Saturday, our lives will change (again). It will be time for us to take Turner to Freed-Hardeman University. Being our youngest, this also means that Leah and I will become empty nesters. As any parent does, we worry. We can think of a million reasons why it could go well and a million more why it could go poorly. We love FHU and we are blessed to know a large number of faculty and staff there. That certainly helps. We know a lot of people who live in and around Henderson, so that certainly helps. Turner already knows his roommate and they have hit it off very well. That is…

Those are the first words of a song I’ve sung with others numerous times in worship services. I was reminded of the truthfulness of those words in a humorous way. I ran into a man whom I had not seen in a number of years. He told me that he almost didn’t recognize me because he hadn’t seen me since I started “dying my hair gray.” I guess that my hair was still brown the last time he saw me (which was quite a while ago). This week, I am being reminded in a more serious way about how true those words are. Our two youngest grandchildren are planning to…

Two of my children and I are enjoying some time away for a few days as a gift from a Christian brother and sister. What a gift! Time together away from the responsibilities that lurk over your shoulder when you try to relax at home. I could have ended that with just time together. As my children get older, I treasure the time I get with them, especially together. As you noticed, this trip we were missing one, but since he is busy helping young people love God more, I guess he gets a pass.  Today when we returned from a swim and I was waiting my turn for a…

When you get to be my age and you happen to be with somebody you haven’t seen for quite a while, the conversation is often fairly predictable. After exchanging “medical reports” and the “what are you doing now” information, the conversation often turns to children and grandchildren. It is interesting to me that, at that point in the conversation, it is often said that these family members are “doing well.”  It is both fascinating and disappointing to me how “doing well” is sometimes defined. More often than not, “doing well” means that those children and/or grandchildren have good jobs, live in nice houses in good neighborhoods and communities, have (or…

If you ask a number of dads what the most difficult thing about their role is, you’d like get several different answers. Some might say that being consistent in discipline is the hardest part. Maybe the most common answer–especially among dads with kids in high school or college–would be “letting go.” I don’t want to say my answer is “the” right answer, but I want to share what I have found to be the hardest part about being a dad for, now, almost 20 years. The most difficult thing for me has been knowing how woefully inadequate a picture of my kids’ heavenly Father I have been. When a child…

I remember hearing or reading on one occasion that Father’s Day is just Like Mother’s Day except for the fact that fathers don’t get nearly as many presents as mothers. If that is true, maybe the title of this post should be “A Reminder that Sunday is Father’s Day.” Maybe that would have reminded/encouraged some people to buy something before next Sunday (if you are reading this when it is scheduled to be posted). Fathers come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. They speak different languages and dialects, live in a variety of places, and have varying backgrounds. Each has his own unique interests, talents, etc. They don’t all like…

By the time you read this, Donna and I will have watched our two youngest grandchildren receive a high school diploma. It doesn’t seem all that long ago when we were excited about first steps, first words, and a lot of other “firsts.”  Now, for the past few months, we’ve been experiencing a lot of “lasts.” We have had to deal with all of the emotions that go along with the fact that we’ve seen our last two grandchildren participate in various things for the last time. As I thought about all of this, my mind went back to some years ago when I experienced what I have referred to…