by jakeowensby | Sep 1, 2023 | Forgiveness, Matthew 18:15-20, Proper 18 A
On August 27, 2020, Hurricane Laura made landfall in Southwest Louisiana with winds of 150 mph. Those winds still exceeded 100 mph as Laura passed through our home in Central Louisiana and traveled north. At dusk the following day, my wife Joy, our daughter Meredith,...
by jakeowensby | Jun 23, 2023 | Matthew 10:40-42
Mack McCarter envisions a world where “every single child, no matter their age, can be safe and loved.”[1] That vision led him in 1994 to leave traditional congregational ministry in Texas and to found Community Renewal International in his hometown of Shreveport,...
by jakeowensby | Apr 14, 2023 | John 20:19-31
My mother used to say, “You have to take the bad with the good.” When I was disappointed, flabbergasted, outraged, or frustrated, those words never failed to infuriate me. What I heard her saying was, “Calm down.” In retrospect, I’ve come to recognize that she...
by jakeowensby | Jun 17, 2022 | Luke 8:26-39
“How can they do this to me two days in a row!” The hour was late. The line for Delta’s help desk was long. Weather had forced dozens of flight delays and cancellations. The woman behind me was having a very public meltdown, venting her frustration and exhaustion on...
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....
