Family

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ... Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. On New Year's Day, we received word that Tonya's brother had been found dead in his apartment.  Needless to say, we were stunned.  Tonya went to be with her parents early in the week and the girls and I followed on Friday.  His funeral was on Saturday. I have done nearly one hundred funerals in my lifetime.  No funeral is easy because you are straddling the fence between life and death.  Besides my mom and dad's funerals, this was the next hardest funeral I've ever had to do.  When it was over, it felt like I had just finished preaching…

2011 is knocking at the door, with 2010 only having a few more hours.  I know it's a sign of growing old but it's hard to believe we're ten years into the 21st century.  I'm not sure I'm any better at reflecting now than I was ten years ago, but here it goes ... My family continues to be my greatest blessing.  Persistent and patient, my wife landed a job with Douglas County Schools and is already making her mark.  I know that as parents and colleagues interact with her, she will continue to make a great impression.  Our daughters continue to blossom.  I'm encouraged by the friends they make and how they each lead in their own way.  As "grown-up" conversation becomes more possible, it is such a joy to hear them express themselves. On the ministry front, this has been the first full year out of twenty that…

Yesterday, Tonya and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary - hard to believe but only getting better with each year.  We stayed in downtown Denver at the Oxford Hotel, a place that has been in existence for over one hundred years. We enjoyed a great production of "A Christmas Carol" and a late dinner at McCormicks. Twenty years ago we got married in Memphis during a tremendous rain storm.  After the wedding and reception we rode off in a limousine (complete with Tonya popping her head out the sun roof, much the way the Queen of England would do).  We spent our first married night in Memphis, our second in Jackson, Mississippi, our third in Pascagoula, and in many different cities ever since. Tonya was raised in a minister's home and for some reason decided to marry one, too.  I have often told people that congregations hire me just to…

If you're going to be in a car for 10-12 hours, why settle for McDonald's? On our drive through Kansas yesterday we hit Topeka around lunchtime.  For those of you who don't know, Topeka is in Kansas (and happens to be the capital).  Pulling out my HTC EVO, I did a quick search for Topeka restaurants and found one that had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Bobo's Drive-In on 10th Avenue was fantastic. It's been there for over 50 years and doesn't appear to have changed much.  We opted for the "step up" seating, which was inside and consisted of a few booths and a counter.  It was packed! We ordered steakburgers, French fries, onion rings, and spicy cheese sticks. The steakburgers were smashed thin and had excellent taste.  The onion rings were outstanding.  I'm not normally a big onion ring fan, but when I saw a plate…

I'm sitting in Memphis watching the Lions play the Patriots on Thanksgiving day.  There's much to be thankful for ... I'm thankful for my family, those close at hand, those spread around the country, and those who have passed on.  I remember with great fondness having family gatherings around the table at 100 West Eden. It's been over fifteen years since that last Thanksgiving with my parents.  That seems hard to believe.  For the memories - but more importantly, for the lessons, the values, and the perspective - I am eternally thankful.  I have physical and spiritual DNA that lives on in me. I am thankful to have a calling from God that has allowed me to serve him and his people in wonderful places such as San Diego, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Denver. I am thankful to have two healthy, happy daughters.  Each is a joy in their own…