I love the movie, "Hope Floats." (1998; starring Sandra Bullock & Harry Connick, Jr.) Hope really does change things. Hope can immediately change a gray sky to blue. But, Hollywood didn't discover this truth. This truth is ancient, finding its life-giving power in an "old rugged cross" and an empty tomb. That said, I leave … Continue reading Hope Floats
Jordan Blake Watts
The Pain of Christmas
"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) For years (way before my son passed away), I’ve tried to remind people that special times of the year, like Christmas, are not only … Continue reading The Pain of Christmas
Where Is God When It Hurts?
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace in Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar asked, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?....But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” … Continue reading Where Is God When It Hurts?
Secret Santa
To the individual(s) who rang our doorbell at 10:30pm on Friday night and disappeared into the cold night leaving giant "santa sacks" full of gifts: only in heaven will you know how much joy you brought to the Watts home. First of all, I want you to know that when the doorbell rang it took … Continue reading Secret Santa
Massacre, Suicide & A Manger
"Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2:10) This morning I stood before 200+ students at Evans Middle School in Lubbock and said, “The first Bible verse I ever learned was John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that … Continue reading Massacre, Suicide & A Manger
The Toll of Suicide on a Marriage
I'll NEVER FORGET IT.... I'll never forget the very first thing Michelle (my wife) told me when she arrived at our house that life-changing afternoon on May 13th, when I found our son dead. I was on my knees screaming, wailing, in our driveway, and all of a sudden there she was, holding me by … Continue reading The Toll of Suicide on a Marriage
Rock of Ages
When Jordan died this past May I was in the "Old Testament prophets" (Jonah, Amos, etc.) in my daily devotions. When I recovered enough emotionally to resume my daily readings, rather than skip over to the New Testament, I decided to just pick up where I left off. This may not seem like a big … Continue reading Rock of Ages
Yahweh Rapha (The Lord Who Heals You)
Powerful truth regarding the topic of grief from recent posts on http://www.griefshare.org: "If you want to heal from grief, you must go through it. You cannot go around it. The grieving process, itself, is a healing process." "Fear, depression, anger, loneliness, despair - these emotions come and go with dizzying unpredictability. Your life is like … Continue reading Yahweh Rapha (The Lord Who Heals You)
Angels in Bluejeans
Last night, my family experienced a "visitation". Angels. In Bluejeans. Several of Jordan's friends came by our house bearing a metric-ton of love (and our favorite Starbucks warm beverages.) These are many of the same friends who had become like family. They don't need to knock. They know alarm codes. You know... These are many … Continue reading Angels in Bluejeans
Satan Has a Plan for Your Life
A recent guest speaker in our church approached me between worship services. He told me he'd heard about my son taking his life, and conveyed love and encouragement to me. Then he reminded me of this axiom of spiritual warfare: "We're familiar with the statement, 'God has a plan for your life.' But what we … Continue reading Satan Has a Plan for Your Life