Today we laid to rest the body of Phil Smith, Julie’s father. Phil was a humble Christian, committed husband, involved father, and loyal Adrian Maple. For those who never knew Phil or anything about his past, perhaps this brief excerpt from chapter 2 of my … Read More
The Fullest ‘Empty’ I’ve Ever known
I came home to an empty house today. Oh, not ’empty’ as in the sense of unfurnished. More like unoccupied. And don’t get me wrong—Julie and I are still there. But for the first time in 27 years, we’re the only ones there. There’s no … Read More
The Best Thing My Father Has Ever Done for Me
Most of the doors that have opened for me in my life have swung much easier and wider as a result of my father’s good name. Wearing his last name has been, and still is, a humble honor that, in so many unexpected ways, proves … Read More
What’s “Regular Time with God” for a Young Mom?
We only lived a couple of miles from church, but that ride home back in 1993 contained a conversation I’ll always remember. We were just bearing right onto Mt. Vernon Road from Fairburn Road, with our son upright in his car seat and our daughter, … Read More
Just Yesterday
A few days ago, I was tossing a tennis ball to my 2-year old grandson, Graham, in the back yard. He had the racquet, and though he would swing wildly sometimes, he did often connect. In my world, that’s beginner “baseball” (even though we didn’t … Read More