Topher Wiles

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

Good morning, this is Topher from

Washington Church of Christ bringing you a positive message minute.

In just a little over 5 weeks, 3% of the

United States will get the opportunity to see a truly rare event in our

lifetime, a total solar eclipse.  From

what I understand from friends in Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Illinois,

this is going to be a crazy time. 

Schools are closing.  Governments

are shutting down for the day.  Police

are ramping up to handle the amount of traffic influx  they expect for this momentous occasion.  Hotels are already booked solid, campgrounds

are maxed out, and  pieces of farmland

are going for $125 a night just for someone to pitch a tent. 

Map Credit: http://www.eclipse2017.org

People are really excited to experience

this short moment in time where we can feel the temperatures drop during those

few minutes where most of the sun's light is blocked, all but the edges.  Aren't you glad it doesn't last forever?  If the darkness blotted out the light

forever, the results on earth would me the end of life as we know it. 

In John 1:5, we are told,

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome

it."  I take comfort in

knowing that the darkness in this world, you know, the tough times, the evil

moments, the trials of life, are only temporary.  I'm so glad that all the those times are

really like a solar eclipse, they really only last a relatively short period of

time because the light continues to shine, and the darkness will not overcome

it.

If you're struggling with dark times in

life, try hard to look for God's light shining around the edges and remember

that it is only temporary, for the darkness cannot overcome the light.   You'll be glad you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

Good morning, this

is Topher from Washington Church of Christ, bringing you a positive Message

Minute. 

Dorothy returned

from her whirlwind journey to appreciate the simple pleasures of home.  Yes, her life may have been black and

white.  Yes, her life may have lacked a

little adventure.  Yes, all she had were

simple family that loved her and a dog that followed her around. 

Yet, she couldn't

return to that humble abode in Kansas until she finally understood and said,

There's no place like home." 

Ashley and I have

spent the last couple weeks traveling, camping, and guest speaking in various

locations.  While all the family time was

nice, and the camping weather was wonderful, we finally had to admit the words

that echo that feeling when you walk in the front door after  along time away, "Ahhh, there's no place

like home."

I believe we'll

receive that same relieved and relaxed feeling when we finally travel from this

life to the next.  When Jesus finally

meets us with that key at the front door of our mansion in heaven, I think

we'll simply say, "There's no place like home." 

Today, why not spend

a little time thanking God for the blessings of home.  You'll be glad you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

Good morning, this

is Topher, from Washington Church of Christ, bringing you a positive Message

Minute.

photocred: psychologytoday.com

Kids know things

about Love that we forget as adults.  We

tend to think of Love as an emotion, but kids know that it is an action, a

decision.  One kid said, "Love is

when mommy makes coffee for daddy and takes a sip before giving it to him, to

make sure the taste is ok."  Another

said, "When my Grandma got arthritis and couldn't bend over, my grandpa

started painting her toenails for her, even when his hands got arthritis

too.  That's love."

Kids know that love

is an action and a decision.  That is

exactly what the Bible says about it too. 

That famous 1 Corinthians 13 passage says, “Love is patient, love

is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices

with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always

perseveres. Love never fails.” (excerpt from 1 Cor 13:4-8)

You didn't hear much talk of love as an emotion or a

feeling in that reading did you?  Maybe

kids know that love isn’t something you just feel, it’s something you do. 

Decide to Love someone today by loving action, with

loving behavior, by lovingly DOing something that they deserve as God’s

beautiful creation.  DON'T JUST FEEL LOVE, DO LOVE.  You'll be glad you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

Good morning, this

is Topher, from Washington Church of Christ, bringing you a positive Message

Minute.

Jesus said, “Love

your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39)  Deuteronomy expounds on the second half of the ten

commandments in chapter 24 and

informs us that love goes out toward more than just neighbors at our physical

address.  Loving

your neighbor as yourself in just this one chapter includes: honoring your wife, being merciful to the family,

showing grace to a debtor, giving justice to your countryman, treating fairly

the poor, being accountable for only your own mistakes, blessing the visitor to

your land, taking care of the orphans, and providing for the widows.  And that's just one chapter of the Bible

folks. 

photocred: ashtachemicals.com

I recently saw how

another acted neighborly in caring for patrons in the local Viking Mart

Marathon Gas Station in Montgomery.   As

I dismounted my bicycle after a 45 minute ride a middle aged woman hustled out

the door yelling to all the patrons soon to pump gas, "Wait!  Wait!  Don't pump! 

The price is going down in just a few minutes!  Wait!"  So passionate in her desire to help the

present patrons, this gas station attendant looked like she warning people of an impending apocalypse

in her efforts to save them a dollar. 

She truly cared for people and put forth effort to love as a

neighbor. 

Today, decide to put

forth effort to love someone that has become your neighbor in life.  You'll be glad you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

photo credit: Dexter's Laboratory

Good morning, this

is Topher from Washington Church of Christ, bring you a positive Message Minute

written especially for families. 

is your own personal laboratory, where moms and dads get to experiment on their

children to see what hinders and what helps in bringing about the best and most

well balanced adults by the time they finally fly from the nest. 

Last week, we

noticed a little bit of ingratitude creeping into our kids, you know, that kind

that just grates on your nerves because of the thanklessness, complaining, and

whining that it brings.   This week,

we're experimenting with what we read in our history books about the pioneer

days of America.  Our children only have

one toy for the entire week, they only have two changes of clothes, we don't

turn on the lights and night, and our food is much simpler, more repetitive,

and a bit more bland. 

You know what we

learned in this experiment?  We learned

that even dad can be more grateful for the daily blessings of life when he gets

tired of eating beans every day. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In

everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ

Jesus."

This experiment has

been good for the kids and myself as well. 

blessings you've been given.  You'll be glad

you did. 

***Extra:  We've also seen the kids show more imaginative and cooperative play, more help around the house, and the willpower to eat some of the food they don't like, because they know there is no snack and no dessert to follow.  We've treated it as education, not as punishment, and the results have been great!  Oh, and my wife has been enjoying other projects rather than spending so much time in the kitchen and cleaning up toys.  We may need to make this an annual experimental event!***

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

(P.S. Thanks for your patience as I took a little break from Message Minutes.  With multiple funerals in church and in family, combined with travel and preaching gospel meetings, I was burning the candle at both ends and needed to sleep past 5:30am for a while till our schedule calmed down.  We had to make room for our first priorities.  Thanks for understanding.)

Good morning, this

is Topher, from Washington Church of Christ, bringing you another positive

Message Minute.

photo credit: Huffington Post

Let's smile for a

moment and ask, "What is going to bring about the end of the world,

Armageddon, the apocalypse?"  Some

might say the Mayan calendar running out. 

Others thought it would be Y2k. 

Some hedged their bets on 4 blood moons. 

As for me, I think the act that will bring about ultimate chaos will

be...wait for it… disobedient children. 

No, really!

 

"There will be

terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of

themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents...." (2 Timothy3:1-2)

The end times will be characterized by disobedient

children.  And if you've ever sheltered a

rebellious child, you know that it either seems like the end of the world to

you, or you want to END their world!

Joking aside, I think there is more to the 5th command

of the 10 commandments.  Paul said this

about it in Ephesians 6:2-3.

"Honor your

father and mother - which is the first commandment with a promise -

that it may go well with you that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Obedient children seem to be part of the recipe for a

stable society, avoiding the apocalypse, and for enjoying long lives.  Today, focus on honoring your parents, so

that it may go well with you.  You'll be

glad you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

Good morning, this

is Topher from Washington Church of Christ, bringing you a positive message

minute. 

credit: www.ign.com

amount of super hero movies, books, shows, and action figures that are being

produced today.  Just walk through the

toy isle of Walmart to see any amazing amount these heroes.  They are created to represent so many power

of greatness:  running fast,

invisibility, super strength, telekinesis, and we're just scratching the

surface.

many amazing super heroes today because people feel a great amount of fear and

desire to be saved.

There are attributes

in the Bible that are developed, disciplined, and inspired inside of human

beings by God's Spirit that bring about a lot of relief in our life from the

fears that surround us.  Oh, and when we

share them with others, we become heroes to them.  Paul calls them "fruit of the Spirit" and lists

them as, "love, joy,

peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and

self-control."  (Galatians 5:22-23)

Then there is a true

hero that history records coming in this world to save us, the one and only

Jesus the Christ.  Who else would

sacrifice so much?  Today, be a hero by

modeling Jesus and the fruit of the Spirit, the real super powers, that God

grants.  You'll be glad you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

Good morning, this

is Topher from Washington Church of Christ, bringing you a positive message

minute. 

credit: pinterest user - Bill Agee

I was surprised to

see Peyton Manning trending in my twitter feed this morning.  Being from Tennessee, relocating to Indiana,

I was able to enjoy Peyton as a QB for the Tennessee Vols and Indianapolis

Colts, and I genuinely enjoy Peyton's

personality.  In a news article by

the Indy Star yesterday (catch it here), Manning shared this wisdom with some

Hoosier student-athletes.

"If you ever think the

little things don’t matter, and you can brush those aside, I promise you in

whatever you’re doing, your game’s going to slip.”

Just like a good QB

needs to continue working on the regular disciplines of the snap, huddle

communication, and footwork, we too should focus

on the fundamental daily disciplines in life.  The Bible says, Rejoice always (1 Thess 5:16), Pray continually (1Thess 5:17), be thankful in everything (1 Thess 5:18), read the Bible daily

(Acts 17:11), and honor everyone (1 Peter 2:17).  These are some of the daily discipline

fundamentals that often get lost in hectic schedules, and if they do, your game

of life is going to slip. 

So today, pick one

of these basic life fundamentals to focus on, study, and practice.  Decide

to smile everywhere you go. 

Decide to pray morning, noon,

and night.  Decide to really meditate on the good Word of God.  Decide to treat

others better than you want to be treated.  Trust me, focus on the fundamentals.  You'll be glad you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

Good morning, this

is Topher from Washington Church of Christ, bringing you a positive message

minute!

You know, America

really is the land of opportunity because every single person has the

opportunity to become a tax-payer!  In

case you haven't heard, TODAY IS TAX DAY, the one day of the year that makes

more liars out of people than golf! 

credit: az quotes

With all the joking

aside, can I just share with you some thoughts that help me through taxes?  As I did the dirty deed of dropping a check

in the mail, I tried to remember the following.

free education.

drinking water.

in.

to drive on.

because a relatively safe place to live compared to much of the rest of the

world.

I know that tax day

can hurt, especially if you drop a check in the mail like me.  Trust me though, it'll soften the blow if you

try to remember the wisdom in 1 Thessalonians, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's

will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess 5:18)

So today, if it is a

day you dread, try to give thanks for the benefits you have received because of

it.  You'll be glad you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute 

Click "Play" to hear a Message Minute.

Download the Podcast here: Google Music, iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, mp3

Good morning, this

is Topher from Washington Church of Christ bringing you a positive message

minute. 

credit: elizabethhagan.com

I know what you’re

thinking.  Good morning, yeah right!  I know you don't want to go to work

today.  I know you don't want your normal

routine back.  I know you don't want to

do your chores.  I know you are loathing

school at this moment. 

past weekend was good.  You had great

weather to spend outside.  You enjoyed a

lot of good time with family all around you. 

Odds are, you spent some extra blessed time honoring the Risen Savior

this weekend.  Now you feel like it all

has to end because BAM, just like that, life has come back!

experiencing is "Easter Hangover."  It

comes from not having much of family, friends, faith, and fair skies in your

regular schedule, then getting tons of it all in one weekend.  It can be rather intoxicating.

There's good news

though.  Daily life doesn't have to be

deficient of these wonderful things.  You

just have to devote a little extra time in your daily schedule to enjoy these blessings

of life.  So start this morning by

reading or listening to a bit of the Good Word. 

Write a quick short letter or text message telling your family how glad

you were to see them.  Be determined to

encourage whatever friend you see next today. 

Go outside on your lunch break for five minutes.  Make sure to thank God during the day and

before going bed.  Get yourself in a good

daily routine filled with God's blessings so you don't suffer from a Monday

morning Easter Hangover.  You'll be glad

you did. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
To subscribe to a Message Minute podcast feed on iTunes or other podcast player, copy the following URL into your subscription list.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/topherwiles/MessageMinute