Rite of passage: Jeopardy!
As they were growing up, my children thought I should be a contestant on the television show “Jeopardy!” It is easy to sit on your couch and answer the questions, but being in front of a live audience is only for the smart and brave of heart. I only qualify in one area. During one season of my life, I was doing some extended mission work in Illinois. After speaking at the church, I would fly home on Monday morning. To get back to...
Rite of Passage: The hawk and the hummingbird
Since retiring, my wife and I have enjoyed going outside in the morning, sitting in our patio chairs and drinking a cup of coffee together. We have spent most of our married life taking teams to the mission field during the summer, so for us to stay home and enjoy our backyard has been a real treat. Our backyard is a fairly good size for a city lot. We have trees, a garden, flower beds and lots of grass. I sit there enjoying the birds...
Rite of passage: A running start
I don’t like running, especially if it is required of me. As a child, I loved chasing after lightning bugs or baseballs. I loved it when my brothers and I ran through the woods behind our house. Nonessential running was freedom. But when I went to school and we were required to run around the football field, I didn’t like it. It seems I keep finding myself in places where running is required or demanded. When I arrived at basic...
Rite of Passage: Jesus’ purse
The Moore Family had a fun week recently. Titus the Honorable turned 7, and we had an epic celebration. In honor of the occasion, I wrote him this letter, but I’m letting the rest of you read it too. Dear Titus the Honorable, I knew I got you the best gift when I saw that smile spread across your face as you opened the package containing two cans of WD-40. I gave you this gift so: 1. You will quit using mine. I have now put you in...
Rite of passage: Sunflower seeds
Each spring, I try to plant something weird. I am not sure just how I got into doing this, but it brings me great joy. My wife is a gardener at heart; her mom was the same. She is your typical country girl with a green thumb. Like her mom, she can plant flowers, vegetables or anything she wants, and it will grow into something beautiful. On the other hand, I have been the cause of many plants dying a slow and painful death. There...
Rite of Passage: When you need a father
My wife and I had just moved to Mesquite, Texas. We didn’t have much in worldly possessions, just some secondhand furniture, an older car and a new baby in tow. I had just gotten a new job as a youth pastor and was continuing my education. We moved into a small house. Even with just the three of us, it was a tight fit. But we were happy and excited about the opportunities that lay ahead. It was there my son Jeremiah began to walk,...
