Such much has been transpiring in my life that I've fallen a bit behind on my posts. I just returned from a week long mission trip to Joplin, MO. As you probably know, an EF5 tornado tore through that community 11 months ago destroying approximately 1/3 of the city. We arrived to find most of the destroyed buildings and homes cleared but nominal construction being done to replacing the 8000 structures demolished by the tornado. We found both the members of First UMC Joplin (who provided us a place to sleep, eat, and shower) and residents of the community gracious, appreciative, and eager to tell their stories. Everyone had a story to tell about what they were doing when the tornado hit and how it affected them and their loved ones. We spent the bulk of our time in Joplin working on a house to make it livable for the owner who lost her original home in the disaster. One day was spent clearing a lot of felled trees (lots of chain sawing and moving timber and brush from one place to another). I was moved both by the incredible loss this community has suffered and by the profound response of faith I witnessed from its residents. I continue to meet off and on with the staff of First UMC Denton for staff and worship planning as I continue this transitional phase to my new appointment as of July. My wife and I plan to travel to Utah for a week, so I can study and renew before I move to Denton. My last Sunday at First Lewisville is June 17th and I look forward to celebrating communion together with my church family as a way to say goodbye. For me the most difficult part of being an appointed pastor is the goodbyes which seem to come much too often. Blessings, Don

Lawnmower Man

I’ve been mowing my lawn ever since my lawn guy, one of our former youth headed off to A & M. I could hire someone to mow it for me but I’m kind of cheap and I originally hired Josh to mow as much to support him as to save myself the work. Well, I was mowing the other day and noticed that I seemed to be hitting a few more rocks and tree roots then normal. That should have been the first indication that something was off but I kept mowing until I sheered off one of my sprinkler heads. Apparently some time between the last mowing and my mower’s odd behavior the height adjustment on my mower had reset itself. I was able to raise the height back up but the damage had been done. The blade is chewed up and I’ve had to replace the sprinkler head I decapitated. Perhaps it’s not the best analogy but I got to thinking about the Easter event and how it changes everything for us. Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection redefines our relationship with God and our relationship with the world. It has not only reconciled us with God, it should radically transform the way we relate to the world.  It creates a new normal where we can no longer keep the status quo. Suddenly everything is filtered through God’s priorities and Kingdom agenda. To live as if the mower that is my life has not changed, is a denial of my Christian identity. Further, to operate my life as if nothing has changed can only undermine and even damage to my relationship with God as well as my sense of peace. And perhaps here’s where the analogy totally breaks down. Unlike a lawn mower that can simply be readjusted back to its original settings, I can never go back to who I was before.