The Passing of a Legend...Rest in Peace Andy Griffith

I don't think that I've ever written a blog about a celebrity.  And this blog isn't actually about a celebrity perse as much as it is about the change in our society.

Yesterday Andy Griffith died.  A legend in the television world and a fixture in most American homes at some point.  Whether you watched him at Sheriff Andy Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" or as Benjamin Matlock on "Matlock", laughed as he portrayed Private Will Stockdale in "No Time for Sergeants", or enjoyed his musical styling of the old hymns, he brought joy and laughter to our homes for many years.  And he did it all in a family friendly way.

When Andy Griffith was on Television, you didn't have to be afraid to watch the show with your family.  His humor was not only funny and timeless, but also clean.  In fact, most of the comedians that we look back on with great fondness were hysterical...and clean.  Andy Griffith, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, Dick Van Dyke (who is still living) and many more have been and will always be looked up to as masters of their craft and they all made us laugh without offending us.  It is sad that the same can not be said of most (though not all) of our current so called comedians.  It is interesting that these are the giants of the comedic industry.  No one will ever take their place...but it causes me to wonder why more people are not following their lead.

I suppose crude has become the new "funny", but crudeness isn't funny.  It is, however juvenile.  Bathroom humor should remain in our childhood.  Children can't help that they find that kind of humor funny, but adults should outgrow it at some point.  Swearing isn't funny.  But somewhere along the line, our society decided that these things were indeed funny...and society has suffered for it.

So, I tip my hat (if I wore hats) to those truly funny people who brought us laughter that will stand the test of time.  I appreciate that they didn't waver in their stand to keep their humor clean.  It's sad that we have lost another who wa That is what crossed my mind when I heard of the passing of Andy Griffith.  I just thought I'd share my thoughts with you.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Today is Father's Day and I had to post a blog because I have an amazing Dad, and it's not every day that I get the opportunity to brag on him.

My father is Dr. Randall Lee James.  He's a pastor, author, teacher, theologian, former evangelist, former missionary, and musician.  But more than all of that, he's Dad.

He has taught me many things throughout my life.  He's funny and he's taught me how to find the humor in nearly any situation.  He's wise and has shown me to value of thinking through a problem and seeing all sides of a situation.  He's incredibly smart and he has the ability to make even the most complicated things easy to understand.  He tells me that he's proud of me when I do well and corrects me when I mess up.  But whether I do well or I fail, he tells me he loves me and that is something that means more to me than I have words to express.

When I went into the ministry it was so comforting to know that he would help me work through any questions that would come up as I do my studies and take the classes that are needed for my ordination.  I have often sought his council over the years and he has never failed to listen to my questions and help me find the answers.  It is very freeing to know that I can ask Dad anything and he will never make me feel stupid for asking the question.  I always try to take the classes that he teaches because I know I will learn a lot.

Dad has shown me in both word and deed what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  I have watched him over the years through good times and bad and I have watched how he has responded to situations of all kinds.  No matter what goes on in life, I continually see Jesus in my Dad.  I want to be an example like that for others.

He may not realize it, but in life and in ministry he is the best teacher I have ever had and I hope to continue to learn from him for many many years to come.  So, Happy Father's Day Daddy!  I love you so much and I am so blessed to have you!

She is Amazing!

There are a few people in my life who are so special and so important that I simply can not imagine what my life would be like without them.  One of those people is my Grandma James.  Today is her birthday and I am blessed to get to be with her today.  But, I do not think she realizes just how fantastic she is or what an impact that she has on everyone who meets her.  So I thought I'd take a few minutes and share just why she is so amazing. 

First of all, I have never met anyone who is more loving.  From the time I was little until the present, I have never felt more loved than when I am in her presence.  She simply radiates love.  And it is not just because she's my Grandma either.  It's because Jesus lives in Grandma and His love just spills out of her and onto everyone around her.  From playing a game, to cooking a meal, to simply having a chat...Grandma just radiates the love of Christ.

Next, she listens to me.  She lets me vent when I'm troubled and gets excited with me when I'm excited.  No matter what is going on in my life, I know she will always be there cheering me on in the good times or there with a word of encouragement when my day just isn't going all that well.

She is the most patient person I have ever met.  Many things happen in life that a less patient person might want to throw something across the room or scream at the top of their lungs...but Grandma patiently goes on.  The good, the bad, the in-between...nothing gets the better of Grandma.  I want to be like that too.

She is funny.  Hands down, without question Grandma is the funniest person I have ever met.  She doesn't always mean to be funny, but that just adds to her charm.  If you've ever played a game with Grandma, then you know what I mean.  If you haven't...well, I'm sorry, but you're missing out. 

Lastly, (though I really could go on for much longer) Grandma shows me Jesus in her life.  Not just in her words, not just in her actions, but with all of her life.  I want to be like my Grandma.  I'm so blessed to have her in my life.

Happy Birthday Grandma!  I love you more than I can adequately put into words.  Thank you for being such a wonderful influence on me.  You are indeed amazing!

10 Lessons I Learned From Mom

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I simply could not let the day go by without using my blog to brag on my Mom for a bit.  Several years ago my brother wrote her a song for Mother's Day (it's called Mary's Song and you can find it on his website...there's a link to it on this page) and while I am not at all talented in song writing, I thought perhaps this would be the next best thing to show her how much she has taught me over the years.  Now, let's be honest:  My Mom has taught me WAY more than 10 things, but if I took the time to list them all, this post would go on for days.  So, I'm just picking out 10 of the bazillion things she has taught me.  Perhaps your Mom has taught you some of the same things. 

1) Necessity is the mother of invention
       I am quite certain that any creativity that I have, I got from my mother.  Growing up, I can not tell you how many things she fixed or built when the need arose.  She can make just about anything out of cardboard and tack paper if necessary.  Because of her, when I am in the midst of a project and a curve gets thrown at me, I know that I don't have to give up...I just have to get creative.  And learning to fix problems creatively is a skill that has served me well in ministry. 

2) Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do
     If she said this phrase once to me, she said it a million times.  There are jobs that we do not enjoy doing or do not want to do, but that does not mean that we don't have to do them.  Too many times today I see parents that allow their children to only do what they want and I think that is sad.  It is by being made to do the things that we don't want to do that we learn responsibility and character.  I am so blessed that my Mom (and my Dad) didn't allow me to decide what chores I would or would not do.  By learning to do them all, I am better able to care for myself as an adult.

3) I am not more important than anyone else
     My Mom taught me how to be compassionate by letting me watch her care for others.  There were many times when Mom was ill or when money was tight that Mom still found a way to do something for someone else.  She has always put everyone else ahead of herself.  She reminds me that we are here to serve and not to be served. 

4) Church is not an option!
     Now in all honesty, this is something that both of my parents taught us.  NOTHING took priority over time in God's house.  Not vacations, not school functions, not family gatherings, not anything.  Even illness was not a good excuse unless you would be contagious to others.  Being in God's house and having fellowship with God's people was important and my parents knew that if they let me skip for a sporting event, or a weekend away, or even a school event, that I would be much more likely to see church as an option that wasn't really a necessity in my life.  Don't misunderstand me, there is nothing magical about a church building, but it is part of learning about priorities.  God was made a priority in the life of my family and nothing could budge that priority.  Some people probably think that my parents were too strict in that area.  But I have seen what happens when parents do not make church a priority in the lives of their children.  When they let other things take that place of being at church (even good things) the children and teens start to see what is really important in the lives of their parents.  And if being a church can be replaced with being a a ball game, going to a family dinner, a trip to Kings Island, or helping to build a deck at a friends house...you tell me where they will place the priority in their life?

5) Spending time with God is important
     Many times growing up, when I would wake up in the morning, I would find my Mom praying in some part of the house.  The place would still be quiet.  And I would find my Mom on her knees talking to the Father about all manner of things.  Her Bible would be beside her where she'd been doing her devotions before her prayer time.  Those memories are etched in my mind and I have always wanted to be just like her.  I've yet to master the getting up early to pray part, but I do know that I need to spend time with God daily if I want to serve Him the best I can.

6) It's ok to be silly
     My Mom is a nut.  I love her for that.  Playing games with her is always a hoot because you never know what new word or phrase she might come up with to vent her frustration. A current favorite of mine is: "Fiddlely, Diddley, Piddley, Poo!"  Not sure how to spell all those words,but since she made them up, I suppose I can decide how to spell them.  She has taught me that it is ok to let your hair down and be yourself.   No one should be serious all the time.

7) Music is apart of who we are
     As long as I can remember, music has been a part of our family life.  My family is always breaking out into song at random times.  In fact, most anything can trigger just such an outburst.  I suppose that might seem strange to others, but it is very much a part of who we are and my Mom is the leader of the pack when it comes to this aspect of our lives.  She sings all the time.  It's nothing for her to break out into song if one pops into her mind.  I am the same way.  We all are to some degree.  I think it's a neat trait of our family.  Others might find it a bit odd, but music seems to permeate our lives in such a way that it simply has to escape sometimes...and it usually escapes in the form of a song fragment that just needed to be sung in the middle of Wal-Mart!

8) She loves me no matter what
     I suppose this one should go without saying, but I'm saying it anyway.  There is just something special about a mother's love.  She has at times been disappointed in me, she has disagreed with me, she has even been concerned about me, but she has never ever stopped loving me. 

9) No matter how old I am, I will always be her baby girl
     There is something special about always being seen as a child by your parents.  I'm not saying that it isn't at times an annoying trait, but there is something calming about knowing that no matter how old we get, our parents will always see us as the little children they raised and because of that they enjoy so much watching us accomplish things in our lives...because they know what it took for us to get to where we are.  They remember the struggles and the challenges along the way.  Whether it is graduating High School, getting a new job, starting a business, buying a house or whatever the accomplishment might be.  We will always be their kids...and they are proud of us.

10)  I make her proud
     No, I'm not being conceited.  I know this because she told me so.  Mom made it a point to let me know that she is proud of me.  If you are a Mom, do not underestimate the power you have to give your children the strength they need to accomplish the things life brings.  My Mom tells me she is proud of me...knowing that thrills me and makes me want to do even better.

So, these are a few of the things my Mom, Mary Jane James, has taught me over the years.  I look forward to continuing to learn from her for many more years to come.  I love you Mom!!!

Embarrassing moment #...oh brother, I've lost count!

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter. As you can see by the photo, we had the Easter Bunny at this year's Easter Egg Hunt for our church. She was a blast to have around and cars were honking at her all the time. It was lots of fun!

Have you ever had one of those days where you know you've forgotten something, but you just can't figure out what it is? I had one of those days on Easter Sunday.

All morning long I had the nagging feeling that I had forgotten something very important, but no matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn't put my finger on what it was. The children were going to be singing in our morning worship service and I wanted to make sure that I had input the words into the Easy Worship program, but I knew that was done...the lesson for Kingdom Kids was ready...the workers were all where they were supposed to be in all the Children's areas. I just couldn't figure it out. SO, I continued on with my morning.

All the kids (preschool and K - 6th) came into our Kingdom Kids room to practice thier song before we went into the sanctuary. They did a fantastic job. I was very proud of them and knew they would do great. We lined everyone up. Walked them to the sactuary, got all of them onto the platform and prepared to sing...and THEN it hit me. I'd forgotten the music. I didn't bring the CD! We didn't have it in the building!!!! We use Itunes for our Children's church, instead of switching out the CD's all the time and it never once crossed my mind that the music wasn't in the soundbooth. HORRORS!!!! My face blanched as I realized what I'd forgotten. Thirty sets of eyes are staring at me...ready to sing...and we have no music!!! One hundred and seventy sets of ears are waiting to hear the children sing, and we have NO MUSIC!!!

I quickly told the congregation that I'd forgotten the music and would be right back and scurried out of the sactuary all the while trying to figure out what to do. A teenager was running our sound for us that day in Kingdom Kids and he ran to the sound booth (up a flight of stairs) twice to find a blank CD, then we burned the one song needed onto the CD and he ran it back to the soundbooth. (I really hope I didn't break any copywrite laws, but I promise that CD will be destroyed.) The entire problem was resolved in probably 5 minutes or less, but it was one of the longest 5 minutes in my life. The kids sang and did a marvelous job and the service went on just fine, but I was so embarrassed I could have falled through the floor and hidden for the rest of the day. I'm doubtful that I will make that same mistake again...EVER! So, that's my embarrassing story. 

*Sigh* Some things never change.

It's in the Genes!

When I was growing up, while we were in evangelism, my Dad enjoyed tracing our family tree. We would go to libraries in lots of little towns as we travelled and Dad would continue his search. Sometimes he would come out and tell us about the person he'd learned about. I always thought it was so neat.

Now that I'm older, I decided that I wanted to trace it too. So, several months ago, I asked Mom and Dad to help me start the tree and they gave me all the information they could remember about their families and I put the information on a tree at Ancestry.com. This week, I decided to really start looking harder and it has been an amazing journey...with much more to learn. However, so far, this is just a bit of what I've learned...

On my Mom's side, I have traced part of the line back 21 generations to 1328 in Scotland. Along the way, I've come across that we have a line of Lords and Lady's that begins in 1358, a minister in the family (born 1789), we also have relatives from Ireland and England, and sadly I have an Uncle who was drawn and quartered in 1548 though I don't know why. Now that is just disturbing! Looks like the first Barrett (my mom's Maiden name) to come to the US was James Barrett who was born in Ireland in 1715 and his wife Hannah who was born in Scotland in 1720.

On my Dad's side, I've traced part of the line back 18 generations to 1378. We are from Welsh and English descent on the James side of the tree. Looks like the first James to come to the US was John James in 1673 from Wales (found his travel papers). Since Jamestown was founded in 1609, that means my family was here almost at the beginning of the United States. That's pretty cool! Though...oddly enough, there don't seem to be any actual James' in Jamestown. :-) At least not from our line. I also found the Last Will and Testament of Captain John James (died 1778) and it was quite and interesting read. I believe he was in the Revolutionary war, but I'm not certain, though I'm pretty sure some of his sons were.

I've also discovered that my family seems to have the travelling bug from WAY back. No wonder we've still got ichy feet. It's literally in our genes to travel about it seems. :-)

If you've never traced you tree, I would encourage you to do so. I've still got a long way to go, but WOW, I find something new out about my family nearly everytime I look.

We study the history of our country and of the world in school, but we often lose track of our own personal history. That seems so sad to me because we can learn an awful lot from those who have come before us. So, I'll keep digging! Who knows what I might find. Some of it may be exciting, some it will certainly be sad (like some things I've already found...I'm not at all proud that some of my relatives were slave owners...turns my stomach to think abou that.), but it is all my history and it has all gone into the forming of the person that I am today. So, the search continues!

The Blessing of Friendship

So, the last few days I've been somewhat nostalgic. It happens to me from time to time. This time it was brought on by looking at some old pictures on Facebook. I've always been one to take lots of pictures and I love looking at them. They help me remember all the wonderful people and places I've been blessed to know over the years.

I'm about to have a birthday in a little over a week and while I am not one who generally worries about growing old, when my birthday rolls around, I do often take a little time to reminise about the days gone by. When I do, I find that I have been blessed more than I could ever deserve with friendships that have stood the test of time.

First I was blessed to have a small group of friends who never seemed to lose track of me no matter how many times my family moved. If you've ever had to move often in your childhood you understand what a rare gift that is. Sara, Audra, Stacy, Janell and Jason will always be special to me and very dear friends because they have always been my friends no matter how far away I was from them. They have known me the longest...and they still like me. :-)

I was in 5 public schools and was homeschooled as well. In all those public schools I met amazing people. Thankfully I still get to keep up with some of them through Facebook. What a blessing that is.

In college I met some of the most amazing, talented, and loyal friends that I could have ever imagined. I couldn't possibly list all the wonderful people who touched my life during those years. I loved cheering on our soccer team, hanging out with my Music Business classmates, being apart of Student Government, having parties (usually in the same room of Jernigan where SGA met or in Benson Lobby), Watching X-Files with friends on Sunday nights while eating Little Ceasars Pizza, attending/being in weddings, spending time with my amazing roommates (Krista and Lisa), Choir tour fun, and of course who could forget that marathon 8 night recording session to get my Senior Project done in a studio that wasn't always quite operational. Sam, I'm pretty sure you and Derick pulled off a miracle that week for which I am very grateful.

God blessed me with friendships in churches across the miles. From other Pastor's Kids (like the Fountains, the Brummets, the Freys and more) to staff members that I have been blessed to serve along side (Muncie Southside, Liberty Towers, Jefferson City, and now North Vernon) or other ministers on the District's where I've served (NEI, Sacramento, Missouri, Indianapolis) and the countless people in the churches where I have attended or served. New friends have been added to my life that I can't imagine not knowing because while we have known each other a relatively short time (can it really be less than 5 years?) they have become people that I depend upon, lean on, love and trust so much.

While my parents were missionaries, I got to meet some of their students and now count the students of the Shangalia Choir as friends as well.

As I look back on my life, I am humbled by the blessing of friendships that God has granted me. Friendships that I hope to continue to foster and grow.

Thank you Lord, for the amazing blessing that you give us through our friends. May we never take them for granted.