​The 1982 New York City Marathon started at 10:30 a.m. with more than 15,000 runners. Seven hours later 13,609 runners had completed the 26-mile race.   Darkness began to fall and cleanup crews were sweeping up the liter, but the race was not over. A young woman with her aluminum crutches was making her way along the course. Six times she fell down, but each time she got up and kept moving down the course. Linda Downs, born with cerebral palsy, was determined to finish the race. At the eighteen mile mark her sister, mother, and some of her friends cheered her on to finish. There were others who encouraged her in the race.      Eleven hours after she started the race, black and blue from the jarring of the crutches, she crossed the finish line. What a difference encouragement can make.                 Everyone needs encouragement.
     The world is full of discouragers. However, as Christians we are to be in the encouragement business. We have a responsibility and it is our Christian duty to encourage one another in the race of faith. Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” 

Clark Tatum

​     Matthew’s gospel has a quote directly from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel – which means, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). God is not far from anyone as the writer of Acts declares, “…He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our very being” (Acts 17:27-28). It was God’s intention and plan from before the Creation of the world to be with us and in us. God with us means God is for us. God’s ultimate plan even went beyond being for us and with us, His plan included being in us.
     Acts Chapter Two teaches that those who are baptized into Christ receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). The Colossian letter continues to motivate us with a most amazing truth. Scripture reads, “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in You, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). God is not only for us and with us, He is in us. Let us continue to live in Christ, being rooted and built up in Him by His strength and power.

Clark Tatum

​From our earliest age, theft is probably the sin that lingers in our memory. Prior to school days, we learned the concept of what it means to take something that is not ours. The concept of getting something for nothing permeates our culture. Let us not be deceived into thinking sin is not that big of deal. All sin has a consequence. The headline read: “Three Guilty of Manslaughter for Stealing a Stop Sign.” I am unaware of what these three young people, ages 20-21, were thinking. Perhaps they said to themselves, “It is just one stop sign, it is not that big of deal.” They may have thought it was not that big of a deal until one day three other teenagers died in a collision with a tractor-trailer. God says, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). In a sense, the sin of eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was a theft. The man and woman took what God said was forbidden. I wonder if Adam and Eve tried to rationalize away their sin by saying, “It is just one piece of fruit.” Yes, it was, but the conscious act of disobeying God caused them to be banished from the beautiful garden. Be thankful you serve a God who loves you enough to forgive your sins, but do not be deceived, sin has consequences. 

Clark Tatum

​     Erma Bombeck does a lot of writing on the subject of motherhood. She has always said that, "The easiest part of being a mother is giving birth.... the hardest part is showing up for it each day..." There are so many valuable characteristics of a mother. She is a referee, judge, counselor, and nurse all in one. These job descriptions certainly are not limited to a mother but these daily tasks often fall upon mothers. Washing, cleaning, helping with homework, yard work, and a thousand other jobs.
 
     A mother moves the toys out of the driveway, finds the right shirt or dress and retrieves the tennis ball before it is flushed down the toilet.  There are so many valuable characteristics of a mother, but there is one that stands out in the eyes of God above all others and it is her attitude toward Him. Proverbs 31:30, “The woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”  In the middle of a world upside down in value you find a woman who looks at her child through the eyes of God and not the eyes of the culture. Never underestimate the power God has given you as a mother. You have the ability to make a difference in the lives of generations to follow you. 

Clark Tatum

     ​I was seated above the bull riders at a professional rodeo. I had awesome seats that came with a closed-circuit television of the activities behind the scene. The bull rider gently sat down on top of this rip snorting bull and as he fitted his left hand under the rope to get his grip, I noticed some letters embodied on the tips of three of his glove fingers. The letters on one finger was “T”, the other finger was “R”, and another finger was the letter “Y.” TRY! I assume every time he would mount a bull, he was reminded of his decision to at least try the best he could to ride the bull.
      As Christians we have made the decision to TRY our best to live for Christ no matter what we face in life. God expects us to try to live as He has called us to live. When you try, God promises we can be one of His winner’s in life. God will help us as we try. Through Christ we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. Our victory through Christ comes when we sincerely TRY to live and walk in Him. Jesus expects us to walk a certain way – His way (1 John 2:6).

Clark Tatum