Building on a Firm Foundation

August 23, 2024

Parents make key decisions when raising children. Some of this revolves around what foundational priorities are set. For Mary and me, this anchored itself in the importance of telling the truth. Disobedience and defiance weren’t overlooked, but they were secondary to trustworthiness. And now, over forty years later, I still think this prevailing priority is […]

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Neighbors…

August 16, 2024

In July, Mary and I spent time in the mountains with some very significant friends from Kansas City. Rod and Debbie were a part of the same fledgling congregation that Mary and I were. They had two sons, who connected well with our two sons. They also were a part of a home schooling community […]

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What He Still Knows

August 13, 2024

It was roughly a year ago that I wrote about a visit to Maryland in which I was able to spend time with my brother Sam, and his wife Mary Gayle. I’ve reflected often on that time, and the tenderness and beauty it invited. I journaled then that Sam’s cognitive abilities were under assault. And […]

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God Knows…

July 26, 2024

Do you have anything in your closet that you bought four and a half years ago? In addition to the timing of this purchase, is this something that you’ve worn nearly every day since then? If you can identify something like that, then you’ll note that it most likely is showing signs of wear. Language […]

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Intoxicated With Winning

July 19, 2024

Over the last six months Mary and I have been witnesses to our grandkids’ competitive participation in hockey, soccer, flag-football, softball, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and baseball. As I sit and watch, often with a churning gut, I find myself whispering prayers. The primary theme of these conversations with the Almighty revolve around some aspect of […]

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They’ll Know, Or Will They?

July 12, 2024

“We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord And we pray that our unity will one day be restored And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our […]

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YFC Camp Goes to Prison

June 28, 2024

The name Carlos Portillo first came to my attention a few weeks ago in an email. The email had to do with a camp scholarship request that Carlos was making for a camp that our Suncoast YFC chapter was organizing. This was about a day camp. Three days long. Roughly 70 young people in attendance. […]

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900 Days

June 21, 2024

It was January 1, 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. A day to mark freedom and liberty, for all. For all. But the proclamation took 900 days to resound into the deaf ears of slave owners in Texas. 900 days of continued separation from family. 900 days of isolation and […]

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The Numbers Only Tell Part of the Story

June 14, 2024

It was 1944 when a fledgling group of young leaders with a Kingdom-sized vision began to coalesce around an idea. A mission. A dream. Eighty years ago, Youth For Christ was born, launched, and propelled into action. Within a few years, the mission had spread throughout the globe. In the small Canadian community of Brantford, […]

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The Gift of Good-Bye

June 7, 2024

On April 22, 2020, Eunice Cargo moved out of Peakview Assisted Living and moved in with us. The uncertainty of a pandemic, and the lack of personal interaction fueled our desire to make this happen. My mother-in-law was convinced that this was a temporary relocation, and that she would be back at Peakview in time […]

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