A Tradition Like No Other

tomnorvell@mac.com (Tom Norvell) — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 02:00:00 -0500

Do we have a Master's tradition?

The person who loves golf, particularly The Masters Golf Championship, will recognize those words as the Jim Nantz' description of the CBS coverage of the tournament. For several years, the ads begin running in late February leading up to the first week in April when the greatest golfers in the world assemble in Augusta, Georgia, to compete in the greatest golf tournament in the world. The Masters Championship is not only a tradition in itself, but the tournament is full of traditions. The tournament traditions include the ceremonial legends of the game serving as honorary starters by teeing off early on the first day of the tournament. This year Arnold Palmer hit the first drive. Of course the green jacket is a tradition like no other. The fact that the tournament is often decided on the back nine on Sunday afternoon has become a tradition. Amen Corner is a tradition. The beauty of the azaleas and dogwoods is a tradition. Skipping the ball across the water on the 16th hole during practice rounds has become tradition that results in boos from the crowd if a golfer chooses not to participate. For many patrons, planting themselves by the 16th green or the 18th green is a tradition. Hearing Pat Summerall say, "CBS Sports proudly presents the Masters!" to introduce the broadcast is a tradition. Traditions are important in most areas of our lives. Our schools use traditions to build school spirit. There are winning traditions and losing traditions with sports teams. Families have food traditions, vacation traditions, holiday traditions, wedding traditions, anniversary traditions, and birthday traditions. Churches have traditions. Even those who vow to be non-traditional develop their own set of traditions. As best we can, we try to preserve our traditions. The Masters: a tradition like no other. You don't mess with the traditions of the Masters. Those who run the tournament do all within their power to preserve the traditions of the Masters Tournament. Some traditions are easily accepted as traditions and can be changed or rejected or ignored with no risk of penalty. Then, there are those traditions worth fighting to preserve. When it comes to your life, what is the tradition that is like no other? Allow me to offer a suggestion based on what Jesus said: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.
When Jesus was asked what He considered as most important, this was His response (Matthew 22:34-40). These are often called "The Greatest Commands." To adopt something like this as our "tradition like no other" will revolutionize our lives. Most of the traditions we hold onto will determine some of our direction and many of our actions. But to adopt "The Greatest Commands" as our greatest tradition, will alter the course of our futures. Nothing will be the same. These commands change how we treat people. They change how we think. They change how we worship. They change how we live. Now that's a tradition like no other. Lord willing, I can look forward to the first weekend in April for years to come. I'll look forward to watching the Masters and enjoy hearing Jim Nantz say, "The Masters, a tradition like no other." Of greater importance, however, are the words of the Master that I hope to drive the course of my life, all the days of my life. A life of love lived for the Master. Now that's truly "a tradition like no other!"

About the author: Tom Norvell is the author of "A Norvell Note" -- Thoughts and reflections on God, life, people, and living as a follower of Jesus. He has ministered with followers of Jesus for four decades and loves Jesus, his family, and those seeking Jesus, passionately.

Tuna Salad and the Rest of the Story

philip@philipgulley.com (Philip Gulley) — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 02:00:00 -0500

Most of them are wonderful human beings because someone gave them a leg up somewhere along the line, and they remember that. At least the good ones do.

Over our 25 years, HEARTLIGHT.org has passed along the creative blessings of many famous authors who graciously shared their writing with our readers. This year as we celebrate "Shining the Light" for a quarter-century, we will highlight these special authors. Today, please enjoy one of Philip Gulley's witty, folksy, and insightful stories.

Paul Jr. wrote the introduction of one of my books. One day I was in Chicago on business with my friend, Stan. I remembered Paul Jr.'s address and decided to stop in to say hello and thank him for his help. It was lunchtime, so Paul Jr. invited us to stay and eat. "We're having tuna salad sandwiches," he said. "Is that okay?" My parents had taught me to eat what was put before me, so I said tuna salad was fine. Truthfully, tuna salad is not my favorite food, but since we hadn't told him we were stopping by, I didn't feel I should be picky. Stan said, "I really don't care for tuna salad. Do you have anything else?" I wanted to slap him. Then Paul Jr. said, "We eat lunch with my mother and father, so we need to go next door."

I've listened to Paul Harvey on the radio all my life. (Few media people have been as well known and beloved for four decades as Paul Harvey. Listen below to a couple of classic and moving radio excerpts from November 1963, broadcasts concerning the assignation of President John F. Kennedy.) My father has listened to him for the past forty years. Now Stan and I were walking across his yard to have lunch with him! We went to the living room to wait for Mr. Harvey. There was a Bose Wave radio on the table. Mr. Harvey's been telling us for years how wonderful they sound. Paul Jr. turned it on for me. We listened to a guy named Monty Vonny, or something like that. He's not from these parts, so I'd never heard of him. The only Monty I knew was Monty Chadwick, who owned the Jiffy Carwash back in my hometown of Danville. But it was pretty music. I may save up and buy one of his CDs. Then Mr. Harvey walked into the room. He looked at me and said, "Well, I'll be; Phil Gulley is standing in my living room. I can't believe it!" I couldn't believe it, either. I shook his hand and introduced him to Stan. "Is this the guy who doesn't like tuna salad?" he asked, pointing to Stan. "The same," I answered. Mr. Harvey asked me if I liked that Monty Vonny fellow. I told him I didn't know; I'd never met him. Then I told him all about Monty Chadwick and the Jiffy Carwash. If Mr. Harvey ever comes to Danville, we're going to take our cars there and get them washed. My treat, I told him. They've added a foaming brush that really gets the dirt off. Mr. Harvey said he's looking forward to it. We ate in the breakfast nook just off their kitchen. Stan ate chicken salad and toasted cheese. I ate my tuna salad. They put three of those little tomatoes on my plate, but I didn't eat them. Tomatoes make me burp, and I didn't want to do that in front of Mr. Harvey. He told me how he got his start in radio. He is one of the kindest men I've ever met.

After lunch, we sat around the table and visited awhile. Then it was time to go. They walked us out to our car. As we drove away, Stan turned to me and said, "I can't believe we just ate lunch in Paul Harvey's kitchen." I said, "I can't believe you told them you didn't like tuna salad." He said, "I can't help it. I tell the truth without even thinking about it." I told him it was obvious he wasn't thinking. As famous as Mr. Harvey is, I wasn't too nervous about meeting him. I've been around famous people before. I met Michael Landon back when he was Little Joe on Bonanza and came to Danville to give a speech on the courthouse lawn. I was six years old and remembered being mad he didn't bring his horse. My cousin, Matt Griffith, once dated a beauty queen from Florida. She was Miss Navel Orange of 1972. He brought her to our house for a visit. She was wearing a sash and a crown topped with a gold-orange. She signed a Sunkist for me, but the next day my brother Glenn ate it for breakfast. Here's what I learned about famous people. Most of them are wonderful human beings because someone gave them a leg up somewhere along the line, and they remember that. At least the good ones do. When Paul Harvey was fourteen years old, his teacher took him in hand and introduced him to the folks at the local radio station. Over half a century later, he remembers it still.

None of us ever got anywhere except through the kindness of others. Sometimes we boast about being self-made, but that's just a lie we tell ourselves to feel important. We're all indebted to someone. Next time you're driving by the house of someone who has done you a good turn, knock on his door and thank him. He'll appreciate it. Who knows, you might even be offered a tuna salad sandwich. If you are, sit down and eat it. And be sure to put the napkin on your lap instead of tucking it into your shirt collar like my friend Stan did. Boy, I can't take that guy anywhere. And, as Mr. Harvey so famously said, "Now you know the rest of the story!"

Most of us who were alive on this fateful day in American history can tell you exactly where we were when we heard. My grandmother worked a few blocks from Dealey Plaza, so the whole experience was shattering to our whole family. The voices of certainty and security through the fog and fear of this day were Paul Harvey and Walter Cronkite. If you are old enough to remember, this radio broadcast will amaze you with the facts and clarity provided within a few hours of this horrific event. Remember, there was no Internet or instant channels of communication in those days. As I re-listened to this so many years later, I amazed at how some of our deepest and most troubling issues are the same, but the division that separates us seems so much greater.
- Phil Ware

About the author: PHILIP GULLEY is a Quaker pastor. He has been the voice of small-town American life. Along with writing Front Porch Tales, Hometown Tales, and For Everything a Season (and granted us rights to post excerpts of these), he is the author of the Harmony series of novels. Gulley lives in Indiana with his wife, Joan.

Deep Roots

tbellkindred@scrtc.com (Teresa Bell Kindred) — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 02:00:00 -0500

What kind of legacy are we leaving for those around us?

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalms 1:1-3 KJV).

Another tree fell at our church this week. Her name was Mrs. Virginia Beasley, known to her church family as Miss Beasley. For the past 15 years or so, I have sat behind Miss Beasley every Sunday at church. Her white hair has been the focal point of our side of the church. To me, her hair looked like soft, white cotton candy. I don't know how she felt about it, but I thought it was beautiful. Miss Beasely was known as the candy and gum lady at church. She brought a baggie full of goodies every Sunday and passed it out to the children who sat around her little ones and very big ones. They loved her for it and I know they will miss her just like I will. What We Sometimes Forget I'm sure you probably have a Miss Beasley at your church, too. Someone who sits in the same spot every Sunday. Never misses a service. Loves people and children and sharing what they have with others. What we sometimes forget about these church members is that growing deep roots in our faith doesn't guarantee an easy life and Miss Beasley didn't have one. In 1996, Miss Beasley's daughter, Jo, was taken from her home by someone she knew, driven to a barn and brutally murdered. It was the day before Jo's birthday. As I sat behind Miss Beasley in church I often wondered how she got past that horrific event. I suspect that like most traumatic events in our lives she didn't get past it, she just learned to live with it, but it had to have been incredibly hard. Miss Beasley had a necklace with her daughter's picture on it that she wore frequently. One Sunday, I commented about what a good picture it was of Jo. Her eyes teared up, "Why don't people ever talk about Jo?" She asked. "It's like they don't remember her." That broke my heart. Of course we remember, but we were trying to spare Miss Beasley more pain, which seems foolish because a mother's heart can't know more pain than the death of a child. Even though others may never have mentioned Jo's death, I know she never stopped thinking about it. In fact, the night Miss Beasley died was 2 days before the anniversary of Jo's death. I'm sure she went to sleep thinking about her daughter. She died peacefully in her sleep, thus being spared reliving one more time the anniversary of her daughter's death. The Difference One day last week, my son and I took his 8 year old daughter for a walk on our farm. We stopped to show my granddaughter one of the largest trees I have ever seen. It's a huge old oak tree. This tree is so big that our arms won't reach around it. Abby, my granddaughter, was fascinated with this old tree, so I snapped a picture of her hugging it. Now when I look at that picture, I am reminded of Miss Beasley and others like her. These great old souls didn't waver when the storms of life came. The shadow the oak tree casts is huge. The sphere of influence that a strong Christian shares when they stay firmly rooted in their faith is even bigger and more influential. The hard thing about a large tree with deep roots is that when it falls, it leaves such an empty, vacant space. And every time we see that spot, we ache for the tree that was there. That's how I feel with the empty spot where Miss Beasley used to sit. I ache for her presence and miss her. Yet the empty spot on the pew in front of me also serves as a reminder of two important realities:

I need to continue growing deeper roots to be an influence for good and for God!
God wants me to stay busy planting more trees and nurturing them to grow deep roots!

I want to be able to proclaim like the old African American spiritual, "I Shall Not Be Moved!"

Glory hallelujah, I shall not be moved,
Anchored in Jehovah, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
I shall not be moved! In His love abiding, I shall not be moved,
And in Him confiding, I shall not be moved;
Just like the tree that's planted by the water,
I shall not be moved! I shall not be, I shall not be moved,
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
I shall not be moved!

Follow these links for full lyrics or Johnny Cash YouTube video.

About the author: Teresa is an accomplished author, speaker, mother, and grandmother. Teresa has been married to Bill for a lifetime of family, faith, and love. They are members of Pleasant Hill Church of Christ in Kentucky. They have 5 children and 4 grandchildren. Teresa is also the author of the popular women's blog called "NanaHood"!

Reclaiming Our Lost Identity

trshelly@lipscomb.edu (Rubel Shelly) — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 02:00:00 -0500

What does God do with those times in our lives we'd like to forget?

V.R. Roskam of Wheaton, Illinois, visited Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, three years ago. He and his wife, Martha, were browsing at a souvenir stand. They spotted a wicker basket with a number of items - 37 as it turned out - that looked familiar. They were dog tags lost by U.S. soldiers during the 1960s and '70s. Roskam, a 75-year-old Korean War veteran, knew immediately what he had to do. He bought them all. For the past three years now, he has been returning them to their rightful owners. So far he has tracked down nine, and he has personally gone to each one to present him his tags. As you might expect, this mission of respect has triggered powerful emotions in all the parties involved. Some people who served in Vietnam have spent decades now putting that chapter of life behind them. Others have been stuck in them and unable to move on. Many bear scars from that time - not only on their bodies but especially in their psyches. Denzil Messman lost his tag when he jumped from a helicopter into a firefight. He was still a teenager when it happened. The Roskams went to Jefferson, Texas, to return his small, thin piece of metal designed to tell a medic a wounded soldier's blood type or, if he didn't make it, a chaplain his faith. "This big burly guy just wept when he held it," Martha Roskam said. "It's kind of hard to explain," said Messman, retired at 55 from the postal service. "Them dog tags is a piece of your person. They become you." Another veteran who received his dog tag from the Roskams wrote them a touching note. "It has been 30-plus years since my return from South Vietnam," said Regiland Gay, "and no one has said thank you!" Bad memories, good memories, things appreciated, things not, things you barely remember, things you'd give anything to forget - all are part of your life story. Some are whole chapters. Some short paragraphs. Some mere footnotes. One way to think of redemption is in terms of authentic human identity. God doesn't want to sell you "fire insurance," but to help you make sense of every step along the path we call life. So he celebrates triumphs, forgives failures, and gives hope for the future. He calls us into community for the sake of learning to treat one another as we would all like to be treated. And his kingdom is among us. You can't change the past. You can't un-ring a bell. You can't recapture lost time. But you can trust God to work everything to the good of those who love him.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.

Jury Duty

winther1@cox.net (Katha Winther) — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 02:00:00 -0500

When can a conviction lead to an acquittal?

I had jury duty this week and was very happy that I was "excused and thanked" after one day of service. The case, on which I almost served, sounded like it would have been a frustrating and boring experience for me. We had all been questioned for a particular criminal trial and I was relieved when the jury was sworn in. Then, they decided that they needed to pick four alternate jurors. When I was seated in the box, I was hastily dismissed by the defense attorney. Believe me, I didn't take it personally. I guess it was something that I said during my interviewing process. I certainly empathized with the attorneys in their effort to seek jurors who would perhaps be lenient toward their client. This experience reminded me of growing up with an attorney in the house - my father. Daddy, now age ninety-eight, finally retired from his law practice at age ninety-three, or thereabouts. He had been an attorney in private practice during the early part of his career. He was then appointed to the office of County Attorney of Grayson County, Texas. He was subsequently elected twice after that - serving for approximately twelve years. After his time in public office, my father returned to being a defense attorney. He has always joked that he was a "country lawyer," but don't let his modesty fool you. He has handled many cases in his long career - wills, estates, probates, taxes, divorces, and even a murder trial or two. He also used to joke about the first case that he ever handled - a divorce. He successfully got the divorce for his client, and right after that, they remarried each other again. My father served as an elder at church for thirty-nine years. It was remarkable that he not only handled that responsibility very well, but also his coinciding duties as County Attorney. My father had the reputation of being such a good attorney - defense or prosecution - that he could take either side of a case and still win. However, Daddy faced a difficult situation when he had to try a murder case. Without getting into a "hot button" issue, I'll just tell you what he did because of his own moral, Christian convictions. My father's job - as an elected official - was to convict the man accused of murder. However, because of his moral and religious feelings about this particular case, he didn't believe in the death penalty. What was he to do? My father did his duty as a paid official and won the case - convicting the man of murder. He felt badly about it, called a local minister who then studied the Bible with the prisoner. The prisoner was then baptized into Christ. My father helped facilitate a conversion out of a conviction! It was a long time ago, and I don't know whatever happened to the man after that. However, it's a true story of a man who was not only convicted of murder, but also of his sins - a lesson that I'll never forget for the rest of my life! I guess you could say that he had to face one jury that helped him avoid the ultimate jury.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24 NAS)

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!" So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:37-41)

About the author: Katha's small town upbringing in Sherman, Texas was slow paced, with loving parents, lots of down home cooking, and church attendance. Katha graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in English and continued graduate studies in English at Abilene Christian University. Katha was an editor at a publishing company and has done freelance for businesses as well as writing devotional articles for Power for Today. She and her husband have two grown children and a granddaughter. Katha enjoys reading, crocheting, yoga, and singing in groups and as a soloist.

Featured Articles from Heartlight

A Tradition Like No Other

Tuna Salad and the Rest of the Story

Deep Roots

Reclaiming Our Lost Identity

Jury Duty