Category Archives: Jesus

Addiction, beauty, Church, Faith, Family, grace, inspiration, Jesus

Heart of Community

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In church I was probably the least prepared person there, and most likely, the one who needed to be there the most.  The preacher started talking about togetherness, belonging, unity, community.

Somehow, someway, sometimes something will hit you right between the eyes and just smack across the brow.  Today it smacked me.  Community.

I looked around.  A few rows over sat a young couple who are privately grieving a miscarriage and wondering when, if ever, will they have a child.  They hurt. Only those who’ve been there know how hard it is to say goodbye before you say hello.  Community.

Continue reading Heart of Community →

beauty, Faith, Family, grace, Hope, inspiration, Jesus

Dear Emmitt

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Dear Emmitt,

Stillborn — that’s what the doctor said, but to your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family, you very much lived!  Thank you so much for entering our lives, even if ever so briefly. It is sweet, yet bitter, to miss and love you so much at the same time. Goodbye seems impossible before hello.

Your mother knows you better than anyone. She loved…no, she loves you dearly, Emmitt! You made her really sick those first few months. She was miserable in the mornings, and certain smells, like baking brownies, made her really nauseous. By the third trimester though, she was talking about how much you moved and how hard you kicked. We knew you were there because sometimes your mommy would let us put a hand on her tummy and feel you move. You would roll and stretch big, then give a hard kick just for good measure! I think you got all that energy from your daddy.

Continue reading Dear Emmitt →

beauty, Church, Faith, Family, Hope, Jesus

It’ll Be Alright

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Problems knock on everyone’s door. If not today, tomorrow. Troubles come. Troubles go. Some work out. Some don’t. Some people crater in the storm, some thrive, others just survive. Eventually the valleys, tunnels, the dark roads all reach an end, and in the end, there’s relief.

Still, it may seem impossible to get through. The mountains look too high. The valleys are too dark and deep. The water is over your head and you’re quickly losing strength. Energy fades. Determination wanes. Encouragement leaves. Continue reading It’ll Be Alright →

Faith, Family, inspiration, Jesus

The In-Between Seconds

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In the brevity of a moment there are seconds, when noticed, that mysteriously blink.  Those blinks are where the essence of life is lived.  It is in the mystique of those brief seconds when everything can, and does, change.  Although those seconds may be understood, they are never adequately explained.

It’s the seconds between a baby in the womb, and the first breath of life.  It’s the seconds between a mindless, carefree drive in the car, and an explosion of the air bag. Continue reading The In-Between Seconds →

Church, Faith, Family, inspiration, Jesus

Just Say, Amen

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Only the singers knew the song. It was alright. With some music and songs, you don’t have to know the words because the heart already knows.

After a few words, a gentle hush fell on the church congregation. The song began to resonate in hearts:

“But right here in this moment, May our strength be renewed, As we recall, what God has done, and how He’s seen us through.”  Continue reading Just Say, Amen →

baseball, Church, Faith, Family, fathers, grace, Jesus

Hot Dog Eyes

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The Houston Astros won their first World Series game last night.  First ever! That kicked up a memory.  I grew up an hour south of Houston and attended countless Astros games back in the day.

I took my two oldest sons, Blake and Jared, to an Astros game in the old Astrodome when they were five and four, respectively. Halfway through the game, I decided to walk the entire circle of the Dome and show them the field from different vantage points.  We meandered through the large crowds and stopped in various places to look at the field and stadium from where we were right then.

We came to a particularly busy spot and I experienced a parent’s worst nightmare. Somehow, I lost Blake.   Continue reading Hot Dog Eyes →

Church, Faith, Family, Jesus, Work

What Will He Do?

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His gloved hands grasped the reins of his horse. He gave Domino a gentle nudge with the heel of his boots. He knew what to do and began the long trek home with a gentle plod. There was still more fence to mend. He’d gone out on a limb and put his entire net worth into these acres and cows.

There was so much more work to do, but no more time, not today. The sun was going down. With each plod toward home, his mental checklist for tomorrow grew bigger, with more jobs, more tasks to do. Continue reading What Will He Do? →

Church, Faith, grace, Israel, Jesus

Live Long, and Prosper

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This summer we went to Israel. During one of the days in Jerusalem, our guide took our group to some steps that were walled up at the top.  He asked us to sit down and rest a minute, and since it was hot and we’d been walking a while, there were no objections.

He began explaining that we were sitting on steps built by Solomon, from the Old Testament, that led up to the outer wall of the original temple.  Some of the steps had been replaced over time, but the original steps were easy to identify because the stone was smooth hewn.

We looked where we sat and it was on an original step built by Solomon!  OK, it doesn’t matter who you are, that’s just cool! Really cool! Continue reading Live Long, and Prosper →

beauty, Family, grace, inspiration, Jesus

Dancing in the Dark

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At the Rec Center of the local university, a guy wearing sun glasses was making odd, random movements while music played over the loud speakers.  He was near the swimming area and sand volleyball pits, and the closer I got, the more I wondered if he was drunk.  At best, I figured he had some sort of muscle coordination problem, plus he had what looked like a goofy grin on his face.

Every step closer though it became clear I was wrong, way wrong.  He was blind. Continue reading Dancing in the Dark →

beauty, Church, Faith, Family, inspiration, Jesus

The Sun’s Hope

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The green grass fades while the blue sky darkens to shades of gray.  A magnificent array of red, orange and yellow spatter the clouds with peace, contentment, hope.  A single bird flies across the sky, as if it were homeless this evening, searching, seeking, wanting a place to safely land and call its own. Yet the bird flies on with something, something unknown to man, on its mind.

The wind turns to a soft breeze as the cool, gentle breath of nature begins to blow through heaven’s air conditioner vents.

The front porch rockers face the west and glide back and forth as the sun shoots off its version of fireworks in the clouds, as if to say goodbye, and goodnight, until tomorrow’s morning light. Continue reading The Sun’s Hope →