Joe is the father of two sons with hemophilia. He and his wife, Cazandra, are active members in the bleeding disorders community and often facilitate workshops both locally and nationally. Joe is a pastor in the United Methodist Church and writes a blog about spirituality and faith. You may follow his blog at www.joekmac.com.One fall evening in 1998, I looked around my dining room table in Houston and saw the faces of men and women who’d become some of my dearest friends over the past year. Laughter flooded the room as we stood in awe at what we’d accomplished. I stood, raised a…
In my five-plus years of writing columns for Hemophilia News Today, I’ve missed two weeks. Many times, I feel that I’m repeating myself as I struggle to write something that matters to the bleeding disorders community. I share daily experiences as I navigate bad and good moments with…
My family has rented an Airbnb for a week in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We decided to take a few days for ourselves before turning our attention to the reason for our trip: Through Friday, my wife and I, both pastors, are participating in the yearly meeting of the…
Last week proved a time of celebration in the MacDonald house as my oldest son, Julian, came home to spend a few days with our family before going to Big Bend Ranch State Park for the summer. He successfully auditioned for his first paid acting gig in the show “…
Last Friday, I had the honor of presiding over the funeral of my aunt Joyce. As I started to speak, I asked those attending to remember a particular date in 1973 when we, the family, celebrated the wedding of my uncle Pat. Everyone was dancing, and joy just filled…
My youngest son, Caeleb, and I recently saw an outstanding production of the musical “Hamilton.” As we watched the performers onstage, I glanced at my son and saw his face glued to the action. He appeared entranced by the dancers and singers moving across the stage with catlike precision.
I’ll never forget a particular moment in the fall of 1995. I met my wife, Cazandra, at one of our favorite restaurants right after work for an early dinner. As a waitress led us to our table, Caz appeared to be carrying a secret that, if not released,…
One night when my oldest son, Julian, was 6, we sat down at the kitchen table, preparing to infuse factor VIII, a clotting agent, to treat his hemophilia. He held out his arm, and I looked at the vein we called “Old Faithful.” Located on the top of…
Spoiler alert: This story ends with a Golden Girl moment with my son. Picture it: Las Vegas, 2015. My youngest son, Caeleb, is 9 years old. He and I tagged along with my wife, Cazandra, for a special event for the bleeding disorders community. My boy, who…
I’m a pastor, so I encounter the word “grace” almost every day. Words of encouragement pour out of my mouth as I talk with parishioners struggling to make their way in the world. I often say, “Give yourself some grace. Everyone falls short of the mark, but that doesn’t…
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