Dooley

Though making an annual trip to St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., admittedly causes a certain amount of anxiety, there is no greater feeling than hearing that my son remains cancer free after a decade since being treated for leukemia. We praise the Lord each year after learning that his scans are clear, just as we did all those years ago when we first heard the word remission.

​This trip felt different though, because of our visit with a beautiful little girl from our city who is just beginning the same journey we traveled back then. Her parents were strong and optimistic, but their tired eyes told on them. When we walked into that little hospital room, I immediately felt the same fears and anxieties that plagued me on the day cancer rocked our world for the first time.

I still remember the musky smell of the room. Cartoon characters decorated wood paneled walls and bundles of children’s books were on both sides of our chairs as we braced for the worst. When the doctor walked in, her facial expression communicated great concern. Bracing for the worst, I knew deep down that whatever came next would not be good. “I wish I had better news,” said the doctor, “but I believe your son has leukemia.” [Read more…]

January is the month for setting new goals and creating change in our life. However, a recent study shows that 80% (abc.columbia.com) of people who start, disregard those good intentions by February.

Excuses pile up and you’re back where you started. Reasons for abandoning these new goals may be “you’re too busy,” “you don’t have time to add one other item to your ‘to-do’ list,” “the weather is too hot or too cold,” or “I’ll start tomorrow.”

Members in our congregations will agree: keeping them is the problem. And I’ve heard this statement several times. “The only promise I ever make– is to ‘not’ make promises or vows!”

Several years ago on a cold January day, I visited my paternal grandmother who was at least 97 years at the time. Her hair was rolled up in those plastic pink curlers that were popular at the time. I could tell she had plans for the evening. So, I asked, “Grandmother, are you going out for the evening?”

Immediately, she gave me a sly grin and said, “Yes, there is a service at my church tonight and I’m going! Someone is picking me up.” [Read more…]

Vittorio Ristorante & Pizzeria was a quaint, family-owned neighborhood eatery tucked just off Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. When my wife and I visit Los Angeles to see our daughter, our trip wasn’t complete without a visit to Vittorio’s. The garlic rolls were divine, the pizzas a culinary masterpiece—and I can taste the chicken parmesan just thinking about it.

I said it was a quaint place, and indeed it was. Vittorio, Park Lane Cleaner, Knoll’s Pharmacy, Ronny’s Market, and Palisades Animal Clinic are all gone now, connecting businesses burned to rubble when fire destroyed 85% of the city’s residential and business community.

We found Vittorio’s when we took our daughter to college in fall 2021. We had five days to explore LA before freshman orientation began and visited the shops of Rodeo Drive, the Farmers Market, the Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Walk of Fame, the iconic Mann’s Chinese Theatre, the Getty Villa, Santa Monica Pier, Malibu, and more.

Vittorio’s was never convenient but always worth the effort. Unfortunately, the community in which it was nestled now resembles a bombed-out wasteland. Watching the news, seeing raging fires consuming places we’d come to love, feels surreal. The destruction feels deeply personal. All I can offer the people of Los Angeles from 2,000 miles away are my prayers, and my lament. [Read more…]

I flunked out of accounting 40 years ago, and that’s how I became the new editor of the Baptist and Reflector.

I should explain.

I enrolled at Ouachita Baptist University to study accounting. I wanted to be rich, and I figured accounting was my best shot. I mean, accountants deal in money, so they must all be rich, right? However, apparently one must actually pass accounting to eventually get to any money.

So, after three semesters I scooped up my 1.4 GPA, dropped out of college and joined the Naval Reserves, but determined to eventually get back to – and through — my beloved OBU. I endured boot camp then worked on F-14 Tomcat ejection seats. I spent weekends atop $40 million fighter jets wiring seat explosives and thinking, “These people would never let me anywhere near these planes if they really knew how mechanically inept I am.”

Hey, score high enough on the ASVAB and you too can handle explosives!

I returned to OBU the following fall, this time as a journalism major and my eyes lit up when I saw my first assignment was to create a game story from a baseball box score. Box scores had been my second language since third grade. [Read more…]

Dooley

Should Christians make New Year’s resolutions? While no such biblical requirement is explicit, Scripture does admonish us to contemplate our lives and commit them to the Lord (Prov 16:9). We are told to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2) and to put our immoralities to death (Col. 3:5) while pursuing compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Col. 3:12). Admittedly, none of these aims are date specific, but adopting any of God’s commandments is always a good place to start for those eager to improve the overall quality of their lives. 

We should acknowledge, however, that many of our new commitments can quickly fall by the wayside. Research out of the University of Minnesota suggests that 80 percent of our resolutions don’t survive past Valentine’s Day. Our aspirational lists include goals of exercising more, getting organized, and being a better friend. We dream of gaining more knowledge, worrying less, and living each day to the fullest. Practical ambitions like shedding a few pounds, saving money, and career success also woo us. Christians often envision sharing their faith, reading their Bibles, and spending daily time in prayer. Yet, for most these milestones won’t become a reality.

So why do so many of us fail? And what can we do about it? Though a single explanation may not exist, over the years I have come to believe that unrealistic expectations and goals derail even the best of intentions. Generally, we overestimate what we can accomplish in one year and we underestimate what we can achieve in five years. So, instead of transforming yourself into a giant in the field of your interest, focus instead on the long game of slower but lasting transformation. [Read more…]

Dawson

As I began mulling over the words that I would write for this column, I started thinking about all the things that I could say about Lonnie Wilkey, my boss. But after thinking it over, I determined this space would be better served if I discussed Lonnie Wilkey, my friend. 

Certainly, it would be easy enough to tell you about what a great and extremely easy-to-work-for editor Lonnie has been during my seven-plus years with the Baptist and Reflector. But for today’s purposes, I think I’d rather discuss the deep connection that he and I have shared. 

At first glance, the friendship between Lonnie and me might seem unlikely. The two of us have quite a few opposing preferences, including our vastly-contrasting sleep patterns. (I like to stay up relatively late; he likes to get up super early). And yet, not only have we made this partnership work, we have thrived together. We have formed our own little 1-2 punch, complementing each other in a symbiotic fashion since I came on staff at the Tennessee Mission Board in the summer of 2017.  [Read more…]

Evans

Grief is an emotion that everyone experiences. Grief is often a reaction to the loss of a loved one, but grief can also be a reaction to other types of loss as well (employment, stable housing, security, close family and friends due to relocation, abilities due to a decline in physical health or cognitive functioning, etc.). 

The central theme to grief is loss. Grief often includes emotions such as disbelief, heartache, sadness, despair, guilt, fear, confusion, anger and longing for what life might have been had they not experienced the loss. But amid grief, individuals can also experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The latter may be harder to feel, but because of the Holy Spirit these are just as present in our grief. 

Jesus demonstrated grief when He wept over the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35).  [Read more…]