St. Luke's Blogs

God has given us wonderful gifts of imagination, resourcefulness, and creativity. We have the ability to create and accomplish amazing things. There is not much that limits us from achieving our dreams. As a people of faith, we know that with God all things are possible.

Chad Kempel wanted to demonstrate this wonderful truth to all the people in his life. He set out to train for a marathon. Running a marathon is a tremendous challenge. It takes a significant amount of time to train your body and your mind to run 26.2 miles. Few people in the world can say they have completed a marathon, much less run the entire time. Chad completed his marathon in five hours and 31 minutes. That is a great accomplishment in a great time.

What makes Chad Kempel’s marathon a significant accomplishment is that he is the father of quintuplets…

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with a wonderful and faithful group at our St. Luke’s Edmond Campus. The “InKnit” Community Group has been working hard to share love and kindness with those who are struggling with their health. They are doing so by knitting much-needed items for those who are undergoing cancer treatment. Going through cancer treatment is a long and difficult process. It takes a tremendous toll on the body. Although the treatment often saves lives, it depletes the body. Cancer patients face surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and so much more. The knitting group has been working on several wonderful creations that will go to help provide warmth and support to those who are on the journey through cancer treatment…

I have recently had the opportunity to meet several families who have been relocated to Oklahoma from their home country of Afghanistan.  Most of them have shared harrowing stories of how they got here – the months of living in less-than-ideal places, small quarters, makeshift spaces, and temporary housing on military bases.  Some have even shared terrifying accounts of the Taliban invading their community and getting a frantic call from a family member with instructions to pack quickly and come to the airport immediately to be evacuated.

These stories, all heartbreaking, don’t even begin to convey the difficulty of leaving your home, your country, your possessions, your friends and family, everything you know, and taken to a new place…

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

For the mountains may depart
    and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.” – Luke 19:5-6

We know just a few things about Zacchaeus before he encounters Jesus. He was a wealthy Jewish man who lived in the community of Jericho. His occupation was tax collector. When he makes his appearance in Luke’s gospel, he is doing his best to catch a glimpse of Jesus as he travels through Jericho. Zacchaeus has a hard time seeing Jesus because, as the scripture says, “He was short in stature.” He climbs up a tree to better see Jesus.

Tax collectors were hated by the Jewish people. There were two significant reasons for this…

J.R.R. Tolkien was one of the great writers of the 20th century. A professor of language and literature at Oxford, Tolkien wrote poetry and full-length stories. He is most well-known for his great works of fantasy, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. His successful writings have led to J.R.R. Tolkien being known as the “Father” of modern fantasy literature.

In Tolkien’s amazing fantasy, great armies battle for control of Middle-earth. The characters of this story are led by powerful elves, wizards, kings, and warriors who wield their skills and powers to influence and control the world around them. This amazing story quickly catches your imagination. The powerful characters do amazing things, but it is not those mighty characters who are the centerpiece of the story…

I was wearing a new outfit on vacation and caught my pants on a brick planter.  I was only a child.  I looked down and could see my knee through the hole.  I was sad about tearing those pants.  Mom assured me she’d repair them, but they were never quite the same.  Over the years, I can remember ruining other things.  At a friend’s house, we were decorating their Christmas tree and I broke two ornaments.  Another friend lent me a pair of stilettos, and I broke the heel.  I backed into someone’s vehicle once… maybe twice… anyway, it’s a horrible sound hearing one’s vehicle smash into another.

But there’s something that was torn, for which we should all give thanks…

Gabriel Clark is a young boy with a love and talent for working with wood. Gabriel spends hours in the workshop. He has a talent for making wonderful creations from a block of wood. Gabriel makes cutting boards and bowls. Recently, he decided to use his gift of working with wood to help the refugees who are fleeing from their war-ravaged country.  Gabriel decided that he would sell the bowls and donate the profits to help child refugees of Ukraine.

Gabriel went to work. His dad, Richard, was extremely proud of his son’s efforts and willingness to help others. Richard went to social media and asked his friends to order a bowl. Richard’s friends were excited about the project. They put in orders and shared the post on several social media platforms. It did not take long for the posts to go viral.

It is spring and baseball is being played all over the country. In Arlington, Texas, my favorite team, the Texas Rangers, have had better teams in the past, for sure.  This season, they have a young team with possibilities. One of the pitchers on the Rangers is Taylor Hearn. Taylor has been a starting pitcher in the Major Leagues for four years after playing at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Taylor has worked through many injuries and continues to develop as a starting pitcher.

Recently, Taylor made the national news. It was not because of his performance on the mound, but because of an answer he gave in a post-game press conference. Robyn Hearn is a sports reporter for KAUZ in Wichita Falls, Texas. She traveled to Arlington to the Rangers’ game against the Colorado Rockies. Robyn is a new reporter. She is also the sister of Taylor Hearn…