One of the highlights of my summer every year for the last decade and change has been joining young people from around the country to serve the folks in various communities with an organization called Mission Serve. “Mission Serve seeks to strengthen neighborhoods by partnering with organizations and empowering individuals to address physical, spiritual, and emotional needs through volunteerism...
Keep Calm; We’ll Figure It Out
I’m not sure who Murphy is, and I don’t know if he discovered the “law” associated with his name, but I have experienced it many times over in my life. The popular statement of Murphy’s Law is “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” In many ways, this principle strikes me as being a bit too pessimistic and fatalistic, but my own life experience, some of it extremely recent, leads me to...
Talking About Practice
Hall of fame basketball player, Allen Iverson, provided what may be one of the more memorable press conferences ever during his storied career. The focus of said press conference was not anything he had done on the court, but his alleged absences from practices during the season. At least 13 times in the course of answering questions, Mr. Iverson states, “We’re talking about practice,” in an...
Graduation Garb: Moving Beyond the Ceremonial to the Practical
Yet another school year is drawing to a close and with it comes graduation season. Over the next few weeks family, friends, teachers, and honored graduates will file into hot, stuffy gyms or out into the elements in athletic stadiums to celebrate the completion of various stages of academic journeys. Invariably, the graduates will be decked out in caps and gowns. In many instances, the...
From the Garden to the Pantry (The Struggle Continues)
When our kids were little, they usually accompanied us to youth group on Sunday evenings. It was common for students or adults who were present to scoop them up and walk off with them, so it wasn’t too concerning if we lost track of one of them for a while. One Sunday evening, however, the duration between sightings of my 18 month old son exceeded the length with which I was comfortable. I...
A Spoonful of Sugar: Making the Bitter Medicine of Life Better
Last week, the Seymour High School Varsity Chorale performed their yearly musical, Mary Poppins. It was amazing to be in a theater with other people enjoying a live performance. Honestly, I probably would have enjoyed a novice oboe player squeaking their way through scales just for the small joy of a live concert experience. The musical fare, however, was anything but basic. It was exceptional...
Strength for the Struggle: Waiting on a Breakthrough
A new worship song was released a few weeks ago that has been running on repeat on my Spotify account. The title of the song is Wait On You. It is a collaboration between Maverick City Music and Elevation Worship. The song is a masterful mix of musical styles, bringing together the best of African American church choirs, modern contemporary worship bands, and the basic truth of Scripture. The...
The Picture of a Sermon
I don’t remember how old I was when I was no longer eligible for our Sunday morning Children’s Church program, but I do remember that once I was regularly in the sanctuary, I was looking for something to occupy myself during the service. I tried to pay attention, but when you’re young, your attention span is much like your wallet; full of pretend currency and a little loose change. The struggle...
Smiles Are Free: Spread a Little Joy
I don’t often pay much attention to menus at fast food restaurants. I am a creature of habit and am quite content ordering the same thing every time I frequent a familiar establishment. If I do look at the menu, it is often just a quick glance to confirm that my preferred culinary delicacies are still available before I order. Most of us are all too aware that the term “fast food” is somewhat of...
Walk With Her A While
There is a newly minted adult in the Myers house as of this week. According to the U.S. government, my little girl is now a grown adult. I realize that age is just a number and that nothing functionally changes in our lives due to the passing of this chronological signpost. It does, however, have meaning. It is important. And, if I’m being honest, this just hits a little different. Beyond gaining...
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