JONATHAN C DOW
What's Mine is Yours
Last Fall, a good friend and I embarked on an 8-hour road trip to Michigan. The long journey allowed for deep conversation with this young man who is like a son in the faith to me. As the miles passed and the fuel gauge began to creep towards "E," we stopped at a Pilot to refuel. Enjoying the opportunity to stretch and feeling a little . . .
Posted in: #assurance#hope
Skipped
Recently, when I discovered that the majority of my choir members would be out of town on a particular Sunday, I decided to sing a solo for the special music selection. Having sensed some direction based on the theme our pastor had chosen, I picked a song that authentically expressed what God has been freshly doing in my heart.
. . .Finding Forky
Calling people "up" instead of "out"
Wanting to escape the relentless summer heat, my wife and I decided to set aside our normal Saturday chores to go to a local movie theater. Appreciating the clever story-telling of the previous three films, we decided to see Toy Story 4.
Though we enjoyed the movie, I left the theater with an unresolved heaviness that I had not . . .
Missed the Bus?
Growing up in a small town seven miles north of our public school campus meant that we had to catch the bus quite early in the morning. Because the high school started first, my sister was usually at the bus stop around 6:15 am. About a half hour later, I would join the other middle schoolers in my neighborhood to wait for our turn on #49.
. . .Posted in: #assurance#guidance#hope
I'd Never Forget You - Never
I am blessed to have awesome siblings by blood and by marriage. Being the rebel who moved south 20 years ago, I missed out on the laborious tasks they all undertook as our mom transitioned from Pennsylvania to Maine, back to PA, then back to Maine, to now residing in a beautiful care facility on an oceanic waterway. Going through the . . .
Posted in: #assurance#grief#healing
Tagged
You are More than You Know
Recently my wife, oldest daughter, and I went to an evening big-band dance in downtown Nashville. To celebrate the occasion, we took a selfie to post on Facebook. As I scanned the post to proofread it, I noticed that the app had automatically tagged my wife and my daughter in the photograph. It also tagged me... but, as someone else!
My . . .
Posted in: #assurance#identityinchrist#technology
The Closure of No Closure
One recent Sunday, our pastor preached from Deuteronomy 34. Preparing us for impending pastoral change, he invited us to embrace the journey to the Promised Land knowing that God's unwavering faithfulness will carry us through the pervasive uncertainty of leadership transition. As he read the passage, my heart became snagged . . .
Posted in: #assurance#grief#healing#peace