I am so thankful for God’s Grace and Mercy. It is hard to find with everyday people, sometimes impossible. We all stand in the need of Grace that Christ offers us because He loves us. I am always in the need for Mercy because of stupid decisions that I wish I hadn’t made or the mistakes I constantly make.When I was a senior in high school my father got me an old beater of a car. A 1955 Pontiac Chi...  Read More

It goes to reason that you don't want too many failures in life. Nothing worse than being referred to as a "Failure in Life". I have always been able to stay one step ahead of the failure label. There is proof thatfailing at something can also be a success. I am living proof of that.What child in the world would have to repeat second grade? This child! Academically I was not the brightest kid in t...  Read More

I have just returned from another mission trip to Pignon, Haiti. A little village North and East of Cap Haitian. Driving time is about 4 hours.There is a man who lives in Pignon by the name of Begone. My first encounter with Begone was about 20 years ago. He was known as the Water Man. He delivered water to the residents of the village. You might say, What's the Big Deal?" Well, Begone's delivery ...  Read More

When is a dog just a dog? Never! That’s the way in my household. There are other names for a dog. Mickey, Tess, Penny, Bo and of course the fan favorite today, Honey Bee.According to Paisley and Lola, Honey Bee is the best dog ever. Just recently Honey Bee pulled off one of God’s small miracles. I am pretty sure Honey Bee had nothing to do with it but the girls named the puppies, Rain, Hail, Light...  Read More

There is a sign that sits in a school yard not far from where I live that says, "BE KIND TO ALL KINDS". There was as time in my life I would have ignored that sign. Growing up in a narrow-minded family, being kind to all kinds, was not acceptable. My father believed black men were used for work, day labor. We didn't talk to foreigners. I grew up with a very narrow view of others that were not of m...  Read More

There are always horror stories about the In-laws. If you don't know what an In-law is get married. You may get to take one on your honeymoon. Just kidding? I will say up front I had the best in-laws.Ann's (wife) parents were the best. Her mother was a farm girl raised in northwestern Ohio with 3 sisters and a brother. I use to tease her about milking the cows, feeding the chickens and sloping the...  Read More

I am pretty good at taking other people's advice. I am not very good at taking my own advice. I trick myself into thinking, "I know better".I wasn't very good at taking care of things my parents gave me. For example, I received a new bike for Christmas one year. I decided to spiff it up. I painted it with house paint, a bright orange as I remember. It was ugly, I didn't want the bike anymore but I...  Read More

The things I did as a kid. They wouldn't fly today. Of course they wouldn't fly any day, but I didn't think about that at the time. When I was a tyke I lived in west Dayton, I attended Residence Park Elementary school. I and a buddy hung around together on weekends finding things to do, not necessarily good things, but things.Walking in the neighborhood by the school we decided to break in. We wal...  Read More

Noooo, I am not talking about the hit song by Billy Joel although it is worth a listen. I am remembering a man in my life who had a lot to do with influencing me to allow Jesus to hang around with me. I am not sure I would call it a love/hate relationship but I have always been in a wrestling match with Jesus. That is until a met Keith Tonkle. I was attending a weekend Methodist Youth Retreat beca...  Read More

Going Deeper "Paschal Family"1. Standing at the CrossRead: John 19:25–27Who is present at the cross, and what does their presence reveal about devotion and courage?Most of Jesus’ disciples had fled (Matthew 26:56), yet a few faithful followers remained near the cross.Reflection:Why do you think these individuals stayed when others ran?Life Application:Where in your life is Jesus inviting you to re...  Read More

I grew up hating the words, "Making Do". My memories tell me I was always making do with the things that I had. Kids grow up wanting to be like their friends, having the same things. When my buddies got a new bat, a new glove, a new baseball cap or new clothes I would go home and tell my parents. I wanted the same thing. Usually theirresponse was, "You're just going to have to "make do with what y...  Read More

One of the men hanging on the cross next to Jesus asked that he be remembered when Jesus comes into His kingdom. Jesus promised on that day that the man would be with Him in Paradise. One of the most important requests in life, to spend eternity with Christ, to be remembered. Nobody wants to be left behind.I called a friend in Arkansas just to say hi. He remembers me as Chaplain David. He stated, ...  Read More