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When February 4, 2018, came to a close, Nick Foles was on top of the world. He wasn’t supposed to be here, standing before a worldwide audience accepting the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl. Foles led his Philadelphia Eagles to what most believed was an upset over the powerhouse New England Patriots. Foles was the backup to a hurt Carson Wentz. The next year, Foles went back to the bench and watched Wentz take the snaps. Some believed life cheated Foles. He performed at a high level, and some expected him to be the starter the next year. He wasn’t. How did he see it? In a book written that year, Foles explained. Some people might think I deserve a better deal, but it’s not about what I deserve. It’s never been about that. The truth is, I’ve already been given far more than I deserve--a wonderful family; a job I love; grace and forgiveness; great friends, coaches and teammates. Everything I have is a gift from God, and I’m thankful for all of it. I am where I am now because of God’s grace, and I’ll continue to follow wherever he leads. Jesus has different values from the world. The culture cherishes top dogs but overlooks the second fiddles. Jesus doesn’t. He elevates them. “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16) In the Master’s sight, it is not the name at the top of the letterhead but the one serving on his knees. Do not grow discouraged, thinking no one cares when you serve without recognition. Jesus does. Play a backup role and let the Master reward you. -Robert G. Taylor-

Florencia knocked a glass off the counter of a cafe that shattered. The sound brought a visit from the police, instructing her to “keep the sound down.” It caused her to blush. She was one of the residents of Cremona, Italy, the home to the workshop founded by Antonio Stradivari. His violins and cellos have filled the world with great music. Fearing that the sound would be lost one day, the city started a project to digitally record the sounds of the Stradivarius instruments so they would never be lost. The town had to be quiet. Noise-free. Their first attempt sounded successful until engineers listened to the playback. In the background were distant sounds of car engines and a woman’s clicking high heels. On the appointed day, everything in Cremona shut down. Bulbs went off, lest their faint buzz might be noticeable. The auditorium’s ventilation came to a silent hush. A violinist put the bow to the string and placed the C-major scale. It was then, the glass, several blocks away shattered. God calls Christians to hear the His clear voice, As the psalmist put it, “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”” (Psalm 46:10) The voice of God whispers. It is only heard by those who still their desires and the voices of the times to hear him. If the engineers in Cremona heard a glass fall half-a-town away, God can hear when you are not listening. So, quiet, please.   -Robert G. Taylor-  

Harold Storelee was doing what he had always done. He was mowing his yard. It was his pride and joy. But somewhere in the weekly chore, he required more help. Storelee fell in front of his home and broke a hip. Emergency responders came to his aid and did what their required job. They took vitals, got him stabilized, and transported him to the hospital. But then they did more. They called their supervisor and asked for an extra hour. When he agreed, the techs returned to Storelee’s home and finished his yard. As one of them said: There was no hesitation from anybody. We talked to our lieutenant and captain, and they were 100 percent behind it. We knew he’d be down for a while, (so) we figured the least we could do was go back and help out. We’ve done similar things before. We look at it as a family community. I’ve seen people with broken porches and replaced a couple of boards. If we see someone in need, we can go help and buy them groceries, and the department will refund us our money. The measure of Christianity is not “enough” but “more.” No, it’s no more things, money, status, or privilege. It is more service. Jesus reminded his audience to do what no one would do. “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” (Matthew 5:41) For Jesus, following him means going beyond the begrudging rule. It is doing more than that. We find many instances where we could do “enough.” But when it comes to showing the face of Jesus to a world which knows little of him, you need to do more. -Robert G. Taylor-

Someone asked Mark Buchanan the question many ask. “What’s your biggest regret in life?”His answer…being in a hurry. He explained, “Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I’ve ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all that rushing.” “Through all that haste, I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away. The Chinese join two characters to form a single pictograph for busyness: heart and killing. That is stunningly incisive. The heart is the place the busy life exacts its steepest toll.” We have turned into adrenaline junkies, pushing from one thing to another. Red lights and slow cars irritate us. Who has not wondered why they are waiting in a Walmart line when 10 checkout counters are vacant? The 21st century’s mascot is the white rabbit from Louis Carroll’s allegory, Alice in Wonderland. He hurries through life, saying, “I’m late.” Hurry gains nothing, except pain. Even Jesus refused to hurry. Upon hearing the news of the illness of his friend Lazarus, Jesus refused to hurry. He knew life lived in God’s rhythms and was content to follow the ebb and flow of life. Solomon observed, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) God gives us time for what we need to do. Hurry stems from not believing that. Trim schedules. Set priorities. There is time for the essential but never enough time for the trivial.Slow down and don’t have “hurry” as your regret. -Robert G. Taylor-

Celie Wilkes found herself disappointed. She bought a succulent plant and started caring for it. It was when she was ready to transplant it, that she realized a sobering fact. The plant was plastic. “I was so proud of this plant. It was full, beautiful coloring, just an overall perfect plant … I had a watering plan for it. If someone else tried to water my succulent, I would get so defensive because I just wanted to keep good care of it. I absolutely loved my succulent.” In the transplant process, as she dug down to the bottom, she found the styrofoam with glued sand at the bottom. It looked alive, but it was nothing more than an imitation. So many people adopt an imitation faith, one that feels good and is popular with the masses. Jesus instructed that we must get “down to the bottom” to find out. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24–25) Genuine faith that grows and flourishes is stable at its base. It puts God over self and obedience over mere observance. That kind of faith has substance and life. Since her discovery, Wilkes replaced her plastic plants with genuine succulents. Is it time to find out if you have nothing more than a plastic faith? -Robert G. Taylor--

Before Google and the Internet, something called “the librarian” could answer your questions. In 1967, the New York Public Library established a phone-in service called “Ask A Librarian.” (It is still in existence and receives over 30,000 calls each year.) Several years ago, they discovered a box of cards with questions librarians received. Here is a sample: What does it mean when you dream, you’re being chased by an elephant? Why do 18th Century English paintings have so many squirrels in them? If a poisonous snake bites itself, will it die? The librarians fielded all questions. None of them were “stupid questions” but were treated as sincere attempts of people to learn things. Questions are vital to learning. W. Edwards Deming said, “If you do not ask how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.” Jesus knew that the inquisitive soul was on the right track. No one received answers to questions not asked. He told his audience: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Those with questions in their hearts find the answers of eternity. . When we ask God, he will tell us. And with God, as with the librarians, there are no stupid questions, only correct answers. -Robert G. Taylor-  

Dr. Francis Collins was a bold atheist. He said, “I would have challenged anybody who wanted to have some discussion about God. I would have asserted they were basically stuck in some past era of supernaturalism that is no longer necessary because science has eliminated the need for it.” Then something changed. He watched people caught in the grip of serious illness. He noticed they had peace and joy, even though it would terrify him. “I had never really gone beyond the most superficial consideration of whether God exists or a serious consideration about what happens after you die,” commented Collins. Then, a patient suffering from an incurable illness drove the point home. She told him, “I have talked to you about my faith, and you listened but never said anything. What do you believe?” Collins said it was like getting hit by lightning. It was the most crucial question anyone had ever asked him. He struggled, and then a man introduced him to C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. In the end, he found an answer. “I realized … that most of my objections against faith were utterly simplistic. Here was an Oxford intellectual giant who had traveled the same path from atheism to faith, and had a way of describing why that made sense that was utterly disarming. It was also very upsetting. It was not the answer I was looking for.” Every person must ask the question, which today is even more relevant.  What do I believe and what happens if I die? It’s not an idle question. It is in the eternal questions of life and death that the correct question forms. What am I living my life for? After asking the questions of himself, Collins came to faith at the age of 27. What do you believe? -Robert G. Taylor-

Usually, “gambling” and “Christian” don’t fit together. But don’t tell Paul. He knew what gambling meant. In Philippians 2:30, he describes his friend Epaphroditus as a “gambler.” “for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.” (Philippians 2:30) The word risk means “to throw dice.” Where Paul learned it, who knows, but it is a good word for Christians, especially right now. A plague decimated thousands of the North African city of Carthage in 252 A.D. Dead bodies were discarded in the streets, and survivors fled in terror. That's when The Gamblers came together. These men and women, all Christians, took it upon themselves to bury the dead and nurse the sick. It took reckless courage. No one suggests you do reckless acts in today’s struggle with COVID-19. But with the talk of staying in and protect yourself, it is easy to become emotionally distanced as well. People need a human and Christian heart to touch them. While it doesn’t have to be in person, a phone call or note that reaches to the hurting can mean a lot. That’s what Epaphroditus did. He poured out his life for Paul. His example as a spiritual gambler needs to affect us closeted behind safe doors -Robert G. Taylor-

In the annals of modern sports, two names stand out:  Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. They share more than championship trophies. They know who matters and who doesn’t. In a documentary titled Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching, they talk to each other about what is essential and how the world has changed. Neither gives much credence to social media. Both understand that many times our modern world with its multitude of “friends” intrudes on communication. Both also believe that people need to look people in the eye to know them, not click a button. As Belichick put it, “Who cares how many likes you get from 2000 people you don’t even know? There are 53 guys in the locker room. Those are the 53 that matter.” The number is not as significant as the idea. In life, there are people that matter and those on the periphery. When you get down to it, the ones you count on are the ones that count. Solomon, surrounded by wannabe friends, knew the difference. A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24) God wants us to develop that kind of relationship in the body of Christ. We need more than Facebook followers. We need someone in the “53.” Who are yours? -Robert G. Taylor-

Leilani Schweitzer is a professional apologizer. Her formal title is head of communication and resolution at Stanford Hospital in California. She’s good at it because of what happened to her. Years ago, her 20-month old son Gabriel died of a hospital error and bad equipment at the hospital. That’s usually when the lawyers take over, make excuses, blame someone, and dare you to sue. Instead, as Schweitzer explained, they did none of those things. Instead, they explained, took responsibility, and apologized. It made the difference. There is something in humans to bristle at admitting they were wrong. It’s easier to point fingers or deny its damage. That’s not the best strategy. It’s better to be human, admit you made a mistake, and move on. An honest apology is better than a full suite of Ivy League barristers. Jesus counseled emptying ego and seeing reconciliation. “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23–24)  None of us are beyond messing up. The most mature person in the room is the one who can own their faults, failures, and feebleness. Then, say those bitter words so hard to speak sincerely: I apologize. It makes a difference for others but, even more importantly, for you. -Robert G. Taylor-