Pavement Ends Ministry

Send us Fan Mail God’s Way is Better   A song made famous decades ago tells the story of a man looking back on his life with pride, boasting that whatever mistakes he made, he made them “My Way.” No regrets, nothing to apologize for.   Whenever I hear that song, I always think, that is really foolish.   Personally, I have to say, regrets—I have a bunch of them. In fact, I have too many to name. I...

Send us Fan Mail I Am an American (In Honor of Flag Day) I am proud to be an American. In my blood is the DNA of a Dutchman who, in the early 1600s, climbed aboard a small sailing ship to cross a dangerous ocean. He was seeking the freedom to worship God as he was led by the Holy Spirit, and the opportunity to prosper in a new land.   I am an American. In my blood runs the DNA of men and women who...

Send us Fan Mail   1 I Shall Not be Moved Here’s a truth that most people do not know and even fewer truly understand. If God is going to use you, He is going to move you.   Now, that is a devastating thought for most good church members. After all, “I Shall Not Be Moved” might as well be your theme song. There you sit, in the seat that has molded itself to your association. Your preacher even pra...

Send us Fan Mail When Seeing Jesus is Enough   This morning, my daily Bible reading took me to Luke Chapter 2 and the story of Jesus’ birth. As I read about the shepherds being visited by angels and then going to see the baby Jesus, I found myself wondering, “What happened to the shepherds after this?” We know they went away praising God and joyfully sharing what they had seen. But did their lives...

Send us Fan Mail The Bird in The Shop             One day, a bird flew into the shop. As soon as it came in, it shot up to the ceiling. Mistaking the white ceiling for the sky, it kept flying against it. Not wanting him inside, I tried to shoo him toward the open door. But to get out, he had to fly low, while his instinct told him to fly high. Instead of escaping, he kept bumping against the artif...

Send us Fan Mail Call Out to the Father             I saw it at a Middle School football game. The offense ran a sneak play. After it was over, all of the players got up but one. This one boy seemed to be in a lot of pain.  Lying on his back, he rocked back and forth, holding onto his leg. The coaches and trainers all ran to where he lay. We all hoped it was just a cramp, but it looked serious.   ...

Send us Fan Mail The Corn has Turned Brown               In the cool of the morning, I sit on the back porch. My thoughts this morning are on the goodness of God. At the edge of the porch, a swarm of hummingbirds competes for sugar water. In the woods, squirrels are chattering about whatever is important to squirrels. Now, a slight breeze brings a rustling sound from the dried-up corn stalks.  A f...

Send us Fan Mail No Shoes in Heaven                I'm a tenderfoot. I have never been comfortable going barefoot. Even when I was a little boy, I wanted my shoes. Growing up, I spent a lot of time rambling through the woods and pastures. Often, you could find me splashing in the creek, chasing crawfish and minnows. But I never took my shoes off.               As an adult, I still resist goin...

Send us Fan Mail The Last Mountain                The old man stands at the foot of the mountain. The way ahead is very steep. This is not the first mountain he has climbed, but it will be his last. As he looks up the path, he is leaning on a staff that he has carried for many years. He will carry it one more day.               He is not familiar with the trail on this mountain. But this is not a...

Send us Fan Mail Dead Last Week              Jairus stood by her bed watching as she slept. His heart was so happy it almost hurt. At twelve, she was still a little girl yet so close to being a young woman. Also at twelve, he had almost lost her.  He listened to her breathing as she slept and saw a sweet smile on her beautiful face.  He closed his eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks because he k...

Send us Fan Mail Trust                The other night, we ordered takeout from a local restaurant. When I arrived to pick it up, the order wasn't quite ready, so I had to wait a few minutes. As I stood waiting, I could see the kitchen area and watched the cooks prepare the meals. Seeing how the food was handled made me wonder about their cleanliness and hygiene. Despite my concerns, I was hun...

Send us Fan Mail Everybody is a Nobody Who Can Be Somebody               In Mark Chapter 5, there is a story about a woman who was a nobody.  We don’t even know her name.  If we had been there on this day, she would not have been in our field of vision.  Seeing her would have made us uncomfortable, so we would have chosen not to see her.  If we had seen her, we would have assumed her problems were...

Send us Fan Mail That's What Daddies Do               Daddies fix things. They fix flat bicycle tires, start stubborn lawnmowers, repair leaky commodes, troubleshoot washing machines, and get swings swinging again. Most of the time, they may not know exactly what they're doing, but they always do their best because that's what daddies do - they fix things.              My daughter c...

Send us Fan Mail Memories           I remember Gin Creek. I assume it was named Gin Creek because at some point in time and someplace in its travel it must have powered a cotton gin. I remember a smooth path alongside this creek where I would walk. I remember crawfish running backward and minnows threading the quick current.            Long before cell phones and computers, there were creeks with...

Send us Fan Mail Memorial Day              3,000,000. If Google is correct, this is the approximate number of American Soldiers who have died in service to this great country. These are the ones we honor on Memorial Day.             Now this may shock you, but listen carefully. The sacrifices of these great heroes were not made in defense of our freedoms. In their Oath of Enlistment, every America...

Send us Fan Mail Call Your Mama Among the last items of business that Jesus took care of, even as He hung on the cross, was to make sure that His mother would be cared for. His mother’s life was turned upside down at His birth. She was there while He grew, changing His diapers and kissing His skinned knees. She worried when He was left behind in the temple and tried to understand when He said, “I...

Send us Fan Mail            How magnificent is the Power and Authority of the Lord my God! His shining glory illuminates the highest heaven. From the mouth of children, He ordains strength. A bloodthirsty fool may rise against Him, but He destroys the enemy with vengeance.             On a blustery day, I hear the wind howl and watch the tree sway back and forth. When the sun goes down, the light...

Send us Fan Mail A Call for Kindness I am committed to treating everyone with kindness, regardless of their background or lifestyle. I believe that good manners can revolutionize society, and as such, I will always use polite language when speaking to others. Even if I don’t agree with their views, I will use words like "yes sir," "no sir," "please," "thank you,&...

Send us Fan Mail The Last Star             It is early. The sky is clear. The night is fading as the darkness gives way to the rising sun. There is one last pinpoint of light in the southeastern sky. Is it a stubborn star or a distant planet?  I don’t know. But I do know that as the sun rises it will disappear.                 God has appointed the moon and stars the task of being lights in a dark...

Send us Fan Mail This Old House              On April 16, 1978, Deborah and I were married. In 1979 we purchased a house and it has been our home ever since. In this house we have laughed and cried, fought and made up, celebrated and mourned. This is where we live. In this house, we raised our family, and every inch of it is coated with memories. It is our home, but it is not us, it is not our mar...

Send us Fan Mail A Tale of Two Men              In the fourteenth chapter of The Gospel of Mark, we find the story of two men who betrayed Jesus. One of these men betrayed Him for money, and the other one was afraid. One of these men betrayed Jesus with a kiss, and the other one denied Him with an oath. The first one had maliciously schemed to sell Jesus and the second one had boldly proclaimed th...

Send us Fan Mail The Tomb Was Not Empty             In none of the Gospels are we told that the borrowed tomb of Jesus was empty. If someone had stolen the body of Christ, the tomb would have been empty. If the body of Jesus had been left to rot, the tomb would have been worse than empty. If the tomb had been empty, then Christ would not have risen and we would be most miserable. But Christ is ris...

Send us Fan Mail Triumphant             “ A great multitude, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!”  John 12:12             Most triumphal parades are for the benefit of those who understand them the least. This one included. Most of the p...

Send us Fan Mail Preacher Jack’s Kids             Their age is around the half-century mark. They were raised in a small country church called Falling Creek. Some are in heaven today, but most are still making their mark on the world. They are a small but highly privileged group. They were and are Preacher Jack's Kids.              During the Sunday morning worship service right after the off...

Send us Fan Mail Time Ain't on Our Side Time slips away. How often do we look at the clock and say, oh no,  I'm late.? How often do we wish that we could manage our time better? But then, who can manage time?  Like a great threshing machine, time is mowing down the days of our lives.  Time marches on and it has no concern for our plans or desires.   No, we cannot manage time.  But we can...