Blog – Page 51 – Jeff Hampton, Writer

April 28, 2023

The Best Time

For Wilshire Baptist Church

“If you want to hit the big time, you have to write and polish and keep doing that over and over again.”

That was the advice from the cowboy-hat-and-boot-wearing author of top-selling Western novels at the end of the day at the East Texas Book Fest a few weeks ago. He was funny and engaging as he talked about his journey from childhood dreamer to career man to second life as a prolific author of hide-and-leather fiction. And, he spoke the truth in his summary sentence about what it takes to be successful, but it was the end of a long day like so many other long days, and his words sort of floated to the floor as the other authors got ready to pack up and go home.

April 20, 2023

Dear Prudence

For Wilshire Baptist Church

Where do you see God? How do you find God? Those questions have been stuck in my mind recently, thanks to a young neighbor and my penchant for chasing musical rabbits.

This story is really LeAnn’s to tell: She was planting spring flowers in the front beds recently when a little girl on a bicycle engaged her in conversation about when she first began riding without training wheels and her late January birthday, which LeAnn and I both have as well. That news seemed to thrill her and she couldn’t wait to tell her daddy. And then she told LeAnn her name: Prudence.

April 13, 2023

Enjoy the Journey

For Wilshire Baptist Church

Strolling across the Baylor University campus Wednesday morning, it all looked so familiar: students walking down long sidewalks in the bright sunshine or the shade of live oaks to classes in red-brick buildings. I paused to take a picture, because with the exception of the abundance of backpacks, it could have been a spring morning in 1981 when I was on my way to a journalism class.

But, it was just an illusion, because 48 hours earlier I was in a medical office in Dallas taking a cardiac stress test. And 24 hours after that, I was on the phone with the cardiologist who was telling me we need to take a closer look. I may feel like I could be a college student again but my body is saying no.