Yesterday, I completed thirteen months as Interim Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Decatur, Texas. I was previously Interim Pastor of this same church for eighteen months in 2001-02. It has a home-church feel for me. But I am thrilled to turn over the pastoral responsibilities to their new Pastor, believing that the church’s…
My cousin, Dr. Vicki Gilliam wrote a book entitled, “Forty Days of Care for the Caregiver” out of her experiences as a career specialist to special needs students, and as a caregiver for her own aging mother. I scanned the book when it was written and even wrote an endorsement for the back cover. This…
A casual expression of sympathy is to say to one who is suffering, “I feel your pain.” A recent study discovered that one in three people actually were able to feel the pain of another. As I was suffering from lumbar bulging disk pain, plus thoracic degenerative disk pain, my wife, Joanne, fell and fractured…
My long-time friend Ray called last week. I was in my wife’s hospital room where she had endured major pelvic/hip surgery. He caught me clearing my calendar; having been told my wife could not walk for three months and would need my daily care. Facing a lifestyle change, I was told by Ray, “walk, don’t…
Suffering is better shared than endured alone. On Wednesday, August 10 my wife, Joanne fell on her hip. First x-rays showed no broken bones. Pain increased daily. In a later visit to the Dr. it was decided she had a hernia. Exam by hernia surgeon showed very small hernia, not needing surgery, so she was…
I like doors. I’ve got several framed pictures in my office, from the “Doors of . . .” series, depicting the diversity of doors in various parts of the world. I also like open doors. I’ve had about as many open doors in my life as I have had closed doors. Along the way, I’ve…
I recently asked a college student, “How are you classified”? “Oh, I don’t know, I’ve been taking mostly courses that I want to take,” she said. Focus on electives, and graduate in 5, 6, 7 years. Focus on requirements, and more likely graduate on time! Life is made up of both electives and requirements, and…
While Paul’s instructions are to pray for “those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2), and he specifies praying for “kings” the obvious application is anyone who is in any position of authority over us – President, Congress, Supreme Court, Governor, Senators & Representatives, County, Parish and Local Officials, and Law Enforcement Officers. The benefit of such…
I was in the Emergency Room Waiting Area, waiting on the arrival of a friend from the church where I was serving as Interim Pastor, when a young mother brought her screaming child in the room. The frightened child was yelling loud enough to be heard three floors up – “I OK, I OK, No…
The most amazing thing that I experienced on my recent cruise was something that didn’t happen. On board were 4500 passengers and 1500 crew. We represented 60 nations which included a diversity of ethnicity, language, religious preference, and lifestyles. For eight days we cruised together, ate together, shopped together, talked together, and greeted each other….