Böcker av Joe McKeever

They say that tightrope walkers are most susceptible to accidents when they are almost finished and nearly "home." They''ve been on stage and risked their lives; they''ve done well. Now, it''s time to take their bow and call it a day. But as they approach the end, they have to watch their last steps. One slip and life comes crashing down. Think of that as a metaphor for life. Even after doing well for many years, it''s still possible to undo all the good we have done by becoming careless at the end. That''s the burden of our little book. Consider it a reminder to stay faithful.A note of explanation: In the chapters which follow both Bertha and Joe had input, but the voice you will be "hearing" is mostly Joe. Sometimes, when it''s necessary we identify who is speaking, but usually we don''t because it doesn''t matter.

Joe and Bertha McKeever are acquainted with grief. Grief 101 is their gift to others who have faced the death of someone loved.Thirteen months after Margaret died and twenty-one months after Gary died, Bertha Fagan and Joe met for the first time. Eleven months later, they married. Bertha Pepper Fagan was married to Dr. Gary Fagan, a preacher of the gospel and a seminary classmate of Joe's, for over 52 years. Gary and Bertha pastored churches across the country, and then went as missionaries to Malawi and Brazil. This book represents their grief journey as each of them faced life without their life companion. Grief 101: How to get back up when blindsided by the death of someone you love is a simple guide for others who are experiencing a profound confrontation with loss and grief.

Think of this as a conversation on the matter of deacons in the Lord's churches.I'm a pastor. For 42 years I served six Southern Baptist churches and followed that with 5 years as the director of missions for our denomination's 130 churches and missions throughout greater New Orleans. I love deacons. My oldest son is one of the finest deacons I know. I'm eternally indebted to the Lord for surrounding me with godly and mature deacon friends who have enriched my life and enabled my ministry. My pastorates have been immeasurably strengthened by solid deacons who loved Jesus and wanted nothing more than to serve Him.But I did not emerge unscathed from serving alongside deacons.

Comical scenes of Deacons in Southern Baptist Churches.For over four decades Joe McKeever has been writing for Christian publications. A Southern Baptist pastor of six churches for 42 years, Joe then served 5 years as director of missions for the SBC churches of Metro New Orleans. These days, in his "retirement" ministry, he stays on the go preaching for churches and conferences, leading deacons and prayer retreats, and such. Joe is the father of three adult children and grandfather of eight. He lives in Metro New Orleans.

When I was five years old, my mother sat me down at the kitchen table with my little sister Carolyn, gave us pencil and paper, and said, "Now draw!" She was not attempting to teach us anything, but merely trying to get us out of the way while she did her housework. And, that's how I discovered that I love to draw. The next year, when I started to the first grade at Nauvoo (AL) Elementary School, the other children would gather around and watch me draw. To this day, I can outdraw any group of first-graders you will ever meet. For over forty years, while pastoring churches and living the life of a Baptist minister, I've drawn cartoons for religious publications, mostly within our Southern Baptist Convention. These days, and for the past decade or more, the Baptist Press website posts one of our drawings each weekday. (See them at www.bpnews.net/cartoons) Most of these cartoons have been featured on that website and in various publications. I am pleased we can present this collection of 101 of the most recent drawings. We send them forth with the prayer they will bring a smile to your heart and a lift to your spirit.