I don’t characteristically wear pink ties at funeral services. I realize there is nothing inherently wrong with wearing pink for such an occasion, but I tend to lean toward the darker colors. The most recent service I officiated at was much different. Last Saturday I was privileged to reflect on the life of little 2-year-old Anna. Pink was her favorite color… How could I not wear a pink tie? Over a span of 32 years I have only officiated at…
Last week I was called out by police officers to serve the needs of a young woman who had run out of gas. That doesn’t sound like a chaplain call out! In this case, the person was homeless…The resources she had at her disposal were in another county, so we filled her car with gas and took care of a few other necessities. The officer I was with went way above the call of duty to help by sharing a…
After my sermon this morning, a man visiting our services approached me and said this: “I don’t want to give you the big head, but your content and delivery were both flawless this morning.” He was gracious and genuine, so it was a nice word of encouragement! (I know it was not flawless by any stretch of the imagination.) Here is what that man did not know…When my family moved to Granbury in 2004, the church conducted some kind of…
It was a hot day in Wichita Falls in July of 1992. Late in the afternoon the police department called me to the emergency room at Wichita General Hospital. A young woman in her late 20’s rode in the back of the ambulance, as medics performed CPR on her husband. When I arrived at the hospital, they had just called the code. He was deceased. I went with a nurse to the family conference room that was smaller than some…
Quinton McLean came into this world just over 16 years ago. His parents, Lance and Katy McLean, knew very soon that life was going to be challenge for their firstborn. Ultimately, Quint would never walk, or be able to verbally communicate. His diagnosis was very serious. Some of the doctors wondered if he would live to see his first birthday, but he most certainly did. Quinton’s father was a patrol sergeant for the Hood County Sheriff’s Office. On June 28th,…
Our youngest son, Mitchell, spent a week with his oldest brother in Los Angeles recently. I think they had a great time. But then the important day arrived. Mitchell’s flight to China was scheduled to leave at 1:00 in the morning. He will spend a year there teaching young children English. Mitchell let me know early that day that Randall would be taking him to LAX to see him off. My first thought was one of appreciation. I was grateful…
I am a visual learner. If you can paint a picture for me, I will actually learn something. Several months ago, I was troubled by a unique experience I had encountered. I ended up seeking out the counsel of a trusted friend. After sharing what I had encountered, my friend said: “You don’t have a shelf in your heart to put that particular experience on.” I liked that image! I could do something with that. It was helpful. And, I…
I came home earlier this week expecting to have leftovers for dinner. But, the leftovers were gone. In fact, the entire refrigerator had been raided. The homemade Chex mix Jan had made a few days earlier had been devoured. I was hoping the bread and peanut butter had somehow been spared. The guilty parties were sprawled out in the living room watching an NBA game. I ate my peanut butter sandwich without complaint, because I knew the empty refrigerator and…
Children are to be seen and not heard…. My parents were of the old school, and so consequently they subscribed to that very philosophy. My dad told me more than once that I was “talking when I should be listening.” That’s not bad counsel… But, I learned this past week that that limits should be placed on such a philosophy of communication. If you listen carefully to what your child is saying to you, you can learn a lot. This…
Every Monday “Mama Holly”, as we affectionately call her, prepares a home-cooked meal for the police officers working the 6 p.m.- 6 a.m. nightshift. Her nickname stems from the fact that her son is the patrol sergeant, who supervises that particular shift. Her home is one of the safest places I have ever been. And, the relative safety I enjoy there has nothing to do with the fact that most of the dinner guests are well-armed. Mama Holly and her…