LIFE GOES ON!

LIFE - There it is, do you see it? Right in the middle of life is a big "IF". I am not a philosopher and I don't profess to have all the answers. I know that I'm not the only one who has ever faced heartache and disappointment. I notice things differently now and as I look over my shoulder I see a lot of "ifs" in life. I suppose that everyone goes through life wondering about the "ifs". But it's like the old saying, "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts we would all have a Merry Christmas" The what ifs of life can't change a thing. We live our lives learning from mistakes and learning to appreciate all things we took for granted.

I am 53 years old and on this date, thirty six years ago, I felt the call on my life to preach the gospel. I preached my very first sermon the next night on August 8, 1971 at the young age of seventeen. I remember it like it was yesterday and I even remember the text and the sermon title. I also remember that my brother Bob, who recently passed away, along with his wife Joyce went with me to the church and heard me preach my first sermon.

I find it incredible how quickly life on this earth is passing by and how before you know it the biggest part of it is over. Like a race horse out of the gate we take off with a blast and it seems the finish line is so far down the road. Yet we suddenly find ourselves going down the stretch the last leg of the mile.

One thing it does for you is to make you slow down and smell the roses. You learn not to take anything for granted. You learn who your friends truly are. You learn that a lot of things are not worth the time or effort to worry about or to lose sleep over.

Someone recently sent me an email that I thought summed things up so well.


"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You’ll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You’ll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin."

DEVASTATED!

Today is April 19, 2007 and we just buried my oldest brother. I cannot describe the emotional roller coaster our family has been on this past week. This has been the most heart wrenching and devastating experience that I have ever had in my life. The hurt is beyond description and the emptiness cannot be explained.

Bishop Bobby Stephen Brackett age 61 went home to be with the Lord this past Monday morning. It was just last Tuesday (10th) that my dad passed away and to have Bob die in less than a week's time is like a nightmare. My heart is like wax after being broken and crushed. Just when I think I'm getting a handle on everything it hits me again and I cannot hold back the tears. It's unexplainable and unimaginable.

I was with Bob when he died and it will be forever embedded in my mind. I wanted so much to help him but there was nothing that I, my brother David, my sister Darlene or the paramedics could do; he was gone. I cried out to God and I said, "God I don't understand, how can this be happening? We just lost dad, please don't take Bob" I don't have any answers or any explanation for why this has happened. But I do know that God is God and He always will be God! I went back to the church and got on my face before God and I prayed. I said, "God you don't owe me an explanation and you don't have to answer to me. I know that you are sovereign and your ways are above my ways. I will praise you in the midst of my grief and my sorrow" I've never felt God anymore powerful than during this time when I have been crushed and broken.

I will miss Bob because we labored together in the ministry. I'll miss calling him on Monday morning and asking him how he is doing and hearing him say, "I'm a clicking!" He was my golfing partner and I will miss playing golf with him and talking shop.

My heart goes out to his wife Joyce, daughters Karen & Madessa. I cannot imagine how it will be when they realize that he is never coming home again. The East Belmont Church of God has lost a great pastor and they will be hard pressed to find a better man than Bob Brackett. My dear 81 year old mother has lost a husband and a son in less than a week's time.

So, what do you do? How do you respond and react to such devastating events in life? What do you do; you keep holding on to the faith! You keep trusting God to see you through. You keep looking up because you know that they cannot come home but we will soon be going home.

HEARTBROKEN!

Today is April 13, 2007 and we just buried my dad;it hurts so bad! I have been in the ministry for almost 36 years and I've preached many funerals but today more than ever I felt death as never before. It hurts so bad to feel the loss and finality of death. I keep saying over and over to myself, "My dad is gone", and each time tears well up in my eyes. It's amazing at how many memories come rushing back to me, even little things. I remember "moments" and in my mind there are these little vignettes playing over and over again.

Kermit Cleveland Brackett, known as "Babe", was a great man! I've never heard anyone ever say an unkind word about my dad. He worked hard all of his life; with great ingenuity he could tape, glue, strap, fix or repair just about anything. We never had much but he always found a way to stretch things or to make them work. He was a quiet man and "gentle man". He loved God and the church and would do just about anything that was asked of him.

Dad had such a great sense of humor and loved to tease. He enjoyed life and God blessed him with 82 years. It came as a great shock this past Tuesday when I received the call that things didn't look good for him. When we arrived at the hospital and we went back to the room to where they had taken his body it didn't seem real. He looked like he was sleeping and at anytime he would wake up and say, "how's it going?" I'm going to miss calling home on Sunday afternoon and hearing mom say, "Babe, Rick's on the phone" and hearing him say, "how's it going?" or "did you have a good one today?", because he always wanted to know about the church.

Dad and Mom have been married for 64 years and I know it's going to be tough on all of us but especially her. Yet we all know that this is temporary and we will have a glad reunion day.

It's spring time and we just celebrated Easter. Easter means "RESURRECTION" and I know that dad will be getting up real soon and we will be together again. I am so thankful for all he taught me but especially about the Lord.

Dad had grown tired but now he is resting in peace; he is with the Lord! I am heartbroken yet I rejoice in knowing that he is now in the presence of the Lord.

FEELING SO MUCH BETTER!

Well, I just had my first ever experience with kidney stones, ouch! It is not an experience that I will soon forget. I got up Thursday morning and my back was hurting and I thought that maybe I had pulled a muscle or something - wrong! It wasn't long before I was very uncomfortable. When you have a kidney stone (s) it doesn't matter what position you get into it doesn't help. I tried standing, sitting and lying down but the pain continued to get worse. I don't like to go to the doctor and it was something that I put off as long as I could and only after the insistence of my precious wife did I agree to go to Urgent Care. The doctor gave me a shot to ease the pain and told me that I had blood in my urine that was plus 3. He sent me to the hospital for a sonogram and there I was told that I had one kidney stone in my left ureter that was 6 mm and that I had two in my right kidney that were 1 to 2 mm. They also discovered some gallstones - WOW! I was prescribed some medication and sent home. It was a rough couple of nights but I survived.

Now the good news! I went to the urologist on Monday and told him there was no more pain. He couldn't understand how I had passed a 6 mm stone and sent me back to the hospital for an additional ex-ray. Yesterday he called and said there was no sign of kidney stones! HALLELUJAH!

Thank God for touching me and for a praying church!

"I'm feeling so much better talking about this good old way. Feeling so much better talking about the Lord!"

CHANGING TIMES

We are living in changing times, in fact things are changing so fast until it seems surreal. I think there is a longing in each of us for things to be solid, lasting and sure. Years ago it seemed like everything lasted forever but not anymore. The seasons, the fashions, the times and even people seem to be changing more rapidly than ever. You can't get used to anything because it doesn't stay around long enough to get used to.

Maybe that explains the loneliness we feel today! It used to be that you could count on your friends but even your friends change into enemies before your very eyes. What's happening to us? Why is there so much turmoil and unrest? Why do we feel like there's nothing that we can trust in or depend upon anymore? Marriages that seemed solid yesterday are falling apart today. Churches that used to be solid and growing yesterday are dividing and falling apart today. Families that used to be solid and loving yesterday are scattered today.

The silver lining behind it all is that we learn that we can trust in Lord, who changes not!

Psalm 118:8 "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

Jeremiah 17:5 "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."

People will let you down but the Lord will lift you up! People will change and disappoint you but Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever!