Free Spirit Devotional

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.” John 17:25 NIV This is how my dad started literally every phone call he ever made, even if it was to a friend. This week was his death anniversary. He died in 2013 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. No one wins that fight. I have written about him before, but I am thinking about him a lot today. He did not have a lot of education. He went to school t

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.” Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV My bible has a lot of loose pages in it from sermon outlines or study guides that have meant something to me. One of my favorites is from an NFL football game. It was from a game during a work stoppage of the Officials who w

“I’ve got you. You’ve got me. Together we make it.” Our actual pre-nup agreement signed on a napkin at Mary Kay’s (the name is ironic) tavern over a frozen fishbowl. On July 17, 1988 I met a woman named Mary Richmeier at a softball game at the Frank Stramel Softball Complex. I was thinking about it today and I am absolutely amazed at how many details had to happen for it to even be possible. She’s a farmers daughter from Moreland, Kansas. I grew up in Kansas City.

“However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20 NIV “Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:3 NIV “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the boo

“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” Luke 6:40 NIV When I am on the road working, I have an ongoing conversation with my GPS. It is voice activated so I don’t type addresses in, I say them aloud and can listen to directions as I drive. When I run into road construction or an accident it tells me that it is “recalculating”. It is not always very good at steering me around obstacles, but it will eventuall

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalms 139:16 NIV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5 NIV “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, and what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’.” Isaiah 46:10 NIV Somewhere around 15 years ago my wife and I were experiencing the

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV Nothing brings back a child lost. Jordyn died 16 years ago. She has now been gone longer than she was alive. That still seems crazy to me. I have struggled through many days thinking about her and hurting so bad it kind of skips pa

“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:7 NIV May 19, 1990 is a big day in our family. My wife and I have been married for 36 years. I love the number because it seems to feel like a long time when you say 36 years. However, as I look back mentally it has gone entirely too fast. If you have ever been to a wedding reception you have seen a dance honoring the married couples. When Aly an

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 NIV When I switched jobs around 20 years ago my schedule went from having a job with an insatiable appetite for hours to one that offered a schedule that included some time off every week. A job working in public recreation was great in a lot of areas,

“So Jacob served for seven years to get Rachael, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” Genesis 29:20 NIV Our son has been in some type of therapy or school since he was three years old. You get to know the people working with him maybe more than a typical teacher simply because of all of the IEP meetings and follow-ups. Goals get set. Progress gets tracked. New goals are set. Every year you get a new teacher, Speech Pathologist,

I am in a bible study that has recently been discussing Paul and his efforts to serve Jesus – from prison, where he spent considerable time. He had started churches over a large region on more than one missionary journey. He sent letters to these churches which were read aloud. In those letters, he encouraged, corrected, and instructed believers in new churches. In some, he told them how they could help him serve Jesus in ministry. This past week we read the followi

“Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 NIV “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV My daughter and granddaughter have taught me that I could take a few pointers from them with regard to my prayer life. Aly has always had a pretty candid approach to praying. When she was pregnant w

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 NIV If you have ever seen my big brother, you have noticed a couple of things: first, he is a barge; then you see the ink. When I hug him, I cannot reach all the way around him and I do not know how many tattoos he has but he has one of the most unique I have seen. On the top of his head there is a tattoo of a zipper opening up to reveal his brain. When he lets his hair

“And he took bread gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 NIV When Jordyn was in high school, she was on the dance team. She loved to dance and she loved her team. There were several times when the team would come over to get ready for a Friday night football game. It was always loud with maybe 12 or 15 high school girls. A lot of words were used. I used to tell Jordy she was

“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” John 3:18 NIV We have a family member named Schuyler. She is a hybrid, not legally ours, but most definitely a loved member of the Claiborn household. I am not sure who introduced us to her, we were looking for someone to help with our son Korbin. He was still young as this was over 15 years ago. We had to find someone who could be comfortable around him without any typical signs of a close relationship

“All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.” Isaiah 54:13 NIV Last week I met a child named Fernando. We met under horrible circumstances. I was a member of the jury tasked with deciding whether or not he was a victim of murder. As soon as I saw the letter telling me that I needed to make plans to serve I thought it was for this case. News reports had mentioned an upcoming trial and I just assumed that notice meant I would end up be

“But since you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you- see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7 NIV I wrote a couple of weeks ago about “The amazing Grace”. Unfortunately, that same family is now dealing with the unexpected loss of another member of the family, Erin – the daughter of Grace. Truly classic artists like Grace produce masterpieces, widely recognized a

“Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and ‘No, no’?” 2 Corinthians 1:17 NIV Ever get surprised by the answer to a prayer request? I think the answer, at least in my case, is that I am more aware than ever that I don’t actually “deserve” anything from Jesus. Instead, He gives me grace, which is also something I cannot earn. If He made me earn it, I would fail. There is no

“Grace be with you all.” Hebrews 13:22 NIV A dear friend of ours left this earth a few days ago. Any time a truly special person dies they leave a space to fill that is not a fit for any other person, Grace McGinnis was a truly special human, a one of one creation. I met her through my friendship with her son Patrick. My wife and I have been blessed to know the other members of the McGinnis family as well. I asked my wife what she would remember most about he

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 NIV My wife and I took our son Korbin to Kansas City this past weekend to celebrate his birthday. He always enjoys staying in a hotel and has a very specific list of stores he wants to visit. His main target is movies. He has found DVD’s at stores I never knew carried them. He looks at literally every movie on every shelf. He will leave the ones he likes partially pulled ou