Sons of the Shepherd

  The Shepherd Who Meets Us in the Valley       Change.  That one simple word can cause a plethora of different responses from people.  Some of us embrace change, we almost look forward to it.  We might even treat it like a great adventure.  Others fear change, we dread it and it can cause such anxiety and unrest in our lives.  Change for those people can be the bain of their existence. Let's be honest, change can be a good thing.  I am personally grateful that we don't drive Model T Fords, we have air conditioning, indoor plumbing, and wifi versus dial up.  Those changes have advanced our world, but grieving people have an aversion to change.  The reason why we have an aversion to it is because grief, by definition it forces change on our life.  I call it forced change because we didn't vote for it.  We were asked if we wanted it. The death of our person demanded that we face a new, scary world that is filled with la...

When the Evenings Get Darker       My oldest son and I have been going on evening walks in the woods near our home.  These walks have become precious to me because not only am I building up my physical health, but I'm also building a healthier relationship with my teenage son.  I'm constantly amazed that he wants to spend time with his dad.  I know this probably won't last forever, but for the time being I'm going to treasure it.  We started our walk a little later last night then normal.  It didn't seem like a very big deal but after about a mile in I noticed that it was noticeably darker.  It wasn't because of cloud cover, it was simply because we are drawing closer to Fall.  We did finish our walk.  We did 2.25 miles, but the last half mile or so required us to be use a flashlight to navigate our path.  The evening getting shorter is a reminder that Autumn is coming.  My pumpkin spice loving friends are starting to buy ...

  Writing Your Chapter Two So You Want to Date a Widow/Widower       Have you ever purchased a product with a warning label that just made you scratch your head?  I don't adhere to the theory of evolution, but after reading certain warning labels I think we might be devolving.  Let me share with you a few humorous warning labels.  Some hair dryers have a warning label to not use it while you are sleeping. I have never thought the two would be a good combination.  An adult Superman costume says that the costume does not enable flight.  A wheelbarrow has a warning that it should not be used on the highway.  This one caused my brain to create a very unique image.  A chainsaw has a warning to not stop it with your hands (some actually mention other parts of your body, but I'll leave that to your imagination).  But probably one of the silliest is a warning on a  container of peanuts.  It says "warning, contains peanuts."...

 Writing Your Chapter Two The Battle With Purity       One of my favorite movie series of all time is Lord of the Rings.  I could binge watch the trilogy over and over again.  It's the first thing I look for in a long overseas flight.  The only bummer is that they only show the theatrical version, not the extended version (if you know, you know).  If you haven't watch it I recommend that you do that right after reading this blog.  It will be life changing.  One of my favorite scenes is the battle of Helm's Deep.  The rain started to fall through the night as thousands upon thousands of Uruk-hai gathered outside the walls of Helm's Deep.  They were stained with the white hand of Saruman, the white wizard to who betrayed his friends.  The defenders behind the wall were exhausted, outnumbered, and painfully aware that none of them would survive the rising of the sun.  Yet not a single one suggested opening the gates and ...

When Grief Doesn't Change A Story of Dolly Parton       This past week our nation has felt the loss of one of our stars, Dolly Parton.  For nearly six decades Dolly gave the world some of the most catchy tunes.  I vividly remember my grandfather playing her music in their house nestled along the mountain in Pennsylvania.  He also had an old station wagon and he would put in an eight track tape and 'jam' out to her music.  Pap knew every word.  He would belt out to Jolene, he especially loved 9-5 since he was a blue collar worker his whole life, but the one that seemed to get him the most excited was Jolene.  Dolly Parton was the queen of country music, or if you're from my area, the queen of Appalachia.  But she was more than a country music legend.  She was also  a songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist, storyteller, and one of the most recognizable personalities of the last century.  Her fame helped build...