Sons of the Shepherd

FOUR CALLING BIRDS Voices that Call You Back to Life   “Deep calls unto deep…” — Psalm 42:7       By now I'm sure that some of you are wondering what kind of Christmas list the writer is coming up with.  Imagine sitting on Santa's lap and a little child saying "I want four calling birds."  I remember joking in the past that the person giving him gifts doesn't seem to be much of a true love if they keep giving away birds, unless of course they are a bird lover.  It’s an unusual gift, unless you’ve ever gone through grief—because grief makes even the most familiar world feel silent.  The silence after loss is louder then any earthly scream.  The Christmas season is especially silent for the person grieving.  The reason why is because Christmas is a loud season full of songs, bell ringers, greeting friends, parties, hearing sermons, watching old Christmas movies, etc.  But what was  once filled with noise now feels muted....

  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...