Loving Jesus and His Image-Bearers
Call to ActionThis summer, I had the opportunity to lead my fourth class of rising ninth graders—the Class of 2018—on an eight-day leadership trip to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. This racially diverse group of 24 students represented 7 different schools and 14 different churches here in St. Louis. The amazing journey for our students was a culmination … Continue reading A Life-Changing Journey
This Advent season, I have greatly enjoyed reading Pastor Timothy Keller's book Hidden Christmas, which is based upon his Christmas sermons at the various churches he has led during his ministry. While I have taught on the subject of how fantasy stories and heroes/heroines point to the one true Savior over the years in Sunday … Continue reading Longing for a Savior
My Daddy went home to be with the LORD on Sunday, November 26 at age 90. We celebrated his life today at Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, AL. I have included my Eulogy below. A number of years ago, when we were living in Raleigh, my wife Barbara saw the movie Sweet Home Alabama with … Continue reading A Tribute to My Daddy
How do you define peace? That was the question I asked our 3K -6th grade students in our Veterans Day Chapel this Friday. Calm...Patience...Loving...Kindness...were just some of the many answers I received. While these words may not accurately define peace, I noted how treating others calmly, patiently, lovingly, and kindly as God’s image-bearers would definitely … Continue reading Veterans Day
While our country continues to pray and mourn for the grieving families and their unspeakable loss in the Las Vegas shooting, I encourage you to consider how best to share this tragedy with your children (if age appropriate). Numerous resources are available online that discuss ways to help your child cope with tragedy—from the National Association of School Psychologists to the American Psychological Association: … Continue reading Tips for Talking to Students About Tragedy and Loss
I want to take this opportunity to share with you excerpts from my May 2017 graduation charge to our sixth graders at Central Christian School. Class of 2017… As I reflected on our three 2017 graduate speakers’ essays (A Passion for God, A Love of Truth, and A Zeal to Serve), I couldn't help but … Continue reading Perseverance Despite Adversity
Several years ago when my family was living in the Washington, D.C. area, my son Andrew was assigned a freshman history project that required him to write about several famous quotes on key monuments in the city. One of the monuments Andrew and I visited was the newly built MLK Jr. Memorial. What came as … Continue reading Remembering Dr. King
Across the Christian church today, a number of faithful believers will celebrate Epiphany. But how many will consider the cultural similarities of this holy day to the stories featured in the national film release of Hidden Figures this weekend? To believers in Jesus, one of the most powerful messages of Epiphany is the mercy and … Continue reading Wise Men and Wise Women: Epiphany and Hidden Figures
St. Louis native and Nobel Prize winning author T.S. Eliot once stated, “It is self-evident that St. Louis affected me more deeply than any other environment has ever done.” I, too, can say that the LORD is using St. Louis and its people to affect and change me more than any community I have ever … Continue reading My “New” Title
Several years ago, when my oldest son Andrew turned 13, I made the decision to purchase him a cell phone. Wanting to provide some guidelines for navigating this new world, I came across a wonderful article by Toronto Pastor Tim Challies entitled, "Solomon on Social Media." Building upon Tim's (and King Solomon's!) wisdom and insight, … Continue reading Student Guidelines for Texting and Social Media
