Shawn Jr's Journey

 “ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit .”  Psalm 34:18 In these days, that promise feels like the only thing giving some parents hope. Today is July 11 and marks 6 years since Shawn Jr. left this earth, going from our arms into Jesus’.   Sadly, you can’t open a news site without seeing fresh reminders of parents just beginning the same awful journey.   Over the July 4th weekend, torrential rain sent the Guadalupe River roaring through Camp Mystic, a century-old girls’ camp in the Texas Hill Country.   In less than an hour, the water rose almost 30 feet, engulfing cabins and sweeping away Mystic campers and counselors, including Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence (twin 8-year-old sisters from Dallas), 9-year-old Lila Bonner, little Eloise Peck, and 23 others.   These children are part of the devastating story of over 100 lives lost in the Texas floods. No parent should ever have to utter the words “my child died.” ...

  Sports have always been more than just wins and losses. For true fans, a team is part of their identity, woven into their daily lives, their memories, and their relationships. That’s why the recent trade of Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers wasn’t just a business transaction - it was a gut punch to a community that had embraced Luka as one of its own. For me personally, it felt even deeper, like losing a piece of my son, Shawn Jr., all over again. Shawn Jr. was a basketball player and a huge basketball fan. Luka wasn’t just a great player to Shawn Jr. - he was the player. From the moment Luka entered the NBA, Shawn Jr. saw something special in him. He believed in Luka before the rest of the world fully did, calling him the greatest of all time when he was still proving himself. Luka was his iPhone background.  His admiration wasn’t just about stats or skills; it was about the way Luka played—with passion, creativity, and joy. To Shawn Jr., Luka ...