Sons of the Shepherd

The Valley When the Shadows Seem Long "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me" Psalm 23:4       The 23rd Psalm is one of the most powerful in the Word.  It's probably one of the first passages that we set to memory.  We love the personal nature of the Psalm.  David, the King, reflects on his days as a shepherd.  He writes these powerful words from the sheep's perspective of the shepherd.  The first three verses are so beautifully written.  They present a peaceful image of still waters, green pastures, and a restored soul.  One might look at the first three verses and come to the conclusion that there is never a moment of stress or worry for the sheep.  But then, at breakneck speed, David leaves the green pastures for the valley of the shadow of death.  I often ask why David would go from one extreme to another.  He goes from a place of tranquil peace to a place...

The Storm: When Emotions Collide “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.”  Psalm 107:28–29       It might sound odd, but I love storms.  Not hurricanes or floods, but I love sitting in my enclosed back porch, watching the rain fall, hearing the sound of thunder, watching the leaves blow.  I am a hopeless romantic because I have always wanted to dance in the rain.  Storms can be so beneficial because they provide rain, can cool temperatures, and show an awesome display of God's power.  Storms can also be destructive.  I remember when a storm assaulted our home in West Virginia.  It destroyed our roof, our power was out for almost two weeks, and we lost all our food in the freezer.  Grief can be a lot like a storm.  It can be gentle, reminding us of the beautiful things about our loved one. To the surprise of...

  When Decades  Become Days With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day 2nd Peter 3:8       I distinctly remember August 14th, 2010.  It was my wedding day.  Since I was five years old, I dreamed of becoming a husband and a father.  I know that might sound quite unusual.  Most boys at that age wanted to be Power Rangers or Ninja Turtles or firefighters; meanwhile, I wanted to get married.  I was born a hopeless romantic.  I created a paper chain when Tif and I hammered out the day.  With each passing day, I would tear off one piece of the chain, and as the chain became shorter, my excitement started to grow.  I stood at the front of the church that day.  I cried watching her come down the aisle.  I didn't just see a woman, I saw decades, I saw my future.  Those decades were before us like a winding road through mountains and valleys, full of promises, dreams, and plans. ...

  When You Can Hear A Picture The memory of the righteous is a blessing ~ Proverbs 10:7       In the weeks after my wife passed away, I sat in a chair clinging to a black and white photo from our wedding day. We didn't have many pictures from our wedding. We hired a photographer, but we could never afford to get the pictures framed and hung. We had one single picture. Tif got sick shortly after we moved, and I never had a chance to hang it. Instead, it sat between my chair and her dresser. I would pick the picture up, bitterly crying. To this day, you can see the tear stains on the glass. Pictures can be a two-edged sword for a person who has lost their spouse. They can cause us to wrestle with a variety of different emotions. Sometimes those pictures can bring comfort, like a reminder that love never dies. You look at pictures from vacations, birthday parties, Christmas, random funny selfies taken with your spouse, foods that you shared, dates that you went on, and ...

  Navigating Life through the Fog "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" Psalm 119:105       I remember the night of January 24th, 2024, well.  It was our son's 12th birthday.  My wife hadn't been feeling very well; a matter of fact, her condition was getting dramatically worse with each passing day.  She wasn't able to celebrate his birthday, so I let my oldest son pick his favorite place to celebrate.  Little did I realize that this would be a foreboding image of things in the future.  I came home after church to find my wife struggling to breathe.  Her oxygen level was in the mid 80s, which brought us straight to the local hospital.  A few tests later, she was being transported to a major hospital in our area because of how dire her situation was.  I came home to get her things, not knowing what the future held.  It was about one in the morning.  I drove in a daze, praying, panicking,  and ple...

When Happily Ever After  isn't very Happy  "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18        My wife and I enjoyed fourteen wonderful years together. They were almost fairytale-like at times. During the Spring of 2023, we were offered a position to become the director and assistant director of our dream ministry. We would be returning home to reach thousands of children with the Gospel. For my wife, this was an especially big deal because she felt adrift. She had been trying to get a job but wasn't able to find the right fit. Plus, the ministry that we would be joining was her first love in ministry. It was the place where she surrendered her heart to full-time Christian service, and it was also the place where we fell in love. Everything was great, until it wasn't. It started with a cough that didn't get better. A trip to the ER landed us in the hospital, only to find out she had an advanced stage four ...