Pastor Dad

            Red lights are spinning and flashing, a buzzer is sounding and a computer voice is booming, “Warning! Warning! A statement that could be considered religious is about to commence!”             We’ll give you time to leave the room before we begin. Wouldn’t want anyone offended now would we? Look around. Is it safe? Everyone gone that’s going? Ok then let’s begin!             I love how stories in the bible sometimes get fancied up for the Sunday morning crowd. I really don’t but I’m trying to keep this thing positive. We talk about how Job (in a thundering southern Baptist preacher voice) “was blessed twice as much in the latter as he was in the former!” We speak of David anointed as a boy, slaying Goliath then ascending to the throne of the king. Oh and what about “Father Abraham” he had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. You remember how God sent the angel to save his son and sent a ram up the other side of the mountain to take his place. Are there days wh

           I pray that all 3 of you that read my blog had an awesome Thanksgiving. I was a living example of what grazing looks like. And I kinda feel like a cow these days so it fits. Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday. Food and family. No worrying about gifts and travel and shopping and all that stuff. Of course I’m excluding black-Friday shopping in my favorite memories. This year was especially great because my parents invited Tammy’s parents to eat with all of us. So we only had one house to go to and all the family was there. I don’t think I left the table for about 2 hours. Most of that time was listening and telling stories and laughing and remembering. Yes, food and lots of it but if mom hadn’t had a turkey and we would have eaten cold sandwiches it still would have been incredible.             An update on the Buick… When we last left her, she was in ICU at Butlers Wrecker Service. She has since been moved to a transitional care unit (Foster’s Auto Body) to det

        It's almost Thanksgiving day and I'm sure that I won't have time to write on my blog over the weekend. With that said I wanted to say thanks to a group that would still be working while I'm feasting with my family. Still be answering calls while I'm watching football. I call many of them friends. I pray for all of them. And a select few, I consider my closest friends like family.         Every year in the United States, one day is set aside to remember all of those in Law Enforcement that have died in the line of duty. This day is also observed in Blount County. In May of 2010 I had the absolute priviledge of speaking at our service. The following is the transcript of my speech.          " I am humbled and honored to be speaking here today. There are very few positions in life that I respect as much as I do law enforcement. And speaking today will rank as one of the most difficult messages/talks/speeches whatever it is, that I have ever done. While I

            So the season began. Tough loss. Long day. It was cold when we left the gym around 9:25pm. Tammy and I walking together to our separate cars. I got to mine first. The Buick. I was so glad that the frost hadn’t settled yet because the defroster in the Buick doesn’t defrost so well. I started my car and drove around to where Tammy was getting in her car. I was going to call her and talk to her on the way home since we hadn’t really talked. We usually don’t get to on days when Jordan plays at Heritage. But my phone was dead so I just waited to make sure she got on her way safely. Lights on and exhaust coming out of the muffler so I drove on, passed Jordan getting in his Jeep and starting it. Pulled out on Highway 321 and was headed home. Thinking about the game, thinking about the next day at work, thinking about the fact that it was cold. As I crossed the bridge before Lem’s Corner I checked my mirror to see if Tammy was coming. No headlights meant she had probably stoppe

            It was a very hot August afternoon in 2007 the last time this happened. My dad and I had met at the golf course and were getting ready to go out. No silly, not to play, to watch Kelcey begin her last year in high school athletics. A tradition that Kelcey, my dad, and I shared for 7 lightning quick years. Dad and I would follow her around watching her play, living and dying on every swing with her. There were days when she was hitting it well and I would want soooo bad to shout to the mountaintops for everyone to watch (but the golf course people frowned on that so I don’t do that anymore) because she was happy and confident. She would look over where dad and I were and flash a smile and we knew it was a good day. As she got older the flashes turned into full fledged grins and on occasion a flexing of her muscles toward us to let us know she hit that one goooood. And of course there were other days when she wasn’t swinging good and the sparkle in her eye wasn’t there and

On Tuesday of this past week our country elected a leader who repeatedly has refused to protect the unborn and has openly, boldly even, declared that God doesn't know what is best in marriage. No matter how you voted, this much is true. And so those who voted for the other guy or another guy came out in earnest. We can discuss how that came about later...  So now what? As a Christ follower what should my response be? How should we act towards those who don't share our beliefs or our morals? Anytime there are questions, especially sensitive, emotional questions the best way to answer is in scripture. Always. But before I answer those questions I would like to make an observation. You cannot affect morality through legislation. Rather, you should affect legislation through morality.  And with that in mind I'll give my opinion on what the answers to the questions should be. 2 Chronicles  7:14 . I know, I know. You have heard this all your life. I understand that but I

           Remember a couple of days ago I said we were hosting a Hell House at our church and the candy trail and all that? Well, the best is over the worst is to come. The best being that over 100 kids each night went through the candy trail with 25 or so volunteers making that possible. There was candy and games and candy and inflatables and candy and lots of fun. The best being that over 100 adults and big kids each night went through the Hell House with 50 or so volunteers making that possible. The best being that 12 people made decisions for Christ over the two nights. The best being, whew, it’s over.             The worst you ask? Clean up! See, all this was inside of our church. The weather had been predicted to be much worse so we moved everything inside. Clean up. What ya doin on a cold Thursday? Chances are someone will be cleaning here and we always like working volunteers J             And another reason it is Terrific Thursday is this. Tammy has agreed to do the