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 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…
My oldest son, Julian, called me last Saturday evening with exciting news. He successfully auditioned to sing in a cabaret with a New York-based theater group. He’ll perform a solo at a West 34th Street theater near Times Square on June 26. I could feel the excitement through the phone…
When my youngest son, Caeleb, was 5 years old, he participated in our church’s yearly Easter egg hunt. We divided the children into younger and older categories to help even the playing field. The smaller church members started first, gathering as many eggs as they could find. After the little…
In my faith tradition, next week is known as Holy Week. We remember the days leading up to the Crucifixion of Jesus, his burial, and his Resurrection. Each day we remember certain aspects of his journey to the cross. The Sunday before Easter, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal return to Jerusalem…
I must admit right off the bat that I’m a big fan of the musical “Hamilton.” I saw a production of it in Chicago and felt its energy flow through my veins like lightning. The dancing was nonstop, and most of the music was upbeat with a driving rhythm.
I love assembling jigsaw puzzles. There’s a sense of satisfaction as the individual pieces come together to form a beautiful picture, and the essence of creation feels empowering. My thoughts turn to the many times when wrestling with my sons’ hemophilia felt eerily similar to working on a jigsaw puzzle.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, we became used to washing our hands frequently. As we held them under the faucet, we believed that disease particles too small for the human eye would be washed away, protecting us from catching the virus. Many medical professionals, in fact, told us that strict…
My wife and I stood around my son’s hospital bedside, waiting for the anesthetist to come in and prepare my boy for surgery. My son Julian required a port-a-cath due to how much medicine had to be infused into his system daily. He was about 1 year old…
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