by jakeowensby | May 6, 2022 | Psalm 23
He was pointing a pistol at her. I stepped in between him and my mom. The gun was now aimed at me. I calmly told my father, “Don’t kill my mother.” I was ten years old. As I look back on that night from the distance of more than five decades, I’m still sort of...
by jakeowensby | Apr 29, 2022 | John 21:1-19
When my mom and I were living in a car, I never had the sense that we were doomed. In part, that’s because my mom simply emanated hope. That woman never gave up. Ever. What I learned from her is that hope is what keeps us going even when the odds are not in our favor....
by jakeowensby | Apr 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
Gracie was sniffing the air in our backyard while Joy and I were finishing breakfast. We could see her through the large windows stretching across the rear wall of our house. As we watched, Gracie picked up her ball, trotted to the window, placed the ball on the...
by jakeowensby | Mar 25, 2022 | Luke 15:1-3 & 11b-32
After returning from Afghanistan and spending a couple of more years serving at Camp Pendleton, our oldest son Andrew got his discharge papers. He started his transition to civilian life in our home. Both of his younger siblings were still living with us at the time....
by jakeowensby | Mar 4, 2022 | Luke 4:1-13
The heart wants what the heart wants. And what the heart wants is something that will make us know that we are loved right down to our toes. People tell me this all the time, even if not in so many words. One morning a young woman called me up. On the phone she said...
