Joe MacDonald,  —

The holiday season is upon us. Often, we have our meal around a table with people we love, and we give thanks for one another’s company. The holidays are all about rituals — preparing feasts, gathering to exchange gifts, and focusing on the things that unite us. Year after…

Some years back, my two sons packed their suitcases and Caeleb, the youngest, said, “All right, it’s time to go on a Daddy-and-son madcap adventure.” My wife had a speaking engagement out of town, which meant the MacDonald boys were going to set out on their own, together on the…

The past three weeks have been busy ones in the life of my church family. Since the middle of last month, I’ve performed four funerals and a wedding and led a critical church conference. These events have had emotional consequences. My anxiety level continues to be high as I navigate…

I turned on the light in my son Caeleb’s room and began my morning concert of songs to wake him up. My top 10 hits (including “Good Morning Starshine,” “Rise and Shine,” and “Good Morning” from “Bear in the Big Blue House”) fuel my soul with energy, though my 17-year-old…

Last week, I attended a clergy retreat at Sacramento Camp & Conference Center, in the southern mountains of New Mexico. We experienced clear blue skies and mild temperatures, as well as moments of self-reflection. One day I hiked to the top of a mountain, standing in awe of…

I’m part of a clergy group that meets monthly and has seven members from several denominations. Over the years, it’s been a safe place to discuss any issue, from church to home. We formed a covenant with one another to keep our conversations confidential. When sharing with my colleagues,…

I first attended a Bleeding Disorders Conference in October 1998. The National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (formerly the National Hemophilia Foundation) offered the event during Halloween week in New Orleans. My wife, Cazandra; my oldest son, Julian; and my mother, Ruby, entered our hotel with me, not sure…

I entered the bedroom of my youngest son, Caeleb, one recent morning to offer him my usual cheerful greeting. That’s when I found him lying in bed in excruciating pain. Caeleb has hemophilia A, and years of damage from internal bleeding episodes have left him with little…

Last week, I attended an alumni meeting for the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Texas, where I earned my doctor of ministry degree. During my free time, I walked around the University of Texas campus and couldn’t help feeling the energy from all the students who moved like…

My oldest son, Julian, is preparing for a big audition. He hopes the casting director will hear his submission and ask him to go to New York for a final, on-site callback. If the powers that be select him, he’ll perform in his first national touring production. My son displayed…