Thom Elliott

June 21, 2018.Reading time 11 minutes.

What a rich, emotional day. Did and “down and back” trip to Georgetown today, for the memorial service of Thom Elliott.  As I wrote a few weeks ago when Thom died, he was my supervising pastor for my Perkins Internship, and one of *the* most formative ministers in my life. And, in a deeply personal […]

Separating Children is Against the Gospel

June 18, 2018.Reading time 14 minutes.

When Maria was about seven, we went on a family vacation to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Dennise actually travelled first, to take some intensive language classes, and Maria and I joined her a week later. I was excited about the prospects of traveling with my daughter, internationally. I had spent six years as […]

Burning Myrhh

April 20, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

Northaven Friends, I’m burning incense this morning, as I write, journal, and pray here at home. I’m burning Myrrh. Went down the street to Kalachangi’s, here in Old East Dallas, to get some last night. I wanted to burn it today, because of something my therapist reminded me of in our weekly time earlier this […]

For Everything, There Is a Season

April 17, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

“For everything, there is a season…” And so it is, friends, I’m announcing today that I will be leaving Northaven UMC as Senior Pastor, and that our Bishop has reappointed me as Pastor of The Woods UMC in Grand Prarie, Texas. This will be effective July 1st. I’m sure that this news will hit some […]

Like 1968

April 4, 2018.Reading time 9 minutes.

On this 50-year anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King #mlk50 , I am struck by how similar *this* day is to that day long ago. As I write these words, teachers from all across the state of Oklahoma are striking. They are out in the streets, marching with signs. They are seeking basic human […]

Go Higher

March 29, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’ve said before, I think hawks are my spirit animal. I’ve had several semi-mystical encounter with them here town. On two of my birthdays (i.e., literally on the day…) I’ve had an upclose encounter with two separate hawks, in ways that felt like a message to me. The message was something like…take courage…have strength…fear not…. […]

The Talk With My Dad

March 22, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

A year ago this week, we moved back into the log house. In the midst of many challenging things in life, this has been a great joy for us all. Here and there, throughout the year, I’ve posted “This Week in Home Improvement” posts here on FB. This is probably the last one. Over the […]

Dad’s March Madness Brackets

March 19, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Since we’re in the midst of March Madness, I thought I’d post these. These are treasures we found while cleaning out Mom and Dad’s house. They’re Dad’s hand-crafted brackets from the mid 1960s that he used to keep track of the tourney. Some NCAA. Some NIT. Some hand written. Some typed. The last one is […]

Nevertheless, She Persisted

March 12, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

As we continue through Women’s History Month, it’s worth remembering that this year’s theme is: “Nevertheless, she persisted.” That phrase has its origins in national politics, but it’s spread well beyond that now. I’ve seen it on protest signs, t-shirts, tattoos and even cross-stitch. It’s come to symbolize both the broader struggle of women, historically, […]

If I Only Had a Gun

February 23, 2018.Reading time 9 minutes.

OK, since the President and #NRA are continuing to push the ridiculous idea of a “good guy with a gun,” it’s time to share “If I Only Had A Gun” from 20/20. It’s sadly several years old, but it makes the crucial point aabout how the average “good guy with a gun” cannot possibly be […]