Joe MacDonald,  —

The Sacramento Christian Camp and Conference Center lies in New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains at an elevation of 9,500 feet. It offers fresh air and magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. I’ve been visiting the camp for over 15 years and still get caught up in the extraordinary…

We find ourselves in a delightful spot regarding hemophilia. My youngest boy’s last internal bleeding episode occurred nearly eight years ago. Using prophylactic treatment, we’re managing his bleeding disorder well. My older son, who struggled with breakthrough bleeding episodes despite using a recombinant factor VIII product, now finds…

Last weekend, I met with some of my pastoral colleagues at a restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The food was terrific and we dined with the mountains behind us. I looked out the window to see several ski runs etched in the slopes and thought, “My goodness, it doesn’t…

Next week, my youngest son will celebrate his 16th birthday. It’s hard to believe that so much has occurred in his young life. He has experienced the heartache of living with a bleeding disorder, and has often been paralyzed by his fear of needles. He has undergone 16…

I will never forget the day my wife told me that she was pregnant with our first child. I stood there, unable to process her announcement of our boy’s impending entry into the world. I couldn’t fathom how my life would change. I struggled to figure out how I might…

I start every year by promising to make meaningful changes in my life. I hope to lose weight, exercise more, live a healthier life, and be a better parent to my children during their bleeding episodes. These New Year’s resolutions sound great, and when I am in my…

So I get into the shower, and as I wash my hair, a memory comes flooding back to me. In a moment, I am standing face to face with it. My oldest son was 6 and struggling with a prophylactic infusion of recombinant factor VIII. The needle terrified him…

During the four weeks leading up to Christmas, many in the Christian tradition observe a season of waiting called Advent. This period of anticipation encourages us to take a fearless and moral inventory of our lives so we can invite the birth of Christ into our hearts properly. We…

As a pastor, I often greet parishioners at the church door. I want to share meaningful words of assurance, but unfortunately, I must move from one person to the next in a quick, almost rapid-fire progression to avoid holding up the line. In-depth conversations, which I dearly love, must wait…

“Pain” is a short, four-letter word, but its meaning is complex for those affected by chronic illness. For example, my youngest son, who lives with severe hemophilia, also known as factor VIII deficiency, once described the feeling of an internal bleed as sharp needles continuously attacking a joint.