I live in a small community in Oklahoma. My kids have fewer than 500 students in their high school, grades 9-12. There are several other districts nearby that are approximately the same size. I grew up in this community. There are many, many people who have lived here their entire lives. My life has deep, […]
“Mom,” my 13 year old began, “can I go to Mississippi with Miles?” Of course, the normal questions began to spill from my mouth. When? How much? What are you going to do? How are you getting there? Who is going? As with any normal teenage boy, he knew very few of the answers. He […]
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was […]
In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites….However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over […]
Divorce hurts. Divorce hurts everyone involved. I have spent the last two years talking about the pain I have experienced, about how I have come through the pain to find the joy of Christ. I have shared how God has redeemed my life, brought me back from the death of divorce and given me an […]
It’s funny how different kids with the same parents, raised in the same environment can be. My oldest, Blake, was a very timid child. He was scared to take risks. In his defense, we discovered when he was three that his vision was very poor. He saw two of everything until we put him in […]
Have you ever done something humiliating out of complete innocence? Embarrassed yourself because of your own naiveté? Kept that mistake buried for years? When the secret came out, you had to live with the humiliation for the rest of your life? I’ve made two such mistakes. The two biggest mistakes of my life (well, maybe […]
Parenting is hard. It is definitely a two-person job that requires tremendous cooperation, meticulous planning, and endless flexibility. When you become a single parent, you are solely responsible for every aspect of those precious children in your care. You are responsible for their physical well-being, their emotional stability, their spiritual growth. And, you are solely […]
I have spent a lot of time recently contemplating how God changes his mind. Have you ever thought about that? If you are like me, your first thought is, “But scripture is clear that God is not a man that he should change his mind” (1 Samuel 23:19)! And yet, I find myself absolutely convinced […]
As I reflect on my life, I am blessed to even be alive. I was born May 23 (we will skip the year). The doctor said that my due date was May 6, but my mom swears to this day that her due date was April 6. She began having labor pains on March 26, […]
