Monthly Archives: May 2011

May 27 2011

For Josie, on her 3rd birthday

For three years, I have had the pleasure of knowing the most wonderful little girl in the world.    On May 27, 2008, Josie Layne Widick was born into this world at Crestwood Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama.  My life changed that day, and every day since, I have been overwhelmed with the joy of being a father.

Fun facts about Josie:

-Her favorite color is pink
-Her favorite shows are Little Bear and Dora the Explorer (but also loves the Wonder Pets, Olivia, Ni Hao Kai Lan, and Super Why)
-She loves to show people how to do jumping jacks
-Her favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and her ABCs
-She can spell and write her own name!
-She loves to play with her baby dolls
-She sleeps in a big girl bed
-She is very particular about things, everything has to be in order
-Her favorite meal is chicken nuggets, strawberries and maybe some carrots
-She loves chocolate milk and apple juice
-She misses her family in Tennessee and Alabama dearly and talks about them often
-Her favorite game is Hi Ho Cherry O
-She loves to go to church and go to class!

Today, we celebrated by going to the Houston Children’s Museum with Grandmommy and Granddaddy.  Below are some pictures of the day!  (Tomorrow, we celebrate with friends as well)

Driving at the museum!

Josie fishing!

Playing at "Flow Works" outside at the Museum. It was 94 degrees today!

Mommy and Josie looking at the baby chicks.

Josie's favorite part of the museum was the market place where she could go shopping!

Josie serving up some diner food at the museum to Grandmommy and Granddaddy

Josie's new baby bed from Nana and Papa

A raincoat and umbrella she got for her birthday. She insisted it was raining in the house and didn't want to take it off!

By lanewidick • Posted in Family
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May 24 2011

A Gift for the Mrs.

In case you weren’t aware, my wife and I about a year ago, after being dedicated Dave Ramsey listeners, proudly became Debt Free.  One of the hardest things about being debt free is remaining debt free.  Its so tempting at times to justify things, saying “we’re debt free, so let’s go ahead and get it”.  However, then you remember how much freedom there is in being debt free, and you remember how your goal is to continue to be that way, and it makes decisions a lot easier.

Again, I’m not bashing anyone who is not debt free.  We aren’t officially debt free, because we do still have a mortgage.  However, aside from that we owe nothing to anyone!  I want to encourage all of you who think that debt is a way of life, to rethink that idea.  Being a minister for all of my adult life, I have not brought in a ton of money.  I feel we live a very modest life style.  We don’t have a lot of luxuries.

So, when it came time this past week to look for a new car for Kristen, we had a lot of things to think about.  We have enough money to get a car payment and it not break our backs completely.  We would have been able to get a newer car with less miles.  But it would have completely nullified all we had worked towards.  We had been setting aside money knowing this day was coming.  We got a decent offer for our trade in, and we put cash towards the new car, and walked out of the dealer with a 2005 Toyota Highlander with 72,000 miles on it.

We’ve always liked the Highlanders.  The new models are very attractive.  However, we knew that we didn’t have $30,000 to buy one, nor did we want to pay $300 a month towards something for 5-6 years.  So we settled on a much cheaper vehicle.

No, its not new.  No, its not as shiny.  But its an upgrade from the 04 CRV.  And most of all, my wife is ECSTATIC!!  I really want to encourage everyone to aim for a debt free life!  YOU CAN DO IT!!  I know you can!

Here’s a picture of Josie and Kristen with the new ride:

Kristen and Josie modeling in front of her "new" car!!

May 17 2011

The Automobile Warranty and Jesus Connection

“As far as the east is from the west,

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Psalm 103:12

Today, my wife’s car spent the day in the shop with a blown compressor and condenser.  This was an $1800 repair we had done just back in September of 2010, and it broke again on her on the way home yesterday.  With the Houston heat reaching 105 degrees in the summer, with the humidity at 110%, its obvious that it needs to be fixed.  Fortunately, the warranty covered the problem.  It was fixed 7 months ago, worked well for 7 months, and broke down again.

Kristen and I don’t have $1800 to throw at a broken AC unit every 7 months.  Its just not possible.  But that warranty really helped out.  The part is usually warrantied for 12 months/12,000 miles, however, our mechanic at First Tire and Automotive in Sugar Land, TX doubles the manufacturers warranty on all their repairs.  I wasn’t aware of this last night when I drove the car over to leave it.  I was worried, because even though we were within the 12 month time frame, we had driven 11,985 miles since the original repairs were done.  Not knowing about the doubling of the warranty sent me in a tizzy last night.

All I could think about was what we were going to do.  Were we going to have to fork over another $1800?  Would we just need to sell the car and get something else?  I started to panic, because we just don’t have the money to do either one of those things.  Imagine my relief this morning when the mechanic called and told me that the damage was covered under the warranty.  The best thing was that this warranty was free with my decision to go this particular mechanic.  Better yet, today he told me that if it happened again, that even though the warranty is from the original date of work, they would help in any way they could.

I sat at home all day today, since I had no car to go to the office.  I thought a lot about my life.  I’m covered under an eternal warranty given to me by God.  Its not something I paid for.  In fact, he paid for it himself.  All I had to do was accept it.  Thank goodness God has given me that gift.

I’ve screwed up a lot in my life.  I’ve done a lot of things that I’m not proud of.  I’ve acted in ways that many people would question whether or not I truly was a child of God.  When I start to stray away from God, I feel broken down.  I feel like all my “parts” just aren’t working right.  That’s when I remember that all I have to do is approach the throne of God and seek forgiveness.  He then does a complete system flush, and takes care of those sins.

The great thing about it is, however, that these sins aren’t recorded into a computer where he can go and check to see how long that forgiveness is good for.  As the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us!  Hallelujah!   This verse just describes it ALL!   It is just so awesome that God will forget everything we have done if we just ask Him to. I remember in the past when so called “friends” would hurt me or turn their back on me.  I know i have forgiven them, but I haven’t forgotten what they did.    That‘s a hard thing for us to do.  But God, He forgives and forgets like it never happened. we can let guilt build up in our human minds and continually ask for forgiveness,  but God says, “Forgive what?  I don’t remember any sin.“  I am so overwhelmed by His amazing love for everyone of us no matter how much we have messed up!  God is awesome!

May 14 2011

For Marty, my brother, on his birthday

From left to right, Penny, Marty and me outside his home in Memphis TN back in the early 90s.

Its hard to really get close to a sibling when there is an 8 year age difference.  Marty, my oldest sibling, and oldest of three children in the family, was born on May 15, 1970.  This year will mark him turning 42 years old.  He has three children, and is married to Penny.

Marty is the reason I am an Alabama fan.  He’s one of the reasons I went to Freed Hardeman University.  He’s one of the reasons that I’m a Huey Lewis and the News, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, and Nylons fan.

When I was younger, I thought Marty was one of the coolest people in the world.  He had cool friends, did cool things, and was someone to look up to.  I remember when my brother became a Christian, and even though I wasn’t ready, it made me think hard about my life in Christ.  My brother and I shared a room for about a year in 1985 while my parents built the house they currently live in.

Marty was given a 1957 Chevy to drive when he turned 16.  Our Grandfather Smith found it for him, and Marty drove it like it was the coolest car in the world.  In reality, it was the ugliest thing ever, but I didn’t know that then.  I just thought it was awesome.  If memory serves me correct, it was a 3 speed, had huge dents in it, and I believe Marty tried to fill some of the patches with bondo but never had the money to paint it.

My brother, Marty. Roll Tide!

Marty gave us a scare a few years ago when he was 36.  He has, for the longest time, struggled with sleep apnea.  It finally caught up to him and he had a heart attack followed by open heart surgery.  Thank goodness he made it through that time, and is healthy and living life to its fullest now.  He even rides a scooter now!

For the longest time now, I’ve called my brother a goober, but I mean that in the nicest way possible.  I often think he’s stuck in the 80s, loving his old music.  However, he has a heart of gold, would do anything for you if you asked him, and he finds the simple things in life make him happiest.  To my brother, I wish you a happy birthday.  May God continue to bless you with many more, and may he bless your family as well.

By lanewidick • Posted in Family
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May 14 2011

Just Add Water – A Look at Being a Christian

On June 10, 1992, I became a Christian.  There are many thoughts out there today as to how one becomes a Christian.  I believe the New Testament gives plenty of examples that the way to Christ and salvation eternal is through hearing the word of God, believing in what it says, changing your sinful ways, confessing that Jesus is Lord, and giving yourself over to him in immersion through baptism.  When you give yourself over to Jesus, you do it completely.

I remember the night I became a Christian.  My father baptized me after I walked down the aisle to the Church of Christ classic song, “Just As I Am”.  I remember making my confession before the 30 or so people at the Bethel Church of Christ that night, my father plunging me into the water, and re-emerging as a new creature buried in Christ, with the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I told God that night that I wanted to give my life to Him, completely.  While I have not even come close to being perfect, I have tried my hardest, and am committed to raising my family in a Christian home.

Recently, Billy Graham’s son Franklin was asked if he believed that Barack Obama was a Christian.  He stated “He has told me that he is a Christian. But the debate comes, what is a Christian? For him, going to church means he’s a Christian. For me, the definition of a Christian is whether we have given our life to Christ and are following him in faith, and we have trusted him as our Lord and Savior. That’s the definition of a Christian. It’s not as to what church you are a member of. A membership doesn’t make you Christian.”

A membership doesn’t make you Christian – there’s a lot of validity in that.  For a lot of us, we feel that just going to church makes you a Christian.  We believe that if our name is on the roll in a congregation of some sort, that we’re on God’s roll for entry into Heaven.

In an article challenging Franklin’s response of Obama’s Christianity, Roland Martin  a syndicated columnist for CNN and author of “The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House.”, said “Any Christian will tell you: If a person verbally professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that person is considered saved. No ifs, ands or buts. That’s when the conversation should end.”

I can’t help but think its not that simple.  First of all, “any Christian” will not say that.  True Christians will say that there is more to following Christ than just saying Jesus is my Lord and Savior.  The apostles left their nets, their jobs, their families and their livelihood to follow Christ.  Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler to sell everything he had and give it to the poor so he could inherit eternal life.  Jesus never simply said “Believe in me, and that’s all”.  In Matthew 28, Jesus tells those of us who have given our lives over to him to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them everything I have commanded you.”

We see in the following years of the first Christians that they did this.  In Acts, we see that the Christians dedicated themselves to each other.  They helped each other out.  They committed to being together, in a “corporate” setting and in their own personal lives.  We can’t simply just add water to our spiritual lives and expect it to grow into a full, mature Christian.  We can’t expect to just add water, never commit to God’s church, and expect that he approves of it.

We’ve read of professional athletes being kicked off their teams, traded away, or even fired simply because they didn’t show up to practice.  Practice is an important part of being an athlete.  They can’t just show up to the games and expect to first of all be a team, but second of all, to be any good.  When you don’t practice together, you don’t know each other’s game, and therefore can’t be productive.  One or two people may be successful, but as a team you will not succeed.

Yet, for some people, they treat their eternal salvation, their identity with God, as a casual social club.

Now, I’m not going to tell you that if you fail to go to church services every time the doors are open, that you’ll be eternally condemned.  I’m not going to tell you that if you fail to meet with fellow Christians every day to encourage each other and to teach the lost, that God won’t have a place for you in eternity.

But I will say that you’re missing out on your full potential as a Christian.  This isn’t an argument for whether or not baptism is essential to salvation.  This isn’t an argument about what church you have to belong to in order to have eternal life.  Those discussions are for a different time and place.  This is a plea that we need to restore the community found in the New Testament church, so that we aren’t just Christians in name, but that we are Christians in every aspect of our lives.

A business person seeking to climb the ladder of success would never think of just phoning in their work each week.  They know that they have to live that life daily, as best as they can, so that they can succeed.  They are going to devote themselves to that company, so that the presidents and managers can see how much it means to them, and that they are committed to the cause.

Instant coffee is okay, but slow drip is better.  TV Dinners suffice, but are nothing compared to a meal someone prepared in love all day long.  When we commit to the Christian life,  instead of just pulling it all together once a week, or once a month, God will take note and reward our hard work, in this life and the next.  May God be praised as we all dedicate ourselves to Him.

May 13 2011

Follow Jesus on Twitter

In preparing for my sermon next week on “Blessed Are the Persecuted”, I ran across this video.  While it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with persecution, it does ask the question about how well we are doing in “following” Jesus.  Give it a look!

May 12 2011

For My Sister, Mary Anne, On Her Birthday

Mary Anne, around 1990.

For as long as I’ve been alive, I’ve had a sister.  Mary Anne was born on May 13, 1974.  She suffered greatly as child, being sandwiched between myself as the youngest child, and our older brother Marty, who is 4 years older than her.  She was the dreaded middle child, and on top of that was the only sister/daughter in the family.

If I think back to people who taught me over the years, Mary Anne probably taught me more than anyone.  She would come home from school and teach me the things she had learned.  I always knew that she loved me.  She tolerated me for years as I would steal her Barbie dolls and torture them, making them play with my He-Man and A-Team action figures.  She endured countless times of me telling on her for doing something she probably didn’t do.  She never killed me for picking up the phone and listening on her conversations.

I remember as young children, we would put a record on the record player or a cassette in the tape player and sing along, giving concerts to anyone who would listen.  I remember always begging her to play with me as we got older, but she insisted on reading a book.  As we both got older, I think we got closer to each other.

I’ll never forget when she went to college.  On the way to Freed Hardeman to drop her off, I kept playing the song “Letting Go” by Suzy Boggess over and over again.  When we drove away, and I looked in the rear window as she walked back to her dorm room, I wept.  My sister and friend was entering into a new stage of her life, and I wasn’t going to be a part of it.

Mary Anne and her beautiful picture while undergoing chemo.

While she was in college, she always supported me in everything I did.  She came home to see my plays and theatrical productions.  She came to listen to the chorus sing.  She would bring her friends home from college, and she never tried to hide me away.  She wanted me to be a part of the group.

At the beginning of April of 2009, my wife Kristen and I moved to Houston, TX.  We had been here about a week when my parents called me and told me that Mary Anne had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  My heart sank.  I was no where near her, and wasn’t going to be able to help her through this time.  It was not me, or anyone else for that matter,

that was an inspiration to her, but rather she was an inspiration to all of us.  She took it in stride, and came out victorious.  Daily she would post encouraging Bible verses applicable to the junk she was going through.  She impacted many through that time in her life.

As it happens often in life, my sister and I have grown apart somewhat.  Its inevitable that when families are hundreds of miles apart that the closeness is hard to maintain.  However, Mary Anne has always had an impact in my life, and will always continue to do so.  Her husband, Kevin, and her two children, Faith and John Derrick, will always be blessed to have such a Godly woman in their lives.

Mary Anne, you will always be my sister, and even though we’re not together on your special day, know that I love you, and that you’ve always been a friend and great sister.  I count it an honor to have you as a sister, and I can’t wait to see you again.  May God bless you on your birthday.  May he bless you with many more!

At the Titans' game on Christmas Eve with Mary Anne and her husband Kevin.

May 12 2011

Community

In Acts 2, we read of many wonderful events that took place as the Church began to take form.  We see the Holy Spirit make a dramatic entry into the disciples as they are all together.  We read of Peter’s great sermon of how he explained what had happened, gave a great account of Christ and his death, resurrection, and exaltation, and finally a plea for all to repent and be baptized.  About 3000 people who witnessed the events of this day gave their lives over to Christ, but more importantly, gave their lives over to each other.

In the verses following these great events, we read in verses 42-47 of how the Church community began to form.  It was marked by the people devoting themselves to the work of teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.  From these verses we learn that the church was not just a gathering of people who came together on Sunday for an hour or two, but a group that was dedicated to each other at all times.

The church is facing an interesting dilemma right now across the country.  Generations are growing more and more segregated over issues.  Most of these issues are not even scriptural issues, but traditional issues.  When this occurs, the congregations become even more divided, and you end up with 3 or 4 different camps within one body.  Maybe the reason churches are struggling more over these things is because there is a lack of community in the church.  Sadly, people are more willing to argue and divide than they are willing to devote themselves to each other as the first century church did.

Acts 2:47 says they praised God and enjoyed the favor of all the people.  Because of that, God added to their number daily.  Will you enjoy the favor of all the people you worship with today?  Will you be willing to make that happen more than just on Sunday morning?  Can we put petty differences to the side and join together to spread the good news of Jesus to all?  Let’s be a community of believers, and devote ourselves to each other!