The Lambs and an OX

Jan 12

A few months after our second daughter was born I was being courted by The Lambs Club in NYC about a job. The ministry was located just off Times Square. Paul Moore was the head man wanting me to be the administrator. Paul was a tall, charismatic guy who tried hard to sell us on the idea of moving to Manhattan. He and his wife fine dined us. We saw Chorus Line at the Shubert Theater one trip.

Returning from New York, I sat down with Millard Reed, my pastor at the time, to talk about the deal. I’ll never forget his summation. He knew Paul and said, “ Mike, Paul is an eagle who soars with lots of ideas. He needs an ox to pull the plow, to make it happen. You are the ox.”

The visual of that wasn't impressive but the truth of it still rings true. It’s not that I don’t have ideas, an ox can ‘soar’ ever so often. I am the guy who will pull the plow through the ditch.

I just did it in Nashville rather than Manhattan.

Michael Malloy

Sep 6, 2024

The KID is Still Here

My attitude as a counselor myself about inner child theories had been skeptical at least if not just thinking it was bunk. My therapists faced an uphill battle getting me to recognize this kid.

Aug 10, 2024

Evacuees: Box Checked Now

We kept hearing ‘war stories' from other evacuees. We heard only bits and pieces of what was happening in Jasper. Two of the fires had come together, picked up speed and hit town Wednesday afternoon. The fire entered the west side of town—the same route we exited. (Now we know a third of the buildings in town were destroyed).

Jul 10, 2024

MATES

Sadly, churches are sorely lacking as safe places to share honestly. Too often under the guise of “I share this again as a prayer concern” confidence is breached in a thin disguise for gossip.

Jun 4, 2024

On Being Different

I will probably be a searcher until I die and hopefully death itself will only be another adventure. To live any other way seems impossible— James Kavanaugh

May 1, 2024

Hi, I’m Mike…I talk to trees

So, I told mom what had happened since she had left—she had died Christmas-eve of 1991. I filled her in on great-grandkids, one granddaughter named after her, Evie. I told her about the life we had now after being married almost forty years.

Apr 6, 2024

HOLY KISSING

And what about the wierdos? My teen-age daughters used to come home and talk about ‘that man’ in the church. (Every church has one). “Daddy, that man hugs all the girls with a funny hug.” My reply: “When he does, rub your lipstick all over his shirt and let his wife straighten him out”.

Feb 19, 2024

Deeper, Further, Beyond

until—we notice cracks. Some, if not more of the teachings we heard were incomplete, inadequate if not even misleading. Our own experience over those years did not support what we’d heard, what we’d been told.

Feb 1, 2024

Just Taking Tickets?

Yesterday we buried one of the sweetest, most gentle men I’ve ever known. Clyde was near the top of the list of the most encouraging people. He was a greeter at the sanctuary door of our church for decades—shaking hands and hugging necks. Even if you’d been gone for a good while, Clyde would remember your name.

Jan 29, 2024

Aspiration or Envy or Covetousness

I live in overthink. I have my whole life. It is the disease of introspection. As I overthink this, when it comes to my aspirations, I come down on the good side. We do well to have a sense of aspiration, to imagine or to dream of what could be. It’s been a good path for me—and many others who have created the lives, the culture we all live in the midst of.

The Bittersweetness of Loss

I would not change any of the choices I made. I just wish these guys had lived a few years more until the drug cocktail was available enabling them to live a full life. I’ve lived on to tell you just one of their stories here.

The Lambs and an OX

Gladness

Navel Gazing