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The unexpected death of Jenny, our firstborn and only daughter, ushered in a period of difficult adjustment for me and my family. And though I certainly believed in heaven, an unusual and instantaneous experience transformed my abstract conceptof heaven into a settled reality. I clearly recall having been discouraged and thinking about her death when without [...] I post this 1999 article today in memory of the 15th anniversary of the death of our daughter, Jenny. And though she has drifted away to a far greater extent than mentioned in the article, I have two great assurances: heaven is real, and I will soon be reunited with her–and her mom! —– There are times [...] I post this article today in memory of my dad, a World War II veteran who was proud of his service. He died in December 2005. —– My dad had two fears: the nursing home and a long-winded speaker at his funeral. He avoided the first; the jury still debates the second. The call from his apartment [...] After 30 months of agonizing preparation, countless prayers and the support of many who stood by me and helped me, I am now in a new house. I am thrilled for the fresh start in a place untainted by difficult memories, many brought on by the death of my mate and companion of 40 years. Unlike [...] I am posting this older article today both in memory and in honor of Allen Etheridge and Paul Harrison, two of my high school classmates (Crossett High School Class of 1963) who gave their lives in Vietnam. May God bless their families today. —– We stood side-by-side, my son and I, gazing at the small photograph on [...] A stone presented a formidable problem that first resurrection morning. Massive and threatening, it blocked the entrance to Jesus’ tomb for the women needing to anoint His body. “Who will move it for us?” they puzzled–but found no answer. When they arrived at the garden, however, astonishment gripped their hearts. The stone had already been set [...] Childhood is incredibly fragile and fleeting. And though its passage can be gauged in finite increments of months and years, parents easily identify with the “first times” which punctuate their memories. Some, such as first words and first steps, are rarely forgotten. Still, a subtle exchange is underway as “first times” are seamlessly displaced by “last [...] “Now you know that Saturday morning is when we go to the lumber company, don’t you? They have gum and candy machines, so we’ll need to take our money.” Thus spoke the young man to his tiny three-day-old son–and our first grandchild. In bygone years, whenever I’d yell, “Let’s go to the lumber company,” Barrett’s response [...] |
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Copyright 2012 James McAlister - All Rights Reserved |
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