In between all the news yesterday about Trump and the NFL players standing or not standing you may have seen a blip on the news about a shooting in a Tennessee church. One dead, seven injured. It may be being reported as a possible civil rights attack. At any rate, it has been tragic. And it has hit close to our family.

The minister of Burnette Chapel Church of Christ was Joey Spann. Coach Spann, as we all know him, was Savannah’s eighth grade Bible teacher at Goodpasture. She loved his class and I appreciated the fact that he taught with heart. He was more than just a teacher, he was a mentor and friend. I remember most fondly Savannah sharing with me his cartoons of the Bible lessons they were studying. She would come home saying, “Mom, you’ve got see what Coach Spann gave us today.”

I think the greatest compliment anyone can be given is that they touched the life of a child in the name of Christ. I saw that from Coach Spann over and over again.

Today, I lift his name and his whole family in prayer. Coach Spann was critically injured during the church shooting. Following surgery yesterday he remains in stable but critical condition. His wife was also injured. Prayers for all the other victims as well.

Prayers for peace.

Now and forever.