Tag: life
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What I Would Tell You Now
For Joshua Blake Hargrove from John Hagrove his dad June 2025 1984–2002 My son, If I could sit across from you today—twenty-three years after you left this world—I would begin with the words that still rise unbidden in my heart: I miss you. Every day. Not with the same sharp ache as before, but with…
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My Epitath
Here lies John E. Hargrove January 24, 1958 – [date yet to be written] A boy from Buna who never stopped wondering how things worked and never stopped trying to make them work for others. He chased signals across microwave towers and fiber miles, built networks that carried light to forgotten places, and in the…
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Reminder of the Light
Some days I’m reminded to go back to the starting point. “In the beginning was the Word…” That truth centers me. It reminds me that everything we’re doing—family, work, community—rests on something solid and steady. The scriptures in the RCL today lean into that same hope. Daniel talks about God standing with His people even…
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Keeping Going When No One’s Listening?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to do work that matters when it feels like no one cares. For the past few years, I’ve been advocating for rural East Texas communities—places like Buna, Newton, San Augustine. I’ve built communication frameworks, written strategic plans, installed digital kiosks, organized meetings, drafted policy briefs.…
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Several strands of biblical wisdom for those haunted by regret and recurring temptation
1. Remember that God’s mercy is greater than memory. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Condemnation is not the same as conviction. Conviction calls you back to grace; condemnation chains you to the past. The devil traffics in old evidence. God calls you into a new…
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The Pain We Carry
– Lament with Jeremiah & the Psalmist There’s a weight we don’t often talk about in church life—the grief that lingers in the soul when things don’t work out the way we prayed they would. Jeremiah knew that weight. He wrote, “Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain…
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Living the New Life by Compass in a Fractured WorldSermon – September 14, 2025
Sermon – September 14, 2025 Title: Living the New Life by Compass in a Fractured WorldTexts: Ephesians 4:22–24; 2 Corinthians 5:17–20; John 15:5; Colossians 3:17 Opening Prayer Lord Jesus,Thank You for offering us a new name amid this week’s heartaches—Kirk’s loss, Evergreen’s terror, Memphis’ violence, and Vidor’s wounds. As we gather, be our compass in…
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What I’ve Learned so Far About Life
Life ain’t a straight line. It’s not fair, it’s not simple, and it sure doesn’t wait on you to get your act together. I’ve learned life will knock you flat more times than you think is reasonable, and just when you think you’re done, it hands you something beautiful. People come and go. Some stay.…
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I’ve been asking myself lately why I’ve done all of this.
I’ve been asking myself lately why I’ve done all of this.Why, in 1989, I sat in the yard with a notebook computer, working while my son played nearby — but not really paying attention to him. Why I’ve poured 65 to 80 hours a week into work, every week, from college right up to now…
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Eighteen with 49 Years of Experience: Its been a Wild Ride
John Hargrove January 2025 Eighteen with 49 Years of Experience: Its been a Wild Ride I have never felt completely sure of myself. But that never stopped me from trying things anyway. Life has been a mix of near-disasters, small victories, and the occasional moment of brilliance—sometimes all in the same day.. Looking back, I’ve…
John Hargrove Seeking Truth and Reality 