david-tadlock.com

Recently I watched a movie on television and the person on the run was always looking back. Looking over his shoulder for someone following him, stalking him or watching him. He was suspicious of everyone he encountered and trusted no one.

Ironically I’ve noticed, and I’m sure you have too, that plot seems to be in several movies. An ex-wife on the run from an abusive ex-husband, a person on the run from a biker gang or mafia, an escaped convict who’s on the run from the law. Always on the run and always looking back, all because of what they have done in the past. A mistake they made in life and it follows them for the rest of their life, or at least to the end of the movie when their past catches up to them.

Sometime don’t you wish real life was kind of like a movie? Then it would only take anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours to confront the problem, address it or fight it off (like they always do in the movie) and then you could go on living the rest of your life with no more regrets. The past would be where it’s at, in the past. By the time the final music or song is played and all the credits run life would be back to normal like it should be.

When I went to the funeral of Charles Frank “Paw” Motes, (My other daddy) the minister preached the message from Luke 9:62.

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (KJV)

He spoke of how Paw Motes loved the Lord and pressed ahead to the true calling he was called for. To be a servant. He never looked back with regret. He never had to look over his shoulder, watching out for someone he had wronged. He pressed ahead. Did Paw Motes make mistakes in life? I’m sure he did. We all do. We’re flesh and blood and human and that’s what humans do, they make mistakes.

In my confession I’ve made mistakes in my past I’m not proud of. I was young and stupid (if you want to chalk it up to that). Not too long ago I found out that I had hurt my best friend’s feelings real bad several years ago and now there’s not a day goes by that I don’t think about that, I love him so very much and would never do anything intentionally to hurt him. I know some of the mistakes my wife had made in her life before I met her or got to know her and she knows mine, but Lord, we’ve been married going on 30 years now. We should know some of the things we’ve done wrong in our past. We don’t have the perfect Utopian marriage we’ve hurt each other’s feelings in the past. And yes, we have come close to deciding, should we go on or should we just go on? But we’ve worked past it, loved each other all the more and now I’m focused more on the next 30 years and what they’re going to be like with her.

Our pastor had said many times we need to be like the mule and put blinders on so we can stay focused on what God has in store for us. Not what’s around us; not what is behind us but where we are going.

The woman in the Bible that was caught “in the very act” of adultery. Jesus said, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” They all left one-by-one from the eldest to the youngest. He then asked the woman, “Where are thy accusers?” When she told him there are none, he simply said, “Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.” People tend to leave out the “Go and sin no more part.” But the most important thing is, she was forgiven of what she had done. (John 8:3-11) That is the water that had done gone under the bridge and out to the sea of forgiveness and forgetting.

But a lot of people in this world would prefer to hold onto that water and keep it under the bridge so they can always bring it up. Know what happens to water when it doesn’t move? It gets stale. So does the people holding on to it. Their life becomes stale, their marriage becomes stale, and most importantly their spiritual life becomes stale. What’s more is that stale water begins to stink. People holding water under a bridge and not letting it go out to the sea of forgiveness becomes stale and start to stink. Then they began to make all those around them stink. It just becomes a stinky life.

I want fresh water. Water that’s always moving. Water that is cool, clear and refreshing. That’s what I want for me and my family; clear, refreshing water that soothes the soul. Jesus is that water. That water of life. The true Water of Life forgives and forgets.

He not only experienced it in his life and ministry he even told about it in a parable. What was the father doing while his son was away squandering his half of the inheritance? He was watching and waiting for his son to return. The love he had for his son coming home far out weighed the sin he committed toward his father and the inheritance that was given him. (Luke 15:11-32)

That’s why it is always better to not only forgive yourself of what you’ve done in your past but also to forgive others of theirs.

Love you all!

The only time I ever post anything on my Facebook page is when I post something off this website, david-tadlock.com. I have been thinking about it lately that I never put anything straight to my Facebook page.

Anyone who knows me knows that I read a lot. Someone once said to be a good writer you have to read twice as much as you write; which is what I try to do. I’ve even changed up my reading habits for 2016. I don’t like to read all genre of novels but I try to be open in my selections.

For instance, I’m not a big fan of werewolves, vampires or zombies. I know there’s a lot of writers who have jumped on that bandwagon since that is the most popular thing going right now.  But it’s just not for me.  I try to read classic novels as well as a modern day novel, I had to force myself to read Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  It’s considered a classic and I wanted to read it to say I’ve read it but for me it was hard to get through.

Another thing about the werewolves, vampires and zombies of today some writers have written books where there is the good ones, bad ones, those that are born again Christians and those that are not.  Exactly how does a vampire or zombie become a born again Christian?  If those kind of books are for you then that’s fine and I don’t have a problem with it.  Just don’t ask me to read them.

Back to my Facebook page.  I thought about the books I have read.  Recently my loving wife had come across a super, super deal at a flea market or yard sale somewhere and she came home with boxes and bags full old western novels.  Louis A’mour, Elmore Leonard, Norman A. Fox and Frederick Faust (as some would know by his pen name, Max Brand).  Most of the old western movies were made from the writings of these authors.

Since I have such an extensive library now of all kinds of books, some old, some very old and some new, I decided that I wanted to share with you the books that I read.   So beginning now if you follow me on Facebook I will start putting a copy of the book I read and my review of it on my Facebook page.   And if you have Facebook you’re more than welcome to like my page and follow me on Facebook.  I tried Twitter and really didn’t care much for it.

Maybe it will encourage you to start looking a little more closely at the treasure trove of books that are available to you at your nearest flea market or at your neighbor’s yard sale.

Love you all and happy reading!

First of all I want to thank all of my family and friends who have called, text or messaged me wishing me a happy birthday. I want to thank my beautiful and wonderful sister, Kim Smiley, for all that she has done for me and my family this year and for the Christmas card and birthday card with the throw-back picture of me and my dogs inside. That was a real surprise and a treat and I thank her so much for that.

For my birthday today my beautiful and wonderful wife and I slept in late, she brought me breakfast in bed, which she does quite often. Then we did what we love doing most; going to flea markets and thrift stores looking for bargains and “stuff” to clutter our house with. I don’t blame her for it all I’m just as bad. Especially when it comes to books. I look for great deals in used books. Even though we’ve (I’ve) got more books than I’ll probably ever read. Our son, Josh, will have a great time either giving away or throwing away all of those books after we have gone on to a nursing home or our Heavenly home.

On our journey we stopped at a little Christian thrift store in Florala, Alabama. As we browsed around I had picked out a few books that interest me. By then I was ready to go while my wife was still looking around. As I stood at the counter waiting on my bride I looked at the Christian books and Bibles on a table there. Next to that table was another table with a bunch of Christmas what-nots, ornaments and coffee cups. The nice lady working there told me all the Christmas stuff was free. “Free?” I asked. “Please don’t tell my wife or we’ll be here all day.” Guess what? Yea, she told my wife. But to my surprise she said all the Christian books and Bibles on the other table were free too. So now my wife and I both were plundering through the tables. She explained to us that they were so blessed with so much Christmas stuff that they chose to give away what was left after Christmas. She also went on to tell us the reason the Christian books and Bibles were free was that she would rather give people a message of hope and salvation, which is, always has been and always will be free. We only spent a few dollars there but we also left her with a added special donation to help them with any other needs or expenses.

As we drove home the thought came to me about the day before. I had worked and on my way home I decided to stop at a station and get me a drink and a snack. The young lady working the register apparently was having a bad day. She was trying to wait on customers while trying to get the store owner on the phone because some gas pumps had quit working and one of the credit card machines had quit. There was a few of us customers in the store and she shook her head in frustration. After I paid for my drink and snack I smiled at her and told her that she had a pretty smile. I then turned to the lady standing behind me and asked her didn’t she think she had a pretty smile. The lady behind me smiled and promptly agreed. Even though the young lady wasn’t smiling at the time, I wanted to give her some kind of word of encouragement. All I could think about is that I’ve never seen anyone with an ugly smile. We the customers did get a smile and a “Happy New Year” out of her.  I just hope the rest of her day went well.

Usually the New Year resolution I always make every year is that I make a resolution to not have a resolution. But today on my birthday I have finally come up with a New Year’s resolution that I think I can do for the entire year. That is to give people a smile and a word of encouragement. Wouldn’t that be a great resolution if everyone had that one too? Besides I have always done that anyway, so I think that would be a great resolution to begin with. But now for 2016 I want to up the ante on that.

Over the past few weeks of the Christmas holidays my wife and I both have commented on how people don’t look happy. While out Christmas shopping we noticed a lot of people, customers and employees alike, seem like they would have a frown on their face. So my New Year’s resolution when I see someone without a smile I’m going to start giving them mine. I always keep an extra smile in my pocket in case I give one away. I’m also going to be extra nice and think extra positive this year. That’s just me. I would also like to encourage each and everyone reading this to use this resolution along with any others you may have for this upcoming new year.

Now my favorite college football team is getting ready to play so with that I’m gonna say, I love you, God Bless you, happy New Year, happy birthday to me and a big Roll Tide.