In one of the Songs of Ascent found in the book of Psalms you find these words: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad” (126:3). As we all reflect on our lives I think we could all make this statement. Understanding we have all had varying degrees of blessings throughout our lives, we have all experienced the goodness of God in one way or another.

You might recall the story of young David who went to visit his brothers on the battlefield. His father sent him to check on his older siblings and deliver a gift package to them. When he arrived he became enthralled by the scene of the standoff and enraged by the audacity of a giant that would taunt the God he loved and served. While everyone else stood trembling at the proposition of facing a large warrior giant, David was willing to gladly accept the challenge (1 Samuel 17:17-29).

A few years back two of my daughters started running cross-country. Prior to their new interest in the sport I had very little experience with it. I had known people who did it and at that time I had run a few 5Ks and half-marathons, but had never been to a cross-country meet. If you have never attended a high school cross country meet then you should do yourself a favor and go see the spectacle at least once. One of the more famous locations for such events is just outside of Moulton at the Oakville Indian Mounds near the home place of Jesse Owens. Several of our local schools have individuals or teams who have qualified to run in the state meet this coming Saturday at that very location.

Suicide is not your typical bulletin article material. It doesn’t get a lot of attention by the church most of the time. I assume that is mainly because it is an uncomfortable topic and one that has not been without controversy. Yet, suicide is not a new concept. It was around during Bible times. The most notable people in Scripture are Judas (Matthew 27:5), Saul, and Saul’s armor bearer (1 Samuel 31:3-6). There are other individuals who suicided: Zimri (1 Kings 16:18), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), and even Samson (it is not your typical story you think of, but by definition he did in the process of bringing down the Philistines according to Judges 16:29-31).

Paul admonishes the church in Philippi to “rejoice in the Lord always.” For good measure he adds, “...and again I will say, ‘Rejoice!’” (4:4). What makes his encouragement so much more interesting is knowing that he was writing this, and several other books, from imprisonment. Paul’s imprisonments ranged from shackles and chains inside an inner prison (Acts 16:24) to a more relaxed house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:1-31). However, even being under a relaxed house could have a miserable effect. I hate when I am sick for an extended period of time and I’m forced to stay in one room or only in the house. That can take a toll on your body and your mind. Yet, in Philippians, Paul writes more about joy than any other place. He also informs us of the things in which he rejoiced that we can all find joy in as well.

It’s been a lot of years. 26 of them to be exact. 26 years since my world as a young college student was turned upside down. 26 years since I was the most confused that a young person could be.

As the weather begins to cool I find myself looking forward to the days that I will be walking into the woods on a dark morning to watch the sun rise and the woods come to life. I love the outdoors but I’m not typically that far off the grid. We don’t really have as many places in our area to get off the grid as they do in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Canada, and other places across the globe. In some of those places, you can be hours or even days away from help if tragedy were to strike. In watching, reading, and listening to survival stories it always seems that way too often people find themselves without the essential tools and resources they need when tragedy does strike. They failed to pack enough water or food, forgot to let people know where they were going, and didn’t realize that they left their phone laying on seat of their car...hours away from where they currently find themselves.

I’m not sure why we even have to say it but…

I am opposed to hate filled violence…

It seems like the summer has just flown by. One minute Destin was graduating in May and the next, we are back at the daily grind of getting kids up and ready for school and doing extracurricular activities after school. Summer breaks are always good but they don't seem to last quite long enough.

It seemed like I blinked and the summer was halfway over. June came in like a blast and seemed to be gone as quickly as it got here. Kenya and the kids spent a little over a week helping with a VBS in Munford. I joined for part of a weekend.