Extra, Extra! Read all about it!

Believe it or not—I’m an engaged man. Saturday afternoon my girlfriend Tamara said yes and became my fiancée.

OK, I know some of you want the details, so here goes. Friday evening we enjoyed a romantic candlelight dinner (cooked by yours truly) at my apartment (which took many days to clean), and then we went to a musical at the civic center. Saturday we hiked up Bald Eagle Mountain (a large hill outside Ovalo, a town near Tuscola) and had a picnic at a scenic overlook. After we had eaten, I reached into my bag to get desert and pulled out a diamond ring. Tamara was shocked at first and then found the composure to answer the question, thereby committing to the daunting task of de-bachelorizing the only single man left of my parents’ three sons. Friday evening, after taking time to call home, rest, and freshen up, we celebrated with dinner at Perini Ranch Steakhouse (at the edge of Buffalo Gap, another little town south of Abilene).

Now I periodically find myself leaping into the air, clapping my hands, and singing “Hallelujah!”

Halloween Spooks

Here's a little something I submitted to a local newspaper. Enjoy the read, and feel free to let me know any reactions you may have.

Halloween is a day we’re raised to love. Costumes, candy, caramel apples, witches, monsters, ghosts, goblins, carnivals, haunted houses, jack-o-lanterns, scary stories—it’s enough to make children (and adults) go wild.

I can still remember my first trick-or-treating experience. My older brother and I walked from house to house on our block, knocked on each door, shouted “Trick or Treat!” and filled our pails with tons of delicious loot.

While my childhood Halloween memories are enjoyable and tasty, I gradually grew up and learned the true meaning of Halloween. It’s a holiday of evil.

Not everyone celebrates Halloween for evil, just like not everyone celebrates Christmas for Jesus; and while Halloween is close to a couple of other holidays intended to be Christian events, the core of Halloween is clearly non-Christian.

Throughout our society, in big cities and small towns, in cemeteries, under bridges, in forests, and in private homes, people gather to make sacrifices, drink blood, participate in black magic (not that there’s any such thing as “white magic”), and worship the devil.

Now, this may sound strong to some of us because we don’t see it happen. It’s done in hiding. But those of us who have seen this kind of darkness know the frightful reality that we prefer to make fun of with costumes and candy.

By now you should be able to understand when I say that October 31 is my least favorite day of the year. It genuinely scares me.

But as this dark day nears, I am reminded of the darkness Jesus faced in those frightful days of his persecution and crucifixion; and I’m encouraged by the way he dealt with that evil.

Jesus did not run and hide, nor did he pretend the evil did not exist. No, he confronted wickedness head-on. He stood his ground while Satan’s ambassadors beat him and insulted him and nailed him to a cross. He met evil with divine courage. He maintained control of the situation. Finally, he was raised from the grave, conquering death and defeating evil.

And it thrills me that I get to preach his resurrection this Halloween morning. Jesus died for you and me, but he didn’t stay dead. He was the Light that broke the darkness.

That same Light lives and works in me and in everyone else who follows him, and that is how I survive October 31.

Back After Long Delay

Starting a new job and a new semester can be quite exciting and busy. The ministry in Tuscola is going well--even better than expected. In addition to the work there, I'm also teaching one communication class at ACU and taking a graduate Hebrew class.

My work in Tuscola has included preaching, teaching, visitation (with church members and others in the community, at their homes, at businesses, and at hospitals), planning and leading events (like the men's breakfast last Saturday), and serving the community in various ways (like giving food and diapers to a family in need).

A few weeks ago I was privileged to attend my first Lions Club meeting. The South Taylor County Lions Club meets two Thursdays each month, and one of our church members who's a member of the club invited me to accompany him to a meeting. I was afraid that I would be the only young person there; rumors had told me that the Lions Club was a group of "old people" who collected used eyeglasses. Well, many of the club members at the meeting were much older than I, and they do indeed collect used eyeglasses. But I was pleased to meet some people close to my age, and I learned about all sorts of service the Lions are involved in--both in town and around the world. I got to meet the Lions Club District Governor (who happened to be the guest speaker that night), the Tuscola mayor, and many other fascinating people. Furthermore, the food was delicious--catered by The Homeplace, a beloved home style restaurant just outside of Tuscola.

This Saturday I cooked breakfast for the men of the church. They were quite impressed. But it wouldn't have taken much to impress them; just seeing a man cooking could've been enough to shock them. I cooked breakfast burritos--scrambled eggs with potatoes and sausage and fresh, warm tortillas from La Popular (the best tortillas in Abilene). We spiced them up with picante sauce (hot for the real men, and medium for the others), and washed it all down with coffee, orange juice, and milk. Then we followed the breakfast with a meeting to discuss various church concerns.

Preaching and teaching are still going well (with some ups and downs, of course). I have slowly gotten back into the swing of regular public speaking, and God has been using me beyond my expectations. Since beginning full-time ministry with the church, we have completed Bible class series on the Psalms and Ephesians, and I am now leading a series on baptism (a topic requested by some of the members). My current sermon series is on the Fourth Gospel and is entitled "John: Love in Action." We're almost finished with the series, and it has been a transformative experience for all of us. The next sermon series will be "1 Corinthians: Realistic Righteousness."

My parents visited us in Abilene a couple of weeks ago. The six of us (Mama, Daddy, Mark, Kendra, Tamara, and I) ate together at The Homeplace that Saturday evening, and then my parents joined Tamara, Gemma (her roommate), Josh (my roommate), me, and the rest of the Tuscola Church of Christ for worship Sunday morning.

Please pray for the ministry in Tuscola and the rest of South Taylor County. Pray specifically for unity among the churches and for my role in that unity.

Please also keep Bobbie (my sister-in-law) in your prayers. She recently had shoulder surgery and is recuperating.

I have been sick the last few days with congestion, sore throat, and occasional fever, so pray for me too.

And in addition to these requests, let’s thank God for the ministry in Tuscola and for all my family and friends who support me.