Tag Archives: reclaim_fb

In Week 3 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for my…

In Week 3 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for my Delta-made woman, my finest chocolate,…

Originally posted on Facebook on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.

In Week 3 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for my Delta-made woman, my finest chocolate, my best friend, my help meet, the mother of my children, my wife, my counselor, my good thing, Melissa Luckett on her birthday.

"What can I say about this woman?" was the thought I had as I contemplated how to give her the honor she's due. The real question was, how can I, without writing a book, summarize what her influence has meant in my life and that of so many others? I concluded that I utterly lack the skill to do so but I could, perhaps, convey a general idea.

Melissa Luckett is strength.

Scripture paints a glorious picture of Christ and what His coming means for mankind. In Psalm 68:18 it's written "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men." And, in Isaiah 40:29 it's written "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength." Strength is the grace given to Melissa according to the measure of Christ's gift. He gives strength to and through Melissa.

The strength I'm referring to doesn't come from natural ability, education or achievement. Even though Melissa abounds in that regard, she doesn't assume that she is capable or has the answers. More often, she assumes that she is unable or that she doesn't know. Nevertheless, she gives what she has to meet people's need where they are. In this way God uses her and I've watched time and time again the Word made flesh as "[His] strength is made perfect in [her] weakness."

In whatever sphere she's in: daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, auntie, professional or neighbor, Melissa Luckett bears with, builds up, supports and pushes people to do and be better.

I am so thankful that it was given to me to have her to build life with the last twenty years. I have indeed found favor from the Lord and am grateful. Please help me celebrate Melissa Luckett on her birthday! #52WoG

In Week 2 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Terrence…

In Week 2 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Terrence Adrian Shannon. When my business…

Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, January 10, 2021.

In Week 2 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Terrence Adrian Shannon. When my business was in a spare utility closet of a hair salon with just two plastic tables as make-shift desks, Terrence was the first member of the team. He was barely in his twenties, without much experience, looking to start a new career in Information Technology to better provide for his young family. Terrence was taking as much a chance on me as I was on him. He was the first person I had ever hired and I wasn't completely sure that I could keep finding enough business to pay myself, much less maintain a payroll.

But, what quickly became evident was that Terrence was not merely an employee but a dear brother sent for an appointed season. He approached his work with extraordinary commitment, professionalism and ownership. He often went to extreme lengths to provide our clients the best possible service. On one particular weekend we got a call from a company that had just suffered a major server failure. We worked around the clock, trading places sleeping on the floor a few hours at a time, to get the client back up and running before start of business that upcoming Monday.

There were a lot of stories like that but is only a fraction of why I am so thankful for this man. What blessed me the most was the fellowship. Being an entrepreneur is challenging. The uncertainty is the hardest part -not just for you, but for your family and the people who depend on you to provide for their families. It's a lonely weight. But Terrence did much more than I could ever hope to pay him for. He opened his life to me and embraced me as a friend. We prayed together, we cried together, we studied together, we did ministry together, we sought to become better husbands and fathers together. It just so happens that we became better professionals together.

It was my sheer delight to witness the work of God in Terrence Shannon's life. I watched the young man that started without much experience go on to complete his Computer Science degree at Mississippi State University and move on to become a programmer and Systems Analyst at Raytheon Aerospace. But more impressively, he became an outstanding father of five beautiful children and a husband whose example I admire. I am grateful to have had opportunity to call Terrence Adrian Shannon my friend. #52WoG

We must discern between the industrial church and the Body of…

Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, January 3, 2021.

We must discern between the industrial church and the Body of Christ which is the real church.

You'll know you're in the industrial church because you'll be poorer, weaker, less informed, more constrained (unable to respond) and less effective as agents of Christ's kingdom.

In the Body of Christ, you'll lack nothing, be stronger through edification, more educated, more prepared to respond to every situation and more effective in demonstrating the love, truth and justice of Christ's kingdom.

In short the industrial church is a slow, lumbering, lifeless juggernaut that requires all of its power just to support itself and is completely powerless to give life to anything else.

Whereas the Body of Christ, is nimble, living, branching -bringing redemption and life to everything it touches.

Speaking to the church being nimble, effective and able to respond in every situation, it is no mistake that Scripture uses water as a picture of Christ's ministry, which is our ministry as His body.

Like water, our ministries may take different forms, yet fundamentally it is the same -Christ. As a liquid, it finds the hidden paths and with persistence wears away rock. As a solid, its one of the most formidable forces on the planet, able to carve paths through mountains and change the very landscape of the world.

In Week 1 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Zwan…

In Week 1 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Zwan Landfair. Zwan is a Starkville…

Originally posted on Facebook on Saturday, January 2, 2021.

In Week 1 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Zwan Landfair. Zwan is a Starkville native and graduate of Mississippi State who has gone on to have a successful career at Zimmer Biomet, a multi-billion dollar medical device company. Not satisfied with achieving mere individual success, Zwan used his influence and resources to bring opportunities back to his home town.

He along with Cheri Spigner and others belonging to a "tiny but mighty" team of minority professionals at Zimmer created a program to provide underserved youth exposure to careers in STEM. The program was extended to 6 locations throughout the United States and Zwan used his influence to make the J.L. King Center in Starkville, MS one of those sites.

During the program Starkville youth were introduced to engineers, doctors and information scientists that looked like them, opening whole new worlds of possibility.

We don't hear a lot of stories like this, but Zwan is a welcome reminder that there are people who love their neighbors, are remembering the forgotten and quietly doing the work of uplifting our communities. And, I am thankful. #52WoG

Becoming an adult and raising boys has often raised the question:…

Becoming an adult and raising boys has often raised the question: "What does it mean to be a man?"…

Originally posted on Facebook on Monday, December 21, 2020.

Becoming an adult and raising boys has often raised the question: "What does it mean to be a man?"

At a time of increasing negativity around masculinity, the question seems more pressing than ever.

But masculinity is good and has never changed.

"God created man" […] "male AND female He created them." -Genesis 1:27

If we look to the Creator rather than trying to define ourselves, we find that true masculinity is being what's needed for balance, well-being -to be whole.

Sometimes what's needed is stern and others, soft.

This is universally true: in the bedroom, nursery room or board room.

Masculinity is the other half of whole.

“But God has placed each member in the body just as He pleased…”…

Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, December 20, 2020.

"But God has placed each member in the body just as He pleased…" -1 Cor 12:18

I was born
what I am
when I am
where I am

to affect
what I am (human, black, male, etc.)
when I am (1970s – )
where I am (Mississippi, America, Earth)

for the purposes of reconciling all things to God through Christ.

That latter part means we exist to bless everything we are a part of, to bring everything (that is not in rebellion) together into the peace and harmony of the perfect rule of Christ Jesus.

In the whole of Scripture, God's purpose is singular: to be together with His children. Everything He creates and does is for that purpose. (2 Cor 5:18)

This is our purpose and the reason we exist.

Sin, therefore, is embezzlement; to misappropriate what He's entrusted to our stewardship for any other purpose. (Matthew 24:45-51)

Let us repent and live according to this wonderful and high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I’m not sure how it happened, but one the of the worse things you…

Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, December 17, 2020.

I'm not sure how it happened, but one the of the worse things you can call a man is insecure.

But, I'll own it. I'm insecure.

I often feel like I'm not good enough, don't have enough or simply am not enough.

And, I'm reminded of that everyday, several times a day in some way: media, commercials or exclusion in some form.

Insecurity is a daily battle but here's a strategy I've found to effectively fight it:

Insecure starts with "I".

So, don't start there.

A better place for "I" is toward the middle, serving as a connector such as in "friend", "family" or "Christ".

The point is, a good way of dealing with insecurity is to put "I" in context and focus on something larger than yourself.

These words from Hosea 4:9 put me on my face this morning, “like…

Originally posted on Facebook on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.

These words from Hosea 4:9 put me on my face this morning, "like people, like priest".

We have corrupted the Word of God by interpreting it through the lens of what we want -the leaven our Lord Jesus sternly warned us against (Luke 12:1). Religion has become merely a pretense to get what we want.

We have given ourselves "teachers" who will do the same (2 Timothy 4:3).

Woe to the church!

If there is no one, who has the Spirit of God AND will challenge our thinking AND call out our sin on the basis of the truth of Scripture rather than affirm our own agendas, what hope do we have?

Our hope is Christ. So, repent! Let us lay aside the causes for war and strife among us (James 4:1) and be HIS church.

Do not think this word is for another. It is for me. It is for you. We are all guilty. Repent.

“I cannot support Black Lives Matters call for justice and equal…

Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, October 1, 2020.

"I cannot support Black Lives Matters call for justice and equal treatment under the law because there are people doing destructive, violent acts in their name and they're not denouncing it."

Yeah. The church has never been guilty of that.

Let's not be hypocrites. As Christians, we must stop behaving like mere men; thinking in earthly terms of them (enemies) versus us (allies). We're called to love them all.

In every circumstance and on every issue, we should stand for right and against wrong -not people.

Remember, Paul withstood Peter to the face. And, with that I say:

BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Our view of Satan as a monster does our theology a disservice.

Our view of Satan as a monster does our theology a disservice. Satan was simply someone who was in…

Originally posted on Facebook on Saturday, August 29, 2020.

Our view of Satan as a monster does our theology a disservice.

Satan was simply someone who was in the presence of God and thought there was a better alternative to His rule.

That line of thought is all that separates what's godly and demonic.

This helps me in my faith journey to see the demons in my own thinking that need to be overcome.

As God and His Way are revealed to me through the Word and the Spirit of Truth, where do I think I know a better alternative?

These are the battles that determine the fate of my soul.

This is spiritual warfare.