Update from Can Tho/HCMC: July 5, 2025

 

Father And Son

 

Father And Son

Several years ago, I was listening to sports talk radio on Fathers' Day and this topic came up: What is your favorite sports related memory of your father? Mine was not any specific memory, simply that Dad, a non-athlete, supported Dave-Scott-me in our sports pursuits and was the perfect non-pressuring dad. The following is about a young man and his dad and sports which I originally printed on May 1, 2006. I hope you like it. Happy Fathers' Day to all you dads out there!

Steve Howe died last week. Only forty-eight years old, Howe was killed when his pickup truck crashed in California. Considered one of the great talents in baseball in the 1980's, Howe struggled with alcohol and drug addictions, leading to his demise as a professional athlete. Blessed with a tremendous left arm, Howe pitched in All-Star games and in the World Series. The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers all employed his services over a career spanning seventeen seasons. Despite seven suspensions and a lifetime ban, later overturned on appeal, Howe managed to find teams willing to pay him. Talent tends to be given more chances than mediocrity. By all accounts of former teammates and managers, Howe was loved by those he shared a locker room with. They acknowledged the demons that chased him for years, never seeming to quite let go. At this time, there is no indication that drugs or alcohol played any contributing role in his death. Howe joins the host of other potential greats whose careers, and sometimes lives, were cut short by an opponent that never wore an opposing team's colors.

There was a high school baseball game the same day of Steve Howe's accident. In California, Valencia and Burbank met that afternoon. Valencia's right fielder is Brian Howe, an eighteen year old senior and son of Steve Howe and his wife, Cindy. Howe was coming to see his son play when the wreck occurred near Coachella, California, shortly before six AM. Brian, after learning of his father's early morning death, went to school and went to his game. Valencia coach Jared Snyder left the decision to play up to Brian. The young man who less than twelve hours earlier had lost his father, and I would guess his inspiration for playing, chose to lace up the spikes. Not only did he play, he played well, even pitching the last inning of a 12-2 blowout win. Can you imagine what a heavy heart that teenager must have carried with him onto the diamond last Friday? Apparently, he felt his dad would have wanted him to do what he loved, even under the most heartbreaking circumstances. To perform at a high level with those conditions is almost unbelievable.

I can't conceive of the pain Brian Howe endured on that field the day his father left this earth. Maybe it was therapeutic to stay in his normal routine, spending time with his teammates. Maybe it was simply his way of honoring his dad. What an impact fathers have on their sons and daughters! Brian Howe will have to face many of the same battles as his father, assuming that there is a genetic tendency for drug and alcohol dependency. His name will cause him to be evaluated with a higher degree of scrutiny than a player with Smith or Jones stitched onto the back of their jersey. At this point in his life, I doubt he minds and perhaps considers it a matter of pride. In spite of his father's well-documented shortcomings, I would guess Brian loved him with all his heart, the way most of us love our fathers. Our earthly fathers are flawed; our Heavenly Father is perfection. One might be hard for some to love. One should be impossible NOT to love. There is a young man in California tonight grieving the death of the most important man in his life. Say a prayer for Brian Howe and for all the youngsters forced to grow up too quickly with the premature loss of a parent. And hug your dad if you still can.


Applicable quote of the day:
"My dad was a shortstop when he was in college, and you know, when you're a kid, you want to be just like your dad."
Derek Jeter/ New York Yankees shortstop


God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Point Of View

 

Point Of View

As you might guess, I am packing for my mission trip to Vietnam!  This is about the young ladies who met me at the airport in Saigon on my first trip. It is from September 14, 2013.
Two weeks ago on a Friday night, I was the guest at supper of four of my former students; sisters Emmy and Jessica, Victoria, and Tony. All four of them sat in my classroom several years ago and all did well. They have something else in common. All four are from Vietnam and more specifically, from Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City, depending on who you are talking to.) Amazingly, except for the sisters, the quartet did not know each other in Vietnam even though they live close to each other. Instead, they met at Westbury Christian School in Houston, Texas, USA. Without a doubt, the world is shrinking in ways we probably don't even comprehend yet.

We ate at a place called Pho' Binh which specializes in pho', a soup which is my favorite food on my trips to Can Tho. I brought some pictures of my 23 day in July excursion and told them all about it. As we are all FACEBOOK friends, they knew much of my journey but it's always different hearing it in person. They talked about their lives as college students and their time at WCS and their homeland. They had come to see me the day before and visited my classroom during my planning period. They were drawn to the flag of Vietnam that adorns my wall and told me how much it would mean to a student from their country to see it hanging in my class.... although they did promise to buy me a new one because mine is a very inexpensive model. And as the evening came to a close, one of the young ladies said something that has stuck with me, so much that I can still quote it word for word:
"Coach, we wish that everybody would see us like you see us."

It took awhile to sink in. In fact, fifteen days later, I'm still not 100% sure what she meant. I would guess it has to do with living in a strange land. Even though there are many folks of Vietnamese descent abiding in Houston, and even though these young people are fluent in English, it's still not home. And maybe, even though I always felt close to these four before, my walking where they have walked in the nation of their birth cemented that feeling that I have a unique perspective on their lives that differs from most Americans. (Did I tell you they met me at the airport at roughly midnight in Saigon on my first trip in July of 2011? Please take into account that I had just been in the air for twenty plus hours! From left, Jessica, Victoria, Emmy, and the inimitable Thuy, another WCS student.)

And as I try to put the pieces together mentally, I remember that I didn't say I would become all things to all men.... but Paul did. I just went on three mission trips and greatly enjoyed myself. And I didn't go to their world to see what their world was like....... but Jesus did. But this is what that one sentence has done for me- it made me glad that the Father sees me like He sees me, in spite of myself. It made me overjoyed that Jesus sees me like He sees me, flawed as I tend to be. And it made me rejoice that the Holy Spirit sees me, just as I am. You know, they would not let me pay for dinner that Friday night although I insisted that I will foot the bill for the next outing. But the best gift I received that night was a twelve word statement that made me look in my own mirror of my existence and thank the Lord that there is more than one perspective on the life of Steve Hawley. I always need that second opinion.

Applicable quote of the day:
When you really listen to another person from their point of view, and reflect back to them that understanding, it's like giving them emotional oxygen.
Stephen Covey

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Family Affair

 

Family Affair

Life changed for me when my folks died in a variety of ways. Holidays were always spent in St. Louis with my parents. Mom and Dad had a great number of friends and this is about two of them who did so much for our family in the last several years Roger and Nelda Hawley walked the earth. This is from December 31, 2006.

I rarely go to weddings. I should clarify that statement by adding I rarely go to weddings in which I am not the minister; they make me nervous. But today I was present as a couple exchanged their marital vows. It was not your typical, run-of-the-mill wedding. There was no bevy of bridesmaids in matching dresses or groomsmen lined up in tuxes. There was not a flower girl or a ring bearer in sight. There were no candles lit and no grand entrance to Here Comes The Bride. And, as soon as the bride and groom had been introduced as husband and wife...they sat down. You see, this marriage ceremony took place in the middle of Sunday morning worship service. Mike and Susan, friends of my parents, recently became engaged and informed Wade, the minister of their congregation, they would like to tie the knot on a Sunday. That sounded good to Wade. Then, they added it would be great if they could be married with their church family in attendance. Wade agreed that it was a marvelous idea and so after the sermon this morning, we had a wedding. A reading, a hymn, the vows, and the most unique wedding I have witnessed was official. Mike and Susan rejoined the other worshippers, we remembered the sacrifice of Jesus in our taking of the Lord's Supper, several hundred voices beautifully sang The Greatest Commands, my dad gave the blessing of the elders to the church and the newlyweds, and the congregation retired to a classroom for a punch and cake reception. No rice/bird seed and no garters/bouquets were tossed when Mike and Susan walked out of the church building for the first time as a family unit but those would have seemed out of place. Those are time-honored traditions but these nuptials were non-traditional. Then again, this might have been the most traditional wedding I have ever observed.

Did you know that the word wife is mentioned in scripture before the bride-elect of Adam, the stunning I presume Eve, is even named? As Christians, we are constantly reminded of the importance God places on the family. We hear explanations of Jesus' parables that revolve around wedding themes. The concept of the church being the bride of Christ is frequently reinforced. And, we recall the signs of Jesus commenced at a wedding where six vats of water turned into six vats of the finest wine. So what could be more natural, and Biblical, than for a Christian couple to formally declare their love for each other in the sight of their Christian brothers and sisters? Look, I have preached a number of weddings and I enjoy being part of an elaborate ceremony with elegant decorations and limousines. In every wedding I have officiated, the Lord's teachings have dominated the service. But today, I saw a wedding in its most simple and pure form. The couple was blessed, the congregation was edified, the Lord was praised, and there was no rice to sweep up. What could be better than that?

Applicable quote of the day:
"Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get married..."
The Dixie Cups/ 1964

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

The Pool

 

The Pool

I do other forms of conditioning now but I spent plenty of time in the pool above! This is from November 3, 2008.

For years I've read about athletes rehabilitating injuries by running in water. The upside to water training over typical therapy is the lessened jarring on recovering joints and muscles as the body heals. Last May, as I became increasingly bored with the aerobic portion of my workouts, I decided to take advantage of the apartment swimming pool practically outside my door. Since May, I have faithfully run in the Braesridge Apartments pool at least twenty minutes and sometimes as high as fifty minutes both morning and night. It was easy when the temperature was in the nineties and 'plunged' into the high seventies during the overnight hours. As spring turned to summer and now into autumn, it has become increasingly difficult to get into the water. On consecutive mornings last week, the temperature plummeted into the low forties and high thirties and I passed on the pre-school sessions. Still, I was able to make my nighttime workout and have not missed an entire day due to the weather. Increasingly, I am an oddity to my neighbors who are not used to seeing anyone running in the pool, much less when the temperature dips to the fifties. Truthfully, once you are in for thirty seconds, your body adapts to the water temperature and it is like taking a bath. It's also amazing how eerily silent a dark pool is at 5:30 AM and how it is not overwhelmingly difficult to focus on prayer as I run back and forth in water at a depth of five feet, six inches. Admittedly, it has become a matter of pride with my students as I see how deep into the winter months I can endure; something about guys and proving their toughness. Regardless, it is a great replacement for the three+ cups of coffee I was drinking before school and I make fewer trips to the bathroom between classes. Cathy Caputo is afraid I'll suffer cardiac arrest one of these cold mornings but you know, I am never sick. Paul spoke about physical training having some benefit- I think with me, it goes well past that. I find myself going to bed earlier as I have to heed the 5:00 AM alarm. I am wide awake in school and, like I said, it is good to start the day with meditation It's not for everyone but hey, it's only November 3rd. Check back with me when the snow is flying in Houston, or December, whichever comes first.

PS: For those of you not keeping up with the sports pages, Cleveland Browns wide receiver, Braylon Edwards, asked his buddy, fellow Michigan Wolverine Michael Phelps, for some off season conditioning advice. (You may have heard of this Phelps guy from the recent Olympics and almost every television commercial.) Phelps helped design a training regimen that was based primarily on running in the swimming pool and Edwards followed it this past summer. Not coincidentally, Edwards scored a touchdown yesterday for Cleveland in their contest against Baltimore!


God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Uncommon Prayer

 

Uncommon Prayer

This is about one of my favorite students of all time and what she asked me to pray for. It is from September 6, 2012.
As I've mentioned before, I give at least one grade each day in my five Bible classes, whether it be tests, quizzes, memory verses, analysis, or combinations of the above categories. On each assignment, I encourage our students to add a prayer request at the bottom of the sheets if they have something they'd like for me to pray for. It's a good spiritual outlet for them and it also allows me to get a glimpse into their lives when they trust me enough to share. Yesterday, on a quiz covering Matthew 3, a student left a petition for prayer unlike any I've ever found on a paper. Rebecca is new to WCS this year and one of those kids you just automatically like. She's Canadian, has lived in many different places around the globe, most recently London, and has Chinese heritage through a grandparent. In class on Wednesday, she was double checking our notes about the purification ceremony forty days after Jesus was born by going back to Leviticus where the statute is introduced- I brought up the nobility of the Bereans who searched the scriptures to document the accuracy of what they were being taught. Here was, word for word, what she penned as the addendum to her quiz yesterday:

Prayer Request- my church in China; thanks for the persecution they suffer because it makes them grow.

WOW. Quite a spiritually mature declaration of gratitude from heaven for a young lady not quite fifteen years of age. Most of us would pray to avoid persecution: Rebecca sees the long-term benefit in the mistreatment for her Christian brothers and sisters. I wish I prayed more along those lines instead of rote recitations, like repeating the Pledge Of Allegiance which we do with little thought. Her request brought to mind a wonderful hymn on prayer, which like so many, has fallen into disuse. This is Father, Hear The Prayer We Offer, penned in 1854 by Love Maria Willis:

1 Father, hear the prayer we offer:
not for ease that prayer shall be,
but for strength that we may ever
live our lives courageously.

2 Not for ever in green pastures
do we ask our way to be;
but the steep and rugged pathway
may we tread rejoicingly.

3 Not for ever by still waters
would we idly rest and stay;
but would smite the living fountains
from the rocks along our way.

4 Be our strength in hours of weakness,
in our wanderings be our guide;
through endeavor, failure, danger,
Father, be thou at our side.

I think Rebecca's prayer request captured the spirit of that hymn, even if she has never heard of it. It's easy to pray the easy prayers with the comfortable topics and the comfortable thoughts. To praise the Lord for heartache and trouble is not for the faint of heart, but we need to ascend to that level. We love the green pastures and still waters of verses two/three which evoke thoughts of David's 23rd Psalm but we can't stay there forever. Those who need divine intervention, including ourselves, are found dangerously near to the cliffs or in the middle of raging rivers. The knowledge that our Father protects us even in the dark times is particularly reassuring and that He uses obstacles to strengthen us is soothing. So join me tonight and pray for Rebecca's friends and Christian family in China. May they continue to grow in spite of tribulation. And may we grow in the gravity of our prayers.

Applicable quote of the day:
“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one” 

Bruce Lee

God bless,
Steve

Luke 18:1

Saturday Night LIVE!

 

Saturday Night LIVE!

If you have never taught middle school, there's just not much way to explain it except it is an evolving and unfolding life drama. This is from April 22, 2012.
We had an event last night at school. Our WCS sixth-seventh-eighth graders were invited to hang out in our gym and many of them did. My rough estimate would be about half of our middle school was in the house but I did not take roll. I can tell you how many of the girls on my basketball team were present- six out of nine- because coaches normally look for their kids. I was there for about an hour and I left it in the very capable hands of the organizers, MS principal Casey Ferris and campus ministers Casey Lankford and Laren McCormack, as well as teachers Tammy Farris and Cindy McLeod. I was instrumental, though, in the stacking and distributing of the sausage pizza. We all have our gifts. 

I love our school and our kids. I also love the people I work with. Our school is a very diverse place and if you had been with us last night, it would have been evident to you. The neat thing is that we are so used to it, we take it for granted. It hit me, as I reflected, that our seventh day assembly was much like a worship service. All were invited but not all could be there for one reason or another. Some brought guests- one young lady visiting told me she will be with us next fall! Some mingled more than others and all of them were dressed much differently than on a normal day, due to our school uniforms which I love and many of them dislike. And then it was time to eat a simple meal. Pizza and cookies were served, washed down by water and Gatorade. There was no seating chart but at this age, there always is unofficially. For the most part, they broke down by grade and gender but lines were crossed and as far as an untrained teacher's eye could tell, all were welcomed wherever they chose to plant themselves. Seating arrangements always seem to work themselves out.

I mentioned our  Saturday gathering this morning as I spoke before communion in the Chinese-speaking portion of our congregation this morning. The meal we share as believers is simple but so very symbolic. When we eat together, barriers are broken down at the foot of the cross. In my Bible classes, I point out out that a common complaint against Jesus by the religious leaders was that He had the gall to eat with tax collectors/sinners. We discuss that eating together implies equality. I tell the kids that in the cafeteria, second graders eat with second graders, sophomores eat with sophomores, and teachers eat with teachers. We note that in the civil rights movement, great pains were taken to integrate eating establishments because of the concept that sharing food denotes a level playing field, at least theoretically. And when we take the bread and the cup, we are equal in the eyes of the Savior, no matter our skin color or nationality or social standing or gender or age or language. And as we commune with our God and our brothers and sisters, our souls are fed in ways that many will never comprehend........but they could if they had the chance and took the opportunity. There's always next week, Lord willing. There is much room at the table.

Applicable quote of the day:

“The perfect church service,would be one we were almost unaware of. Our attention would have been on God.” C.S. Lewis God bless, Steve Luke 18:1