Yesterday my wife’s grandma passed away at the age of 92. She was an amazing woman who was full of faith in Christ and who could outwork most of us well into her 80s. That kind of energy and passion always fascinated me when I was around her. She was truly a matriarch of matriarchs and she will be missed by the legacy she leaves behind. We’ll head towards the Spartanburg area tomorrow for the receiving and then the funeral on Tuesday. Please keep all the family in your prayers.

Genesis 1:5b
And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.

Do you ever see something so many times that it starts to blend in with the surroundings? Perhaps you can relate more to watching the same re-runs on TV or the same DVD for the umpteenth time until your mind goes in neutral and the sigts and sounds become a blurry waste of time. Sometimes it is the familiar that holds jewels which can be lost in the common. Recently, I mined a jewel out of the common chapter of Genesis 1. First, though, some background.

Back in 2003, our family lost our mother and brother within 20 days of each other. My mother had a brain aneurysm the Friday night after Thanksgiving and passed away in the early morning hours of December 1. My brother went into the hospital the afternoon that same day, eventually went to be with the Lord on December 21, and we buried him on Christmas Eve. Needless to say, this is typically a hard time of year for us, but this year has been especially tough because, for the first time since they died, the days match the dates, and it can feel like we’re reliving the worst month we ever experienced. Okay, now to the jewel. Continue reading

Got to get up early this morning and run the Turkey Trot in Albemarle with Parker. Before shot, Parker during the run, and Parker crossing the finish are below! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.