The Buzzards Are Circling

FOREWORD by Debra White Smith

Stan Toler is undoubtedly one of the most gifted and brilliant people I know.

When he tells about wrecking his car in his own driveway, I figure not just anybody could do that. Such a feat definitely takes talent and plenty of brains, and I would know! I recently had a fender bender at my own curb. My housekeeper made the fatal mistake of parking her car in front of my house, too close to my driveway, at the exact angle where my “boat” van could mesh with her bumper. While the poor woman was inside blissfully cleaning my home, I smashed her bumper. I went inside and informed her of my brilliant undertaking. After about 15 minutes of head scratching and analyzing, the two of us figured out how to disconnect our vehicles. My housekeeper wound up having to file on my insurance to have her bumper fixed. Looks like Stan isn’t the only one who’s got the level of talent needed to have a wreck at two miles an hour!

I was just as blessed to read about Stan’s faux pas in preaching.

He claims that anytime he says, “Without a doubt” behind the pulpit, his two brothers understand that he knows nothing about what he is saying. Stan recounts the time he was preaching at the ripe old age of 17, when he said, “Without a doubt, the Ethiopian eunuch was a good provider for his wife and children.” Of course, I screamed with laughter for several minutes when I read that one. Part of my laughter was from outright hilarity, and part of it was from relief. I’m thrilled to know that other speakers have made as many goofy mistakes as I have while standing behind the micro- phone. Like the time I said, “If you’re looking for the Old Testament in Greek, you won’t find it.” Oh, duh!

While Stan details numerous hilarious stories to which many of us can relate, he also addresses the inevitable buzzards in everyone’s life. For instance, that unexpected phone call about a fatal wreck—not just a fender bender in the driveway; bankruptcy; the grim line of a doctor’s mouth when he says “inoperable”; getting fired; loss of faith in a compromising spiritual leader; divorce; a child who goes to prison—and deserves it.

No matter what form the buzzards take, the pain is universal. As I travel across the United States and speak, I repeatedly meet devout saints who have seen the buzzards circlin’—or perhaps they’ve tasted the ashes and are straining to find the beauty.

As Stan would so eloquently say, “Without a doubt” we all have adversities. Or perhaps he’d say, “I’m certain that life is full of uncertainties as well, but I could be wrong about that.” Yet one thing stands true. Jesus loves you. And He will strengthen you to with- stand the attacks of any buzzards that might try to devour your life.

God really isn’t finished with you, despite the circlin’ buzzards. He really will give you beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise for the spirit of heaviness. He really will glorify His name in your life. And Stan Toler will encourage you to stand and embrace life anew with the zest of one who has survived the storms, come through with a firmer faith in Jesus Christ, and pledge to break forth with joy. As Stan so beautifully underscores, no buzzards can prevail in the face of Christ’s victory; no ashes can remain in the wake of God’s joy. Divine victory is yours to embrace. Embrace it and find a power for living you have never known before.

—Debra White Smith, author

“[Stan Toler’s] writings do not come from a journalism classroom, but rather out of day- to-day experiences. His style is unique in that it does not take him long until he has you walking alongside him as he kicks the cans down a lonely West Virginia road, or cry[ing] with him and his brother outside the hospital in North Columbus, holding Linda’s hand with him as he prays for the love of his life, or cheering for a son at the stadium. He takes you with him in his everyday walk.

“You will not read Stan long until you know the real man. A man of sterling character, full of God, and filled with a love for everyone he meets. I have never read any of his books without being able to say, ‘I read Toler today for my daily faith lift.’”
—Dr. Alton Loveless, former president/CEO of Randall House Publications

“I have read all of the books by Stan Toler (and we wrote four together). But this is his best book ever, and funniest. You will love reading it because of all the humorous illustrations, but you will learn from reading it because of the many principles drawn from Bible references. Also, you will live better because of the multitude of practical observations, and finally you will become more holy because the book will draw you closer to God.

“Stan Toler has communicated Christian principles with humor, contemporary illustrations, and a writing style that reflects USA Today, i.e., it is crisp, contemporary, and compelling.”
—Elmer L. Towns, dean at the School of Religion, Liberty University

“The Buzzards Are Circling, but God’s Not Finished with Me Yet has enough humor to keep you entertained, enough stories and examples to keep you interested, enough Scripture to keep you grateful for God’s grace and goodness, and enough practical advice to make it a good investment of your time and money.”
—Zig Ziglar, author and motivational teacher, Dallas, Texas

“With his typical warmth, wit, and wisdom, Stan Toler has written a book that will help you through the difficult days of your life. The Buzzards Are Circling, but God’s Not Finished with Me Yet is a book for these times. You cannot read it without being reminded of God’s constant love and care in the midst of a crisis.”
—Norman G. Wilson, former general director of communications, The Wesleyan Church