Sons of the Shepherd

 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 the Ache Is More Than Loneliness: Understanding Widow(er)’s Fire       Warning, this blog post  will be incredibly sensitive, personal, and maybe even a little taboo. It’s got a strong PG-13 vibe to it. There are a lot of misconceptions about grief and there are a lot of things that you never think about until the nuclear bomb of loss strikes your soul. Grief is not only emotional and spiritual, it is physical.        There is a reality many widows and widowers experience but rarely talk about in church settings. The reason why is because it is a subject that’s shunned even as a good thing. What is this subject that makes most Christ followers cringe when they hear it in church? Intimacy , sex. Yes, I typed it and don’t regret it. Intimacy, when done right, is beautiful . It’s obedience to God and I honestly believe is a form of worship to Him. But what about the sudden, intense longing for intimacy after the loss of a spouse. Some call ...