There is such a thing as paternal instinct. And it is very different from its maternal counterpart. Dads are just tuned into a different frequency than moms. When I was at camp last month, being a dorm dad was part of my duties as the Head Men’s Counselor. The director strategically places me in a dorm room at the corner of the building on the first floor. At night I had a bird’s eye view of three boys’ dorms. I…
Today is my youngest son’s birthday. Mitchell turns 14 on this 8th day of July. I remember the story of his birth very clearly. The birth of each of our children represents something significant. In Mitchell’s case, he is the miracle child. Jan experienced a miscarriage in January of 1995. After all of these years, the pain of that loss is still real. Naturally we were cautiously optimistic when we found out she was expecting again later that same year….
Does anyone care? Everyday individuals in people helping professions of all kinds are going the extra mile to make a difference. Teachers put in all kinds of extra hours to help one struggling student. Nurses take the time to listen to a patient, who is lonely and scared. Firefighters and paramedics keep their skills sharp, so they can be prepared to take care of a person’s immediate medical concerns in the field. And then there are police officers. No one…
One of our Sunday school teachers at church shared this event that took place in her classroom just a few days ago. After meandering conversation, Boy 1: “Hey, did you know in some schools if you get in trouble you can get a spanking by the principal.” Girl 1 replies, “Yes, my mom says when she was in school they called it licks.” Boy 2, with utterly horrified expression asks, “You mean you went to the principal’s office and HE…
I must confess. I am careless. I leave my keys in a variety of nooks and crannies in our home previously unknown to mankind, so when it comes time to leave the house I am in deep trouble. Where did I put those keys? I leave things at the office that should go home. And I leave things at home that should be at the office. I lose grocery lists before arriving at Walmart. Our church treasurer tracks me down…
I have been thinking about the upcoming memorial service honoring the deceased members of Lubbock Monterey High School’s Class of 1980. It will be held on the campus of our alma mater during the 30 year reunion weekend this month. Lots of thoughts have rolled through my head regarding this event. Specific people come to mind. And I have been pondering the circumstances of some of the deaths that have occurred. And for some crazy reason, I keep thinking about…
I enjoyed a quick phone call today with a colleague and good friend. She is a wonderful resource for me in the law enforcement dimension of my ministry as well. I called her at noon today, because I need to consult with her on a pending crisis situation. My mother taught me good manners, so quite naturally I said: Am I interrupting your lunch? She told me she was eating in her car, as she made her way to the…
Camp this week has been a little different. Two sessions are running concurrently during the same period. Camp Impact is targeted at younger children. Camp Cornerstone is for students in middle school. Two groups of compers and two staffs totaled in excess of 850 people. That is where it gets interesting… We are not accustomed to working with each other. Cornerstone and Impact have never taken place during the same week. My assignment was to Cornerstone, but I tried diligently…
The complexities of loyalty… There are many! Loyalty in a relationship is a priceless attribute. I have known that for a long time. But such an important relational pillar can become very involved and thorny. When it comes to loyalty, my mouth can get me in trouble in a New York minute. I am very intolerant of people that insult or demean those closest to me. Such intolerance is generally verbalized in a rather direct manner. I am quick to…
I have been hearing voices…again. Now that can be the sign of serious psychological problems, but in my case is it not. And reality really is my friend…I suppose I should tell the whole story. It all started one Monday morning at Academy Sports over on Bryant Irvin in Ft. Worth. (Monday is my day off.) I was over there “browsing” in the golf section when I heard Jan’s voice calling me sweetly and tenderly. I immediately thought it was…