Every morning people start to gather at the door of the fellowship center at a small church on the outskirts of a small fishing town on the Alabama Gulf coast. Inside Billy Spaulding is scrambling eggs, making gravy, and other breakfast treats. Soon the doors open and a few volunteers, church members down on their luck, the homeless and helpless are welcomed and fed.

My wife Carol and I were there on a Monday morning and not long after most of the people had their fill of breakfast, volunteers took their stations and people started to line up outside for the bi-weekly food distribution. Each of those families represented left soon with a rather large cardboard box full of various food items. Twice each week meals are given to anyone with a photo ID and income verification. Brother Billy reported that somewhere over 1,ooo people receive food each month.

Since soon after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Billy Spaulding, Daphne German, Bro’ Roosevelt, and several other volunteers have loved the impoverished people of Bayou La Batre in every way imaginable. Volunteer groups from all over America have come to the bayou to help the Bayou Recovery Project (also run by Spaulding and German) repair homes, clean up debris, deliver donated appliances, food, and clothing. If my memory is correct it must be way over 500 houses that have been either repaired or completely redone FREE!

It has now been over 7 years and they are still doing the impossible solely by faith! Billy told me they had run out of money last week but he seemed undaunted as usual. He said “It happens all the time but just when we’re out of money some checks will come in from some place and we just keep on rolling. It’s all good!” Never have I met a Christian man any more positive and full of faith and optimism!

In addition to their benevolent work they also tutor children each week so they can make it in school. Most of the children have little support at home so they get help at the church as volunteers sit with the children and carefully help them learn the school materials.

One Sunday morning while “Mr Billy” is busy making breakfast 3 volunteers man three vans and off they go to soon return with dozens of smiling, excited, hungry children of all ages. Even on Wednesday night they will have well over 50 children at church. They feed them a good meal and teach them about Jesus. This little church with no regular preacher, no elders or deacons, and no budget, manages to do all this mountain of work, pay utilities, insurance on their buildings and vehicles, and other costs associated with running a busy church and recovery ministry, and they baptize several people each year.

Several churches across the country have been very helpful. Presently the El Campo Church of Christ from Texas, The Port City Church of Christ, from Mobile, and the Gateway church of Christ from Pensacola, Fla are helping them in amazing ways. We were able to bring about 300 winter coats and several pairs of new shoes mostly from the Heart to Home ladies of the Whites Ferry Road Church in West Monroe, Louisiana.

Oh, I forgot to mention, they provide Christmas presents for the kids of the community too, including new bicycles for many of them. The children work hard doing service work, memorizing scripture passages, and whatever else Ms. Daphne assigns them so they can qualify to go to church camp in the summer. How they do all they do makes my head spin, and they do it with such love, such care and concern, and with such determination.

Before the year’s end, why don’t you consider offering some help to this worthy cause? Visit their Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hemley-Road-Church-of-Christ/126220237438941) and send a message of encouragement. To donate you can send a check to:

Hemley Road Church of Christ
8270 Hemley Road
Bayou La Batre, Alabama 36509

Thanks for reading and for your consideration.

Royce

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31b)

Somehow I know more about living than I did..say..50 years ago. I have, in relative terms, had a wonderful, happy, fulfilling life. Now as I face what is likely the twilight days of my life I have a very short list of regrets. Of course there are things I would do differently had known then what I do now. But accepting that I only knew then what I knew then I usually did OK and didn’t become my own worst enemy on many occasions.

The familiar phrase written above from Romans 8 is a profound statement. I advise reading the passage, in fact the whole chapter, to assure that you get the context. Here, the Bible is talking about the big picture of a whole life. The idea is that even in the middle of our worst trouble God is present and making things work out for us. He never is only a spectator, he is always working in us, on us, and for us.

Yes, it’s true for you too, if you love God. The greatest problems you will face can become the genesis of some of your grandest blessings. When we are standing face to face with darkness and despair we can never at that moment see the future plans God has for us. But He does have other plans.

I have had my share of trouble and I’m not immune to more. But, consider things from the perspective of an older man with some battle scars.

Could I as fully appreciate the unconditional love and acceptance of my Heavenly Father had I not felt rejected at times by  my own human father? And could I find such joy in the unselfish devotion of a wife had I not been rejected and abandoned by one? Could I appreciate the blessing of good health and life to the degree I am able had I not experienced the pain of the sudden death of my wife Jeanine at the age of 44? And I wonder if I could be as compassionate toward those who have shined and then fallen had I not once been where they are?

The scriptures admonish the wise to take heed when he is standing because anyone can surely fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12) Your life might have been smooth sailing so far but if you live long enough the seas will get rough. Don’t fall into the trap of looking down your nose at someone who just hit rock bottom, there might be a place there reserved for you.

If you will walk with God, trusting and obeying the best you can, He has your back! When the doctor says, “I’m sorry, it’s malignant”. Or when the officer says at the door, “I have bad news..”, even in those times you can be assured that God has not been taken by surprise and is able to make cancer and every other disease, marriage failures and business failures, and even your sin all work out for your good in the end of it all. I am the man I am today not because of a series of successes, fantastic relationships, perfect abundance, and text-book health. No, I have been shaped by brokenness, failure, disappointment, grief, rejection, and personal sin. And of course all of the wonderful good things and good people who have contributed in some way to my life. But, back of all of this is the ever abiding presence and plan of an almighty God who has promised.

So when the bad news comes, take it with grace and dignity, and pray that God will have the final say. I recently heard a song by Vince Gill titled “Threaten Me With Heaven”. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiQhOZ6BE_I) Part of the lyric is, “..what are they gonna do? threaten me with heaven?” Think about, if you belong to God that’s the worst anyone can do. I just wonder what the good doctor would say when after he had told someone they had only two months to live if they replied, “What are you trying to do, threaten me with heaven?”

Walk with God, trust his promises, do the best you can, and embrace every day of your life, both the good and the unpleasant. Every day is God’s gift to you so honor him in it without regard to the circumstances. He will see you through.

Royce

What has become a hit show on the A&E Network features a group of unusual characters that could not have been cast by a Hollywood professional and dialogue that could not have been scripted by the best writers.

The show features Phil Robertson, the Duckcommander, his extended family, and a few friends and employees of the family business. After winning all the best awards at the Outdoor Channel with the Duckcommander show, they have taken cable by storm and are quickly rising to one of the top shows on cable. It is an unlikely bunch to enjoy such fame and to amass such a loyal fan following. They are not entertainers, at least not trained entertainers, they are just…well….they are just the Robertson bunch.

Most of the above is what you probably already knew. Now for some things you probably didn’t know.

Just how popular are they? Recently, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, arguably the best show on CNN, was able to only attract just over 500,000 viewers. Meanwhile, the last episode of the season for Duck Dynasty had 2.6 million viewers. Not too shabby, and they are trending upward. Soon they will start shooting for their second season, this year will have a healthy 25 episodes.

What drives them? You might be shocked to know that the motivating force is not fame and the money that comes with TV stardom. What drives them is a simple mission that began with the elder Robertson soon after his conversion to Christianity. They are focused on telling as many people as possible about the story of Jesus Christ and what he has done for sinful people, (that’s all of us..).

An open door. After reading the paragraph above you might question, “Yes, I see them say a prayer before they eat and Phil will say something about the Bible occasionally but they don’t share about Jesus on the show do they?” Of course it’s a fair question and I think many people who know the Robertson’s might have similar questions when they hear someone make the claim that they are all about evangelism.

What Duck Dynasty and other family media has done is to open doors that could never have been opened any other way. Phil, Jase, Alan, and John have all the speaking opportunities they can handle and more. Even before Duck Dynasty Phil was booked up for about 3 years in advance. They speak at sports shows of all sorts, sports banquets at churches and other venues, and almost anywhere they can get an audience. What you might not know is that every speaking opportunity features a rugged looking outdoors type dude with duck calls in one hand and a Bible in the other. They almost never speak anywhere that they don”t preach the gospel. This family has preached the good news about Jesus to far more people in the last several years than many major ministries ever could. They walk the walk and talk the talk, for this I most respect what they do and who they are.

The lost sheep returns. Duck Dynasty is truly a family business but one of the Robertson sons has been missing most of the time. The oldest son, Alan, has only had cameo appearances a few times, is clean-shaven, and has not worked very much in the business. For several years Alan has been one of the pulpit ministers at the church where the family worships. He is a gifted preacher and one of the very best I have ever heard. The lost sheep is coming home! Alan announced to the congregation of his church today that he will be stepping down from his preaching job at White’s Ferry Road to return to the family business where he worked building duck calls when the business was just getting off the ground. He will still worship with us, still be an elder, and will still preach often, but his principal job will be helping his family reach even more people for Christ. It’s a sweet bonus that they get to have so much fun doing it.

So, tune in when the new season begins and keep in mind that what you see on the screen is just a fraction of what the Robertson clan and their friends are all about. To them, Jesus really is Lord!