“Nothing could have prepared 16-year-old Brooks Douglass for the future that lay before him. Brooks grew up in a loving family in a rural home near Oklahoma City. His father, Richard Douglass, was pastor of Putnam City Baptist Church, which housed over 3,000 members in its congregation. Brooks’ mother, Marilyn, devoted her time to her children, which in addition to… Read More
Standing in the checkout line, I overheard the young cashier tell a customer that she was soon going home, which would thrill her three-year-old son. Earlier that morning, her little boy begged her not to leave. She said, “I asked him, ‘Do you want Christmas to come or not?’ He said yes. So I told him, ‘Then I have to… Read More
Forcing her feet to step out of the car, Susan dried her eyes before walking into the country dance hall. No one there knew that the reason she wanted to dance was also why her tears fell so easily. Her love for dancing started with the house dances from her childhood. Susan beamed, “I was not any older than five… Read More
My daughters fill the room with laughter as one of them hangs a big rubber band from her ear. To understand why, you have to know more about their PopPop Don. One day, their PopPop told them about a time when he was Dean of Students. Don conducted a serious meeting with a student only to find out afterwards that… Read More
I am honored to share this poem written by my mother-in-law, Nancy Schweingruber. Three years ago on September 12 she stood by her beloved husband, Don, and watched him take his last breath. Her words capture a story of grief and deep love. We miss you every day, Don, and treasure the time we had with you. And to my… Read More
It can be hard to put into words the legacy of a person. I wrote this poem for my Dad for his 80th birthday last December as an attempt to capture what he means to our family. I share it in honor of Father’s Day. A Portrait of My Dad For David Berns A baby in his arms, a child… Read More
As he walked towards the door, he no doubt was heading to other important events in his day. But when my three-year-old daughter showed interest in his trumpet case, he set everything down immediately. Kneeling beside her, he opened the case and showed her how to play the trumpet. She laughed as he made funny sounds on the horn. Then… Read More
A Good Friday tenebrae service is one of my favorite times in church. In Latin “tenebrae” means shadows or darkness in Latin. In a tenebrae service, there is a gradual extinguishing of candles while reflecting on the death of Jesus. For Christians, the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter services are holy and foundational to their faith. In addition, the… Read More
