I wandered back through my grandmother’s house toward the far end of the hallway, away from the laughter and chatter coming from the kitchen where the women in our family had gathered to prepare one of their legendary meals. Southern women have a way of feeding grief with casseroles, pies, and sweet tea. It’s holy work, really. Nobody said it out loud, but we all knew this would likely be the last time the family gathered around that flawlessly preserved old solid-cherry dini

IF I SPEAK with flawless radio calls and polished announcements, with the confidence of captains and the precision of controllers, but don’t love, I’m nothing but worn-out aircraft brakes— screeching, smoking, and failing to stop the plane. If I know every manual, every procedure, every system and code, if I can read the weather, anticipate turbulence, and even believe with absolute certainty that a grounded aircraft will somehow be cleared to fly, but I don’t love, I’m nothi

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the crushed in spirit.” ~ Psalm 34:18 There are seasons when strength feels like a rumor; something other people talk about, something you once knew but can’t quite remember how to reach. In those moments, the heart doesn’t merely ache; it breaks. The spirit doesn’t just bend; it feels crushed under the weight of grief, regret, disappointment, exhaustion. Don’t make the mistake of rushing past that reality. God doesn’t tell us

“God’s healing is so perfect it doesn’t matter what happens; we are His forever.” I walked out of that hospital room carrying more than concern. A friend I care about deeply was facing a life-and-death situation, and the weight of it followed me home. So I did what I’ve learned to do—pray. And then I stopped. Mid-sentence. Frozen. I suddenly felt very small. What do I really know about why this is happening? What words could I possibly offer that wouldn’t fall short? Worse ye

“It's wiser to do small things with great love than great things with little love.” Many of life's richest moments don’t arrive with fanfare. There’s no drumroll, no spotlight, no standing ovation. They slip in quietly—between sips of coffee, in the hallway on the way out the door, or in a text message sent when you almost didn’t bother. They live in the small spaces. They come from the heart. A kind word offered when someone clearly expects criticism. A helping hand

IF YOU ARE TROUBLED today, or quietly suspect that your life has wandered off-script, you are not alone. Not even a little. If your “beautiful story” currently feels more like a rough draft with coffee stains and crossed-out paragraphs, friend, welcome to the club. But here is the steady truth: you are in the presence of One who cares for you personally. Not as a statistic. Not as a name on a long celestial mailing list. But as you. Yes, you with your questions, your fatigue,

On Parents and Children I’ve learned something over the years, something that doesn’t show up on a checklist, and certainly not in any operations manual. You can teach your children. You can show them how to live, how to decide, how to act, what to say.You can repeat yourself—sometimes more than you planned to, and sometimes more than they wanted to hear. (And yes, they did hear you, even when they perfected the fine art of selective listening.) You can model patience.You can

Shelter in The Shadow Psalm 91:9–11: "If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go.” WE KNOW we are vulnerable. On the high-speed highways, or every time we leave our houses and venture out into stores, parking lots, or wherever, we are open to harm. We hear the news, and we know life is capricious. We long for certainty of pro

The Ultimate Protection Psalm 34:19 ~ “Good people do not escape all troubles—they have them too. But the Lord helps them in each and every one. God even protects them from accidents.” I smiled at them as I listened with my grandchildren during their bedtime storybook readings. One book titled, “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt (and we’re not afraid!) illustrated the young characters setting out to find a bear. Along the way they encountered a series of difficult problem situations

TO BE CHOSEN—it’s more than just being picked; it’s to be seen, known, and set apart for a purpose. We often think of being chosen in the context of careers or achievements, those moments when we’re selected because we were the most qualified or the most fitting. But the truth is, the idea of being chosen runs far deeper than a job title or a position. Do you remember those schoolyard days when being picked first for a team felt like the greatest honor? It wasn’t just about s

STILL PADDLING Over the years, couples have asked us, “What’s the secret to a long and happy marriage?” We usually do what seasoned professionals do in moments of high risk—we stall. We look at each other… wait a beat… maybe two… hoping the other one will answer and take the fall. Eventually, one of us shrugs and offers something safely vague, like, “Well… communication,” which sounds wise but covers a multitude of daily negotiations. Truth is, giving specific marriage advice

WHEN THE MEANING FINDS YOU “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13 I recently...

Romans 14:8 (MSG): "What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the...

Yesterday was Father’s Day. Three days removed from surgery, I was still a little foggy and somewhere between anesthesia and reality. My body felt like it had been through a minor aviation incident… the kind where everything technically lands safely, But you still sit there afterward thinking, “Well… that got my attention.” And then there’s the arm. One working, one down for maintenance. Turns out, you don’t realize how much you need two arms until one files for early retirem

Three decades ago, the Stephen Covey Institute found its way into my world through Six Sigma training—back when my calendar was full and my coffee was stronger than my opinions. Their foundation rested on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a book that’s been read by millions and, more importantly, actually lived out by a few. And here’s what I’ve noticed over the years: human nature hasn’t changed one bit. We just have better gadgets to display it. In business, we aim f

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution photographer once captured a moment that, in my family, might as well hang in the Smithsonian. There’s my dad—pre-dad days—blocking third base at Spiller Field (Ponce de Leon Park), glove stretched, dignity, um, negotiable. The runner made it. Dad didn’t. The next day, the photo ran it in the paper. The photographer even tracked him down and handed him an 8x10 print. That picture still sits among my most treasured possessions. Clearly not becau

Joy: Love’s Invincible Bodyguard One day, my grandmother asked me to visit her in the hospital. Her life was gently slipping away, and she wanted to give me personal instructions for her funeral. With a firm voice, she insisted I read Psalm 34 aloud—especially two verses. The first was her declaration:“No matter what happens, I will bless the Lord. His praise will remain in my mouth continually.” The second, a command to us all:“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” At the ti

Whenever I am out-and-about in public venues, I look to make someone smile or laugh, and show them I "see" them. If I can make someone's...

On New Year’s Resolutions: WHETHER WE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, whether we know it or not, we are all, each, and as a group, living out a...

I'M THANKFUL FOR LAUGHTER and most of all friends who've shared it with me over the years. There's something timeless about that kind of joy — It's music, it's deeply healing; it's human — and it brings us closer than words ever could. I'm drawn to people who laugh well and often. But I sometimes treasure the peace of quiet moments, solitude, like drifting off by the fire. With any luck, tomorrow will bring more laughter. __________________________________ Copyright January 2