Preston Gillham

I’m impressed. Somehow you have found PrestonGillham.com without me telling you it exists. How did you do that? I thought I was invisible to the spiders of the web. Ha.

Since you are here, I will let you in on my plan. The next few weeks are filled with uncertainty. There are travels, an assortment of nieces and nephews that must go swimming with their Uncle, and the amazing reality that there are places in this world still not “connected.” A few of my upcoming days will be spent somewhat technologically disconnected.

So here’s the plan: I will begin to blog in earnest and update the site with regular content in the first or second week of July. In the meantime, know that myriad thoughts are running through my head that I can’t wait to put before you for consideration. I am anxious to get started, but a solid start is preferred over a false start. Don’t tell anyone I’m here yet; wait a couple of weeks, then tell them.

More soon, and thanks for being here.

As you will soon discover, PrestonGillham.com is far from finished. In fact, I haven’t even figured it out. I’m being coached through this first post. As you poke around, you’ll see some “test” messages, empty categories, and “coming soon” signs. We’ll get there. It’s a start.

Backing up a step, I contacted my friend, Andy, for assistance with this development project. After two days of work to get started on this site I was exactly nowhere. I had not posted one letter of the alphabet, created a single category, or discovered how to install a template. I had worked furiously and brought all my technical expertise to bear on the problem. My confidence was shot—and I thought I was somewhat technically minded. Wow!

I asked him if he could get me started—like jumping a dead car battery was the image in my mind. He was very gracious and kind. Rather than telling me straight up, he spent a number of minutes guiding me to the clear understanding that I needed professional help. Lucky for you, and a blessing to me, Andy had some time to spare. So, we are off—like a turtle—but we’re rolling.

I’ll tell you right now, I’m going to mess some stuff up, so get ready. I think Andy is skilled enough to fix most anything I foul up, but that presumes I discover the mistake. That’s where you come in—and you thought this blog was for your reading pleasure. Ha. You are an active and responsible party if you are reading. If you see something that needs fixing, or that could be done better, or know of some trick that would help you and others, by all means let me know. I’m viewing this as a group project.

I won’t repeat the content I placed earlier under “About,” except for one thing: I know there are a couple of blog posts already posted; they are worth reading, but they are tests from the archive. This is my first, official post. My pledge going forward is that I will tell you what’s on my mind and in my heart. I’m on the journey of a lifetime. PrestonGillham.com is an invitation for you to join me. I will do my level best to take you with me. I’ll tell you what I see and experience. I’d like the same from you if you feel the freedom to offer it.

As important as all the preceding words are, it is now time for dinner. We are meeting W, Karla, and Carson for Mexican food in Arlington and I’m not ready. So, I must go. Meet you back here—provided I can find it again. May have to call Andy.

Before I sign off, if you have things you would like for me to include in my thoughts or on the site, let me know in the “Comments.” I’ll do my best.

Off now to forage for food.

Here is a great audio clip.

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These are confusing days. The politics of an election year. The price of oil. Human rights issues. The economy. Globalization. Which direction should you look for guidance?

You presume my counsel is that you should look to God…but not so fast. There is merit in considering your options, especially when there is a great deal at stake. Looking to God may seem right, but it may not be sensible.

Personally, I’m in a pinch. I’m fighting battles on multiple fronts: professional, physical, economic, family…now that I start listing them, I’m surrounded. I suspect your report from the battle front is similar.

But I have some options. My history, training, resume, and abilities confirm that I have resources at my disposal. I have the force of my personality to be persuasive and engaging. I have reasonable intelligence. I have learned that I can think my way out of most any situation. Like a cat, I always land on my feet.

Perhaps most compelling is that I can determine a course of action toward resolution and relief today. Even a cursory assessment of my options declares the plans I should adopt. Right away.

I can do this….

And in so doing declare with William Ernest Henley that “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
The troubling thing about personal resources is that they can be independently engaged instead of first being empowered by God. Stress is a powerful motivator to act quickly; to determine the expedient route; to do what seems rational and escape the heat of the battle. Sensibility, expedience, and rationality are not necessarily indicators of God’s will.
All of the personal options I listed earlier are God-given abilities, but please note: God is not mentioned in my listing of personal resources. Therein is the problem and my point.

The prophet Isaiah lived in tumultuous times. We know from history and his book that the political, economic, spiritual, and physical climate of his day was unstable, even dangerous. The nation of Israel was in a pinch. The people were assessing their options and Isaiah was providing perspective.

God had brought Israel out of Egyptian captivity and escorted them to the Promised Land. But Israel had a propensity to look backward’toward the resource of Egypt’rather than forward with faith in God.

Before them lay uncertainty, difficulty, and disconcerting problems. Behind them lay the riches and refuge of Egypt. Looking forward they gazed through the fog of faith with only the promise of God’s pledged faithfulness. Behind them they saw a certain path to perceived security. God’s promise was open-ended. Egypt afforded a quick resolution to their overwhelming stress.

Isaiah writes to his countrymen, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, / And rely on horses, / And trust in chariots because they are many / And in horsemen because they are very strong, / But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD” (31:1)!

The rational, expedient decision for Israel was to take matters into their own hands, call upon their resources’their network’and return to Egypt. To leave the Promised Land was the only sensible thing to do. Their demise was imminent. An ally of Egypt’s clout seemed reasonable. The only problem was, to return to Egypt meant turning away from God.

Friend, God is not rational, expedient, or sensible. If He were, you could figure Him out. He is illusive because He is faithful, loving, honest, and eternal. You can’t understand God with intellect and analysis. You know God by faith, belief, and determined trust.

Always look to God. He may choose to utilize your options, but He may choose to work through another venue. Let it be His call’by faith’versus your insistence that He endorse your plan. He is a safe bet, regardless of the circumstantial evidence to the contrary.

Bless you,