Sep 25
Jeremy LangleyUncategorized
It’s game day!
For most folks around these parts, there is only one ballgame happening today. No. 10 Arkansas plays host to No. 1 Alabama in Fayetteville. I’ll probably listen to most of it, but I’ll be busy getting ready for the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders’ home opener against Valdosta State. The Muleriders look to pick up their first win of the season. Lucky for us, Valdosta hasn’t won a Gulf South Conference game yet this year. Maybe they’re vulnerable. I hope so.
I’m not going to get my hopes up too much about the game in Fayetteville. While I am 100 percent behind the Hogs, I’m also a realist. Not many Arkies join me in that category. I would rather be a realist and then go crazy when they pull off the upset. That’s not how almost everyone else does it. They get these inflated egos and then talk trash when Arkansas gets it handed to them by a superior team.
Arkansas is good this year. Are they National Champion material? I don’t know. Do they have what it takes to beat ‘Bama? Yes. Will they pull it off? Maybe. I actually voted for Alabama to win in an online poll. Again, I’m a realist.
So, if you’re one of the hundred thousand or so people who made the pilgrimage to the extreme northwest corner of our great state today, please do me a favor, when the Hogs lose, don’t come crying to me.
With that said, GO HOGS!!!
Sep 06
Jeremy LangleyUncategorized
Today is Founder’s Day at Ouachita Baptist University. I’m proud to be associated with OBU, and I’m proud to call myself an alumnus of such a great University. My “Ouachita Experience” is something that is beyond anything I could ever convey on blog, but this is an attempt.
Going to college at OBU was always somewhat of a dream that I never really expected to come true – mainly because there was a $20,000 a year price tag attached! While in high school, I attended summer leadership camps for the Arkansas Association of Student Councils at Henderson. We stayed in Newberry Hall which is on the Ouachita side of the street. I remember walking back to Newberry one night during the summer before my senior year in high school and seeing the Ouachita entrance sign. Something told me I would get to realize my dream, but I was still doubtful.
One of my high school teachers (Mrs. Jones) was determined that I would go to Ouachita. She had attended U of A, but she had close ties to OBU. Another of my teachers had a son in dental school who had graduated a few years earlier from OBU. They kind of ganged up on me. I remember walking into Mrs. Jones’ classroom the day that my scholarships came through allowing me to attend OBU. She was too busy to talk to me, so I left a note on her desk. She looked down and read it as I walked out of the classroom. She cried. She had won!
God knew I needed to be at Ouachita. There were so many personal battles that I went through while at Ouachita (not in any way related to the University), and God knew that there were people at OBU that he would put in my life to meet the needs associated with those battles. To this day, most of those people have no idea how much they helped me.
What’s best about my Ouachita experience is that even though I’ve been gone for more than two years, the experience hasn’t ended. I don’t expect that it will any time soon. I feel blessed that some of my former professors and Ouachita staff members that I met while a student can be counted as friends.
I work at a university now. While having a conversation with co-workers recently, I described the atmosphere at Ouachita and how much community I felt there. One of them said that they wished we had that here and pondered how to create it. I told them it’s not something you create. It’s something that comes from the people. Ouachita’s best asset is her people.
I could write all day about Ouachita. I could start naming names, but I’m afraid that I’ll leave someone out.
Happy Birthday, Ouachita! Here’s to many more!
Aug 15
Jeremy LangleyUncategorized
“I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned unclean. Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be. Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful is my savior’s love for me!”
I love those lyrics. They have been especially true for me lately. I realize that two week ago today I promised an update on how the preaching of my “first sermon” went. I’m glad I didn’t promise a time frame! Well, by all accounts, it went well. I “rehearsed” it in front of the mirror before going to church that night, and I thought my rehearsal was better than the actual delivery.
I was nervous. There was a large crowd. A large group of my family was there, and I had friends travel in. I was surprised to see some – like my friend Grant Merrill who traveled from Russellville – and I was glad they all made it. All in all, I was just glad to get that first time out of the way. I know that as God continues to mold and shape me, I will get used to preaching in front of crowds.
God continues to amaze and surprise me. He moves at a faster pace than what I would have ever attempted on my own. But that goes to the heart of the issue, I’m not alone. He is beside me each step of the way. Right now, He has placed before me what could be my first opportunity to serve on a church staff. Yeah, it’s been three weeks since I surrendered to preach, and He is already giving me this possibility. We are probably a month out from knowing anything at all about whether or not this opportunity will come to fruition. Rest assured, it is only part-time and will allow me to continue my work at SAU for now. As I have already informed by bosses, God has called me to full-time ministry, so at some point in the future, I will be leaving SAU. I don’t know when that time will be. It could be one year from now or 10. Only God knows.
I’ll keep you posted . . .
Aug 01
Jeremy LangleyCurrent Events
This last week was a whirlwind. Not only have I been trying to comprehend the new chapter that has developed in my life, but I also spent a lot of time trying to catch up from vacation! Every time I take a week off, I regret it when I get back to work. The “to-do” list grows 10 times as fast when I’m gone as when I’m in the office.
I’m down to less than four hours before the evening worship service starts at First Baptist Magnolia. This is a very special service. I will deliver my “ceremonial” first sermon. God has given me a simple but strong message, and I hope I am able to deliver it in a way that glorifies Him. There have been a lot of people tell me that they plan to be there tonight hear me, but I hope that when all is said and done, they have heard God. It’s His message, I’m just the instrument for delivery.
I will let you know how it goes.
Until then . . .
Jul 26
Jeremy LangleyCurrent Events
Since my “big announcement” yesterday, the No. 1 question I’ve been asked is “What’s next?”. To be completely honest, 99 percent of what is to come remains unknown to me. I’m okay with that. Two weeks ago it would have driven me completely insane because I have always been the type of person who maps out his life’s goals and wants to know exactly when and where this “road map” will take me. Part of my surrender was to agree to let God be 100 percent in control of where I go from here and what I do.
There are some things that I know. For instance, I know that this coming Sunday night, August 1, at 6 p.m. I will deliver my “first sermon” at the First Baptist Church of Magnolia. I am very excited, but if I told you that I’m not nervous, you could brand me as the biggest liar in the world! I am extremely nervous about it, but I keep telling myself that it will all be okay. God is in control.
Another thing I know is that I plan to pursue a seminary degree. After talking with my pastor and our youth pastor, this seems to be the best option for someone setting out on this journey. I feel like God is leading me to the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, Texas. I plan to start the application process immediately (why wait?), and I hope to begin classes in January. Which degree I’ll pursue is still up in the air.
All of this doesn’t mean that I’ll be making a speedy departure from Magnolia or my current job at Southern Arkansas University. The BMATS has programs for correspondence work and intensive seminar classes where you go to the Jacksonville campus for one week per course and complete the coursework at home. This looks like my best option. I still have to eat and pay the bills while I’m working on what will be my third degree, right?
Departure from my current career will come some day. I don’t know when, but I do know that God has called me to full-time ministry of some fashion.
I hope you enjoy this ride as much as I will. Speaking of rides, I guess I’d better get to moving. I have a previously planned appointment near the central part of our great state today. I’m ready to go back to work tomorrow. More than one week off on “vacation” has been nice, but I need to get back to a routine!
Until next time . . .
Jul 25
Jeremy LangleyCurrent Events Church Camp, First Baptist Church, God, Preaching, Surrendering
My future looks nothing like I had imagined it would. Over the last few weeks, I have been making plans for what I will do when I finish my master’s degree in December. Law school was one thought. A doctorate was another. I even applied for a job as a Special Agent with the FBI and was scheduled to begin Phase I testing soon (effective today, I have withdrawn that application).
God had different plans for my life, and I’ve been running from those plans for quite a while now. This morning, I publicly surrendered my life to preach the gospel. You can’t believe the overwhelming peace and joy that I’m feeling. I still don’t know what the future has in store, but I have complete peace that God is in control and that He will lead me each step of the way.
Here’s the way it went down: I spent this last week as the bus driver and a sponsor for our group at Daniel Springs Baptist Camp in Gary, Texas. We had an amazing week. Late in the week, the camp evangelist used an illustration of Peter jumping out of the boat to be with Jesus (John 21). He said that some of us needed to “jump out of the boat” and follow the path that God would have for our lives. It hit me hard. Really hard. I knew God was using the evangelist to talk to me.
I spent a lot of time in prayer from that point until we got home. When Saturday rolled around, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer, so I spent about an hour in the living room of Dustin Wisely, our youth pastor. After I finished talking to Dustin, I knew there was only one option for me – total surrender to the will of God.
This morning during Sunday School time, I spent time talking with Bro. David Watkins, our pastor, and when the invitation was given at the close of the service, I made it official. It felt great!
I was also excited that Zach Phillips, a young man who had also served as a church camp sponsor from our church, surrendered this morning as well! God is good!
I don’t know all of the details of the future, but I do know that I won’t be quitting my job any time soon. At the encouragement of Bro. David and Dustin, I will be looking into a seminary degree. There are options that will allow me to remain in Magnolia for the time being and take the classes through a combination of intensive one-week studies and online work. I will also be preaching my first sermon soon. I’ll keep you updated on that.
God is in control! I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.
Stay tuned . . .
Jun 19
Jeremy LangleyUncategorized quote, Thomas Jefferson
“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms…disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes…Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” – Thomas Jefferson
Jun 17
Jeremy LangleyCurrent Events BP, Congress, Oil Spill
I was a bit under the weather today, so I spent some of my time watching the Congressional testimony of BP CEO Tony Hayward. Before it began, the thought of BP’s leader being buried by Congressmen excited me, but after I watched about 5 minutes of this grandstanding, I was disgusted by the people we have elected to Congress. They made me ashamed. They embarrassed me.
Here’s what got me first: Many of the Congressmen wouldn’t even give the guy a chance to answer their questions. They would ask, and when he got two words into his response, they would interrupt with a follow-up question accusing him of refusing to answer. It was absolutely clear that these politicians were being just that. They were playing politics with a very serious topic. They weren’t concerned about how the groups could work together to come to a reasonable conclusion. They were interested in seeing how much of a show they could put on for the folks back home. Even my own representative, Congressman Mike Ross (D-Presskit), failed in my opinion. (Yes, I know it’s actually Prescott, but don’t get me started about the land of the Squirrelly Wolves… I mean Curley Wolves.) I would have liked to seen things done a little differently.
The Congressmen wanted to blame Hayward, as if he were personally responsible for the disaster. He kept trying to get it through their thick skulls that as CEO is he not a part of every decision that is made within the company. That makes perfect sense. Here is an analogy: Do you think Bobby Petrino, head football coach at the University of Arkansas, calls UA System President Alan Sugg to clear a play before it is called? No, he doesn’t. No chief executive is involved in EVERY decision.
The members of the committee kept asking Hayward if he had fired anyone yet. Hayward continually told them that someone may end up getting fired, but to date, the investigation is ongoing. They don’t want to jump to any conclusions. What ever happened to due process? Apparently, the members of Congress do not believe in basic human rights.
Congress should be taking some of the heat, too. Who passed the law that said permits must be granted within 30 days? Congress. This law removes the ability to conduct environmental impact studies. They should examine themselves before they start blaming others.
So, cut Tony Hayward some slack. He seems to be trying to do the right thing.
Mar 12
Jeremy LangleyUncategorized Carnival Fascination, Jeremy Langley, Lauren Talley, Talley Trio, The Bahamas, The Greenes, The Hoppers
Words cannot even begin to describe the time I had last week aboard the Carnival Fascination and in the Bahamas. I met some of the most amazing people that I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I guess I’ll just start a list:
1. The Talley Trio
Jeremy Langley with Roger, Deborah, and Lauren Talley
Roger, Deborah, and Lauren Talley are amazing people. I’ve admired the work of this extremely talented family for years. (I know. I’m only 24, but I’ve followed Southern Gospel music since before I even knew Reba McEntire existed. That’s pretty major since I’m pretty sure I came out of the womb screaming “I love Reba!”) Until this cruise, I had never had the opportunity to interact with the Talleys. I was not disappointed. Not only did they put on the best performances of the week, but they were more than willing to interact with the “fans” off the stage. We ran into Roger several times around the ship, and he always smiled and spoke. I don’t think we ever ran into Deborah and Lauren on the ship outside of the Abraham Production events, but they were probably shopping or sometime. That’s what most of the women on board seemed to be doing a lot.
Lauren Talley and Jeremy Langley
During the time when we could purchase the artists’ product, I asked Lauren if I could have my picture made with her. She was more than happy to oblige. I had to get Roger to take the picture. After the last concert, I decided that I wanted to have a picture with the entire Talley Trip, but Roger was MIA. Deborah suggested that we form our own little trio, so I had my photo taken with Deborah and Lauren. Then Roger showed up and suggested we form a quartet, so I finally got my picture with the best Southern Gospel group out there. It will definitely go in my office.
Lauren has a new book and CD coming out in the next few days. I’ve heard the title track of the CD. The CD and book are both called “Songs in the Night.” If the rest of the songs are half as good as the title track, we’re in for an amazing treat. I plan to order one just as soon as they are available. Maybe I can get her to autograph it for me…haha. Check out her Web site for more information.
2. The Greenes
Jeremy Langley with Tim and TaRanda Greene
Tim and TaRanda Greene are two amazing people. We first ran in to Tim at the elevators on embarkation day. He stopped and talked to us like he had known us forever. Each time we saw him after that was the same. I had to have my picture made with them, and when I looked at it I laughed. It looks like it could be a cell phone ad. “More bars in more places.”
If you don’t know much about Tim and TaRanda, you should get to know them. They have an amazing ministry, but their personal story will make even the toughest man cry. Shortly after they were married (about 9 years ago, I think), Tim was diagnosed with a terminal illness that would lead to the complete failure of his kidneys. He ended up on dialysis for 8 years, unable to find a donor kidney. Finally, TaRanda decided to go through the testing process, and they found out that Tim and TaRanda were a closer match for the kidney donation than twins. She saved his life. To hear Tim tell that story was a blessing.
3. The Hoppers
Jeremy Langley with Claude and Connie Hopper
I didn’t get the chance to meet all of the Hoppers, but I got to meet my favorite two – Claude and Connie. I have never met a sweeter lady in my life than Connie Hopper. She just radiates, and her joy is contagious. Claude is just flat out hilarious. There is no way you can be in a bad mood with Claude Hopper in the room. He says he gets his jokes from his brother, but he does a pretty good job of delivering them.
Claude got in the habit of coming by our table each evening at dinner. He would tell us to just put it all on his tab (of course, dinner is already paid as part of the cruise package). He kept us entertained. I loaned him one of my extra spoons one night to stir a little bit of sweetner into his tea. I hope I get the chance to visit with these two more in the future.
4. Our dinner table
The people who sat with us at dinner were from all over the country. They shared our love for Southern Gospel music and our love for Christ. We had some of the best conversations getting to know one another. Although I was by far the youngest person at the table, they made me feel right at home. I hope they cruise with us again in the future.
5. Random people
Everywhere we turned, we met new people from all over the world. I had a long talk with the manager of the Orlando Ferrari dealer one day. We met a couple who was celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I am determined that they are Alabama’s finest. They work athletic events for the University of Alabama. Roll Tide! Who knows when and where these connections may help me in the future?
If you ever get the chance to take a Southern Gospel music cruise. Do it. It will give you a whole new appreciation for the music and its fans. We’re planning to go back in November.
Feb 01
Jeremy LangleyUncategorized
Ellie May
Okay, don’t take that headline too seriously. My child is a 12-week-old Australian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix that I adopted from the Columbia County Animal Protection Society. She is my pride and joy, and I named her “Ellie May.” I have a hang-up on naming my dogs after female characters from 1980-era television shows. My last dog was named “Daisy” after Daisy Duke of the “Dukes of Hazzard.”
Ellie May is a very active and loving dog. She is going to be HUGE when she grows up, and I’m sure she’ll grow faster than I want her to. I expect that she’ll be 100 pounds or more when all is said and done.
I had thought about buying a pure breed dog. I really wanted a chocolate Lab, but I couldn’t find one. I looked at some German Shepherd puppies, but I just didn’t want to spend that kind of money. So I went to CCAPS to see what they had. (Daisy was a CCAPS dog.) When I saw Ellie May and her litter mates, it was love at first sight! I brought her home before I even had any furniture moved in the new house. I’m sure she will grow to love her large fenced-in backyard. As long as she stays out of the pool, we’ll be okay.
Ellie May will be an outside dog when she gets a little bigger. Besides, it’s too cold for her out there right now. For now, she is sleeping in a crate at night. She hardly even complains. I have bought her enough toys to entertain an army of dogs!
I’ll keep you updated on her as she grows up, and I’m sure I’ll be taking lots of photos. I’m sorry for the quality of this picture. I took it with my cell phone. I’ll see about getting a better picture of her later.
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