Articles by Steve Higginbotham at Heartlight

Even in Mayberry

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Yesterday morning I was reading headline news from across the nation and one headline in particular grabbed my attention. It read:

Man Charged With Killing 4 In Mayberry Model Town.

On Sunday, November 1, 2009, four men were murdered in the small town of Mt. Airy, North Carolina. For those of you who are not fans of the "Andy Griffith Show," you may not know that Mt. Airy is the hometown of Andy Griffith and served as the model and the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry on "The Andy Griffith Show."

Police have not released the reasons for the murder, but they did say that they did not believe the killings to be random. Mt. Airy is a small town and has a population of around 8,700. This violent act has turned this little community on its head.

Isn't it ironic that even in "Mayberry" we see the influence and power of the world. A town that is supposed to be the model of "small town America" is not immune from the influences of the world. Have you ever just contemplated how fallen the world is? Have you ever sat and watched the evening news and felt terrible after doing so? Have you ever wondered how people can do the "unthinkable" things they do? The evening news feeds us a steady diet of immoral and unconscionable acts perpetrated on fellow human beings. After a while, such "bad news" can have a negative impact on our emotional and spiritual well-being.

But here's my advice: Don't allow the events of this fallen world to bring you down. Rather, let this fallen world cause you to lift your eyes in expectation and hope for a better world that is yet to come! Remember that God never promised us that we would have Heaven on Earth, "but according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13 NASB).

Through the years, many have wistfully wanted "Mayberry" to be their hometown. For the child of God, they have claim to a hometown that far surpasses that of "Mayberry"!

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21).

Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the South Green Street congregation in Glasgow, Kentucky. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.

Website: MERCeMAIL

There's More to Come

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In the year 1815, Napoleon gathered his French forces at Waterloo to battle against the Duke of Wellington. Of course, history informs us that Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, but how did the people living in 1815 learn of the news?

To carry the news of the Battle of Waterloo to England, an English ship signaled to a man on shore, who then relayed the word to a man on another hill, and so on across England. The first word that was signaled was "Wellington." The next word that was signaled was "defeated." Then a fog rolled in, and the message stopped.

As you can image, all across England people wept and were disheartened by the two word message, "Wellington defeated." But when the fog lifted, the message continued with two additional words, "the enemy." Hope arose out of despair!

Now here's my point. What do you think the world and even the disciples of Jesus thought when they saw the events that transpired on the Friday of the crucifixion? But, Friday contained only a portion of the message. The rest of the message was shared on Sunday through an empty tomb. Hope arose out of despair!

[Jesus] said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands. He will be killed, and after three days he will rise." But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it (Mark 9:31-32 TNIV).

Website: MERCeMAIL

The Art of Saying, 'I am Sorry'

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Apologizing doesn't come easy for some of us. We sometimes choke on the words, "I'm sorry." Well, in fact, sometimes we speak the words, but we do so with such animosity, the message is lost.

I can illustrate. Being a parent of four children, I have had to "moderate" a good number of apologies. On many occasions, I have told one of my children, "Now you tell your brother/sister you're sorry." What then comes out of their mouth sounds more like a child who is demon possessed than a sincere apology. Teeth clenched ... jaw set ... and the words, "I'm sorry" are spoken in a forceful and almost growling tone. (If you have children, you know exactly what I'm talking about).

But now, that's just kid's stuff, right? Adults don't behave like that, now do we? Well, maybe we're not so obvious, but we still have ways of speaking those words with less than sincerity. For example, how many times have you heard people say things like ...

If I have done anything to offend you, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, but if you wouldn't have ...

If you'll apologize to me, I'll apologize to you.

Isn't it time we quit pretending to be sorry? Let us discipline ourselves to be humble enough to graciously and freely say we are sorry when we have offended others. When confronted with his sin, King David didn't make any excuses, but simply admitted his wrong by saying, "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:13).

Next time you need to say you're sorry. Humble yourself and do so, and say it like you mean it.

Website: MERCeMAIL

The Fred Factor

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

[You know] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him (Acts 10:38 TNIV).

Not too long ago, I read a book by Mark Sanborn entitled, "The Fred Factor." The book is about a mailman who took his job seriously, and consistently went above and beyond the call of duty in performing it. While the book is not a "religious" book, the spiritual and biblical applications are everywhere.

Consequently, I have been teaching a Wednesday night adult class on the biblical principles contained in the "Fred Factor," and I have been challenging people to go out and be a "Fred." It has been interesting to see how much excitement this class has generated. People have taken up the challenge of being a "Fred" (translated -- a disciple of Jesus) and going the second mile with people. I would heartily recommend the book to you. It is an easy read, being only 112 pages long.

Well, allow me to share a close encounter I had with being a "Fred" this past week. My son, Michael, and I went to the courthouse so that he could get his driving permit. As we stood in line, there was a 16 year-old girl in front of us who was bubbling over with excitement because she, too, had passed her driving permit. As she stood at the window, one of the clerks asked her if she had her birth certificate. She excitedly said, "Yes Ma'am! I sure do!" Then the clerk asked her if she had her Social Security card. Again, with exuberance, she said, "Yes Ma'am! I sure do!" Then the clerk said, "That will be $12.00." Suddenly, the girl's disposition changed. "$12.00? I don't think I have $12.00. I didn't know I had to pay anything." Well, she began digging through her wallet and could not come up with $12.00. Finally she asked, "Can I just run home real quick? I just live a few blocks away and I'll bring you the money."

Well, can you guess what I did at that point? If you're thinking I gave her the $12.00 that she needed, keeping her from running home, while also making a huge impact on her life by having an absolute stranger help her out, you would be wrong! Nope, I just stood there and watched her run out of the room and off toward home. Only after she was gone did I think, "What an opportunity to make a difference! And I missed it!" I could have kicked myself. Instead of being a "Fred," I was a "Claude." In fact, with a little reflection, I think I could probably write a book entitled, "The Claude Factor."

So I'll live and learn, and hopefully be more sensitive to the opportunities I have to make a difference in the lives of other people. Not because that's what "Fred" would do, but because that's what Jesus would do.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Galatians 6:10).

Check or order the book, The Fred Factor: http://www.heartlight.org/cbd/fredfactor.html

Website: MERCeMAIL

More than One Way to Hit a Homerun

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

You've probably already heard what happened recently when Central Washington and Western Oregon faced off against each other in a softball game -- for video and other links, see the links list at the bottom of this article. At stake was a bid to the NCAA's Division II playoffs.

Western Oregon's, Sara Tucholsky came to the plate with two runners on base. Tucholsky was a lifetime .153 hitter and had never hit a homerun. However, things were about to change. She connected on a pitch and hit a three run homer! Due to her excitement, she missed first base. So she stopped and turned to go back to the base. But when she made the sudden stop and turn, she collapsed to the ground, having torn her ACL.

That's when things got interesting. Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace, two players on the opposing team offered to carry her around the bases so that her homerun would not be counted as a single. So these two players gently picked up Tucholsky, and carried her around the bases, allowing her to tap each base along the way. After reaching home plate, these two girls handed Tucholsky off to her own teammates.

The players, the coaches, and the people in the stands were applauding and shedding tears because of this act of compassion. When asked later why she did it, Mallory Holtman said that it was senior day and that if it had happened to her, she would have wanted someone to come to her aid.

In other words, she was practicing the "Golden Rule" -- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12 paraphrased). Isn't it amazing how following the common principles of Jesus makes such an impact for good in our world? Open your eyes to the possibilities before you. You may not have the opportunity to carry someone around the bases; but if you look around at school or at your job, you will find things you can do that can have just as much impact on the lives of others.

Website: MERCeMAIL

Sometimes the Hard Choice Is the Right Choice

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Yesterday, several good friends and I were sitting in the office of a neurosurgeon. We listened to him as he explained why he left a thriving practice in a large metropolis to come to a much smaller hospital in our area of the country. He said it was all because of a letter he received.

You see, he had been so busy with his job, he told us that he literally had not seen his little girl in three weeks. Then one night when he came home from work, there was a letter by his bed from his 11 year-old daughter. It was a letter in which this little girl told her daddy that she missed him and wanted more of his time.

In the letter, this daughter acknowledged to her daddy that he had an important job, but she said, "Daddy, doing the 'right' thing is sometimes the 'hard' thing to do." It was at this point that this successful neurosurgeon decided he wanted to be a father first. So he left his practice and moved his family to South-Central Kentucky.

I couldn't help but be touched by this doctor's story. Before me was a man who knew that there are things in life that are more important than fame, ego, work, and money. It doesn't take a "brain surgeon" be able to identify proper values and priorities in life. Sometimes, little 11 year-old girls who miss their daddy can discern those things.

The question I have for you is have you discerned these same truths?

Give it some thought.

Website: MERCeMAIL

A Moron?

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The blog title read, "Moron turns in $140,000.00." What this title references is the news story that broke last month. Eli Estrada, a 40 year-old Palm Beach resident found a bag containing $140,000.00 in unmarked $20.00 bills.

Mr. Estrada certainly could have used the money. About six months ago, he opened a landscaping and artificial-grass business and is in debt; he says his child support payments are tough to make; and he supports his mother, who moved in with him last year after she lost her house to a fumbled refinancing plan. Yet, Mr. Estrada went straight to the police and turned in all $140,000.00.

Apparently a Brinks armored truck somehow lost the money. Brinks rewarded Mr. Estrada for his good deed by giving him $2,000.00.

So now, was Mr. Estrada a really a "moron"? Only if one views such values as honesty, integrity, and the "golden rule" as foolish. But what about the cheap reward that was offered? Some on this blog said that if they knew the reward for turning in the money would have been so small, they would have kept it. But do we have to be financially rewarded for doing the right thing? Are our values so degraded that we feel we deserve a "reward" for doing what we're supposed to do?

A moron? Hardly. Here's a man who has demonstrated that he had sufficient intelligence to know that some things are more valuable than money ... things like integrity, honesty, and doing the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Estrada, for your example. May your tribe increase!

Now then, truthfully, what would you do if you found money? Give it some thought.

But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me (Psalm 26:11 NASB).

Website: MERCeMAIL