Before church on Sunday morning, down beneath the Market Street Bridge, just before transporting swimmers and their support kayakers to their starting point. 9.3 mile swim!
Author Archives: Anthony Baker
Morning In Chattanooga
Filed under Uncategorized
The Eye Doctor Visit
A while back I had to go to a new eye doctor. Because of so many years of wondering whether or not I have glaucoma, my optician decided to send me to the place in town with the most high-tech equipment and eye doctors who specialize in glaucoma. He sent me to Southeast Eye Specialists. Wow! Talk about a set up! They had some cool gadgets, I must say.
While waiting in the exam room for the smartly dressed, highly intelligent Dr. McDaniel to greet me, I did what any bored, adult male would do…I started playing with the equipment.
In the process of flipping levers and turning dials on very expensive stuff, I began to have a thought (which must imply that I was not thinking when I was playing with things that I couldn’t afford). With all the different prescriptions for glasses, and all the different lenses one could look through, how could anyone say for sure that what we see when we look at things is exactly the way it really is? Just look at all of those dials!
Some people would say this is the reason for believing that everything is relative. You know, they get all philosophical-like and say, “There’s no such thing as right and wrong,” or, “Perception is reality.” The only problem is that what we think we see may not be what is actually there, but what is actually there IS there, whether we see it for what it is, or not. Just like the chart on the wall with the jumbled letters that start big on top, then get smaller as they go down, we can call the letter “e” an “a” or a “c,” but it is still an “e“.
We may think what we see is correct, but that doesn’t change reality.
The only way we can know for sure if we are seeing things correctly is to go to a doctor of optometry and let him evaluate our sight. He is qualified to turn the knobs and do the tests. He knows what the letters on the wall really are. He can be objective. Only a fool would go into his exam room and argue with him over the “rightness” or “wrongness” of his letter chart. Maybe it was those type of people that God had in mind when he wrote the following verse:
- Acts 28:27 For the heart of this people is stubborn, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Some people insist that they can be the judge of what is right and wrong. Some people are so convinced of their own understanding of things that they will attempt to belittle other’s opinions and claim that what they see has to be incorrect, especially if it is any different. How sad!
You see, all of us are born with faulty eyes that want to see things in the most favorable way, like with “rose colored” lenses. The only problem is that only God knows exactly what is on the wall. And what is cool is that each one of us is different, so we may need one kind of lens, while someone else may need another.
God, our heavenly doctor, wants us to see the Truth for what He is; not through faulty eyes, but ones He has healed.
Filed under General Observations, Theology
The Perception Deception
It Started With a Comment
Just the other day someone commented on my blog and asked me to check out something he had written. I did, and it became clear that this person had come to the conclusion that everyone has his own version of the truth, and there’s no way to determine which religion is true…because not all truth claims are testable.
Well, when it comes to the truth claims of Jesus Christ, I respectfully disagreed.
That led me to remember a couple of posts which deal with the subject from slightly different perspectives. Here is the first one, and the second will be re-posted right after this one.
The Way We See It
If I have heard it said once, I have heard it said a thousand times, “perception is reality.” And if I have puked once…well, you know the rest.
What is it with man’s twisted view of reality and truth? Where do we get the idea that reality is what we perceive it to be? Is truth really relative to our own perception of the way things are? Just because a person believes something to be true doesn’t make it true, only believed.
Have you ever argued with someone who is color-blind over the color of a tie? Have you ever tried to convince someone dying of thirst that it’s not really water, but a mirage? Have you ever tried to convince a 3-year-old that germs are real and that hands need to be washed before eating? Some people think they know what they see, but they don’t.
Have you ever tried to argue with an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) about the letters on the wall? Yes, a “B” may appear to your flawed eyes as a “D”, but that doesn’t change what is on the wall.
Hot or Cold?
Sure, there are certain times when it seems like truth is relative, and here is a good example.
When my wife and I walk into a room, both of us will perceive a different sensation. If the temperature on the thermometer reads 70 degrees, then my wife is going to exclaim, “Why is it so hot in here?” On the other hand, I am going to say, “I think it feels fine.” I may, depending on how hot the temperature is outside, think that what my wife perceives to be hot is actually cool.
Both are correct based on our individual experiences and perceptions, but in reality the truth of the temperature is still 70, regardless of how we feel about it.
Clean Drunks
Several years ago I was unfortunate enough to transport a bunch of college kids to a party. It was unfortunate because long before some of them ever got on the school bus they had already been drinking.
The place they were going to was up a mountain. About 5 minutes into the trip, about the third or fourth curve, one girl decided to vomit on the window, down the inside wall, and between the seats. It was all liquid, all alcohol, and all nasty. A few minutes later she felt she was ready to go party some more, for, in her eyes, she was perfectly clean. The only problem was that we (everyone on the bus) could tell she was soaked…in other words, we weighed the “spirits.”
God Sees Everything
When it comes to self-perception, reality is what God sees. He not only sees the outside, but the heart is bare before Him. As the proverb says, a man may consider himself clean, which is his own perception of reality, but the Lord knows what’s really going on.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
It is foolish for men to try to justify their sinful, dirty actions before a holy God. It is foolish to depend on our own perception of what is right and wrong. Our eyes only want to see what makes us look good, not evil.
That is why we need God’s wisdom.
Filed under General Observations, Life Lessons, voting, wisdom
Fight On!
A word of encouragement from the “preacher.”
“Are you fighting with the adversary today? Are Satan, the world, and the flesh, all against you? Be not discouraged nor dismayed. Fight on!… Fear not, you shall overcome, for who can defeat Omnipotence? Fight on, “looking unto Jesus;” and though long and stern be the conflict, sweet will be the victory, and glorious the promised reward.” – Charles H, Spurgeon
Fight on, brothers! Fight on!
Filed under Christianity, Faith, Life Lessons, ministry, Preaching, Struggles and Trials
Side Effects Worth the Cure?
Ask Your Doctor
Surely you have seen the commercials on television. They advertise different medications meant to do everything from grow hair to end hot flashes. And at the end of every commercial you hear, “Ask your doctor if ******** is right for you!”
Right for me? Ask my doctor? OK, maybe I will.
“Dr. Close (my general physician), can I ask you something? I saw an add for female hormone replacement medication. Is it right for me?”
A New Disease
I can’t tell you how many times I have watched a commercial and said to myself, “Where did that disease come from? Is it common? Could I be suffering from it? Will I get to wear a colored ribbon?”
Have you ever heard of Trihemamasticular Disease? I googled it – nothing came up. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an advertisement in the works. At this very moment, there is probably a pill being made which promises to alleviate the symptoms of Trihemamasticular Disease. And if there is, rest assured it will be the best thing for you.
Just be aware of the side effects…
- Common side effects may include the following: nausea, indigestion, coughing, dry mouth, ringing in the ears, and a runny nose.
- Don’t be alarmed if you experience: watery eyes, hair loss, brittle teeth, a craving for oysters, bleeding gums, or stinky feet. These symptoms are usually temporary.
- Stop using this medication if you begin to experience: a reddening of your ear lobes, tooth loss, finger loss, memory loss, or financial loss.
- Avoid the following while taking this medication: leather, crayons, animal fat, peanut butter, aspirin, attitudes, children, loud noises, butterfly feces, clowns, and purified water.
- Get medical attention immediately if you begin to experience: hives, swelling of the left knee, suicidal thoughts, thoughts of starting over, unknown tongues, a desire to star in a reality show, rapid breathing, breathing through a straw while submerged in a river, thoughts of voting Democrat, or a craving for pickles.
Warning Label
As crazy as it may sound, there should also be a warning label inside every Bible. They should make television commercials explaining the possible side effects of following Christ.
Side effects may include:
- Being hated, ridiculed, made fun of, mocked, and parodied.
- Being ostracized, avoided, shunned, passed over for promotions, and fired from a job.
- Being accused of radicalism, racism, fanaticism, and narrow-mindedness.
- A cross to bear.
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” – Matthew 5:11
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” – Matthew 24:9
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:27
Is this Medicine right for you? Yes! The side effects are totally worth the cure.
Filed under Christian Maturity, Humor, salvation, Witnessing, worship
A Lesson from Mark West and the Indy 500
Mark West is not someone that I would call a “close” friend, but he is a brother in Christ and we have the same political persuasion. He is also a friend on Facebook, someone I have met in person, and he has a ranch and a cool race car.
Mark ahead of a couple of Vettes.
Did I say race car?
Maybe I ought to get to know him better…you think? I mean, a race car?
Anyway, if you were watching the last Indy 500 on television, you witnessed a horrific crash. But if you had been my friend Mark West, you would have witnessed it in person. And had you witnessed that crash in person, my hope is that you would have come away with the same insight that Mark did.
But since we are not Mark West, and most of us were probably not at the last running of the Indy 500, let’s read what Mark wrote on his own blog, Awake to Freedom. (Reprinted by permission)
Guest post by: Mark West
Click on the picture to visit original post on Awake to Freedom.
The Indy 500. Daytona 500. Monaco Grand Prix. 24 Hours of Le Mans. These are just a view of the world’s iconic motorsport races.
For me there’s not much more thrilling in sporting events than the combination of horsepower, speed, technology, competition, and fans. And for fans, there’s not much they enjoy more than a good crash. Although a good crash, like beauty, is a matter of perspective.
Strap yourself into a car with the engine revving, tires screeching, and the speedometer in the three digit zone, and there’s no such thing as a GOOD crash. The fact is, if you’re inside the race car, any crash is a bad crash. (I know, I’ve been in a couple of my own three digit racing crashes which you can view here and here.) But sit back in your favorite La-Z-Boy recliner, or better yet, at the Indy 500 between Turns 1 and 2, as I was this week, at the 101st running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and a crash is an added “bonus” to the fans.
Sitting in the stands on Sunday at the Indy 500, I could not have anticipated viewing one of the most jaw-dropping crashes I’ve ever witnessed. It was lap 53 of 200 laps. The race had been perfect so far. There had been no yellow, or caution flags. The drivers were at their best. The cars were nearly a blur as they flew around the track, 40 seconds per lap, at an average speed of 220 miles per hour. My favorite driver in the race, Fernando Alonso from Spain, a two time world champion in Formula 1, but a rookie to the Indy 500, had worked himself into the lead.
A pack of cars came down the front stretch and slowed just slightly as they maneuvered through turn 1. As I sat there, the “bonus” happened, directly in front of me. Jay Howard lost control and hit the outside wall. As he slid back across the track, Scott Dixon, the pole winner, had no place to go and rammed into the back of Jay’s car. The thud we heard was unmistakable, and we watched in disbelief as the next several seconds unfolded. Immediately Dixon’s car was catapulted high into the air and the four time IndyCar champion was simply along for the ride. His years of experience and success provided no advantage.
As Scott’s car careened through the air, his life literally hung in the balance. How would his car land as he flipped towards the wall and catch fence? Would he survive such a horrific crash? Could he, like many of his fellow racers in the past, skirt death?
As the crash video reveals, Dixon’s aerial flight came to an abrupt and violent impact with the inside wall on the right side of his car. The impact caused massive damage with the #9 car disintegrating into a thousands pieces. As the car continued to twist and turn, it flipped upside down and then back over, sliding to a stop with only one of the four wheels left intact, and half the car missing. Miraculously, Scott climbed out of the car, unhurt and waving to the crowd.
But… what if?
What if Dixon’s car had rotated just a quarter turn more and instead of landing on its side, it had landed driver first, into the wall? I shudder to think what the outcome would have been. But it’s not too far fetched to consider. The fact is, something very similar happened six years earlier at another IndyCar race in Las Vegas when a massive crash launched former champion and Indy 500 race winner, Dan Wheldon, into the air. As I watched the race live, the driver would suffer blunt force trauma to his head. And Wheldon, whose career would likely have seen many more wins and successes, breathed his last that day, at age 33. He left behind a beautiful wife and two young boys.
Following the race at Indy last Sunday, the thought occurred to me just how fragile life is. One driver dies. The other lives. Some might suggest luck plays a part in the outcome, as if it’s merely a flip of a coin to determine whether it’s heads you live, or tails you die.
But ultimately no amount of skill, preparation, goodwill or luck will prevent our taking our final breath. Rather, death is something that will come to us all, sooner or later, as the Bible affirms:
“Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.”
Death. It’s a sobering thought that most of us avoid and refuse to consider. Yet it will happen to all of us, without a doubt.
So, the real question is how will we live our lives until the figurative coin lands on tails? But even more importantly, will we be prepared for that moment when the inevitable occurs? For as we just read, we will all be judged, not only for how we have lived our lives, but more importantly in whom and what we trusted for our eternal future.
I don’t know what your personal standing is with God but here’s is the truth of God’s Word – the Bible. In Romans 3:23 we are told “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In other words we have all fallen short of God’s standard of perfection. Because of this fact, we learn in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God is clear that without His Son we can expect death eternally.
The eternal life offered by God is as a result of His Son’s death and resurrection as we see in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Finally, while God did this for us, we must accept His gift of salvation. Romans 10:9 tells us “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is the road to true peace and freedom… and assurance of your eternal future, once that final moment comes for you and me.
If you want to pursue this matter further, here is a relevant website that deals further with life, death, and eternity: http://www.areyouagoodperson.org/ Or send me an email and let’s grab coffee and talk.
Whether you are a motorsports fan or not, we all share the common need to prepare for what lies ahead. I hope and pray you have done so, or if not, you will do so today.
Filed under Guest Posts, Life Lessons, Life/Death
A Week of Father’s Day Posts?
Hey, everybody! I have an idea, and I hope you like it 🙂
As most of you probably know by now, I have asked for guest posts to be submitted in order to help me out this summer. Well, I’ve got an additional idea which may help with this.
One of the submissions that I’ve received (and accepted) from Dorissa Vanover had to do with Father’s Day. That got me to thinking…
What if I did a whole week of guest posts leading up to Father’s Day (June 18th)? Granted, I would like to reserve a post of my own for the actual day, but for the days preceding, could you guys submit your own positive stories about your fathers?
Some of you might not have a good story about your actual father, but maybe there was a man in your life who showed you what being a dad was really all about. That would be a good story, too.
Maybe someone could write a post that deals with being a father?
These are just some ideas I had a moment ago as I was going over Dorissa’s post.
Let me know what you think, OK?
Filed under Guest Posts
The Price of Freedom
Memorial Day
Today is the day on which we Americans pause to remember and honor those who have fought and died for our country. We also honor those who have served and are serving.
Unfortunately, most people use this day to only focus on the celebration aspect of the holiday, not the memorial. But had it not been for those men and women who bled in the trenches and fell from the sky, there might not be a place to hold a barbecue. We celebrate because we are free, but that freedom came with a price.
Visiting Memorials
Last year at this time I visited Washington, D.C.. with my family, and one can’t visit D.C. without going to the memorials, especially on Memorial Day.
It had been a long time since the last time I was here, and new monuments to the fallen had been erected. One of them, which is probably the most impressive, is the World War 2 Memorial. I took my time exploring it.
One of the places at the WW2 Memorial is pictured below. Gold stars are affixed to a curved wall above a reflective pool. A plaque beside the reflective pool reads, “The Price of Freedom.”
Each star represents 100 who died in the war to defeat the Axis powers. Did you get that? 1 star = 100 dead.
On this day let us pause and remember the lives sacrificed so that we (and the world) might live in freedom. Remember also that those stars represent mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, and scores of children whose loss purchased our gain.
Freedom isn’t free.
Filed under America, Life/Death, Vacation
Today’s Preaching Tip from Sir Winston Churchill
Men, sometimes our best-designed outlines, our ingenious illustrations, and our attempts to convey a point without offending do nothing more than muddy the cleansing water, smudge the reflective properties of God’s Word, and lessen the needed blow to our hardened consciences.
Maybe we should heed the following advice:
“If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time-a tremendous whack.” – Sir Winston Churchill
Do you think the Apostle Paul and Churchill might have been related?
Filed under Christian Maturity, Preaching
An Official Goodbye to an Era
Time for a Change
As you know, I have been driving a school bus for a while. Much of that time was spent in an area where I used to live and pastor, Lookout Valley, TN (just in sight of Lookout Mountain).
For several years (actually, since 2009) I was what we call a “park out” driver. That means that I was able, because I had the space, and because of the closeness to the schools I served, to keep my bus at home. That was extremely convenient in that all I had to do to go to work was walk out my front door.
But now that I no longer pastor in Lookout Valley, nor do I live there, it is no longer convenient to drive a bus route in that area. It makes much more sense to drive a school bus route closer to where I will now be living (in that parsonage I recently showed you) 30 miles away.
Now, there are no guarantees I will be able to secure a route in the area to which I am moving – that is still a matter of prayer. However, as with the last route I had, the fact remains the same: I want to be a fixture in the community in which I pastor. If it’s God’s will, He will provide the route I need.
It happened before, you know.
If it be the Lord’s will, next school year (2017-2018) I will secure a route on a special needs bus (a small bus) that I can park in the new church’s parking lot. However, that remains to be seen. This summer I will be working as a driver trainer, but I will be keeping my eyes open for whatever opportunities are out there.
In the meantime, I thought I would share with you some photos that tell a little about the era that is passing, the era of Bus 374.
A History In Pictures
When I first started driving for Durham School Services in Hamilton County (the Chattanooga, TN area), I was a “sub” driver. In other words, I didn’t have my own route, a particular route with an assigned bus, that I drove every day. What I did the first couple of years was fill in and drive whatever route needed me, wherever that route happened to go.
As a matter of fact, when I started driving a school bus in Kentucky back in 2001, that is all I ever did – work as a substitute driver. Some of the experiences I had while doing that, especially the part including tennis balls, is detailed in my book. However, I unfortunately don’t have any pictures of my early days driving a bus – I wish I did.
My first route after being a sub-driver was bus 369. I drove the 369 route for a year or so, then went on to drive bus 374. If I’m not mistaken, bus 369 started out as a conventional-style bus (with a long nose) and later changed to a front-engine transit (flat front) …it might have been the other way around, but I can’t remember.
All total I had four different models of buses during my time as driver of #374. At one point I drove a 2007 Thomas transit. Later I drove a conventional-style (long nose) Thomas with a Mercedes engine (my favorite bus out of all of them). After that I went back to a Thomas transit, but a more modern 2011 model. Lastly, I finally ended up with a 2013 International transit with AIR CONDITIONING!
My first ride as bus 374. A front-engined transit with no air – and it could reach 120 degrees around the driver’s seat in August!
The conventional-style Thomas (with the cool Mercedes engine) parked behind the church, the place where I parked all the time during the week.
The next generation of #374. This pic shows an ultra-rare instance of when we in Tennessee actually had to pick up kids in the snow!
A side view of the final incarnation of #374, the unwashed, rear-engined (called a “pusher”) 2013 International. Notice the additional cargo bays underneath.
Over the years I’ve seen a lot of things while driving a bus (and some of that is also detailed in my book) But there are two places on 374’s route that I will miss seeing on a regular basis.
The first is a little pond and the view of it from a little hill on Shanty Lake Road. The view varied with the change of seasons and the angle of the sun. Incidentally, the children on my bus hated it whenever another driver drove instead of me – I was always better at going over that hill without scaring the kids 😉
A view of the pond on Shanty Lake Road from inside my bus on the last day of school (the bus was stopped).
The very same view as above, but as the sun is coming up in January. God is a beautiful artist, isn’t He?
The other view that I will miss is the one seen driving back into Lookout Valley over Cummings Highway across the side of Lookout Mountain. I wrote about this in my book and six years ago in another blog, Ebs and Flows (you should check it out).
Looking down towards Lookout Valley and the Tennessee River from the Cummings Highway bridge – yes, a bridge.
Over the years I’ve also met a few adults while driving in Lookout Valley, not just a lot children (of all ages). There were a few teachers with which became friends, but it was the other bus drivers that helped make getting up in the morning a little easier.
Taken a couple of years ago, here we see Chris (370), Joseph (369), and me at McDonald’s.
Myself and Paul Mashburn (the contract driver of #49). Mr. Mashburn drove my wife on band trips in 1985! And she said he still looks the same!
The last day of school this year we went to Cracker Barrel. Here is Chris (370), a driver from New Orleans, Jean (369), and myself…I should have tucked in my shirt.
The following are just a couple of pictures I wanted to throw in for good measure. The first is me on a day when I wore a wig to keep my head warm – why wear a hat when you can be different?
The second picture is of our little dog, Nugget. Nugget went missing in August of last year, and we miss him terribly. This photo was taken on the day after we first got him. I was driving bus 369 at the time, and I didn’t want to leave him home alone, so I took him with me that day 🙂
A wig can both keep you warm and give you attitude.
Baby Nugget on the school bus.
On the last day of school I pulled up in front of Lookout Valley Middle and High School, along with the other buses there to pick up what kids actually came that day (I had none). Only four or five buses were ever needed to service this small school, so the afternoon lineup became a traditional time to shoot the breeze for a few minutes before the doors burst open.
My final lineup at Lookout Valley Middle/High.
And as you may have seen from other blog posts of mine, Bobble Head Phil always rode on my dash (secured with double-sided tape) and stared at the kids behind me. One time a little girl said, “Mr. Baker, make him stop looking at me!” I replied, “Why? What are you doing?”
Phil has left the building (or bus, rather).
I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. God willing, Phil and I will drive another bus – a smaller bus – in the area closer to our new place of ministry. But for now, goodbye Lookout Valley and bus 374…we will always remember you.
In the meantime, keep me in your prayers – I’ve got new drivers to train!
The Recovering Legalist 