I am discovering that I have very little tolerance for small talk… At the present time, I have a close friend who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. I have several members of my own family dealing with significant life transitions. I often think of my friends, Benny and Niki Nowell, as they minister to homeless children and teenagers in Colorado. They were thrilled this week to receive a contribution from a church that will fund gift cards to purchase…
The song Cat’s in the Cradle flashed through my mind yesterday when my son rolled in from college to spend what will probably be his last summer at home with mom and dad. His sophomore year is now history. The rest of his time as an undergraduate student will no doubt fly by even faster. His brothers have grown taller and look more like men since he left for school last August. It is Mother’s Day today, and Harry Chapin…
My boys will soon receive the annual Mother’s Day Lecture. It is a lesson that is never forgone around the Knox household. It generally includes the same key points: wear nice clothes to church, sit with your mother in the worship assembly, be home for lunch, no crude discussion at the table, and above all….be on your best behavior for the day. They always take it well, and generally go above the call of duty to honor their mother. This…
I am feeling rather nostalgic today. General Motors announced last week a plan to discontinue the Pontiac line. I did not think much about it at first, and then I read an article about America’s romance with the Pontiac muscle cars. I guess I am no exception. I too have always been enamored by the classic GTO’s, Firebirds, and Trans-Ams. My second grade teacher had an awesome 1968 Pontiac Firebird. It placed her a notch higher in the eyes of…
Someday I intend to write a book. Jan has been after me for years to journal ministry experiences and encounters out in the field as a law enforcement chaplain. She is fearful that the details will fade, as the years march on. She of course is right. I am going to title this yet to be written book: Called to the Moment. I firmly believe that God has called me to each key moment of life that I have experienced….
You like people who like your kids… Someone much wiser than me shared that thought when all three of my children were very young. Is it true? Do we like people who like our kids? I think I am hard pressed to find fault with people who truly care about my children! Sandy Paddack watched Randall when he was only a few weeks old in Wichita Falls. We grew to love Sandy in a special way. Heather and Amy Hooten…
I woke up this morning with an old Michael W. Smith song on my mind… The title: Place in this World. The song describes someone down on their knees searching for their place in this world.At age 46, I still wonder occasionally what I am going to be when I grow up? I have had ample opportunity to find my place in this world by this stage in life. It has been an exciting adventure to say the least. I…
Life is not Disneyland…. It was a beautiful summer day in 1992. Mom and dad loaded four kids up bright and early, and left the hustle and bustle of life in Dallas for a vacation at Disneyland. Plans were foiled however about fifteen miles southeast of Vernon on Hwy. 287. A car crash left both parents with serious injuries, and four pre-school children shaken and scared. The ambulance transported the vacation bound family to Wichita Falls for treatment. The injured…
As we strive to form meaningful partnerships in law enforcement, it important for us to acknowledge not only our unique contributions to the team, the ways we are similar as well. I have said for years that cops and ministers are a lot alike. That observation usually generates a good laugh, but at a recent conference someone actually shared a list of such similarities. Here they are:Clergy and CopsSuch Striking Similarities! · Uphold laws and values· Ridiculed rather than revered·…
Easter is an interesting Sunday. A lot of people attend worship services who are rarely seen during the remainder of the year. I can relate…. I have been there. I always went to church on Easter with whatever girl I was seeing at the time, when I was younger. Here is a synopsis of my message last Sunday. Transformation REALLY HAPPENS!Do people really change? Human nature is corrupt. There is nothing innocent about us! Only a cursory reading of the…