Serve by Design

Our comedic, number-two son, surprised me this Father's Day with a humorous and candid remembrance from the family past... "'Heads bobbing and weaving!'... you would yell at Matt and me as a signal to start looking for cars as you backed out of a spot in our three-row, 1986 Caprice Wagon. Kids were a precursor to the backup camera in those days. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I ever actually looked for cars as it was just fun to move my head back and forth! Happy Father's Day, Dad!" "Old Blue!" The greeting brought back some fond memories of the old blue station wagon that served as our primary vehicle during the late eighties and nineties. That wagon was our version of the popular people mover of the time, the minivan, and it kept me from ever having to own a real one!  In that social media greeting, Marc had reminded us that "back in the day" we utilized the eyes and ears of four children to keep us out of some vehicul...

Marc is our family gardener! He lives in a climate that allows for two growing seasons and he takes advantage of both. In just four boxes on top of the ground, he grows tomatoes, green beans, melons, squash, radishes, carrots, hot peppers and of course, okra, a Texan's favorite! (Please check out this previous blog article -  http://www.mjkministries.com/2018/08/an-okra-gardener_54.html ) Some could say Marc has a "green thumb!" Yet, you would be mistaken to think that his gardening successes are nothing more than plant, grow and harvest. Marc takes great pains to keep at bay all the weeds and critters that come to share in his bounty! "Tobacco Hornworm" Not a gardener's friend! One pesky intruder turned up with several comrades this season and went to work immediately on any and everything that had a leaf or fruit on it! Especially, the tomato plants! Marc thought at first that this was a tomato herbivore, but after some research, he identified thi...

On numerous occasions during these past months of coping with life-issues in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic, I have been asking this question of friends and acquaintances, "How are you hanging on?" I sense a lot of angst, uncertainty, and agitation in the expressions of many these days. I am learning that empathetic listening is therapeutic for others and for me as well. There are stories that need to be told and we are helped by hearing them and in sharing them. Monique and I ventured out of town recently on a grocery run and to eat "carry out" at one of our favorite haunts. We usually frequent this eatery on Friday evenings, but this time it was midweek. We have only given ourselves permission to do this once before so we are novices concerning the necessary protocols that are involved. We refreshed our preferences by looking at an online menu while out front and then we called in our order. Everything fell in place rather quickly. The order was taken...

I was disappointed this week to see our nation's highest elected leader using the Bible as a prop on national television. It came about during the recent protests over the senseless death of another African American male at the hands of law enforcement officers. The setting for what seemed to be nothing more than a photo-op was the historic St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., one block from the White House. This church has been a place of worship for many American Presidents throughout its 200-year history. An Interacted and Used  Bible! The Bible is the Word of God! It is God's written revelation of Himself and His saving plan for the world. But the Bible is not a prop or a political ploy! A "prop" by definition is a "theatrical property, something to be used for a media production or theatrical play." To use the Bible in this manner or way is a misuse of this blessed and life-changing gift of God. I received a picture and comment...

Dawson, our "sweet and innocent" (usually sweet, but not always innocent! 👱) four-year-old grandson, was recently disciplined by his thirteen-year-old sister, Chloe. She often plays the part of the "mother hen" when charged with childcare duties while her parents are virtually teaching. "Daws" later protested to his mother by explaining, "You won't believe this!  Chloe put me in time out and I really wasn't that naughty!" We love this kid's creative flair for expressing himself! He just may grow up to be a politician... or a preacher! I've seen some televised images of adults at play during these early days of "unofficial summer" who are attempting to finesse their way around the need for social distancing. It appears that after weeks and months of social shutdown, the tidal wave of pent-up anger could not be held back any longer. Bill McKenzie, a local professional therapist, had an interesting interpretation of what...

(These reflections were adapted from what was read at a recent celebration of life service for one of my cherished Texas friends. Regrettably, I was unable to participate in the service due to cautions surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic.)  Monique and I along with our 13-month old son, Matthew, moved to Granbury, Texas in September of 1977. I had already been attending seminary classes in Fort Worth for a month when the opportunity came to serve the First Baptist Church, Granbury as an Associate Pastor of Education/ Outreach. As it would turn out, my office would be adjacent to the work space of the church's secretary, Kitty Best. Our work-day lives would be inextricably connected for the next seven and a half years. Kitty Best June 8, 1929 - May 12, 2020 Although Kitty was the church's only secretary, she was so much more! Today, she would have the title Administrative Assistant. She managed our office and did so without computers, WiFi/ Internet service, or any of...

We have a family member who is the proprietor of a highly specialized and successful business in a major East Coast city. During a recent conversation. he surprised me by remarking, "I don't want to go back to the normal we were in before (the COVID-19 Pandemic)! Let's rebuild something better!" Although admitting that "we shut down our business and let everyone go in the hope of re-hiring whenever we get the green light," he was strongly advocating for change as things slowly begin to reopen in his city. Image compliments of lifehack.org Change is inevitable and becoming our new reality. I've heard many comments in the past weeks that we will not be returning to the "old normal" without substantial medical intervention like a vaccine or antibody therapies. So, what will things look like in the future? What should they look like? We can only speculate that things will be different as we move forward. There are the familiar protocols of ...