Free Spirit Devotional

“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

“If I'm being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” Philippians 2:17 Maybe 25 years ago or so, I did not know about any of the hardest battles we have encountered. I had grown up in church and had a childlike relationship with Jesus when I was young. Some people have stories about a radical change in their heart when they encountered Jesus. I guess I did not really have that since I had grown

“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task.” 1 Corinthians 3:5 NIV Good Christian brothers have a way of being evangelically nosey. If you have friends who love you enough to challenge you it is a blessed state even though it can seem uncomfortable at times. My first experience with being accountable to other men started before I realized I was being accounted for.

“Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.” Proverbs 14:9 NIV “Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God.” Galatians 3:11 NIV When my dad turned 50 my mom had us decorate his truck to surprise him. He usually got up around 4:30 AM to get ready for work. He always made it crystal clear that anyone calling him dad should never be late for anything. He practiced what he preached. He got up early enough to drink a

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV When we found out we were expecting child number three we were not trying to have child number three. One Sunday morning Mary handed me a gift bag holding a pair of pajamas. I said, “Are you telling me we are going to fill those up?” He has been a surprise every day since. At first, he developed norm

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding…” Proverbs 3:5 NIV When our daughter died there were...

“I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court, indeed, I do not even judge myself.” 1 Corinthians 4:3 NIV A large...