Living Real

If there is any one thing I get to be a part of that I would cry about not being able to continue, it would be the trips to the parking lot in Knoxville, Tennessee with our students to serve homeless people grilled burgers & hot dogs.  Each time we go, we see people we’ve [...]

I can’t say I’m a deeply theological person. My faith is really quite simple. God said it. That’s it. It’s taken a lot of time for me to get to the place where I know what God actually says. That was kinda thwarted by a rocky start in the church of my youth, but I’ve [...]

Anne Jackson, a young woman I’ve mentioned many times before left for the little country of Moldova to learn more about the current situation of sex-trafficking. That’s right, I said “current”. As in, it happens every day, even in 2010. Anne shared a ton of her thoughts — including dealing with her own issues of [...]

I’m certainly not as cool as Jonathan Acuff, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express — no, wait, that’s something else. Today, Jonathan is kind enough to make this humble blog a stop on his “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian? Scorecard” major mega blog post. Of course, when he asked [...]

An excellent post today by Perry Noble tells us how to pray for our pastors. I encourage everyone to read it and pay heed. In a nutshell, and without the explanations, the list is simple. Pray for your pastor’s: Walk with God Integrity Marriage Sanity Health I encourage you to go and read the entire [...]

One thing I find odd about Christmas and Thanksgiving is that people notice hunger and poverty at these times. People who never think about the homeless or poor suddenly do at these times. They even notice that there are people who are doing without sitting beside them at church week in and week out. One [...]

Lots of talk in the “Christian” world about “being accountable” and “holding someone accountable.” I hear it a lot. Not sure I see it much though. I’ve seen it done differently and not done at all – even though it was supposed to be happening. I’ve had “accountability partners” before. Never heard from them.  Huh? Nope. Not once did I [...]

Wow. How much can you pack into one week? My brain is spinning! I left home Monday morning to drive to Little Rock, Arkansas to attend a conference about doing really great things for God’s Kingdom with the resources you have — regardless of how little or how much. I walked around the campus of [...]

Jack and I are so excited! We’re parents again! Okay, not truly parents, but sponsors. Together with our friend Kristina Birkhead, we are now sponsoring four-year-old Judine Pierre. Isn’t she just the most beautiful little girl? She was born on July 2, 2005 and lives with her mother who is sometimes a seller in the [...]

You, my friends and family, are wonderful! So many of you complimented me — some even saying I’m photogenic (those who did should schedule appointments with your optometrists!) After listening to you and looking at the photos myself several times, we have chosen “The Photo” When Ramblings from the Shower: Integrity, Faith, and other Simple [...]

I’ve heard people talk about how children shouldn’t be taken on mission and/or ministry visits with us older folks when we go. I’ve had the joy of seeing my grandson’s life changed because we have invited him to join us on our visits to serve the homeless and poor in Knoxville. He’s seven. He’s also [...]

I am so happy that my daughter-in-law, Tanisha, has started going with us to serve the homeless in Knoxville. The last two times we've gone, she brought Nicholas, our seven-year-old grandson with her. He has had a blast! In September, he was oftentimes right by my side, making sure that the person I was talking to [...]