by Greg | Apr 13, 2010 | Blog Posts
Second to The Masters tournament itself, Tiger Woods has been the center of attention this past week. It should be stated from the outset that many, many are pleased in Phil Mickelson’s win. He seems to be a fine man, devoted to his wife, and humble in character. Somewhere in the shadow of Mickelson’s victory, however, is Tiger Woods. When Tiger won his first Masters he was 21 scoring 12 under par (I am not sure what that means) which at the time set a record for the course and he was the first African-American to win a major golf event. That was in 1997. Since that time Tiger Woods has dominated attention both on the golf course and off. There is no need to repeat the last four months of sad news related to Tiger Woods. Needless to say, his return to the golf course has been met by cheers, jeers, planes, and pundits Many people love him; many people revile him; and many people just ignore him. I have wondered what it must be like to live as Tiger Woods: every expression analyzed; every action judged; and every decision questioned. Now he is back and although he did not win The Masters he is still indisputably a great golfer. I sat there amazed that he could even focus long enough to finish a round of golf with all the world watching. What can we learn about ourselves through Tiger Woods? He who is without sin cast the first golf ball? Issues of choices, sin, passing judgment and consequences come to mind. So do redemption, restoration and hope....
by Greg | Mar 30, 2010 | Blog Posts
Remember when you were a child and you made your first friend in school? Our earliest memories remind us of the importance of friendships. Everyone needs a friend and so good friends are a gift. Amy and are blessed to call on several as our dear friends. Each summer we vacation together and catch up on one another’s lives. For the rest of the year we are busy raising children, working our jobs and from time to time going to funerals. You see we are at that age where many our parents are also at that age. I just returned from one such funeral of the father of one of our friends. We all sat on a pew together and thought about our own fathers, some living and some that have passed on. Of course, that is what friends are for – sharing together in one another’s lives. The interesting thing about our friends is that we are in many respects quite different. We live in different cities: Birmingham, Atlanta and Augusta. We work different jobs ranging from sales to homemaking. In our group are Baptists, Episcopalians, and non-denominational. We have different political views, effectively canceling out one another’s votes each election. What holds us together is common love and respect for each other. “Friends” was how Jesus referred to his followers. “You are my friends,” Jesus says to those who would be called later to lay down their lives for one another. The Greek word for “friend” in the Gospel is philos, a word that theologian Raymond Brown translates as beloved. In the Gospel of John the two...
by Greg | Mar 18, 2010 | Blog Posts
Now that the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer (well, slightly warmer anyway), my mind has been wandering to the back yard. Specifically I have been glancing towards my raised vegetable bed. Currently I still have a mess or two of collards left from the fall planting. Soon I will be picking the last of the collards and preparing the ground for tomatoes and peppers. The problem I have, however, is that I do not have enough room for all the things I want to plant. Sooooo….I have built another raised bed. The biggest challenge in building another bed is hauling the lumber from the store to my house. I do not own a pick-up and I am too cheap to rent one. Of course this is not a problem if you do not mind hauling lumber on top of the car – and I did not have a problem. My kayak straps secured down all my planks and 4x4s on the top of my MINI just fine. Who needs a pick-up? My next challenge will be getting fresh manure transported for fertilizer. Is it any wonder that Rodger Murchison does not want to ride in my car? The season is about investing in the future. When the garden is planted, I then dream of fresh tomatoes and basil. We all do this in one way or another. Some go and buy new clothes (remember Easter outfits?) and in wearing them feel themselves renewed. People charge into spring cleaning their homes to cast off the old and refresh all things as new. I believe that...
by Greg | Mar 2, 2010 | Blog Posts
As you can imagine, meal times are pretty important around the DeLoach Ranch. I am certain has been true for many generations. My grandfather’s favorite table blessing went something like this: “Bless the Meat, even the bones/Got anymore, bring it on.” While we giggled my grandmother glared disapprovingly in his direction. We DeLoaches love eating and we love eating as a family. Mealtimes were not a picture from the canvas of Norman Rockwell. My grandmother’s house did not have a dining room, or china, or linen napkins. We (seven of us) all ate in the kitchen crammed around a table fighting over the last biscuit and working our way in and out of the unfolding flow of conversation. We discussed politics, religion, grades, feed prices and milk prices, but mostly we laughed, fussed, and teased. In other words, we were a family and the table centered us. One by one we grew up, some of us moved away and all of us married. Both my grandparents are now deceased and my father has since remarried. Still, from time to time, we come back home bringing our own children and our own stories and find a place at the table. In fact, we need several tables when we all show up. As a husband and father meal times are just as important for me as they were in my childhood. True, we are busy with church, sports and school, but we strive hard to prioritize eating together for breakfast and supper. Soon both of my sons will be driving and it will not be long before they too will move...
by Greg | Feb 17, 2010 | Blog Posts
February 17, 2010 Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you… … 16 “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Ash Wednesday, today, marks the...
Recent Comments