When my mom was 8 years old she made a decision that affected today.  She made a decision to put her faith in Jesus and follow Him.  She followed him and trusted in Him all her life.

When my mom was about 10 or 11, her family moved back to Georgia.  They settled in Cobb County in Smyrna where she graduated high school and then she went to Mercer University.  After graduation, she then went to seminary as she was preparing to go to the mission field to teach Missionary Kids – MKs – but God redirected her life to raise PKs – Preacher’s Kids.   Working one summer in Rockmart, GA as a church secretary, my mom met my dad and they fell in love.  My dad had been called to be a pastor and was looking to go back to school so my mom encouraged him to go to where she had graduated – Mercer.  They dated for a year long distance and then got married the following year.  So she became a wife while my dad was going through college and also a mom as my sister Belinda was born the following year.  Then they went back to the same seminary where she had started – Southwest Baptist in Fort Worth Texas – and my sister Laura was born.  So Laura’s a Texan.  Then when they finished seminary and my dad took his first fulltime pastorate in Oxford Georgia and I was born in 1964.  Our family moved several times through the years as my dad pastored several churches and had different assignments.  I will share a little more about that later.   But want to share a little more about our family and who they are.   Laura married Jose in 1990 and they have 4 children – Isaac, Joseph, Claire & Elizabeth.  In 2000, the year Elizabeth was born, I married Robin and we have 3 little boys: Luke, Jack and Drew.  Her dad – my Grandfather – went home to be with the LORD when I was in High school in 1981.  And in 1994, my Grandma Daisy went home to be with the LORD.

I want to share a few things about my mom.  Hopefully I won’t be too verbose.  The three things I want to share are three different roles as I thought about my mom.

One is the role is a pastor’s wife which is an incredible job.  There are 500,000 clergy in America.  Of those 500,000, 200,000 will wake up on Monday morning and consider quitting their job.  About 40% every Monday morning consider quitting.  My dad was a Southern Baptist pastor and every month, 1000 Southern Baptist pastors quit the ministry.  Because it’s a difficult job being in ministry: the pressures, the Spiritual battle and living with the weight of leading a congregation.  And there is, I am sure none of you are like this, but there is always someone who is critical; no matter what you do.   They will say things.  To be a pastor’s wife…  and we were often a lot in small-towns… people are critical of how you dress or how your kid’s were raised.  I’m sure I contributed to some of the backlash my mom might have received.  The one thing about my mom though- and my dad and I talked about this the other day – was that she never complained.  She never complained about moving.  She never complained if we were living a little tight if the pastor’s salary wasn’t that much.  She was faithful.  She was an encourager to my dad, beside him all those years.  I think that’s why many leave — you need someone beside you to encourage you in that great task of leading a church.  My mom was that.  I spoke with her several times and she would say, “Andy, your dad is discouraged and I don’t know how to encourage him.”  And we would talk about it and of course she did.  She was there for him.  Faithful.  Continued to follow the LORD the whole time. Content with my dad being the one up front and just being there for him.

Another thing about my mom is that she was an educator.  She was a first grade teacher even before I started school.  And when we moved to Washington County, there was an opportunity to work with what they called in those days, ‘training centers’.  These were created for the mentally handicapped back because we didn’t know what to do with them in the traditional schools.  Mom began teaching and assisting the director of the training  center.  She also went back to school and got her Masters in Special Education.  She worked with Special Education up until her retirement.  When we moved up here, she first worked in Hall County’s Training Center.  And then when I was in High school, they begin to move Special Education back into the school, and most kids were placed back in the classrooms but they had a unique class for those with multiple handicaps.  There was one class in the county for elementary kids who had multiple handicaps and my mom taught that.  These kids would have both physical and mental disabilities – perhaps like in a wheelchair but also mentally handicapped.  You know teaching is a wonderful profession.  You can always have a hope that some former student will come back and say “I’m now a doctor and you had an influence on my life”.  Burt if you work with the mentally handicapped, you know they can never do this.  As a society, we often don’t know what to do with the mentally challenged.  We look away or we will not draw near.  But my mom was drawn near and worked with these children who were special and dear to her.  Year after year.  Maybe you’ll see incremental change but not huge change.  All you can do is just faithfully serve them.   It’s a noble thing but I think it’s also a godly thing.  It’s the character of Christ.  Jesus focused on the least – the people at the bottom of society – the widows, the poor, crippled.   He came to heal the sick not the healthy.  The bible says what credit is it if you love people who love you?  But can you love people who don’t have the capacity to love you in the same way.  Jesus said that when he returns that people who worked the least of these, ‘you did it to me – when fed the hungry, when you cared for the sick…  And I believe, though he didn’t say this verbatim, “when you cared and worked with the mentally challenged.”  I believe that every day when my mom was teaching and working for these children – the least of our society-she was working with Jesus.   She was working with Jesus that’s what he said.  It’s amazing.   People will stand up and say, “ I cast out demons in his name, or healed in his name or taught in his name” and Jesus will respond, “I never knew you.”  You can do those things and not be doing them for Jesus but yourself but Jesus said when you served among the least, He will say that you not only did it but you did it to me.   And I believe, He said this to my mom when she first saw his face a few days ago.

The last thing about my mom that I was to share is the role of a mother.  I’m sure it’s always a special thing of mom and her son.   And to add on to it, I was the baby.  I had a unique relationship with my mother – close.  I loved her.  There was an understanding all through life.  You know, your mom is always there when things hurt but there was something more a closeness.  You know our family, much like any family, would have conflict and I to confess – I always took my mom’s side.  Every time.  Well once I didn’t take her side and it shocked her.  And I don’t recall exactly what it was but there was a time I felt some injustice but I remember my mom sitting with me as I wept and was frustrated.  She was there with me, loving me, believing in me and saying ‘it was okay’.  And that is what I remember of my mom – being there.  Long hugs.  A generous woman whom I love.

In 1998, I felt the LORD was calling me to China.  I was single at the time and had been on my own for a while but felt impressed to process this with my parents in an honoring way.  I felt the Lord was calling me long-term to China.  Little did I know a few months later, I would meet Robin and the LORD would change those plans.   But at that time as I talked with my mom, I knew this was a big deal.  I would be gone for holidays and not sure how often I would be able to come home or when I would.  My mom said, “Andy when you were followed the call of the LORD right out of college, it was initially hard for me.  But as I talked it over with the Lord, I was reminded of the passage when Jesus said to his mom, ‘I must be about my Father’s business’ and I prayed, ‘Andy must be about His father’s business.  And I will give him to you’.  She said to Jesus, ‘I will trust you with Him no matter where you call him, I will trust you’“.

You know my mom through the years, even though I lived in a lot of places overseas or in Colorado, she never said, ‘why don’t you live closer to us in Georgia or why are you raising grandbabies away from me’   She might have thought it but she never said it.  She never stood in the way of God’s call because she trusted that God was good and He had called me.  She had given me back to him even though we were close and it was hard.  Being in ministry and helping young people go into the mission field, I see this a lot in ministry where parents cannot let their kids follow the LORD.  But my mom never did, she trusted.  Even though she longed to see me and wanted me close by, she let me go.

I was reminded of that on Monday as I heard my mom while in ICU had taken a turn for the worse.  Part of me didn’t want my mom to go.  It was too sudden… I wasn’t expecting that.  Who would want that?  But I said “Jesus, just as she trusted you with me, I am trusting you with her.   She is in your hands.”

She is in a better place.  She is in a place where she doesn’t have to count points anymore.  She is in his glory, face-to-face.  No pain.  No suffering. No curse.  Forever.  Our life is a vapor.  The time away from her will be so small in comparison to eternity.  She sees him Face-to-Face.  How could I stand in the way of God calling her home!  And of course I couldn’t anyway.  That’s where she is.   She is with him.  My wife reminded me that even though we are saying bye today, she has been with Jesus since Tuesday morning.  A new body.  An eternity.  And I will miss her just like she would miss me when I was gone.  But I will see her again and we will hug again.  But she is with her Savior who she has walked with and known for a long time.

I appreciate you coming and just wanted you to know that I had a wonderful mom, and a good friend and I can’t wait to see her again.

There are so many things about Luke that I love and am proud of…

1.  I love his heart of compassion.  Sometimes its buried but I see glimpses as he talks about caring for the poor.

2.  I like how he loves to learn.

3.  I like that he shares what he knows not in a bragging way but simply matter of a fact.  I learn a lot of interesting things from him.  Last night, I learned that African elephants have two fingers on their trunk ends while Asian elephants have one.  I had no idea.

4.  I am proud of how high he scored this year on the tests given to him by the Talented and Gifted teacher at his school.  (Though Robin won’t let me brag and tell you.)

5.  Even though its challenging as a parent at times, I like how God has made him and how he views the world differently.

6.  I like that he loves to hike, climb rocks and just be out exploring.

7.  I was proud of him last week at the Cub Scout Camp when he got a bull-eyes the first time he ever did archery and then 2 bull-eyes, 2 – “9′s” (the next ring) and 1 – “8″ in 5 BB shots.  He’s got marksman skills I never had.

8.  I like how he tries at baseball.  I don’t care if he’s ever great or even good.  I just like that he tries and seems to have fun.

9.  I love it when he at 8 isn’t too big to crawl up in my lap and hug me.

10.  I was amazed when he said last night: “I’ve asked Jesus to come into my heart several times and change my habits.”   Sometimes I can’t tell where his heart is so I was beaming when he said this.

I love my big boy!  He is special and precious to me.  I hope he has a great 8th birthday!

A little over a year and half ago, my son became obsessed with hamsters, creating even a ‘pretend pet’.  So for Christmas 2008, we gave him a hamster.  At first he was tentative, new at this love thing.  His new-found love was too, biting him at first.  But they soon bonded and he loved her.  You couldn’t look into eyes and not love her.

However, it didn’t take long though to realize this relationship took work.  He had to provide for her and care for her.  After a while, he forget he had a ‘girlfriend’.   We had to remind him to take her out and do fun things with her.  Maybe when a friend came over, he would still proudly show her off and these friends would wonder why they didn’t have a girl like Luke had.  But for the most part she was not the thing he talked about all the time like he had before she entered his life.

Ticklish loved to excerise all night to keep up her girlish figure, so we first had her do wheel-running downstairs.  When Luke claimed that her staying downstairs made him forget her,  we sacrificed and kept her upstairs.  I sometimes used earplugs.

Maybe the tipping point was last summer.  Instead of ‘absence making the heart grow fonder’ it was ‘out of sight, out of mind’.  He took a picture of her to South Africa but over the six weeks we were there he rarely looked at her picture.  He started talking of other potential pets… mostly cats (no way I am highly allergic).  He played the field with bugs, spiders, toads, lizards and the like.  He even brought home a wild party of Madagascar Cockroaches from school over Thanksgiving.   Maybe he took Ticklish for granted.  I mean she wasn’t going anywhere.

Ticklish, though so cute, no longer captured his heart.  He got bored with her.  At times he would be affectionate.  Watching her run, offering her yogurt covered alfalfa balls.  Trying to coax her to use the little exercise ball.   And yes, she helped him with his science project this winter when he built a mouse trap and used her to test it out.  But after that project was over, it tried to pawn her off on his younger brothers.  ”Maybe a break would be good”,  Robin thought.  Jack and Drew were too young to really take on the responsibility either.  Maybe two boys were more than she could handle too.  After the short break when his brothers returned her to him, Luke’s love still waned.  She was a neglected pet bound  only to be cared for by the mother of her boyfriend.   Without Robin she may never have gotten food, water or a clean cage.

So Robin sent out a message to a group of friends offering to give her away to a loving home.  Luke didn’t care.  He was done.  He had moved on.  Someone offered to take her.  (Though turns out the mom didn’t ask the dad and he wasn’t too pleased.  Maybe I should throw in my earplugs) When Robin took her away yesterday morning, Luke cold-heartedly didn’t even say ‘goodbye’.

I hope he remembers this when a girl breaks his heart one day…  and it might even be a cat.

So yesterday afternoon I withdraw 40 $1 bills from my bank and made four envelopes. (I realize the pic is of 32 bills but humor me.) On each envelope I printed off a picture and wrote the name of the options for June.  This month, we choose 4 options:  helping kids at BEAM Africa, mosquitos nets through Compassion International, Kids against Hunger – Haiti food packs, and helping rescue children from bad guys in Mexico through Camino a Casa.

Before dinner, we saw around the table and I told the boys that Jesus taught us himself that ‘it was better to give than to receive’.   I made sure Drew and Jack knew what receive meant by saying ‘it was better to give than to get’.  Then I passed out 8 $1 bills to each person (Robin and I played too) and told the boys that they get to decide where we give them.  They could put them all in one envelope or 2 in each or however they wanted it.

When we ended, I ask Drew what these all had in common and he said ‘they were all people who were poor’.  I said ‘yes but they also are about helping kids – kids like you, Jack and Luke – who are either hungry, or not safe or don’t have easy access to things like doctors when they get sick’.   We asked if they wanted to talk to God about these kids but they rather wanted to go play.  So Robin and I did.

I am reminded of Matthew 18, where Jesus when asked who was greatest in the Kingdom calls a child forward.  A child – often the least in the world – are the greatest, the model, the standard.  He said whoever welcomes a child in His name, welcomes Him.  Jesus is personified in children.  He also warns that whoever causes harm to these children – ones who in our world today are often exploited, taken advantage of, abused, neglected, harmed, overlooked, marginalized –  whoever dares to harm them or cause them to sin, well, Jesus doesn’t play.  In fact, his description is a rather graphic painful punishment.  He also says “Woe to the world because of these things.”  Woe to the world you and I live in today  for how we have treated children.  The woe is not just to the vile offenders but all of us live under their guilt because we allow it to happen.  Our world has taken what is honored by Christ – the humility of a child, their trusting souls – and have used it for our twisted evil intents.  These kids’ have protective messengers who always see the face of a loving, caring, righteous Father.

… and so do my boys.

What do you say about 46?  Though i’ve never written a novel, I am glad of a few things that are true today.

1.  I have a lovely wife who is a great mom and friend.

2.  I have 3 boys that I enjoy who know their dad loves them.   I enjoy that Luke lives science and reading.  I like that Jack and  Drew have great imaginations.  I like that all three of them still enjoy crawling into my lap.

3. My parents and our immediate family are alive and we love each other.

4.  I am grateful for grace, for mercy and for forgiveness.  I am humbled that  the LORD would sacrifice himself for me, someone who often follows his own path.  Amazed that He doesn’t give up and still calls me to follow Him.

5.  I enjoy my job immensely.  I enjoy serving alongside Gene and Brian and others at Cornerstone.  I enjoy the community of Global Services.  I enjoy the things that are new, challenging and fulfilling.

6.  I am glad at this stage in life I am investing in using my gifts and experiences in things like helping end systemic poverty or the horrific crime of human trafficking.

7.  I appreciate the people that give so we can have this ministry.

8.  I am glad that Robin and I are in this together and that we get to serve together in helping our refugee ministry.

9.  I have all I need and am not in debt, save my mortgage which we are able to pay.  I like where we live.  I like the small town feel of Lafayette… the fact that we are not far from the mountains and can see awesome views from our deck… the cul-de-sac we live on and the open space behind us…  I like that our house is not big and that our boys share a room… I like that we got it for $25,000 less than its appraised for.

10. Though I’d like to be in better shape and not have a few aches and pains, I have good health.  I can see.  I can hear.  I can walk.  I am alive.

Robin - “You did?  That’s great.”

Drew- “Yeah.  I aksed Him to give us a safe trip and told him I was sorry for yelling at Jack today.”  [We are leaving on a Spring Break trip tomorrow.]

Jack - “You didn’t have to.  I already forgave you.”

Drew - “I know but I wanted to.”

Me (whispering in his ear) - “Drew, I’m proud of you.”

Drew - “Me too.”

If I was nice like my friend Matt, I might sent an open-letter to the airport.  But alas, I fall way short of the standard of Mr. Mikalatos – humorist, author, do-gooder, and overall nice guy.

Here’s my story:  I arrived at IAH from Mexico City Friday afternoon around 5:40 CST.   I was on a United ticket but the international flight was with Continental because they are both under the Star Alliance.   I had an 1 hour and 13 minutes to make my connection.  So I go through customs, wait for bag, re-check it, go through security again and look on the board for my connecting flight.  I knew I had to hoof it because I was at terminal C and had to go to terminal A.  Now IAH has an underground train that goes all the way.  I had ridden that when I first went through the week before.  But as I followed the signs to terminal A it took me to an above-ground train.

I waited for this train but they said it was not working.  When it finally arrives it even stopped again on the middle of the tracks before getting to terminal B.  It was then that I noticed it didn’t go to A but you had to go to another spot to catch a bus to A.  So I ran off the train when it finally rolled into the station.  I passed everyone to make it first down an escalator.  I was like OJ in the airport.  Oops bad analogy.

I had to run down a long corridor, then another, then another, then another.  (Who designed this airport!) Finally I made it where you catch the bus.  It just left.  I had to wait another 5 minutes.   Whent he bus arrived, the driver was kind and took me first to my gate rather than the four others on the bus who had later flights.  I ran to my gate and the two United agents said “you’re late. It just left”.  I had to explain why I was late.  As I did another passenger came running up.  He wasn’t on my bus so I assume he took the underground train. The male United agent didn’t seem to be concerned of my plight.  But the lady showed pity perhaps realizing they could have held the plane for us.  She said, “I am going to get you on a Continental flight.”  She puts me on the flight and prints off a form.  I still needed to show my ID to Continental gate agent to get a boarding pass but I was on….  So I was told.

I went to back through security and back to C.  I was early for this flight by almost 2 hours.  My cell phone battery had died on me and wouldn’t recharge but I paid for internet and skyped Robin telling her I was coming home later than I thought.  When the gate agent arrived, I walked up handed her my official United thingy and explained my story a 2nd time.  She said she couldn’t find me in the system and sent me to the Continental service counter.

The line at the Continental counter was long.  The employees running the counter must have received training from the Post Office.  The longer I waited the more I realized I was gonna cut it close to make this Continental flight.  Finally a lady came off her break and taking her sweet time finally logged-in and called me over.  Again, I explained my plight.  She says I am not in the system.  I decided to plea for her sense of compassion.  No luck.  She said I could call United and so I tried to explain the cell phone being kaput.  I asked if she could call United for me.  She said she couldn’t.  (At this time I was tempted to explain to her the true definition of customer service.  You know that she was hired to serve customers.) She wouldn’t even put me on standby and told me my only hope was going back to United.  I vowed then and there to never do business with Continental again.

So I go back to Terminal A and through security a 3rd time.  I knew at this point, I was staying in lovely Houston for the evening but perhaps United would put me up for the night.  When I got to United’s ticket counter no one was there as no more United flights were leaving that evning.  I picked up the courtsey phone and a nice lady took my call.  For the 4th time I explained my plight and she sounded like she cared.  She looked up in her computer and said “you are on a Continental flight that leaves in 5 minutes”.   I about screamed, ‘what?!?’   I am not sure what the computer deal was but I believe she was right because later I looked up United.com and under my itineraries I was listed on that flight.  My only conclusion is that Continental is incompetent.

It was too late to go back to Terminal C and make that flight – even if I parachuted in with George HW, I had no chance.   The only United person left in the building was a guy in baggage area.  He wasn’t supposed to but he put me on list for 6 am flight in the morning.  I determined that I could go to a hotel and hope United reimbursed me but even if I did, I’d have to leave at 4 am to be back at the airport.  So for the first time ever in countless trips, I sleep at an airport.

I found a chair that was for massages.  Rather lumpy where the massage rollers were but leathery soft none the less.  I felt sorry for myself until I thought of these kids I had met the day before.  See I had visited Casa Alianza in Mexico City that ministers to kids that are displaced and without a home.  I thought of those kids who sleep in parks or under bridges or in sewers.  At least I had a place to sleep and it was only for one night.  They are not safe and are targets for traffickers.  I was safe.  I was warm.  I had my travel mask so even the lights didn’t keep me awake.  (I didn’t really sleep but at least rested.)  My circumstance was not ideal but it was temporary.  And certainly I wasn’t being forced to do vile acts like the women and children who are being trafficked.

I made it to Denver the next morning and I slept on that entire flight.   I made it home to my wife and kids who love me.  Though I wouldn’t choose it, my ordeal was a gift to remind me that life is not easy and even my discomforts are small in comparison to those who need to be rescued.  (I am talking about those in Mexico but could possibly apply to anyone who flies Continental.)

But it was an inside joke.

See a few months ago, we were reading a collection of Peanuts cartoons to our boys and there was one were Rerun, Lucy and Linus little brother, goes to Charlie Brown’s house to try to sell some homemade Valentine’s.  Looking at the hearts, Charlie Brown says “they look like baked potatoes”  and goes back inside.  Rerun yells after him, “Give them on Baked Potato Day then!”.

The first time we read it I laughed out loud.  (As much as I loved Peanuts as a kid, I was surprised to see how many are not really that funny to me as an adult.  This one was.) I had to explain it to Jack and Drew and then they laughed too.  And as any parent would understand, I had to read this cartoon like 100 times over the next few days and each time they would laugh and repeat it.  Or they just walk up and say it.   Jack would yell it like Rerun.

With Valentine’s Day happening this week, Baked Potato Day naturally had to come in the same week.  So last night we celebrated “Baked Potato Day”.  Robin made a poster and put it on the wall near the dinner table and we had spuds and broccoli.  (And we had mac and cheese for those who like saying “Bake Potato” but not eating them.)

So last night was Baked Potato Day in the McCullough household but you have to wait until August 19th for ‘National Potato Day’.

See basically, the folks at Community Food Share know that people are more likely to pick a bag to fill with non-perishable items if some cute little cub scout is there.  We didn’t really interact unless somebody came up and asked for a bag or what it was for.  Just stood and smiled for several hours.  Ethan and Kirk were there from 11:30 to 2:00.  Luke and I joined them for the last two hours.  We would been on time but we had a little incident.  

Here’s some of my observations along with a few ‘supposes’…

1.  Saw a lot of interesting people come through Wal-mart’s door but only maybe one who qualifies for this.

2.  Most people tend to avoid looking at you. We weren’t soliciting, just standing there.  Maybe they felt guilty.  Perhaps if you turn your eyes to the needs of the poor, they might go away.  I know I’ve done that.  I’d say 90% avoided eye-contact.  Interesting to me.  Convicting.

3. Kids look.  Maybe it’s because two sharp-looking little boys in uniforms were there but I bet 90% or maybe even 100% of the kids looked at the barrel and us standing there.  After what I saw if I was ever with my boys, even if I had given before, I’d a take a bag.  What a great lesson to teach your kids especially in the season of getting…  I mean giving!   Kids notice without making judgments.  We judge.  We are hardened.  We decide if someone really needs ‘a handout’.  I know my kids notice.  First time they saw a homeless person they asked why they didn’t have a home and why they needed food.  I want to be a giving person but I certainly want to practice it in front my kids too and explain why and how blessed we are.  Let them know that many people even in America go hungry and we can help.

3.  The bags are a great idea but perhaps intimating. Maybe some might think, ‘I can’t fill a whole bag’.  Kirk pointed out that if everyone just bought one item they would have gotten tons.

4.  People who had given before tend to let you know. I heard, “I did this yesterday” a lot.    I smiled and thanked them.  I didn’t feel like they were bragging I think they wanted to let us know they cared about what we cared about.

5. People surprise you. One family came back to get two more bags.  After checking out they dropped their bags off.  They had filled 4 grocery bags.  All that was left in their cart was one bag of dog food.  I saw the Wal-mart worker checking their receipt (I thought they only did that at Sam’s) and wondering where all the stuff they had purchased was.

6.  I wrote before that Luke and Ethan get a badge over this but that wasn’t the motivation. When Luke got antsy (who could blame him), I simply said, “Just a little bit longer, bud.  Think of how some family might not go hungry this Thanksgiving because you gave out one more bag.”   He’d straightened up, look toward the front door and hold up his bag for anyone who wanted to give.    In fact, when I posed the idea to Luke last week as I drove him to school, once I explained what the food bank was and how it helped people, he jumped at the opportunity.  I was proud of him.