  We have a great team of greeters working every service, but we do not want the friendliness to stop at the door.  It needs to be felt down the hall, by the coffee station, in the class room and throughout the Multi Purpose Center.  Friendliness needs to permeate this place on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night and any other time we gather as a church family.  It is not just up to the staff or the greeters to make folks feel welcome, it is up to you.     Remember a small gesture of kindness can have a huge impact on folks who are looking for a place to belong and matter.  With multiple services, it is often difficult to know who is a visitor or new member.  If you end up greeting a member as a visitor don’t worry about it.  They will understand and you will end up meeting someone new and perhaps even making a new friend.   Thanks for your heart, thanks for your hugs, and thanks for your help.
 
Enjoying this Fresh Start,
 
Bro. James

Romans 4:1-8

 Required Attire [41:05m]: Play in Popup | Download (215)

 ”To Kill a Mockingbird” is a phrase associated with a famous book, a famous movie, not to mention a famous line from The Andy Griffith Show.  It happened when Andy and Barney went up the mountain to help out the Darlings and first encountered Ernest T. Bass.  When they arrived, they could not find him because, according to his family,  he had gone off in the woods “to kill a mockingbird”.    Well, I have brought all of this up to tell you that last week we killed a mocking bird at the Lewis household.  To be more precise, our glass front door killed a mocking bird.  Come to think of it, the bird actually killed himself when he decided to take the wrong route.  What puzzled me was why he took that path.  The way our front door is positioned, we have very few birds that make that mistake.   As I scooped the bird up and unceremoniously disposed of him, the accident scene began to unfold.  It is spring time and mockingbirds are very territorial.  Could it be that the mockingbird mistook his own image in the glass door for another mockingbird and ended up actually attacking himself?  If so, it was the last mistake he would ever make.  Don’t be your own worst enemy today.
 
Front Door Ponderings,
 
Bro. James

Romans 3:21-31

 Bragging Rights [29:49m]: Download (185)

 Our recent cold snap reminded us that you just can’t rush the change of seasons.   However, with the temperatures once again on the rise ,we are making plans for our first big kick off of the summer at DeSoto Hills - VBS 07.  Vacation Bible School will be here before we know it.  Our dates this year are June 11-15 for those who have completed K-8th grades.  We are praying for and anticipating record numbers of children at this years school ,so it is important that we have “all hands on deck”.  As always, I remind you that there is something you can do to make this an outstanding week.  You may not be able to teach or even work that week, but you can  help us get ready.  Recently when I asked someone how the Preschool Egg Hunt went,  they responded by saying that like everything else at DeSoto Hills, it was first rate.  I truly want that to be the testimony of our church because the God we serve deserves our very best.  We certainly want our first VBS here to be top notch.  It could well be the first encounter that folks have with DeSoto Hills.  The theme this year is full of potential as we DIVE DEEP INTO GOD’S WORD.  It revolves around an ocean theme that promises to be loads of fun.   Don’t wait to be drafted.  Volunteer today.
 
Bro. James

John 20:8

 A Word for Easter [29:51m]: Download (2)

I grew up in a small, quiet and somewhat quaint town 70 miles West of Knoxville, Tennessee on the beautiful Cumberland Plateau. My parents were simple folks who married young and worked hard to provide for me and my sister. Family vacations consisted of visiting relatives either in Alabama or West Virginia, so when my high school band director announced he was taking us to Atlanta, Georgia for a fun trip is was a very BIG DEAL. The highlight of the trip was a visit of Six Flags Over Georgia which would be the first amusement park I would ever visit. It certainly would not be the last, or for that matter the best ,but it will always hold the record for being the first. I also experience my first indoor mall while in Atlanta. As a high school Freshman I was trying to be cool about it, but I was blow away by all those stores under one roof. The trip to Atlanta became an annual thing that I was able to participate in during all four years at Cumberland County High School. However, my participation came at a price. Although the bulk of the trip was paid for through fund raisers, we were responsible for our food and of course those all important souvenirs. Every year my folks would hand me money for the trip that I now realize they really did not have to spare. They did not lecture (more…)