Author Archives: David Porter

About David Porter

When he was in college, David Porter wanted to be a journalist. Today he is a preacher. In Coffee Stains, the preacher and journalist meet to bless everyone who likes a funny East Texas story with a spiritual kicker at the end!

Hair!

Posted on by
Reply

I come from a generation that appreciates hair. My dad’s generation and my children’s generation don’t seem to have much use for it.

The sixties generation sported long locks, afros and ponytails (guys), and long, flower-child hair for the girls. Beards, mustaches, whatever—we just loved hair.

My sons and son-in-law, though, seemed slightly averse to hair on top of their heads so they cut it really short and grew goatees. And they couldn’t seem to fathom why my generation likes hair on top of our head.

When we were younger, we used to talk about the “generation gap.” I guess this is part of it. When I was a teenager my dad told me to get a hair cut. Now that I’m older my kids tell me to get a hair cut. Voilà, the generation gap.
At this point, it’s not that I’m that crazy about long hair; I’m just glad to still have some. But, I don’t know, it’s just that going to the barber shop is like a low-calorie version of a visit to the dentist. My theory is that you seldom come out of a barber shop looking better than when you went in—unless you were really ugly when you entered.

Once the kids and grandkids were all home for Christmas and I badly needed a haircut. Badly. My wife refused to cut it because she said I had waited too long and so my daughter got elected. That would have been all right but the sons and daughters-in-law also gathered around to give advice:

“Needs to be a bit shorter … needs to be a bit shorter … needs to be a bit shorter, etc.”

Afterwards they should have called me “Slick” Porter because I could have combed my hair with a washcloth. Actually, I kind of liked it because it was so easy to take care of, but I let it grow back because I figured my friends in France would tease me about it.

Maybe that’s why my generation didn’t like haircuts: your friends always had a good laugh at the state of your head after a visit to the barber.

Hair Generations

Have you ever wonder why one generation thinks one way about something and the next generation feels completely different?

According to one dictionary a “generation” is: “A group of generally contemporaneous individuals regarded as having common cultural or social characteristics and attitudes…”

According to this definition “generation” doesn’t have as much to do with age as it does with ideas held in common. Jesus called one bunch a “generation of vipers.” He also spoke of an “adulterous and sinful generation” (Mark 8:38). Psalms 95:10 talks about the rebellious generation that refused to enter the land that God had promised His people. The Lord was sick of them.

I don’t know how old you have to be to be in one of those generations, but I think I’ll pass, thank you. Here’s the generation I want to be a part of:

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Pet. 2:9, NKJV)

And I sure want to be a part of this generation:

“He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah.’’ (Ps. 24:5, 6) This is the generation that’s hungry for God; they want to know Him more and more intimately. You’ll find this generation studying His Word, praying, getting together constantly with others who love Him.

But that’s not all. This generation has discovered that you learn to know the Lord more intimately by serving and obeying Him. So you’ll find them helping shut-ins, working with handicapped children, talking to others about Jesus, and reaching out to the down-and-outers.

They’re teaching kids about the Lord, reaching out to confused teenagers (and unconfused ones, too). They’re showing the guys at work how Jesus really is, simply by living like the Lord.

They know Him in experience because they’ve sought Him and believed His Word. They know Him in service because their faith is expressed in the way they live.

And in this generation you’ll find old grey-headed dudes who need a haircut as well as slick-headed young dudes (and dudettes, who have plenty of hair). You’re not a part of this generation because you were born a certain year.

It’s because you’re born again.

Plans!

Posted on by
Reply

When you move from one place to another you unearth surprising things. During our recent move to Hautvillers, France (near Reims) I came across a box of old things.

No, it wasn’t dinosaur bones but … hmmm .. ah, hum… “C’mon, David, out with it!”

Okay, okay, just be patient. It was some old love letters that I had written to Phyllis just before our marriage. Wow! I was embarrassed by that 21-year old lover boy. No wonder I got the girl!

My wife probably wonders where that romantic fellow went. Me, too!

But for a little while those letters lifted me back to another time, 37 years ago and I felt some of the hopes and dreams I had back then.

Suddenly, a question occurred to me that I had never thought about. If that 21-year old David could have looked into the future and have seen the 58-year old version of himself would he have been disappointed or elated?

I suspect he would have been a tad disappointed because that guy was going to accomplish some incredibly great things. He had big ideas, high hopes, and a confidence that great things were ahead.

In college that year we had read a book called War and Peace (I read most of it anyway). I identified strongly with a character in the book who dreamed constantly of accomplishing great things—Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, if memory serves me correctly. I actually stayed awake most of the time in that class because I was interested in this character and others.

Life doesn’t always lead us in the directions we thought, and following God’s will sometimes challenges us to choose ways that don’t seem too glorious.

The call to be a pastor came and I gave him the journalism career I had planned. Later I gave Him my dream to build a big church in Texas in order to pioneer churches in Luxembourg.

Luxembourg is a bit off the map and if you do something great there, even your mother doesn’t know it unless you tell her.

The Lord didn’t lead me into spotlight places and the older I get the more comfortable I am with that. My observation is there is a price to pay for those places and I’m not always sure it’s worth it.

And honestly, I imagine I missed great things at times because my faith wasn’t big enough or I wasn’t disciplined enough to seize the opportunity.

But all in all, I’m not disappointed with the 58-year old version of the product. I’m sure lots of people are jealous of my above-average-in-every way grandkids. God has allowed us to touch lives and I’m passionate about what I do for Him.
The temptation now is to quit dreaming, quit plotting, quit working to accomplish the fullness of what He has called me to do and just be happy with the way things are. If that happens, it won’t just be the 21-year old version of me who would be disappointed.

But you know what? I knew that young man very well and if you want my opinion of him—well, there were a lot of areas where that guy disappointed me!

Though he was a good letter writer …

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11, The Message)

He’s the Boss

Posted on by
Reply

My wife claims that I remember the strangest things from my childhood. She’s right. I remember old jokes from when I was little much better than algebra formulas from college.

For instance, a television commercial from 50-years ago sometimes trots around my empty head. Way back when, lots of people out in the country chewed tobacco—not just dipped mind you—but chewed.

There was a commercial on television for one of these chewing tobaccos called, “Bull of the Woods.” There was this great big bull and several heifers (female cows for you city folks) around him, and the cows sang: “Bull of the Woods, chewing tobacco, rich and tasty chewing cream.” Then the old bull would bellow, “Maaaawww!” and the heifers would all say in unison, “He’s the boss!”

I really liked that commercial when I was six-years old. Now it would drive a member of the National Organization of Women into seizures.

I guess the idea was that if you chewed this tobacco, it would make you virile and masculine like that old bull, and all the heifers would line up to sing your praises.

Most memories I have of tobacco chewers, though, were old men who needed to pull up their droopy pants, with little streams of tobacco juice leaking down their stubbly chins.

Not exactly Tom Cruise stuff.

(A friend told me his grandfather chewed tobacco and he spit about twice a day. One day they were riding down the road and the time finally arrived to spit. His grandfather unloaded out the window—except the window was rolled up! It was quite a site, it seems).

The Boss

Like our bull, we all like to be the boss don’t we? But if you want to be the big Boss I’ve got bad news for you. That place is taken.

It belongs to Jesus.

“After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God, far higher than any angel in rank and rule. Did God ever say to an angel, “You’re my Son; today I celebrate you” or “I’m his Father, he’s my Son”? When he presents his honored Son to the world, he says, “All angels must worship him.” (Heb. 1:3-6, The Message). And this, “But he says to the Son, You’re God, and on the throne for good; your rule makes everything right.” (Heb. 1:8, The Message)

The devil wanted that place so bad that he launched a rebellion in heaven, but it was smashed and he and all his followers were kicked out.
Jesus had the place but He stooped down to become a servant, die for our sins, and be raised again. His Father gave Him the Name that’s above every other name and He ascended back to that place (Phillipians 2:6-11).

We can have the same problem that the devil has. Our lives get all out of whack when we try to take that place in the center of ourselves that belongs only to Jesus.

We need to consider our lives. Do we want to be admired, or do we admire and serve the One, the only One, who deserves that admiration—Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God!

He’s the Boss!

___________________________

Hmmm…

One very important ingredient of success is a good, wide-awake, persistent, tireless enemy.

~Author Unknown~ (Mountain Wings Devotional)

Poor Old Me!

Posted on by
Reply

Poor Old Me !

The weather is cold and nasty,
The rain—just look at it fall!
The sky is gray and leaden.
Sad winter has engulfed us all.

Poor old me!

People are dour and difficult.
Stress—like a giant traffic jam.
Work, work, work, but then after …
Bored—that’s what I am!

Poor old me!

I ought to be rich and famous,
Like I thought I would back then.
But hidden away in the closet,
I don’t have much chance to be seen.

Poor old me!

Eternal joy is my future,
Blessings galore right now.
Good family, home and true friends,
And still I moo like a cow.
(Hey, it rhymes, doesn’t it?)

Poor old me!

Among all men I’m blessed,
There’s nothing that’s missing I need.
Health, joy, and sense of purpose,
A God whose voice I heed.

Poor … hmmm.

Peace in my soul and the wonder,
Of seeing lives battered that change.
The greatest things here and forever,
My Jesus for me has arranged.

Blessed old me!

______________________________

Hmmm…

“Joy is not supplemental. Joy is essential to the journey.” Erwin McManess

When It’s Good To Stink

Posted on by
Reply

In our cleanliness-crazed culture, not many people have the courage to say it, but I will. Sometimes, it’s an advantage to stink!

Think about this. Here’s a basketball player before the big game. He showers, puts on deodorant and aftershave, making sure to change his socks. He wants to smell good in case he crashes into the chairs near the cheerleaders while chasing a loose ball.

Now there’s three-seconds left in the game and the ball is in our hero’s hands, but he can’t get loose for a good shot because his defender is stuck to him like glue. Should never have happened.

If our good man had refused to take baths for three weeks, if he had worn his socks steadily for 321 hours, if he had used one of those nasty deodorants which turn traitor and goes over to the enemy the first time that sweat touches it–if he had done all these things here is what would have happened.

Three seconds left in the game, the ball is in our hero’s hands, his defender desperately want to guard him, but he had a belly-full of bad smell the whole game and he stands off just a bit. Old dead eye takes advantage of the little space and pops up for an easy jump shot—voilà victory.

Admittedly he doesn’t get a lot of hugs from the cheerleaders after the game but this is about winning. Sometimes stinking is good.

Moving, too

I thought about this last week in the middle of moving. On my list of 100 things I hate to do, moving must be in the top five. After several hours you’re exhausted, grouchy, fed-up and wondering where you’re going to put everything. And in addition, you stink!

It just seems to me, that your muscles are stronger at times like that if you stink. It helps you keep going. And even if it doesn’t really make you stronger, it fits the occasion better. Who can move when he radiates the odor of a flower?

Course there are times when smelling good is an advantage. Young man, if you want to make an good impression, a bath and a little aftershave does wonders. Notice, I said “a little” aftershave. It’s not good when she can smell your aftershave before you even arrive. That’s simply stinking in an unorthodox way.

And another place you don’t want to stink is in your personality. Stinky personalities aren’t the best advertisements for the Lord. I remember a girl I knew back in high school, years ago. One day I was trying to remember why she wasn’t more popular, because she was pretty.

Then I remembered why. She could cut your head off and hand it to you on a platter with her tongue. Makes people keep their distance, that.

Super perfume

Let me give you a tip on some “aftershave” that will make you really smell good (or perfume in the case of you ladies).

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies. (from 1 Corinthiens 13, the Message)

How does your wife think you smell? Or your kids? Or those who work for you? Or your pastor? Or … ?
It’s true that sometimes it pays to stink—if your goal is to win basketball games or move furniture. But if you want to win in your Christian life it’s better to let Christ sprinkle his good smell in you.
“Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life.” (2 Cor. 2:15, the Message)
_________________________________
Hmmm…
“…calling is more important than qualification…David wasn’t qualified to fight Goliath. Moses wasn’t qualified to lead the Israelites. And Peter certainly wasn’t qualified to walk on water. It is our incompetence that keeps us humble and keeps us dependent upon God. But that awareness of our own incompetence needs to be coupled with the awareness that our competence comes from God.” Mark Batterson