I played competative kickball for 11 years growing up. From age 7 to 18, I was part of the Little Miss Kickball League in the Tip-O-Tex park of Texas. Trust me, it's a BIG thing in Texas - hundreds of girls in several cities across the state play in these leagues https://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u=LMKII&s=htosports. I didn't just play. I crushed it. For maybe 8 out of the 11 years, I made…

I remember clearly when God told us we were going to adopt Ian.  We were at the Park Place Mall play area. I watched Ellen running around playing. I felt so much love for her and pride. Then I noticed the other kids and how they were so beautiful with all their differences of abilities and skin color and appearances. I felt a strong sense of peace come over…

As I reflect on this year, God seems like he’s after two themes in my life. First is demands: my demands, my kids demands, my husband’s demands, the demands of other people I know. Things I believe I am entitled to: my opinions, my longings, being heard, being understood, other people doing the right thing, people around me doing the considerate thing. But as I demand, consciously and unconsciously,…

Things you may not know about your elderly pastor: I was once arrested for robbing a Circle K convenience store. Fortunately the store clerk said he didn’t think it was me so they released me.  The first time I was ever in an airplane I parachuted out at 12,500 feet. I didn’t get to wear a flight suit because I was too tall and I had to wear a…

The Beginning It all started long ago. Cold, wet, busy, and rushed - the world swam with moving objects next to large machines. Somewhere in the grey city - the Sanctuary stood - beautiful and full of flickering lights. I'm not sure what happened that day, but it happen. Mercy poured out over my soul. It stood, and it cried for me. My heart lived in my throat, and…

Our son, Derek, who lives with us, went to the animal shelter eighteen years ago in order to rescue a couple kittens. The big, beautiful gray and white kitten who ran up and licked his hand when he tried to pet him was a shoo in to come to our home, but so was the tiny frightened black kitty mewling and crying the back corner of the cage. She…

Job, after all his suffering said, “Let the Almighty answer me!” Stephen, as they were about to drag him from the city and stone him, told them, “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the…

Are we going to heaven? I’m pretty sure my wife is. Is she going to see a bright white light when it’s time to go? How long will she be in the portal before it dumps her onto a golden sidewalk or maybe an impossibly white cloud? Will she still have hair? Body fluids and functions? A body??? As a kid, I had a mental image of a horizon…

I was outside with my son just hanging out in our backyard when I spotted a bumble bee on the gravel. The bee was struggling to walk and seemed unable to fly away. It was a sad sight. After a few minutes, the bee was still in the same spot, but seemed to have given up the fight. I picked him up with a leaf and put him on…

I love the band Jars of Clay. My aunt gave me their album If I Left The Zoo when it came out, but I didn’t really listen to it for a couple years. When I did actually listen to it, I loved it. The melodies are catchy, and it was different from any other Christian band I had listened to before. I have listened to everything they’ve done since…

I was going to write about an elaborate metaphor that included me cutting my finger. Instead, I decided to express gratitude to everyone in this amazing community and tell the villagers who I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to much a little bit about me. I have probably the most common name in the USA. John Henry Smith. I was born in Amarillo, TX and grew up on…

The summer of my first grade year, my family moved from Tucson Arizona to Miami Arizona. Miami is small mining town on your way to Roosevelt Lake. Often its residents just refer to it as the arm pit of Arizona, or maybe that’s just the people who lived there once and have managed to escape the small town. For me, living in Miami (or as my little brother used…

My wife is awesome. Friends of mine on Facebook would know that because I often post things that reveal her awesomeness. Sometimes those things are pointing out the funny and quirky things that she does or says. Sometimes those things show the beautiful ways she engages her family and friends. What you may not know is how much she means to me. What you may not know is how…

"My wife told me to stop acting like a flamingo. - So I had to put my foot down." Ryan, Corey, Keith and I went backpacking for 3 days and 2 nights. We enjoyed letting our hair down and being a bunch of goofballs :) I am glad that I didn't get hurt on an old piece of metal that I fell near. I am thankful for the trip…

Old deceptions Whisper and roar across generations and milliseconds; Invisibly thread through heritage and culture; Shrewdly justify judgments and convictions; Subtly inform addictions and missions. Rabbi of lies spins intricate narrative so visceral; How can reality bear out anything else? Words of life Subversively battle power with enduring love and self-sacrifice; Delicately woo from compulsive ruts with created beauty and reflected glory; Gently conquer shame and contempt with grace…