Posts with the tag “sunday”

Chaos, confidence and a car crash...
November 22nd, 2024
It’s been about three weeks since Leigh-Ann and Ian had an unexpected adventure on Troost Avenue in Kansas City. This adventure involved a car accident, a traumatized dog, and plenty of calls to each ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Vroooom...
November 15th, 2024
A few weeks ago, I met up with a friend for lunch. After a burger and fries, he showed me his new car—a limited-edition Corvette. Let me tell you, this car wasn’t just nice—it was mighty fine. With th...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
So fly...
October 18th, 2024
This past week, I was sitting in my office, deep in thought and preparing for my sermon, when I suddenly heard the familiar sound of buzzing. You know the sound—it’s like a tiny alarm clock going off,...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Watch out for scammers...
October 12th, 2024
A few months ago, we started receiving random gifts in the mail. At first, it was kind of fun—like Christmas had come early! We got a high-end car deodorizer, a nice tool kit, a giant teddy bear and e...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Snaking their way in...
October 4th, 2024
Last weekend, Leigh-Ann, the boys, and I drove out into the country to get haircuts and watch Sophia play soccer. We definitely enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine and decided to make a pit stop at a l...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Fades
September 27th, 2024
Today, I took our three boys for haircuts—look good, feel good. Since I was overdue, I’ve been looking forward to walking out of the barbershop with a fresh cut all week. As you know, for a few days, ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Overcoming Pride: Lessons from Jonah’s Story...
September 20th, 2024
How well do you like to admit you were wrong?  Yeah, me neither…what is it that makes this so difficult?This afternoon I was working on some illustrations for Sunday and decided to enlist some help, s...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Staying in the Rain...
August 30th, 2024
A few days ago, our middle son, Isaiah, got the chance to be a ball boy at the Sporting KC match. We were all pumped about it, ready for an evening of soccer thrills. But, as it turns out, soccer game...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Hustle and happy accidents...
August 16th, 2024
Today is Sophia’s 20th birthday….so first things first, Happy Birthday! ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Conflicted...
August 9th, 2024
This week, Leigh-Ann and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. Wow-I have always remembered “old people” celebrating their 25th…and we are not old ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Road trip...
August 2nd, 2024
This past Sunday was a day of both heart and hustle as we took our oldest daughter to medical school in Orlando. The alarm went off and within a short time, we were walking out the door at 5 am, to st...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
The value of a friend...
July 26th, 2024
Last week, our community lost a remarkable person, Phil Cagle, in a tragic carjacking incident. Phil was a good friend, a devoted church member, and a passionate motorcycle and moped enthusiast. His s...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
In the hood...
July 19th, 2024
Since coming home for the summer, our daughter Alexa’s car hood has been looking pretty rough. The once sleek surface had become blotchy and, frankly, a bit embarrassing to drive around. With her upco...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Trapped...
July 12th, 2024
Last night, when most of the world was asleep, Leigh-Ann had an unexpected encounter that left her heart pounding. She walked into our bathroom and was met with a sight that would send shivers down an...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
New Life Sunday - Freedom 5K...
July 5th, 2024
Vacations are typically synonymous with relaxation, lounging by the pool, and indulging in good food. However, this year, we decided to spice things up by signing up for the "Run for Freedom" 5K at Bi...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Stars forever...
June 28th, 2024
This past week, our family managed to escape for a much-needed vacation. We swam, floated, read, and competed in all sorts of fun activities. But one of my favorite moments happened last night, and it...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Sewer series...
June 21st, 2024
I hope this message finds you well and excited about the latest developments in our church remodeling adventure! Phase Three has been quite the rollercoaster of demolition, surprises, and valuable les...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
BLARING ALARM...
May 31st, 2024
This past Monday, Alexa, Jaren and I had the honor of traveling to Wichita, Kansas, to attend and perform a wedding ceremony for mutual friends. After a smooth rehearsal, we found ourselves with some ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Pizza, prime rib and my person ...
May 24th, 2024
Nearly thirty years ago, I was a Freshman in college and spent Spring Break traveling with several other students from Maranatha Baptist University. We started in Wisconsin and went out to the East Co...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Come on over...
May 17th, 2024
Four years ago, as Alexa was preparing for her freshman year in college, we reconnected with a friend who had briefly lived in Kansas City. After a few months, he decided to move back to Springfield, ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
An ideal personality...
May 10th, 2024
What does the ideal personality look like to you? Is there a single word that comes to mind?Now, before we dive in, let’s set the record straight: I don’t believe there’s an ideal one-size-fits-all pe...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Embrace it...
May 3rd, 2024
Yesterday, our oldest daughter graduated from college. She has made great friends, learned a lot, and is now all grown up. In the words of one of the speakers yesterday, she is now an “adult, adult.”I...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
The joy of mulch...
April 26th, 2024
One of my favorite times every Spring is the day we spread new mulch in our yard. Since I love getting a good deal, I typically wait until I can buy it for $2 per bag. And this season didn’t disappoin...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Golazo...
April 19th, 2024
Dallas and I were pumped as we made our way to GEHA Arrowhead Stadium for the showdown between Inter Miami and Sporting Kansas City. But let’s be real, we were really there for one reason – to catch a...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Donuts with Dad...
April 12th, 2024
A few weeks ago, my youngest son Ian invited me to join him for “Doughnuts with Dad” at his school. I must admit, the prospect of waking up early to hang out in a cafeteria filled with elementary scho...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Undefeated...
March 29th, 2024
As I walked into our living room a week ago and saw my college wrestling coach Ben Peterson, the memories flooded back—sweat-drenched practices, hard-fought victories, and his life-changing influence....  Read More
by Diana Brooks
New Digs...
March 22nd, 2024
This past week has been a whirlwind of activity at the New Life office. It’s almost like watching a team of caffeinated beavers (side note: we also have a new coffee maker) on a mission to turn the pl...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Come from behind...
March 15th, 2024
Over the past few days, my newsfeed has been popping with NFL teams making moves by trading, signing, and releasing football players. Although I’ve never had to deal with this sort of stress, every na...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Wrong way...
March 8th, 2024
A few weeks ago, I was driving downtown Kansas City, heading back to the church office and I noticed a car coming towards me while I was stopped at a light…nicely obeying all traffic laws ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
For the win...
March 1st, 2024
Earlier today, my brother Todd and I and Dallas drove over to Council Bluffs, IA to watch my nephew compete in the Junior College National wrestling tournament. At the beginning of the day, there were...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
On the mooove...
February 23rd, 2024
Yesterday evening, Leigh-Ann took our youngest boy, Ian to Tai-kwon-do and I was in charge of dropping off Isaiah and picking up Dallas from soccer training. Since the weather was nice, Dallas and I d...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
A Response to tragedy...
February 16th, 2024
This past week has been tough. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl and about a million of our closest friends squeezed together for a celebratory parade.We enjoyed plenty of cheering and revisiting our favo...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Because I'm happy...
February 2nd, 2024
What makes you happy?There are plenty of things that make me happy.This weather makes me happy – plus Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow. Early Spring is on the way! And if you want to get a litt...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Wrestling...
January 26th, 2024
This past week, Isaiah entered his first wrestling tournament. This is a pretty big deal in our household. I started wrestling about the same time I learned how to crawl and went through college…also…...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Significance...
January 19th, 2024
Super Bowl LVIII will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2024. This will be a game between the two best football teams in the world (at least at the time ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Adversity...
January 12th, 2024
About five years ago, we took a family trip through Birmingham AL for a wedding.  It’s amazing how much kids can grow in 5 years!I was reminded of some historical sites we visited while we were in Bir...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Family, food, and fun...
January 5th, 2024
Today we are headed back to Kansas City after spending several days with family to begin 2024 in Florida. We loved soaking in some sunshine and warmer weather while relaxing and spending time together...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Hang on or hang up...
December 29th, 2023
A few minutes ago, I was putting some final touches on my sermon for Sunday. I want to end our Advent Series, “Embracing Eternity” from the Psalms well. I also want to provide some practical ways to b...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Favorite traditions...
December 23rd, 2023
Christmas is a time for favorite traditions.If you are like me, you probably have some favorite Christmas songs (Gloria in Excelsis Deo-sung loudly in my best dad voice ...  Read More
by Diana Brooks
Solo...
December 15th, 2023
This past week, we were able to attend the elementary Christmas program at Isaiah and Ian’s school.To be honest, after five kids, the elementary program is typically one of my least favorite things to...  Read More
by Diana Brooks