Rite of Passage: Branch offices
It was my last speaking engagement before my surgery. I was invited to speak once on Saturday night and twice on Sunday at Altus, Martha Road. I have spoken there several times, and it is the kind of church that blesses you more than you can bless them. It reminds me of the church I grew up in; they just love on whoever walks through the doors. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive from my home to the church, so I left early on Saturday...
Rite of passage: Keys to the door
I am writing from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the walled city of Jerusalem. I wish I could take every one of you who reads this article on a journey to the Holy Land. In my travels, I have seen many mountains and beautiful scenery, but walking the land of Jesus feeds your soul. If God ever grants you the opportunity to visit, I recommend that you take it. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is in the Old City, as it’s called,...
Rite of Passage: The Lighter Side of Cancer
Humor is a gift from God—at least I hope so. If not, I’m not sure where my sense of humor came from. Humor produces laughter, and laughter is good medicine for the heart and soul. Eccl. 3:4 tells us there is a time to laugh, “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (I am not sure the word “dance” appears in the older Baptist Bibles). Laughter gives us a reprieve from the things that weigh heavy on our...
Rite of passage: 8th wonder of the world
Before I have my cancer surgery, I have taken a couple of weeks to travel to the Middle East with my oldest son, Jeremiah. He teaches high school history and geography and injects insights from his travel experiences into his classes. Besides that, he and I both have an unsatisfied curiosity for knowing what lies around the next corner. As I am on this journey, I will be writing an article from each country and posting them over the...
Rite of Passage: Travel Serendipities
I am writing today from the ancient city of Jerusalem. I have taken a couple of weeks to spend time with my oldest son, Jeremiah. Jeremiah teaches in a public high school, covering subjects like History and Geography. He is an incredible teacher because his lessons combine his deep studies of these subjects along with life experiences. Growing up as the son of a missionary, he has his dad’s wanderlust and love of different cultures...
Rite of passage: Good gifts
When my boys were young, I had to travel on many occasions to preach or teach. While I was away, I wanted them to know that even though we weren’t close in distance, they were on my mind. Now, these were the days before we had cell phones, internet and FaceTime. It would seem like I could connect with them maybe once a week, not the 10 times a day we now do with our smartphones. My love language is giving, and I wanted to bring...
