Birthdays are a big deal to my wife. Not in a bad way – it’s just that she really enjoys celebrating them. Special days, like birthdays, are really special to her and today is her special day. Today is her birthday. It was a warm summer morning when she was born at the local hospital… Read More »
March Blessings
Any day now Monieca and I will be grandparents again. Our son Steven and his wife, Sara, are expecting their first child. We’ve been telling Liam, our first grandchild that he’ll soon have a cousin whose birthday will be very close to his own. Today is Liam’s seventh birthday. But our March blessings go beyond… Read More »
Happy Valentine’s Day
Not everyone loves “Valentine’s Day” and it’s not the people you think might feel that way. Did you know that Valentine’s Day is banned in several Muslim countries? On Monday, February 13 the Islamabad High Court in Pakistan’s capital issued an order that banned the celebration of Valentine’s Day across the country “with immediate effect.”… Read More »
Monieca’s Flowers
I began last Sunday’s sermon talking about some flowers I had given to Monieca. It wasn’t a special occasion, I just wanted to say “I love you” and “I’m thinking about you.” So while buying groceries at BiLo I picked up some flowers. The point I was making in the sermon was that during the… Read More »
Grits and Egg Beaters
This morning our staff met for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. In the past I would’ve ordered “Uncle Herschel’s Favorite” or “Old Timer’s Breakfast.” I’ve not enjoyed either option since I lost weight. Today I ordered the “Good Morning Breakfast” because it is filling and has considerably fewer calories. One problem though: It comes with grits… Read More »
The Love Train
“I ask you, though, where is love going to be if there is no relationship? Relationship is the track. Love is what rolls over the track. Love moves through a relationship.” I highlighted those sentences this week while reading the revised version of “Concentric Circles of Concern” by W. Oscar Thompson, Jr. His 1980 book… Read More »
A Good Sunday School Class
Earlier this week Jamie Burdette and I attended a funeral at another church for a woman whose daughter and granddaughter are members of FBC. In the congregation that afternoon were leaders from the two different Sunday School classes the daughter and granddaughter attend at First Baptist. Later in the week I was speaking with a… Read More »
Sunday Highlights 12.13.2015
Today was a very full day. It was also a good one. Fellowship, food, love, and prayer are words that describe today for me. I lost count of how many people told me they were praying for Jacqueline and our family. Whether it was face to face, text messages, or emails – it was an… Read More »
Happy Birthday Mom
Mom celebrated her 78th birthday this week. Below is a photograph of her with four of her eight great-grandchildren taken when we all got together for dinner one evening. Monieca had flown to KY last week and I drove up Sunday afternoon after worship. I stopped at a market after crossing into KY and bought… Read More »
Married For Many Years and Still Going Strong
I had the privilege Sunday afternoon of leading eight couples in renewing their marriage vows. Married between six and 34 years, they had spent several weeks meeting on Sunday evenings learning how to be better husbands and wives. Renewing their vows was a great way to celebrate their love for each other and reaffirm their… Read More »