As I write, I am sitting next to my wife as she sits in a recliner in the Joe Arrington Cancer Center Infusion Lab. We are about an three and a half hours into her second chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer. It will last four another 2 hours. When we leave she will be carrying a bag containing about 100 ml of a drug called 5FU (yes, that is the abbreviated name). It sometimes has bad side effects, none of which she experienced in the first round (Thank you, Lord). After this treatment we should have a good idea as to whether this drug regimen is working. If not, then a different set of drugs will be used going forward.

One thing we have learned in the last month is to “Trust the process.” (a phrase stolen (borrowed?) from Texas Tech Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Chris Beard). We have learned that the old cliche for drug addicts, alcoholics, and those undergoing long-term treatments for disease: “Take things one day at at time,” must be modified to be “one moment at at time.”

Since the first treatment, her energy levels were up and down for about a week, feeling very good one moment, not so much the next. We are very thankful that she has felt very good for the past 5 days and has been able to put in a few good days of work. She is caught up with everything she can do for the construction company for whom she is an accountant. Her energy levels are not at their normal high, but she has not been exhausted like she was at certain junctures during the first week.

We still trust that she is being held lovingly and close by our heavenly Father. The peace we feel may defy what would be in the minds of most, but regardless of what might take place down the road, we are confident that it is all part of the “process” that might at times make sense only in the mind and wisdom of THE LORD. His ways are so far above ours, so we yield it all to Him to use it all for His purposes and His glory.

I have been listening to the Mike and the Mechanics channel on Pandora while tickling the keyboard of my laptop. Mister MIster’s “Kyrie” just “happened” to come on. The phrase, “Kyrie eleison,” is a Greek phrase that is translated, “Lord, have mercy.” “Kyrie eleison on the road that I must travel, Kyrie eleison in the darkness of the night.” It is “ironic,” if not providential that this song played a few moments after I started writing. We have felt THE LORD’s mercy throughout this process. We have constant messages reminding us that we are being prayed for and that we are cherished and loved. The vastness of this network of family, friends, acquaintances, and people we do not know and probably will never meet is overwhelming. I have been saved by all the meals that have been provided for use in the last month. I am not a cook, have never been a cook, and never want to be a cook. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have and will contribute to our meal train.

We have a friend who has walked our path. His father died of a brain tumor when he was still in high school. We “providentially” met him when we rented a condominium next door to his mother when I started teaching at the University of Akron. He has been a great source of encouragement in our “process.” He proclaimed his amazement at how many people are on the Facebook page started by our daughter-in-law to inform everyone about my wife’s progress in treatment. One of my coaches for the diet program I am on (I have lost 35 pounds) stated that it was obvious that there are a lot of people who care deeply for and about us.

It just dawned on me as I write and listen that the mercy of the Lord (Kyrie eleison) has followed us, is with us, and will continue to go before us long after we have traversed the turbulent path we are on. Believer and unbeliever alike are seeing the mercy of THE LORD in action in the lives of two of his unworthy servants who in spite of and because of their own failings have cast their trust on THE LORD for salvation and providential care. All we can say at this juncture is, “THE LORD is always faithful to His promises.” “The steadfast love of THE LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. ‘THE LORD is my portion,’ says my soul. Therefore, I will hope in Him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

Previously I have shared the story of how my wife’s primary care physician discovered a growth on her pancreas after very abnormal blood work and how everything lined up to get doctor appointments, hospital surgery slots, and overwhelming family and community support. However, to steal a politician’s phrase, the devil operates on the adage “never let a crisis go the waste.” It did not take long for us to get a glimpse of circumstances that would try our souls, but our attitude has been and will be, “Never waste your pain.” Our prayer is that we learn what needs to be learned through this and that The Lord will be glorified in the process.

Our gastroenterologist performed a biopsy that revealed the tumor was adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (the most common type). The tumor was setting on 2 blood vessels close to the pancreas and was partially blocking the bile duct coming from the liver. We had caught it earlier than most tumors on the pancreas and the doctor explained that the prognosis for full recovery, although not guaranteed, was excellent. This came as a source of comfort because he himself, had lost his mother to cancer a few years back.

That information created a logical explanation of the discomfort she had been feeling. He immediately referred us to a surgeon in Dallas who specializes in surgery involving the pancreas. The surgeon informed us that he did not want to surgically remove the tumor until it had been shrunk by chemotherapy treatments. He explained that there would be 4 treatments, each 2 weeks apart. After completion of this regimen, we would go to Dallas for a full PET scan to determine if the tumor had responded to treatment and if there were any other areas of concern.

To expedite the chemotherapy, they scheduled a surgery to implant a chemo port in her chest just below the left clavicle. That surgery went very well, however, her bilirubin liver counts had begun to climb (she was starting to turn a bit yellow in her eyes and her skin tone). It was decided that the next day a stent would be placed in the liver bile duct to ensure that it was draining properly.

We had been warned that sometimes this seemingly simple procedure could have complications. In certain circumstances because of the placement of the tumor, the route for inserting the stent with a wire through the digestive system can be blocked and another surgical technique involving entry through the liver was necessary. This was the case in her situation. She had to wait several more hours without eating or drinking for the alternate procedure to be performed. Once the wire was placed she had to wait overnight to that the stent itself could be put in.

So after having the chemo port placed on Tuesday, two procedures on Wednesday to get the guide wire in place, she had a drain tube coming out of her abdomen to get rid of the bile buildup in her liver. It was late Thursday afternoon before the stent itself could be placed. By then she had gone almost three days without much to eat or drink and had been put under anesthesia four times. She was in a great deal of pain and discomfort, so she spent an additional night in the hospital. She when we finally got to go home, we had spent 4 and a half days in doctor’s offices and/or hospitals. Thankfully she had a restful and relatively pain-free weekend as we awaited the first chemotherapy treatment the next Monday.

The first treatment started about 9:30 on Monday morning. The day started in the lab followed by a visit with the oncologist. She had 4 different things run through her port and in addition some pain meds as well as anti-nausea and anti-diarrhea meds. She did very well and had a restful night, but was totally exhausted on Tuesday.

She felt much better on Wednesday, better than that on Thursday, and better than that after a visit with the oncologist and some additional fluids on Friday. She was able to put in a half-day of work from each of those days. We both had been working at home so that was not a big adjustment.

Saturday, she felt quite fatigued and has felt very tired every day since. She still has been able to get a bit of work done, and trying to get her to stop when it was obvious she was overdoing it has been like trying to stem the tide. It is so strange to see a woman who has always run circles around me to be without much energy. She has taken it easy on Sunday and today. We go for another treatment in a week and anticipate that the dreaded nausea, diarrhea, and hair loss will begin. She already has 2 wigs and has been promised a few more. That should be an adventure in itself.

We are striving to keep our chins up, our faith strong and our sense of humor intact. By God’s power we will continue this fight with dignity and grace as we move toward the surgery later this summer that will eradicate this dread disease from her body. We ask for and appreciate all of your prayers. God bless everyone.

The Blessing of Grandchildren

It was early on a Saturday evening in early July of 2018 that  we received a phone call from our youngest son.  He informed us that his sweet wife had been in labor for childbirth for a few hours and that we should start preparing to leave for the DFW Metroplex where the child was to be born.  We left about 9:30 pm and arrived at the hospital about 3:00 am.  We had been informed just prior to our arrival that they may be sent home because our daughter-in-law was dilated only 3 cm.  For the uninitiated full dilation is 10 cm.  We left the hospital to go to the home of friends of our son who graciously opened their home to us.  We got settled and after an hour of very restless sleep, our son texted us around 5:00 am saying they were on the way back to the hospital.  Her water had broken and they were in a rush to get back to the hospital.  Maevyn Mari Ella arrived at 6:35 to surprised parents, grandparents and friends.  Everyone thought by the sonogram pictures that the child was a boy.  They did not want to know until the birth, a rare occurrence in this day and age.  I must confess I felt a tinge of disappointment at the announcement of a girl.  However all of that went away when I took my granddaughter into my arms and looked on her sweet, sweet face.  What a blessing to have another healthy grandchild (number 4) and to see the joy in the faces of our son and daughter-in-law.  This is grandchild number 1 for our son’s in-laws.  It was a joy to see their excitement in welcoming a new member to their family.

That was nearly two years ago, and now we anticipate the arrival of Maevyn’s little sister (they decided they wanted to know gender as soon as possible this time).  Maevyn is quite the charmer.  They FaceTime with us several times a week.  It just fills me up when my wife answers her phone and immediately she is calling for Pops to appear on the phone.  I am beyond blessed to have 4 grandchildren who are always eager and happy to see us and to have sons and daughters-in-law who grant us ready access to them.  I have known so many where there is a breakdown in that system, sometimes justified, but many times not.

We have friends who have been denied access to their grandchildren due to petty issues and insecurities of one generation and/or the other.  It breaks my heart to see these things because so many are robbed of the blessing of a relationship with grandchildren because of jealous, insecure children or in-laws.  Worse yet are those who rob themselves because they are too absorbed in their own lives and issues to spend time with their grandchildren.

Speaking only for myself and my wife, our lives have been inalterably changed and enriched by becoming grandparents.  We are able to pour ourselves into them as an enrichment to what their parents provide for them.  The strength of families is found in the support of multiple generations who love, share, help, and support one another.  Grandchildren can play an immensely important role in creating that strength.

The Truth the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth

For the past two years at our church we used Wednesdays in a unique way  It began with a series on “God Rewrites Your Story.”  These sessions did not disappoint as 3 described how God gave them the power to overcome addictions to gambling, pornography, alcohol, or drugs.  There were two themes consistent to their narratives.  First, in order to overcome such things it is essential to take personal responsibility.  Second, they all said that the beginning of healing was finding the courage to confess their struggles to someone else.

A common theme among recovered (recovering) addicts is the tendency to blame other things, life circumstances, bad breaks, or God for their difficulties and their dependencies.  One of the story tellers confessed to blaming God and asking, “Why did you make me this way?”  Coming face to face with personal weakness and taking personal responsibility for personal outcomes was the key to starting recovery for all of them.

The second component was the recruitment of a support group who gave encouragement, support, and much needed acceptance and forgiveness.  This community provided understanding and acceptance of the individual while they worked through the addiction, but did not excuse the behavior, but rather held them accountable for their actions.

After the initial summer series in 2018, there have been periodic sessions where brothers and sisters have shared their stories of pain, betrayal, failure, and tragedy.  Many of these had no ultimate sin to confess, but shared how God with the grace of his people helped them through unbelievable hardships and trials.  In all cases, the struggle to overcome would have been lost without the loving support of a grace-driven community of believers who passed on the grace they also have received in their lives.

These encouraging stories remind us of what God does for us when we go to him in the middle of our struggles with sin and the hard circumstances of life.  It is God who provides the human listening ears to do his bidding and to remind offenders that they are loved, accepted, and forgiven.  God goes before us and follows after (Psalms 139:5), preparing our way and cleaning up after us, picking up the pieces of our broken lives and putting us back forever.  This is “Telling the Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth!”

So, to fellow believers, I encourage you to tell your story, warts and all as a means of personal healing and a message of hope and redemption to those who hear it.  If you are not a believer, I ask you to consider the powerful changes made in the lives of those who have sincerely turned their lives over to God for healing, guidance, and direction.  Please look at our professions of faith, not at our failures and weaknesses which are plentiful and obvious.

We proclaim God and a righteous way of living, not because we are doing things perfectly.  That weakness is exactly why we believe, trust, and rely on God for our very existence.  The hypocrisy among us is the plight of all humanity because none of us live up to the standards we profess and we need God to deal with it all.

No matter where you are in your personal state, I beg you to simply do one thing.  Honestly consider Jesus, not his followers, not those who try to explain him away, but simply Jesus.

Before my wife and I got married we agreed that we would seek to do whatever God wanted us to do and go wherever he led us.  In the intervening 41 years, we have lived in 16 different homes in 10 different cities in 4 different states, above and below the Mason-Dixon Line and east and west of the Mississippi.  It has led me to 4 different avenues of work and her to practice her chosen profession of accounting in 7 different industries.  With each move and each change, we would just look at each other and gird ourselves for whatever the new change would bring.

I will never forget the evening back in 2007 when she asked me, “Are you ready for another adventure?”  She proceeded to tell me about her “argument” with God about her job and how she had placed way too much trust in it and the financial security it brought (even though it had taken a large personal toll on her).  She quit her job, I resigned from my teaching/coaching job to take a head coaching job.  That whole episode is a discussion all its own.  (I will most likely discuss that in a later post.)

Through all of the moves, changes in vocation, and change of geographic region, God has always gone before us and led us to a community of believers who became like family, giving us love, encouragement, and support through all of our ups and downs.  We were thrilled when our latest move brought us full circle to Lubbock, TX, the city where we first met in the mid-70s and where we got married and where, after a return to Texas after 2 years together in Alabama (Roll Tide!), we started our family.

Sometimes the moves we have made have been prompted by our own perceptions of what God wanted us to do, that is, by our own choices.  Other times circumstance forced us to make changes, and while we had choices in how we responded, the change in circumstances forced us to make a move we would not have made otherwise.  Each of these changes were adventures of faith that help to increase our sense of God’s presence and purpose in our lives.

This past week, we were launched on another adventure.  It definitely was not of our choosing and is unlike any other we have faced.  I have had two hearts attacks and quadruple bypass surgery after the second one.  Those were acute situations that did bring about some needed changes in lifestyle.  However, this one may have ramifications far beyond the immediate moment.

In February of 2020 my wife felt some discomfort in her back and abdomen that was relatively minor but still noticeable enough to take to the doctor.  Blood work showed no issues and after stopping consumption of apple cider vinegar pills, the symptoms went away.  However, in mid April, the symptoms returned and she had a noticeable decline in her energy levels.  Everyone who knows her says that she is one of the most energetic people they have ever known.  Something was definitely amiss.

It just happened that because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, her annual physical was pushed back to the end of April.  As a result her blood work revealed some abnormalities that had not been picked up by blood work done in February and March.  With liver counts being 8-9 times higher than normal her primary care physician sent her immediately across the hall to the lab where a CT Scan revealed a 2 cm growth on her pancreas that was partially blocking the duct which empties fluid from the pancreas and liver into the intestine.

The chain of events that have followed are clear evidence to us about how God goes before us to clear our path.  Her PCP sent her to an oncologist at the Joe Arrington Cancer Center at Covenant hospital in Lubbock.  It just so happens that a good friend who is a pharmacist and who had lost her own mother to pancreatic cancer has a step-sister who works in the oncologist’s office.  One phone call and we had an appointment with him the next day.  During our visit we were very comfortable and impressed with him.

He informed us that the first step was to send us to a gastroenterologist who would through a special procedure (one of which only a handful of doctors in Lubbock can perform) get a biopsy of the growth and place a stent in the duct if needed.  We asked him who he had in mind because we had our own GI doctor with whom we had complete comfort and confidence.  His reputation is sterling.  He asked who it was and when we told him, his face lit up and he informed us that he was one of the doctors who does the procedure and that they had worked together closely with a large number of such cases.

He immediately sent a text to our doctor and within an hour he had the blood work that was taken that afternoon and set up an appointment for us on Monday.  Our GI doctor told us that he had scheduled the procedure for the next day.  This is almost unheard of because although our regularly scheduled endoscopies and colonoscopies are done at his office, the proposed procedure required equipment that was only at the hospital.  The daughter of a very good friend is one of the nurses in that unit.  We have been overwhelmed my how this has moved so quickly.

I am writing this the night before the procedure.  We have set up a private FaceBook account that is only for friends and family to keep everyone informed about what is taking place.  We have been more thoroughly blown away and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers that are still flowing in.  Within five minutes of moment my daughter-in-law launched the page, our phones started blowing up with wishes for well-being, expressions of concern, and promises of prayer.  Many posted scriptures which reminded us of God’s promises for care, comfort, and protection.

So, as this new “adventure” unfolds we are assured of being in God’s hands.   We are confident that regardless of the test results, God will continue to go before us and walk with us in this Valley of the Shadow of Death.

The Swamp Resists Being Drained

I am amazed at all the rhetoric that flows, sometimes like syrup, sometimes like venom, from the lips of highly partisan politicians trying to score points with their constituent bases, especially as election time approaches.  I get weary of the mass hypocrisy, selective use of “facts” and statistics, and the outright lies that our elected officials toss out to make their opponents look like evil villains while extolling their own virtues as keepers of all things “Great” and “American.”

I am conservative in my political views.  Yet, I am highly disturbed by the responses of conservatives when they are asked about behaviors and statements of other conservatives.  Most people on either side of the political spectrum would agree many of these actions or statements were not good or wise.  It is egregious when they simply change the subject.  Worse yet is when the response is an excuse or pointing a finger at someone on the other side who did or said something similar.  There is great hesitance to throw another colleague under the bus.  That need does not necessitate further distortion and obfuscation of facts.  Why not simply state the truth, but affirm support for the individual in question?

We all need to come face-to-face with the realities of the human condition.  Everyone makes mistakes.  Everyone misspeaks.  Yet we pick on every little thing that is even slightly questionable and rail against the sometimes unwitting perpetrator.  Whatever happened to comity and grace in the public arena?  It is worse when facts are deliberately distorted or outright lies are told fit a desired narrative when launching criticism at our enemies.  This has unfortunately become a way of life in our political world.  We need to be very careful when assigning motives to those with whom we disagree.

Liberals, with the help of their minions in the mainstream media (MSM) have made a living out of distorting President Trump’s comments and methods while totally ignoring the accomplishments of his administration.  The long litany of accusations about conservatives is almost laughable.  It is comical that conservatives are accused of wanting to kill babies, starve the elderly, persecute the poor, or start a nuclear war.  The hysterical comments of MSM “hard news” reporters about the President have made them almost irrelevant to all but the stalwart Trump haters who eat up every word.  All the Democrats have offered is criticism and demonization of the President.  They have no leader and no productive agenda except keep ObamaCare and repeal of all immigration laws to create a totally open border.

Republicans, moderates and conservatives have balked at President Trump’s agenda and resisted many of his proposals because they do not fit the traditional narrative of the party.  The odd fact is that the President has tried to muster support for many things that Republicans have been supporting for a long time.  The rollback of the Affordable Care Act, elimination of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, and immigration reform have all been championed by the right during the last 4 campaign cycles.  Yet, at least one faction of the party has resisted and little has been accomplished in those realms.  Some Republicans have been highly critical of President Trump, even questioning his fitness for office.

President Trump is often his own worst enemy.   He reacts to every single criticism, often with caustic Tweets that do nothing to promote his agenda.  In so doing he loses sight of the battles that are worth fighting and wastes time and energy on things that ultimately do not matter.  My suggestion to him is to cut back on his Twitter responses.  Save them for the things that ultimately have substance.  Many of his Tweets change nothing.  Those who want to believe the negative things others say won’t be deterred by his defense and the diehard supporters don’t seem to care what he says or does.  The rest of us will tend to pay more attention to less frequent and more substantive Tweets.  

I truly believe that the establishment (liberal and conservative) wants to see Trump fail because he is not following “prescribed” protocols.  They fear that they are loosing control of the political process that enables them to remain in office.  They do and say what is politically expedient, rather than what makes for sound and effective policy.  I do not say this lightly.  I am concerned that lust for power is the overwhelming concern of many long-term, career politicians. They govern by poll rather than by principle and conviction.  Where are the statesmen who work to find solutions rather than obstruct in order to gain political control?  What happened to those who don’t care who gets credit as long as the right thing is done?  As a grade school student, I read John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage.  I pray for a new generation of leaders and statesmen who will embody the type of character and courage that will inspire and encourage excellence in all of us.  It is then, and only then that “The Swamp” will be drained.    

A Year of Spiritual Soul-Searching

I opened this blog about a year ago and with the everyday business of life I have failed to follow through on my intention of regularly posting entries on the website.  The fact that this is the first entry suggests that nothing will ever be written without a deliberate, intentional, and well-disciplined plan.  So that is what I intend to do going forward.  But that begs the question:  “What do I write now?”

My original idea was to post items that reflect my eclectic interests that range from religion, sports, education, politics, and current events.  So I will follow through with some personal reflections about the spiritual journey of my family during the 15 months.  It has been an interesting year.  My wife and I changed churches while living in the same city for the first time in over 30 years.  Interestingly enough the last time we did this we were also living in Lubbock.  It has been said that Lubbock has more churches and restaurants per capita than any city in America.  I don’t know if that is true, but there does seem to be a church on every corner, and there is a new restaurant opening every month.  We have never had trouble deciding where we were going to go to church.  Usually we were going to the church where I worked, a church where we knew of a specific ministry in which we wanted to serve, or it was the only choice available within our denomination.  Twice we were blessed to find a definite fit immediately without a long search process.

After the 15th move in 35, that was 4 years ago, it is rather remarkable that we found ourselves at a total loss of where to work and worship for the first time ever. This time was definitely different.  We had no idea where we wanted to go.  It was not because no choices were available.  Perhaps a part of the problem was that there were too many options available (at least on paper).  However, the real dilemma for us grew out of some differences of opinion over doctrinal issues and how to deal with some grievous sins committed by church members.  Efforts to bring those sins into a proper light created animosity among members, and led a number of more seasoned members to leave that fellowship.  Deep wounds were inflicted on certain members because of the sin and the process of wrestling with the proper response to that sin.  A year later there is still healing going on.  More for some than for others.

The depth of those wounds for us arose from lies told about us and those we loved.  Those lies were aimed at protecting the perpetrators of the sin.  We were robbed of our hearts for ministry.  We had been seeing the wide circle of spiritual devastation that was resulting from a series of events that started as seemingly innocent and well-intentioned, but that were part of a devious scheme to manipulate and control certain church members.  Concomitantly, their was effort to prevent more seasoned members from stepping in to put a stop to these actions.  We soon grew to recognize these actions for what they truly were: manipulative, controlling, hurtful, and ultimately evil.  When we became a target in the illicit defense, we knew it was time to leave.  We forced ourselves to go to church somewhere every Sunday while we sought to make sense of it all. 

At risk were dozens of young Christians who were caught in the middle and without any basis for judging who was right or who was wrong.  Because of the lies told about us and our family, we knew we could no longer continue worshiping there, even though we had been integrally involved in the work being done there.  Our presence would have been a hindrance to the good work being done in spite of the problems that existed.  We could have stayed, brought everything out into the open, and then left with the intention of pulling as many members away as possible.  As I grew up, I witnessed this happen three times over pure matters of opinion, personality conflicts, and desire for control and power.  Unlike those situations, in this case grievous sin was involved and being covered up by leadership.  It was a fight that we would have lost and was not worth fighting.

One major question that may confront many Christians at least once in their faith journeys is , “When is it time to leave a place of worship in favor of another?”  When I was in ministry, that decision was made for me twice.  That is one of the reasons I left full-time ministry as a profession.  All the other times we changed places of worship, it was because of a move to another community.  We discussed moving once when we had been at a place for a large number of years, but decided to stay and I believe our decision was blessed.

The people with whom we worked and worshiped were always the first consideration in those decisions.  We have stayed at places where we were not happy with a number of things that were happening, but saw our ministries as more important that our own personal preferences.  There are some similarities in to that decision and the decision that many must make in regard to marriage.  We put up with less desirable things for the sake of staying in a relationship because that relationship transcends everything else.  You learn to focus on the positives and let the negative things slide.  The blessings for staying usually far outweigh the cost.

That mindset made the decision to leave work and relationships very painful.  But the decision to leave was still based on what we deemed to be best for all involved.  Staying would have necessitated more questions and negative discussion than would have been healthy for the tender hearts of the new Christians.  It was better for them to think ill of us, if needed, than to be placed in a position to decide who was lying and who was telling the truth.  Neither was optimal, but we knew if we stayed, there would be much greater turmoil and devastation than if we left.  It reminded me of the Parable of the Tares.  The master told the slaves to leave the tares with the wheat lest the ripping out of the tares would be more damaging to the wheat.  The master told his workers that the wheat and tares would be separated at the harvest.  Knowing our own imperfections, we left praying that the Lord would deal with each individual involved according to His will and to each individual’s needs and within the constraints of His impeccable timing.

I wish I could say that I have not lost sleep over that decision or second-guessed it numerous times.  However, as time has passed, I have gained a sense of peace that the Lord in His sovereign wisdom will bring about the end that is appropriate for all.  It is not up to me to fix all wrongs and deal with all the evils of the world.  I have enough trouble dealing with the evil that is within my own heart.   Thanks be to God for his loving grace, mercy and forgiveness afforded to us through the blood of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

We have settled into another church and have been blessed by involvement in some new ministries and trust that our new home will offer opportunities to minister and to receive ministry.  God is good.

There has always been a battle within me when it comes to writing.  I have a desire to express myself through public speaking and writing.  However, there is always the thought in the back of my mind asking, “Why would anyone want to listen to me, anyway?”  Yet, when I have expressed myself, I have often received positive feedback on what I have said or written.  So with the encouragement of others, I am starting this blog to talk about things important to me.  Some things I will talk about won’t be of interest to many, but it is my aim to always bring the topic around to something that will apply to most of us.  Themes of faith and family will be a constant element as I draw from popular culture, current events, and the sports world to make applications about how we might live a more fulfilled and purposeful life.

In light of this, I welcome comments, and discussion of the ideas that are expressed here.  I have no assumption about having a corner on truth or knowing everything there is to know about any particular topic.  I have my own perspectives based on experience and observation of others.  I want to understand your point of view as well.  Too often we argue about details without examining the assumptions that we all make when we make observations and judgments about the world around us.

I have two perspectives that flavor how I view the world and the things I believe about the world and how we should live in it.  First, and foremost I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he lived on this earth, was crucified by a corrupt union between a civil government and a religion that missed its mission, and that on the third day he was raised from the dead.  I will discuss this belief in greater detail because if all this is not true, I have lived my life in vain.  If it is true, then we owe Him our very lives because his death was a substitution of what we deserve.

The second is political.  Ronald Reagan once said that government did not offer the solution to our problems, it was the problem.  I believe in limited government with low taxes and little regulation.  The more government comes into our lives, the less freedom we experience.  Too many are held in a form of slavery that my take care of basic needs but limits opportunity to be upwardly mobile.  The 1980s are a prime example of what happens when government gets out of the way and people can make decisions for themselves about how their money is spent.  The current revision of what happened in that era by current liberal historians ignores the truth about the expansion of the U.S. economy that lasted close to 20 years.  The median family income of black families increased at a higher rate than any time in our history.

I will take opportunity to discuss multiple aspects of these concepts in coming weeks and will welcome all points of view.  The only stipulation will be that facts are presented without impugning motives and name calling.  My aim is to have civil discussion that will at the very least bring us to a better understanding of one another even if at the end of the day, we agree to disagree.   We can examine each others’ assumption so that we will have a chance to see if our assumptions match reality and are in line with our stated conclusions.  “Consistency, thou art a jewel,” a quote often attributed to William Shakespeare is often rare because few of us, if any, live consistently by the principles we say guide our lives.  So I hope to direct the reader to some self-examination.  As a teacher, I have always believed that it is more important to teach people how to think, than to tell them what to think.