Jeffrey McWhorter Photography

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  • where dreams are born #forthoseabouttorock
  • This year’s #davestravaganza off to a strong start. An Austinite for 22 years and this man had never had a West, Texas kolache!
  • Austin, I hardly recognize you, but I miss you like crazy. (at least my favorite memory of Austin will be with me wherever I go 😘@kemcwh) #shamelesslysappy
  • spotted an endangered species in the wilds of Austin
  • After Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery was fired this morning for “unprofessional conduct,” interim head coach Rick Bowness led the team to a 2-0 victory tonight over the New Jersey Devils at the AAC.
  • From college football to college fútbol... SMU defeats UCF in OT in the Sweet 16.
  • “Helping” get @northway.church move-in ready before our return (to the habitable part of the building) on December 22. Pulling glass shards out of the lawn was an especially big hit - like a high stakes Easter egg hunt!
  • Ow...
swipe ⬅️
  • Another December, another OU title... why has my insta feed become an homage to Sooner football? 🙄🤘🏻
  • @northway.church folks speaking up on behalf of our NW Dallas neighbors at last night's DISD Community Meeting moderated by trustee Edwin Flores regarding the future of our tornado-damaged schools. Of the 75 people in attendance, 20 were from @northway.church
  • Soldiering On - Tryouts began this week for the TJ varsity boys soccer team.  Despite all the post-tornado challenges (specifically the longer commute times to and from the “new TJ” in West Dallas), over 70 boys have come out for the team, and not a single player from last year’s squad has transferred out.  Side note: The new TJ facilities lack many things, but beautiful golden light and sweeping cityscapes are not on that list.
  • Two days with the @texaschristianuniversity School of Music
  • Summer camp? Nope... just a typical Sunday night dinner brought to you by @kemcwh and @bertharamirezz09 who make feeding 9.5 people on a daily basis look easy.
  • After the tornado, donations poured into the @northway.church tornado relief fund.  We were able to use some of the remaining money to buy 130 @ikeausa shelves for TJ to provide some much needed storage space at their new campus in West Dallas.  On Saturday morning, a hard-working group of @northway.church members teamed up with some awesome TJ students to assemble all 130 units and place at least one in every classroom.
  • On this Thanksgiving, the #tjsoccerfamilia is overwhelmingly thankful for everyone who generously gave, shared and prayed for this fundraising effort! We are super excited for this tournament and for what God has in store for this season! Tryouts start Monday! #yosilevoylevoyalaTJ #ppbdi
  • Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We still need 26 more people to come help assemble shelving and hang posters/college banners this Saturday 11/30 at the new TJ (2940 Singleton Blvd. Dallas, TX 75212); 9am-1pm. It’s gonna be a grand old time. Direct Message me if you can come!
  • Kelly and I drove almost to Oklahoma yesterday to see our favorite folksinger, Pierce Pettis, play for a crowd of less than 20.  When a Presbyterian church in Bonham, Texas was planning to demolish an old house on their property to make room for a parking lot, Faye and Scott Wedell (4th photo) rescued it, moved it out into the country and created Wildscape Acres, where for the past 15 years they’ve hosted monthly “Harmony House” concerts in their living room.  I always forget how quiet it is out in the country.  It’s hard to imagine a better setting to enjoy American folk music.
  • ninja warrior in the making
  • Wow – easily the best game of the year so far.  Dallas Jesuit, led by the punishing 4-TD effort of E.J. Smith (son of NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith), pulled off a huge upset by knocking off undefeated defending state champs Longview 27-25, ending their 27-game win streak. #fridaynightlights (also, that fifth picture is why I’ll always love shooting high school football)
  • The TJ soccer boys have been invited to play in the Georgetown tournament for the third year in a row, and they need your help now more than ever.  See link in profile for full video and GoFundMe page!
  • Dallas Christian defeats Fort Worth Christian in a first round playoff game #fridaynightlights
  • Checking up on our TJ kids today after picking Clara up from school. These kids and teachers are soldiering on down in #westdallas. Let’s not forget about them! #dallastornado #ppbdi
  • Happy birthday @bertharamirezz09!
  • Shot this game between Seagoville and South Oak Cliff in the middle of Tornado Week, so I never got a chance to post it until now. It was a cold night with a persistent wind-driven mist that just felt like it happened in B&W.
  • Shooting Tripping Daisy tonight (led by @polyspree frontman Tim DeLaughter) at the @carrolltontx #feativalattheswitchyard took me back to my high school days as a @polyspree super fan.
  • The dream team working a job tonight - @louisdeluca @ernes2mtz_
  • Got to share the stage with my Pops this morning who led some hymns before I had the privilege of teaching on the peace of God at @wdcschool chapel. Three generations of Mcwhorters (including the ever-present spirit of Miss McWhorter @sarahmcwhort) in the room!
  • The Chapel Downs Crew. Not everyone was stoked about the photo op.
  • Elias Martinez, 44, who lives just northwest of Marsh and Walnut Hill, was bathing his 7-year-old son Isaac during halftime of the Cowboys-Eagles game when the bathroom lights suddenly went dark and the window by his head exploded.  The twister passed before they and the five other people in their house could even get downstairs to shelter.
For the past week, Elias and his wife Mildra have slept in their apartment without electricity or hot water as mold and stench has grown in the rain-soaked sheetrock.  Their kids missed school at DeGolyer and W.T. White all last week as they lived with family in Fort Worth.
I met Elias and Mildra this morning as they waited for assistance in the Red Cross Multi-Agency Resouce Center (MARC) near Midway and Northwest Highway.  This evening, thanks to the dedicated work of #kevintinkle and @mikela.marie and the generosity of @northway.church, they and the 5 other members of their household are enjoying dry, clean rooms and hot showers in an extended stay hotel just a few minutes from their kids’ school.  Let’s keep working @northway.church!
  • Some of the damage to the TJ athletic facilities that Jerry’s money is gonna help rebuild. Yes, that’s a shipping container full of sporting goods lodged in the attic of a house across the street. Probably flew 150 yards. Photo 6 is all that’s left of the dugout.
  • A huge thanks to our brothers and sisters at @watermarkchurch for opening their doors and allowing all of our people to gather at one service this evening – and for providing @torchystacos for nearly 2,000 people!  Also a huge thanks to @eastside_dallas for handling childcare so all of our people could gather at once on our first post-tornado Sunday.
  • While the @northway.church crew was sending 300+ people into the neighborhood to continue the clean-up effort, I spent the morning at TJ homecoming where Jerry and the @dallascowboys came up huge with a $1 million pledge for the rebuilding of TJ’s athletic facilities.  Not to be outdone, @dallasmavs owner Mark Cuban promptly upped his $100K donation to match Jerry’s.  This is obviously an amazing blessing, but it’s also an unbelievable answer to prayer for me personally.  If you don’t know why, I’d love to share with you sometime. #dallastornado (also, a special guest appearance from our Starbucks buddy Charles Haley!)
  • @parkcitiespca, where I grew up and my parents still attend, generously opened it’s doors tonight so that @northway.church could meet as a body for the first time since Sunday’s tornado.  It was an emotional night of lament over what has been lost mingled with hope and joy over what God has done in the midst of this calamity, and what he is already bringing forth from it.
@parkcitiespca also provided Dallas’ most elite childcare workers (that’s my mama @cicimcwhorter in photo 3 😉)
  • On Wednesday evening, @northway.church and Primera Iglesia Bautista jointly hosted a community dinner in the parking lot of the damaged Northway building with food and resources provided by a wide range of organizations, business, and fellow churches.
  • @thejoshuaduncan and @hannah_rhardin took a moment away from relief efforts to worship through song in the damaged @northway.church sanctuary. (video to come at some point from @northway.church)
  • Images of our devastated sanctuary have been widely circulated, but our westward facing children’s ministry building took it on the nose as well – and as a parent whose kids have all been lovingly cared for in these brightly colored rooms since birth, these scenes are some of the hardest to take in.  @apopenamedchristi, @cassiebryant, Ian O’Donnell and countless others have poured heart and soul into these rooms and are now trying to salvage what they can to carry on the work of ministry at a new location as soon as possible.
  • I want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the unsung heroes in this whole ordeal…

1 – My beautiful wife @kemcwh.  While I’ve spent much of the past 3 days running around the neighborhood trying to document this whole story, Kelly has cared for 4 frightened kids, one of them with a wheezing cough, in a house with no power.  Emptying out rotting food from the fridge, doing bedtime alone in the dark twice, and finding alternate routes around the damage zone to get the big girls to school on time… oh, and she’s 22 weeks pregnant.
2 – Brett Wiseman – what’s the very first thing you do when your home/building/church suffers catastrophic damage? Get on the phone.  Brett Wiseman has been the guy making non-stop calls since Sunday night - all while trying to ignore the fact that his Astros have dropped to 0-2 in the World Series.
3 – Robert Lusk @rlusk64 – does anyone love/hate this building more than Robert Lusk?  He’s the guy who finds the A/C unit sitting in the parking lot and actually knows which roof it should be on.  And he’s got a killer beard-braid.
4 – @drewmorrill & @maryelise_morrill – after two nights without power, we vacated Chapel Downs Drive in search of light and working plugs.  The Morrills have provided that and so much more, welcoming our whole family into their home for the past two nights.
5 – Oghosa Iyamu – Coordinated a slew of volunteered goods and services to put together a community dinner for 1000 people right in the middle of a disaster zone without access to her office.
6 – Jonathan Woodlief, Ian O’Donnell, @thejoshuaduncan, @cassiebryant and the rest of the @northway.church staff – Did you know they were supposed to be on their first ever staff retreat this week?  Well, they’re not.
7 - @marshallcsmith – Is the chairman of the elder board, and I think he’s answered his phone every time I’ve called him in the past 3 days; @wscottcheney – let me plug in and file pictures next to a pile of his dirty laundry while he fed my kids chicken nuggets.

Obviously, this only scratches the surface of hundreds of other unsung heroes out there (that’s why they’re unsung), but these folks just needed a little love.
  • The tireless faculty and staff of Thomas Jefferson High School, led by their indomitable principal Sandi Massey (photo 1), took on the daunting task of completely relocating their school, with extremely limited resources, to Thomas A. Edison Learning Center in West Dallas, where they reopened this morning just 60 hours after their Walnut Hill campus was severely damaged by Sunday’s tornado.
The crisp morning air was alive with bouncy Spanish tunes and a palpable optimism as students trickled, then poured, out of buses that ferried them through still-tangled streets down from the Webb Chapel neighborhood.  Inside, students wandered the unfamiliar halls staring at maps then swapped tornado stories sitting in hastily decorated classrooms.  Special ed kids used chalk (brought from home by their teacher) to express their emotions about the storm (photo 7). Teachers, many of whom still donned Disney-themed costumes in keeping with today’s homecoming week theme, repeated predictable phrases like, “we’re just all gonna have to be flexible” as they did their best to establish a sense of normalcy.  Second year economics teacher Gretta Kershner led her students through a lesson on the economic impact of natural disasters as she quietly told me she’s worried about how many students may need to transfer because of the long commute.  It’s a long road ahead for TJ – they’ve already announced they’ll spend the rest of the year at the temporary facility – but their resolve and community spirit is as strong as ever. #dallastornado #ppbdi
  • A little return to normalcy today keeping the business going with @ernes2mtz and some quality time at the park with the babies.
  • TJ family, we want to share a meal with you tomorrow evening (Wednesday 10/23) at 6:30pm in the @northway.church parking lot. Anyone in the #nwdallas community is welcome! Love you all #dallastornado
  • The #tjsoccerfamilia came together this evening with our @northway.church brothers and sisters to help our neighbors dig out from a tangled mess of downed limbs in #nwdallas #dallastornado #bettertogether
  • Sorting through the wreckage the morning after. A lot of resilient spirits out there. For all you @northway.church people, stay tuned to Northway social media channels for best ways to serve the church and the neighborhood. After walking the area this morning, it seems the church building and the homes right around it really took some of the worst damage. There will be much work to be done in the coming days. Onward. #dallastornado
  • By God’s great kindness, this tornado missed our house by just a few hundred yards, but our @northway.church building took a direct hit, as did Primera Iglesia Dallas just down the road. Thank you to all who have checked in on us. We are thankful that we and all our other church members are (as far as we know) unharmed and are praying for wisdom and trust for the road ahead. Our God is sovereign over the gentlest breeze and the strongest tornado and we look forward to seeing how he will prove himself faithful yet again in the coming weeks. Our eyes remain fixed on those things which no tornado can destroy. Your prayers are always greatly appreciated. #dallastornado
  • The Trump show came to town
  • Enjoying these cooler temps with a little family picnic at the brand new #pacificplazapark in #downtowndallas
  • Of course I despise OU like any self-respecting Texan, but credit where credit is due - @cee2x___ was a force of nature today. #ceedeeteedeethree
  • it stings a little less when I’m working #RedRiverRivalry
  • Ran into a couple of college kids at Canes tonight #TheTimeWeHaveHere
  • just another Thursday in #nwdallas
  • #whoworeitbetter #mullet
  • Little Bro
  • Pushing bedtime for a little TJ volleyball. Proud of y’all.
  • Go Cowboys #sundaynightfootball
  • This is Part 2 of a two-part personal photo essay commemorating the closing of the Ballpark in Arlington. (See previous post for Part 1 or link in profile for full essay in one place) -
Now, as a 32-year-old freelance photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph several games a summer from field level.  Though it's still exciting to be so close and get paid to document the game I love, it's also a job, and with most of the players now born at least five years after I was, some of the magic has definitely worn off.  I’ve often wished my 9-year-old self could be in my 32-year-old body as I frame Elvis Andrus diving into second.

My intention with this photo essay was to recapture some of the magic I experienced as a child as a tribute to the game and to the stadium I grew up in before the Rangers move across the street to their fancy new air-conditioned digs.  As someone who only experienced old Arlington Stadium from my father’s lap, I know I haven’t really earned “old school” status yet, but I sure do look forward to explaining to my kids what it was like to peel your sweaty thighs off a plastic green seat or plead with your dad to wait just 20 more minutes during this weird thing called a “rain delay.”
  • This is Part 1 of a two-part personal photo essay commemorating the closing of The Ballpark in Arlington. (See link in profile for full essay in one place)
-
The Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994 when I was 7 years old and just entering the golden years of my love affair with America's pastime.  On July 28th of that year, I sat 19 rows behind the first base dugout with my friend Sam Turner and watched Rusty Greer superman himself over that immaculate green expanse to preserve the only perfect game in Rangers history.  For the next five to seven years, baseball was pretty much all I thought about (as my 7-year-old journal will attest). I spent most summer nights either sitting in the chain-link dugout of some dusty North Dallas diamond or lying on the living room floor after dinner with my dad watching the Rangers on Channel 39 (until they switched it to cable and we were too cheap to follow). I pored over box scores and stats every morning with SportsDay laid out on the breakfast table.  My wardrobe consisted almost entirely of promotional giveaway t-shirts with Albertson's logos on the front and my heroes names on the back. Gonzalez. Greer. Rodriguez. Clark.  Of course the most glorious event that could possibly occur was any night when we got to make that 45-minute westward pilgrimage on I-30 to the most beautiful building I'd ever seen.  If our dads were nice enough to cut out of work a little early, we’d arrive around 5:30pm and run through those soaring red brick archways just in time to catch the end of batting practice or politely shout for an autograph before settling into the long-gone centerfield bleachers to watch our superheroes battle it out on the dirt.  After lemon chills, the Cotton-Eyed Joe, and spirited debates about whether it was humanly possible to “Hit It Here and Win a Free Suit,” we’d end every trip with our heads against backseat Suburban windows drifting off to the comforting sound of Eric Nadel recapping the game on the postgame show.... (continued in next post)
  • never gets old 🤘🏻
  • This little detail caught my eye while shooting an assignment last week. 10 bonus points for the first person to correctly identify what it is.
  • Because she never misses a birthday tribute on @tjva9048 and I know she’s not gonna post one for herself – @kemch and I would like to wish the happiest of birthdays to one of the most quietly faithful sisters we know.  @susannacarrera is the ultimate soccer mom, surrogate mother to half of TJ, loving wife to @danielleon1979, intentional mom to @leeannaleon, a no-nonsense babysitter, a tireless disciple-maker, a Biblical scholar who is never content to stop at head knowledge, a faithful listening ear and a fervent prayer warrior.  So make her feel special today!
  • Nathan (holding brick): “It’s heavy.”
Daddy: “Don’t drop it on your toe.”
Nathan: ...
  • An evening of backyard ice cream and fellowship with the TJ cross country kids and @northway.church
  • a few sportraits from last Saturday
  • For everyone who thought I’d end up homeless... you were wrong. #dadlife #saturday #stuff #homeownership #garagecleanout #yesallthisstuffsparksjoyforme
  • Huge congrats to this TJ boys cross country team who placed 1st in their division this morning at the Lake Highlands Invitational! @1017.leo @kev.6776 @dtx.jmtz @tjpatriotscc (Yoan and Enrique, I don’t know your handles!)
  • The harvest moon rose over Max Goldsmith Stadium tonight as Lewisville, led by their dynamic junior quarterback Taylen Green (a defector from Allen U), dominated McKinney Boyd 41-16. #fridaynightlights
  • Week 2 - back at the ol’ Tom Landry Stadium shooting for the home team yet again #fridaynightlights
  • the most underappreciated fall sport #crosscountry
  • It’s that time of the year again... started off Week 1 with a classic Dallas ISD matchup between South Oak Cliff and Skyline. SOC pulled off the dramatic comeback victory, but Skyline proved they still have one of the funkiest bands in town. #fridaynightlights
  • My screenwriting and directorial debut featuring TCA dad Tony Romo and Coach Mike Singletary co-starring alongside the King twins as fake dads, my amazing wife @kemcwh, all our kids, and a bunch of amazing fellow @tca_alumni_addison alumni who generously volunteered their time to create the perfect tailgate scene. Little Bro even snuck in a cameo appearance going after Tony’s chips. @eclakley @kristincgray @cbillman223 Thanks to @draftrmedia for helping on the crew.
  • Seven years ago, @wscottcheney and @rebeccacheney, freshly arrived from Chicago, walked up to us in the zoo that was group connect and wrote their names down on a clipboard (see fifth photo). In the years since, they have truly become family (and according to our will, if Kelly and I died, our five kids would literally become their family 😬). Now they and their 4+ kids are stepping out to start a new home group, providing a place of belonging for new members of Northway Church. Never have I experienced true biblical community like I have over the past 7 years with these folks right here. We’re gonna miss them like crazy, but are excited to see what God has for them in this new season.
  • Our second first day at @wdcschool - adding Little C this year
  • To all you TJ kids starting a new chapter in college today - we love you, we’re proud of you, and we’re praying for you!  Seek the Lord first, stay focused, work diligently, meet people that are different from you, make mistakes, and remember that in the end, all we have is grace.  We are always in your corner. @dav_07 @ronald._.05 @rojas.sofiaa @___aj.____ @lissagalvan_ @jayygutierrezz @friitzyyy @uglyjesus._ @loganbruce7 @itspepei @juanromano21 @bryan_castanedaa @aidanl_6 @deandre011 and anyone else I missed.
  • #title9trip - Part 4 of 4
  • #title9trip - Part 3 of 4 (in the fourth picture, @thejakegreen lost his Apple Watch while cliff jumping into Lake Crescent, but his heroic scuba-diving stuntwoman wife @nikkitomlinsonla dove down 30 feet to retrieve it!)
  • #title9trip - Part 2 of 4
  • In last year’s “Summer of Love,” we saw three of the original six Road Trippers tie the knot and @kemcwh‘s 8-year reign as the only Road Trip wife come to an end. Last week, a new era began as the 14th annual trip was the first ever to include wives. #title9trip - Part 1 of 4
  • where dreams are born #forthoseabouttorock

    where dreams are born #forthoseabouttorock

  • This year’s #davestravaganza off to a strong start. An Austinite for 22 years and this man had never had a West, Texas kolache!

    This year’s #davestravaganza off to a strong start. An Austinite for 22 years and this man had never had a West, Texas kolache!

  • Austin, I hardly recognize you, but I miss you like crazy. (at least my favorite memory of Austin will be with me wherever I go 😘@kemcwh) #shamelesslysappy

    Austin, I hardly recognize you, but I miss you like crazy. (at least my favorite memory of Austin will be with me wherever I go 😘@kemcwh) #shamelesslysappy

  • spotted an endangered species in the wilds of Austin

    spotted an endangered species in the wilds of Austin

  • After Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery was fired this morning for “unprofessional conduct,” interim head coach Rick Bowness led the team to a 2-0 victory tonight over the New Jersey Devils at the AAC.

    After Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery was fired this morning for “unprofessional conduct,” interim head coach Rick Bowness led the team to a 2-0 victory tonight over the New Jersey Devils at the AAC.

  • From college football to college fútbol... SMU defeats UCF in OT in the Sweet 16.

    From college football to college fútbol... SMU defeats UCF in OT in the Sweet 16.

  • “Helping” get @northway.church move-in ready before our return (to the habitable part of the building) on December 22. Pulling glass shards out of the lawn was an especially big hit - like a high stakes Easter egg hunt!

    “Helping” get @northway.church move-in ready before our return (to the habitable part of the building) on December 22. Pulling glass shards out of the lawn was an especially big hit - like a high stakes Easter egg hunt!

  • Ow...
swipe ⬅️

    Ow... swipe ⬅️

  • Another December, another OU title... why has my insta feed become an homage to Sooner football? 🙄🤘🏻

    Another December, another OU title... why has my insta feed become an homage to Sooner football? 🙄🤘🏻

  • @northway.church folks speaking up on behalf of our NW Dallas neighbors at last night's DISD Community Meeting moderated by trustee Edwin Flores regarding the future of our tornado-damaged schools. Of the 75 people in attendance, 20 were from @northway.church

    @northway.church folks speaking up on behalf of our NW Dallas neighbors at last night's DISD Community Meeting moderated by trustee Edwin Flores regarding the future of our tornado-damaged schools. Of the 75 people in attendance, 20 were from @northway.church

  • Soldiering On - Tryouts began this week for the TJ varsity boys soccer team.  Despite all the post-tornado challenges (specifically the longer commute times to and from the “new TJ” in West Dallas), over 70 boys have come out for the team, and not a single player from last year’s squad has transferred out.  Side note: The new TJ facilities lack many things, but beautiful golden light and sweeping cityscapes are not on that list.

    Soldiering On - Tryouts began this week for the TJ varsity boys soccer team.  Despite all the post-tornado challenges (specifically the longer commute times to and from the “new TJ” in West Dallas), over 70 boys have come out for the team, and not a single player from last year’s squad has transferred out.  Side note: The new TJ facilities lack many things, but beautiful golden light and sweeping cityscapes are not on that list.

  • Two days with the @texaschristianuniversity School of Music

    Two days with the @texaschristianuniversity School of Music

  • Summer camp? Nope... just a typical Sunday night dinner brought to you by @kemcwh and @bertharamirezz09 who make feeding 9.5 people on a daily basis look easy.

    Summer camp? Nope... just a typical Sunday night dinner brought to you by @kemcwh and @bertharamirezz09 who make feeding 9.5 people on a daily basis look easy.

  • After the tornado, donations poured into the @northway.church tornado relief fund.  We were able to use some of the remaining money to buy 130 @ikeausa shelves for TJ to provide some much needed storage space at their new campus in West Dallas.  On Saturday morning, a hard-working group of @northway.church members teamed up with some awesome TJ students to assemble all 130 units and place at least one in every classroom.

    After the tornado, donations poured into the @northway.church tornado relief fund.  We were able to use some of the remaining money to buy 130 @ikeausa shelves for TJ to provide some much needed storage space at their new campus in West Dallas.  On Saturday morning, a hard-working group of @northway.church members teamed up with some awesome TJ students to assemble all 130 units and place at least one in every classroom.

  • On this Thanksgiving, the #tjsoccerfamilia is overwhelmingly thankful for everyone who generously gave, shared and prayed for this fundraising effort! We are super excited for this tournament and for what God has in store for this season! Tryouts start Monday! #yosilevoylevoyalaTJ #ppbdi

    On this Thanksgiving, the #tjsoccerfamilia is overwhelmingly thankful for everyone who generously gave, shared and prayed for this fundraising effort! We are super excited for this tournament and for what God has in store for this season! Tryouts start Monday! #yosilevoylevoyalaTJ #ppbdi

  • Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We still need 26 more people to come help assemble shelving and hang posters/college banners this Saturday 11/30 at the new TJ (2940 Singleton Blvd. Dallas, TX 75212); 9am-1pm. It’s gonna be a grand old time. Direct Message me if you can come!

    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We still need 26 more people to come help assemble shelving and hang posters/college banners this Saturday 11/30 at the new TJ (2940 Singleton Blvd. Dallas, TX 75212); 9am-1pm. It’s gonna be a grand old time. Direct Message me if you can come!

  • Kelly and I drove almost to Oklahoma yesterday to see our favorite folksinger, Pierce Pettis, play for a crowd of less than 20.  When a Presbyterian church in Bonham, Texas was planning to demolish an old house on their property to make room for a parking lot, Faye and Scott Wedell (4th photo) rescued it, moved it out into the country and created Wildscape Acres, where for the past 15 years they’ve hosted monthly “Harmony House” concerts in their living room.  I always forget how quiet it is out in the country.  It’s hard to imagine a better setting to enjoy American folk music.

    Kelly and I drove almost to Oklahoma yesterday to see our favorite folksinger, Pierce Pettis, play for a crowd of less than 20.  When a Presbyterian church in Bonham, Texas was planning to demolish an old house on their property to make room for a parking lot, Faye and Scott Wedell (4th photo) rescued it, moved it out into the country and created Wildscape Acres, where for the past 15 years they’ve hosted monthly “Harmony House” concerts in their living room.  I always forget how quiet it is out in the country.  It’s hard to imagine a better setting to enjoy American folk music.

  • ninja warrior in the making

    ninja warrior in the making

  • Wow – easily the best game of the year so far.  Dallas Jesuit, led by the punishing 4-TD effort of E.J. Smith (son of NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith), pulled off a huge upset by knocking off undefeated defending state champs Longview 27-25, ending their 27-game win streak. #fridaynightlights (also, that fifth picture is why I’ll always love shooting high school football)

    Wow – easily the best game of the year so far.  Dallas Jesuit, led by the punishing 4-TD effort of E.J. Smith (son of NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith), pulled off a huge upset by knocking off undefeated defending state champs Longview 27-25, ending their 27-game win streak. #fridaynightlights (also, that fifth picture is why I’ll always love shooting high school football)

  • The TJ soccer boys have been invited to play in the Georgetown tournament for the third year in a row, and they need your help now more than ever.  See link in profile for full video and GoFundMe page!

    The TJ soccer boys have been invited to play in the Georgetown tournament for the third year in a row, and they need your help now more than ever.  See link in profile for full video and GoFundMe page!

  • Dallas Christian defeats Fort Worth Christian in a first round playoff game #fridaynightlights

    Dallas Christian defeats Fort Worth Christian in a first round playoff game #fridaynightlights

  • Checking up on our TJ kids today after picking Clara up from school. These kids and teachers are soldiering on down in #westdallas. Let’s not forget about them! #dallastornado #ppbdi

    Checking up on our TJ kids today after picking Clara up from school. These kids and teachers are soldiering on down in #westdallas. Let’s not forget about them! #dallastornado #ppbdi

  • Happy birthday @bertharamirezz09!

    Happy birthday @bertharamirezz09!

  • Shot this game between Seagoville and South Oak Cliff in the middle of Tornado Week, so I never got a chance to post it until now. It was a cold night with a persistent wind-driven mist that just felt like it happened in B&W.

    Shot this game between Seagoville and South Oak Cliff in the middle of Tornado Week, so I never got a chance to post it until now. It was a cold night with a persistent wind-driven mist that just felt like it happened in B&W.

  • Shooting Tripping Daisy tonight (led by @polyspree frontman Tim DeLaughter) at the @carrolltontx #feativalattheswitchyard took me back to my high school days as a @polyspree super fan.

    Shooting Tripping Daisy tonight (led by @polyspree frontman Tim DeLaughter) at the @carrolltontx #feativalattheswitchyard took me back to my high school days as a @polyspree super fan.

  • The dream team working a job tonight - @louisdeluca @ernes2mtz_

    The dream team working a job tonight - @louisdeluca @ernes2mtz_

  • Got to share the stage with my Pops this morning who led some hymns before I had the privilege of teaching on the peace of God at @wdcschool chapel. Three generations of Mcwhorters (including the ever-present spirit of Miss McWhorter @sarahmcwhort) in the room!

    Got to share the stage with my Pops this morning who led some hymns before I had the privilege of teaching on the peace of God at @wdcschool chapel. Three generations of Mcwhorters (including the ever-present spirit of Miss McWhorter @sarahmcwhort) in the room!

  • The Chapel Downs Crew. Not everyone was stoked about the photo op.

    The Chapel Downs Crew. Not everyone was stoked about the photo op.

  • Elias Martinez, 44, who lives just northwest of Marsh and Walnut Hill, was bathing his 7-year-old son Isaac during halftime of the Cowboys-Eagles game when the bathroom lights suddenly went dark and the window by his head exploded.  The twister passed before they and the five other people in their house could even get downstairs to shelter.
For the past week, Elias and his wife Mildra have slept in their apartment without electricity or hot water as mold and stench has grown in the rain-soaked sheetrock.  Their kids missed school at DeGolyer and W.T. White all last week as they lived with family in Fort Worth.
I met Elias and Mildra this morning as they waited for assistance in the Red Cross Multi-Agency Resouce Center (MARC) near Midway and Northwest Highway.  This evening, thanks to the dedicated work of #kevintinkle and @mikela.marie and the generosity of @northway.church, they and the 5 other members of their household are enjoying dry, clean rooms and hot showers in an extended stay hotel just a few minutes from their kids’ school.  Let’s keep working @northway.church!

    Elias Martinez, 44, who lives just northwest of Marsh and Walnut Hill, was bathing his 7-year-old son Isaac during halftime of the Cowboys-Eagles game when the bathroom lights suddenly went dark and the window by his head exploded.  The twister passed before they and the five other people in their house could even get downstairs to shelter. For the past week, Elias and his wife Mildra have slept in their apartment without electricity or hot water as mold and stench has grown in the rain-soaked sheetrock.  Their kids missed school at DeGolyer and W.T. White all last week as they lived with family in Fort Worth. I met Elias and Mildra this morning as they waited for assistance in the Red Cross Multi-Agency Resouce Center (MARC) near Midway and Northwest Highway.  This evening, thanks to the dedicated work of #kevintinkle and @mikela.marie and the generosity of @northway.church, they and the 5 other members of their household are enjoying dry, clean rooms and hot showers in an extended stay hotel just a few minutes from their kids’ school.  Let’s keep working @northway.church!

  • Some of the damage to the TJ athletic facilities that Jerry’s money is gonna help rebuild. Yes, that’s a shipping container full of sporting goods lodged in the attic of a house across the street. Probably flew 150 yards. Photo 6 is all that’s left of the dugout.

    Some of the damage to the TJ athletic facilities that Jerry’s money is gonna help rebuild. Yes, that’s a shipping container full of sporting goods lodged in the attic of a house across the street. Probably flew 150 yards. Photo 6 is all that’s left of the dugout.

  • A huge thanks to our brothers and sisters at @watermarkchurch for opening their doors and allowing all of our people to gather at one service this evening – and for providing @torchystacos for nearly 2,000 people!  Also a huge thanks to @eastside_dallas for handling childcare so all of our people could gather at once on our first post-tornado Sunday.

    A huge thanks to our brothers and sisters at @watermarkchurch for opening their doors and allowing all of our people to gather at one service this evening – and for providing @torchystacos for nearly 2,000 people!  Also a huge thanks to @eastside_dallas for handling childcare so all of our people could gather at once on our first post-tornado Sunday.

  • While the @northway.church crew was sending 300+ people into the neighborhood to continue the clean-up effort, I spent the morning at TJ homecoming where Jerry and the @dallascowboys came up huge with a $1 million pledge for the rebuilding of TJ’s athletic facilities.  Not to be outdone, @dallasmavs owner Mark Cuban promptly upped his $100K donation to match Jerry’s.  This is obviously an amazing blessing, but it’s also an unbelievable answer to prayer for me personally.  If you don’t know why, I’d love to share with you sometime. #dallastornado (also, a special guest appearance from our Starbucks buddy Charles Haley!)

    While the @northway.church crew was sending 300+ people into the neighborhood to continue the clean-up effort, I spent the morning at TJ homecoming where Jerry and the @dallascowboys came up huge with a $1 million pledge for the rebuilding of TJ’s athletic facilities.  Not to be outdone, @dallasmavs owner Mark Cuban promptly upped his $100K donation to match Jerry’s.  This is obviously an amazing blessing, but it’s also an unbelievable answer to prayer for me personally.  If you don’t know why, I’d love to share with you sometime. #dallastornado (also, a special guest appearance from our Starbucks buddy Charles Haley!)

  • @parkcitiespca, where I grew up and my parents still attend, generously opened it’s doors tonight so that @northway.church could meet as a body for the first time since Sunday’s tornado.  It was an emotional night of lament over what has been lost mingled with hope and joy over what God has done in the midst of this calamity, and what he is already bringing forth from it.
@parkcitiespca also provided Dallas’ most elite childcare workers (that’s my mama @cicimcwhorter in photo 3 😉)

    @parkcitiespca, where I grew up and my parents still attend, generously opened it’s doors tonight so that @northway.church could meet as a body for the first time since Sunday’s tornado.  It was an emotional night of lament over what has been lost mingled with hope and joy over what God has done in the midst of this calamity, and what he is already bringing forth from it. @parkcitiespca also provided Dallas’ most elite childcare workers (that’s my mama @cicimcwhorter in photo 3 😉)

  • On Wednesday evening, @northway.church and Primera Iglesia Bautista jointly hosted a community dinner in the parking lot of the damaged Northway building with food and resources provided by a wide range of organizations, business, and fellow churches.

    On Wednesday evening, @northway.church and Primera Iglesia Bautista jointly hosted a community dinner in the parking lot of the damaged Northway building with food and resources provided by a wide range of organizations, business, and fellow churches.

  • @thejoshuaduncan and @hannah_rhardin took a moment away from relief efforts to worship through song in the damaged @northway.church sanctuary. (video to come at some point from @northway.church)

    @thejoshuaduncan and @hannah_rhardin took a moment away from relief efforts to worship through song in the damaged @northway.church sanctuary. (video to come at some point from @northway.church)

  • Images of our devastated sanctuary have been widely circulated, but our westward facing children’s ministry building took it on the nose as well – and as a parent whose kids have all been lovingly cared for in these brightly colored rooms since birth, these scenes are some of the hardest to take in.  @apopenamedchristi, @cassiebryant, Ian O’Donnell and countless others have poured heart and soul into these rooms and are now trying to salvage what they can to carry on the work of ministry at a new location as soon as possible.

    Images of our devastated sanctuary have been widely circulated, but our westward facing children’s ministry building took it on the nose as well – and as a parent whose kids have all been lovingly cared for in these brightly colored rooms since birth, these scenes are some of the hardest to take in.  @apopenamedchristi, @cassiebryant, Ian O’Donnell and countless others have poured heart and soul into these rooms and are now trying to salvage what they can to carry on the work of ministry at a new location as soon as possible.

  • I want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the unsung heroes in this whole ordeal…

1 – My beautiful wife @kemcwh.  While I’ve spent much of the past 3 days running around the neighborhood trying to document this whole story, Kelly has cared for 4 frightened kids, one of them with a wheezing cough, in a house with no power.  Emptying out rotting food from the fridge, doing bedtime alone in the dark twice, and finding alternate routes around the damage zone to get the big girls to school on time… oh, and she’s 22 weeks pregnant.
2 – Brett Wiseman – what’s the very first thing you do when your home/building/church suffers catastrophic damage? Get on the phone.  Brett Wiseman has been the guy making non-stop calls since Sunday night - all while trying to ignore the fact that his Astros have dropped to 0-2 in the World Series.
3 – Robert Lusk @rlusk64 – does anyone love/hate this building more than Robert Lusk?  He’s the guy who finds the A/C unit sitting in the parking lot and actually knows which roof it should be on.  And he’s got a killer beard-braid.
4 – @drewmorrill & @maryelise_morrill – after two nights without power, we vacated Chapel Downs Drive in search of light and working plugs.  The Morrills have provided that and so much more, welcoming our whole family into their home for the past two nights.
5 – Oghosa Iyamu – Coordinated a slew of volunteered goods and services to put together a community dinner for 1000 people right in the middle of a disaster zone without access to her office.
6 – Jonathan Woodlief, Ian O’Donnell, @thejoshuaduncan, @cassiebryant and the rest of the @northway.church staff – Did you know they were supposed to be on their first ever staff retreat this week?  Well, they’re not.
7 - @marshallcsmith – Is the chairman of the elder board, and I think he’s answered his phone every time I’ve called him in the past 3 days; @wscottcheney – let me plug in and file pictures next to a pile of his dirty laundry while he fed my kids chicken nuggets.

Obviously, this only scratches the surface of hundreds of other unsung heroes out there (that’s why they’re unsung), but these folks just needed a little love.

    I want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the unsung heroes in this whole ordeal… 1 – My beautiful wife @kemcwh.  While I’ve spent much of the past 3 days running around the neighborhood trying to document this whole story, Kelly has cared for 4 frightened kids, one of them with a wheezing cough, in a house with no power.  Emptying out rotting food from the fridge, doing bedtime alone in the dark twice, and finding alternate routes around the damage zone to get the big girls to school on time… oh, and she’s 22 weeks pregnant. 2 – Brett Wiseman – what’s the very first thing you do when your home/building/church suffers catastrophic damage? Get on the phone.  Brett Wiseman has been the guy making non-stop calls since Sunday night - all while trying to ignore the fact that his Astros have dropped to 0-2 in the World Series. 3 – Robert Lusk @rlusk64 – does anyone love/hate this building more than Robert Lusk?  He’s the guy who finds the A/C unit sitting in the parking lot and actually knows which roof it should be on.  And he’s got a killer beard-braid. 4 – @drewmorrill & @maryelise_morrill – after two nights without power, we vacated Chapel Downs Drive in search of light and working plugs.  The Morrills have provided that and so much more, welcoming our whole family into their home for the past two nights. 5 – Oghosa Iyamu – Coordinated a slew of volunteered goods and services to put together a community dinner for 1000 people right in the middle of a disaster zone without access to her office. 6 – Jonathan Woodlief, Ian O’Donnell, @thejoshuaduncan, @cassiebryant and the rest of the @northway.church staff – Did you know they were supposed to be on their first ever staff retreat this week?  Well, they’re not. 7 - @marshallcsmith – Is the chairman of the elder board, and I think he’s answered his phone every time I’ve called him in the past 3 days; @wscottcheney – let me plug in and file pictures next to a pile of his dirty laundry while he fed my kids chicken nuggets. Obviously, this only scratches the surface of hundreds of other unsung heroes out there (that’s why they’re unsung), but these folks just needed a little love.

  • The tireless faculty and staff of Thomas Jefferson High School, led by their indomitable principal Sandi Massey (photo 1), took on the daunting task of completely relocating their school, with extremely limited resources, to Thomas A. Edison Learning Center in West Dallas, where they reopened this morning just 60 hours after their Walnut Hill campus was severely damaged by Sunday’s tornado.
The crisp morning air was alive with bouncy Spanish tunes and a palpable optimism as students trickled, then poured, out of buses that ferried them through still-tangled streets down from the Webb Chapel neighborhood.  Inside, students wandered the unfamiliar halls staring at maps then swapped tornado stories sitting in hastily decorated classrooms.  Special ed kids used chalk (brought from home by their teacher) to express their emotions about the storm (photo 7). Teachers, many of whom still donned Disney-themed costumes in keeping with today’s homecoming week theme, repeated predictable phrases like, “we’re just all gonna have to be flexible” as they did their best to establish a sense of normalcy.  Second year economics teacher Gretta Kershner led her students through a lesson on the economic impact of natural disasters as she quietly told me she’s worried about how many students may need to transfer because of the long commute.  It’s a long road ahead for TJ – they’ve already announced they’ll spend the rest of the year at the temporary facility – but their resolve and community spirit is as strong as ever. #dallastornado #ppbdi

    The tireless faculty and staff of Thomas Jefferson High School, led by their indomitable principal Sandi Massey (photo 1), took on the daunting task of completely relocating their school, with extremely limited resources, to Thomas A. Edison Learning Center in West Dallas, where they reopened this morning just 60 hours after their Walnut Hill campus was severely damaged by Sunday’s tornado. The crisp morning air was alive with bouncy Spanish tunes and a palpable optimism as students trickled, then poured, out of buses that ferried them through still-tangled streets down from the Webb Chapel neighborhood.  Inside, students wandered the unfamiliar halls staring at maps then swapped tornado stories sitting in hastily decorated classrooms.  Special ed kids used chalk (brought from home by their teacher) to express their emotions about the storm (photo 7). Teachers, many of whom still donned Disney-themed costumes in keeping with today’s homecoming week theme, repeated predictable phrases like, “we’re just all gonna have to be flexible” as they did their best to establish a sense of normalcy.  Second year economics teacher Gretta Kershner led her students through a lesson on the economic impact of natural disasters as she quietly told me she’s worried about how many students may need to transfer because of the long commute.  It’s a long road ahead for TJ – they’ve already announced they’ll spend the rest of the year at the temporary facility – but their resolve and community spirit is as strong as ever. #dallastornado #ppbdi

  • A little return to normalcy today keeping the business going with @ernes2mtz and some quality time at the park with the babies.

    A little return to normalcy today keeping the business going with @ernes2mtz and some quality time at the park with the babies.

  • TJ family, we want to share a meal with you tomorrow evening (Wednesday 10/23) at 6:30pm in the @northway.church parking lot. Anyone in the #nwdallas community is welcome! Love you all #dallastornado

    TJ family, we want to share a meal with you tomorrow evening (Wednesday 10/23) at 6:30pm in the @northway.church parking lot. Anyone in the #nwdallas community is welcome! Love you all #dallastornado

  • The #tjsoccerfamilia came together this evening with our @northway.church brothers and sisters to help our neighbors dig out from a tangled mess of downed limbs in #nwdallas #dallastornado #bettertogether

    The #tjsoccerfamilia came together this evening with our @northway.church brothers and sisters to help our neighbors dig out from a tangled mess of downed limbs in #nwdallas #dallastornado #bettertogether

  • Sorting through the wreckage the morning after. A lot of resilient spirits out there. For all you @northway.church people, stay tuned to Northway social media channels for best ways to serve the church and the neighborhood. After walking the area this morning, it seems the church building and the homes right around it really took some of the worst damage. There will be much work to be done in the coming days. Onward. #dallastornado

    Sorting through the wreckage the morning after. A lot of resilient spirits out there. For all you @northway.church people, stay tuned to Northway social media channels for best ways to serve the church and the neighborhood. After walking the area this morning, it seems the church building and the homes right around it really took some of the worst damage. There will be much work to be done in the coming days. Onward. #dallastornado

  • By God’s great kindness, this tornado missed our house by just a few hundred yards, but our @northway.church building took a direct hit, as did Primera Iglesia Dallas just down the road. Thank you to all who have checked in on us. We are thankful that we and all our other church members are (as far as we know) unharmed and are praying for wisdom and trust for the road ahead. Our God is sovereign over the gentlest breeze and the strongest tornado and we look forward to seeing how he will prove himself faithful yet again in the coming weeks. Our eyes remain fixed on those things which no tornado can destroy. Your prayers are always greatly appreciated. #dallastornado

    By God’s great kindness, this tornado missed our house by just a few hundred yards, but our @northway.church building took a direct hit, as did Primera Iglesia Dallas just down the road. Thank you to all who have checked in on us. We are thankful that we and all our other church members are (as far as we know) unharmed and are praying for wisdom and trust for the road ahead. Our God is sovereign over the gentlest breeze and the strongest tornado and we look forward to seeing how he will prove himself faithful yet again in the coming weeks. Our eyes remain fixed on those things which no tornado can destroy. Your prayers are always greatly appreciated. #dallastornado

  • The Trump show came to town

    The Trump show came to town

  • Enjoying these cooler temps with a little family picnic at the brand new #pacificplazapark in #downtowndallas

    Enjoying these cooler temps with a little family picnic at the brand new #pacificplazapark in #downtowndallas

  • Of course I despise OU like any self-respecting Texan, but credit where credit is due - @cee2x___ was a force of nature today. #ceedeeteedeethree

    Of course I despise OU like any self-respecting Texan, but credit where credit is due - @cee2x___ was a force of nature today. #ceedeeteedeethree

  • it stings a little less when I’m working #RedRiverRivalry

    it stings a little less when I’m working #RedRiverRivalry

  • Ran into a couple of college kids at Canes tonight #TheTimeWeHaveHere

    Ran into a couple of college kids at Canes tonight #TheTimeWeHaveHere

  • just another Thursday in #nwdallas

    just another Thursday in #nwdallas

  • #whoworeitbetter #mullet

    #whoworeitbetter #mullet

  • Little Bro

    Little Bro

  • Pushing bedtime for a little TJ volleyball. Proud of y’all.

    Pushing bedtime for a little TJ volleyball. Proud of y’all.

  • Go Cowboys #sundaynightfootball

    Go Cowboys #sundaynightfootball

  • This is Part 2 of a two-part personal photo essay commemorating the closing of the Ballpark in Arlington. (See previous post for Part 1 or link in profile for full essay in one place) -
Now, as a 32-year-old freelance photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph several games a summer from field level.  Though it's still exciting to be so close and get paid to document the game I love, it's also a job, and with most of the players now born at least five years after I was, some of the magic has definitely worn off.  I’ve often wished my 9-year-old self could be in my 32-year-old body as I frame Elvis Andrus diving into second.

My intention with this photo essay was to recapture some of the magic I experienced as a child as a tribute to the game and to the stadium I grew up in before the Rangers move across the street to their fancy new air-conditioned digs.  As someone who only experienced old Arlington Stadium from my father’s lap, I know I haven’t really earned “old school” status yet, but I sure do look forward to explaining to my kids what it was like to peel your sweaty thighs off a plastic green seat or plead with your dad to wait just 20 more minutes during this weird thing called a “rain delay.”

    This is Part 2 of a two-part personal photo essay commemorating the closing of the Ballpark in Arlington. (See previous post for Part 1 or link in profile for full essay in one place) - Now, as a 32-year-old freelance photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph several games a summer from field level.  Though it's still exciting to be so close and get paid to document the game I love, it's also a job, and with most of the players now born at least five years after I was, some of the magic has definitely worn off.  I’ve often wished my 9-year-old self could be in my 32-year-old body as I frame Elvis Andrus diving into second. My intention with this photo essay was to recapture some of the magic I experienced as a child as a tribute to the game and to the stadium I grew up in before the Rangers move across the street to their fancy new air-conditioned digs.  As someone who only experienced old Arlington Stadium from my father’s lap, I know I haven’t really earned “old school” status yet, but I sure do look forward to explaining to my kids what it was like to peel your sweaty thighs off a plastic green seat or plead with your dad to wait just 20 more minutes during this weird thing called a “rain delay.”

  • This is Part 1 of a two-part personal photo essay commemorating the closing of The Ballpark in Arlington. (See link in profile for full essay in one place)
-
The Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994 when I was 7 years old and just entering the golden years of my love affair with America's pastime.  On July 28th of that year, I sat 19 rows behind the first base dugout with my friend Sam Turner and watched Rusty Greer superman himself over that immaculate green expanse to preserve the only perfect game in Rangers history.  For the next five to seven years, baseball was pretty much all I thought about (as my 7-year-old journal will attest). I spent most summer nights either sitting in the chain-link dugout of some dusty North Dallas diamond or lying on the living room floor after dinner with my dad watching the Rangers on Channel 39 (until they switched it to cable and we were too cheap to follow). I pored over box scores and stats every morning with SportsDay laid out on the breakfast table.  My wardrobe consisted almost entirely of promotional giveaway t-shirts with Albertson's logos on the front and my heroes names on the back. Gonzalez. Greer. Rodriguez. Clark.  Of course the most glorious event that could possibly occur was any night when we got to make that 45-minute westward pilgrimage on I-30 to the most beautiful building I'd ever seen.  If our dads were nice enough to cut out of work a little early, we’d arrive around 5:30pm and run through those soaring red brick archways just in time to catch the end of batting practice or politely shout for an autograph before settling into the long-gone centerfield bleachers to watch our superheroes battle it out on the dirt.  After lemon chills, the Cotton-Eyed Joe, and spirited debates about whether it was humanly possible to “Hit It Here and Win a Free Suit,” we’d end every trip with our heads against backseat Suburban windows drifting off to the comforting sound of Eric Nadel recapping the game on the postgame show.... (continued in next post)

    This is Part 1 of a two-part personal photo essay commemorating the closing of The Ballpark in Arlington. (See link in profile for full essay in one place) - The Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994 when I was 7 years old and just entering the golden years of my love affair with America's pastime.  On July 28th of that year, I sat 19 rows behind the first base dugout with my friend Sam Turner and watched Rusty Greer superman himself over that immaculate green expanse to preserve the only perfect game in Rangers history.  For the next five to seven years, baseball was pretty much all I thought about (as my 7-year-old journal will attest). I spent most summer nights either sitting in the chain-link dugout of some dusty North Dallas diamond or lying on the living room floor after dinner with my dad watching the Rangers on Channel 39 (until they switched it to cable and we were too cheap to follow). I pored over box scores and stats every morning with SportsDay laid out on the breakfast table.  My wardrobe consisted almost entirely of promotional giveaway t-shirts with Albertson's logos on the front and my heroes names on the back. Gonzalez. Greer. Rodriguez. Clark.  Of course the most glorious event that could possibly occur was any night when we got to make that 45-minute westward pilgrimage on I-30 to the most beautiful building I'd ever seen.  If our dads were nice enough to cut out of work a little early, we’d arrive around 5:30pm and run through those soaring red brick archways just in time to catch the end of batting practice or politely shout for an autograph before settling into the long-gone centerfield bleachers to watch our superheroes battle it out on the dirt.  After lemon chills, the Cotton-Eyed Joe, and spirited debates about whether it was humanly possible to “Hit It Here and Win a Free Suit,” we’d end every trip with our heads against backseat Suburban windows drifting off to the comforting sound of Eric Nadel recapping the game on the postgame show.... (continued in next post)

  • never gets old 🤘🏻

    never gets old 🤘🏻

  • This little detail caught my eye while shooting an assignment last week. 10 bonus points for the first person to correctly identify what it is.

    This little detail caught my eye while shooting an assignment last week. 10 bonus points for the first person to correctly identify what it is.

  • Because she never misses a birthday tribute on @tjva9048 and I know she’s not gonna post one for herself – @kemch and I would like to wish the happiest of birthdays to one of the most quietly faithful sisters we know.  @susannacarrera is the ultimate soccer mom, surrogate mother to half of TJ, loving wife to @danielleon1979, intentional mom to @leeannaleon, a no-nonsense babysitter, a tireless disciple-maker, a Biblical scholar who is never content to stop at head knowledge, a faithful listening ear and a fervent prayer warrior.  So make her feel special today!

    Because she never misses a birthday tribute on @tjva9048 and I know she’s not gonna post one for herself – @kemch and I would like to wish the happiest of birthdays to one of the most quietly faithful sisters we know.  @susannacarrera is the ultimate soccer mom, surrogate mother to half of TJ, loving wife to @danielleon1979, intentional mom to @leeannaleon, a no-nonsense babysitter, a tireless disciple-maker, a Biblical scholar who is never content to stop at head knowledge, a faithful listening ear and a fervent prayer warrior.  So make her feel special today!

  • Nathan (holding brick): “It’s heavy.”
Daddy: “Don’t drop it on your toe.”
Nathan: ...

    Nathan (holding brick): “It’s heavy.” Daddy: “Don’t drop it on your toe.” Nathan: ...

  • An evening of backyard ice cream and fellowship with the TJ cross country kids and @northway.church

    An evening of backyard ice cream and fellowship with the TJ cross country kids and @northway.church

  • a few sportraits from last Saturday

    a few sportraits from last Saturday

  • For everyone who thought I’d end up homeless... you were wrong. #dadlife #saturday #stuff #homeownership #garagecleanout #yesallthisstuffsparksjoyforme

    For everyone who thought I’d end up homeless... you were wrong. #dadlife #saturday #stuff #homeownership #garagecleanout #yesallthisstuffsparksjoyforme

  • Huge congrats to this TJ boys cross country team who placed 1st in their division this morning at the Lake Highlands Invitational! @1017.leo @kev.6776 @dtx.jmtz @tjpatriotscc (Yoan and Enrique, I don’t know your handles!)

    Huge congrats to this TJ boys cross country team who placed 1st in their division this morning at the Lake Highlands Invitational! @1017.leo @kev.6776 @dtx.jmtz @tjpatriotscc (Yoan and Enrique, I don’t know your handles!)

  • The harvest moon rose over Max Goldsmith Stadium tonight as Lewisville, led by their dynamic junior quarterback Taylen Green (a defector from Allen U), dominated McKinney Boyd 41-16. #fridaynightlights

    The harvest moon rose over Max Goldsmith Stadium tonight as Lewisville, led by their dynamic junior quarterback Taylen Green (a defector from Allen U), dominated McKinney Boyd 41-16. #fridaynightlights

  • Week 2 - back at the ol’ Tom Landry Stadium shooting for the home team yet again #fridaynightlights

    Week 2 - back at the ol’ Tom Landry Stadium shooting for the home team yet again #fridaynightlights

  • the most underappreciated fall sport #crosscountry

    the most underappreciated fall sport #crosscountry

  • It’s that time of the year again... started off Week 1 with a classic Dallas ISD matchup between South Oak Cliff and Skyline. SOC pulled off the dramatic comeback victory, but Skyline proved they still have one of the funkiest bands in town. #fridaynightlights

    It’s that time of the year again... started off Week 1 with a classic Dallas ISD matchup between South Oak Cliff and Skyline. SOC pulled off the dramatic comeback victory, but Skyline proved they still have one of the funkiest bands in town. #fridaynightlights

  • My screenwriting and directorial debut featuring TCA dad Tony Romo and Coach Mike Singletary co-starring alongside the King twins as fake dads, my amazing wife @kemcwh, all our kids, and a bunch of amazing fellow @tca_alumni_addison alumni who generously volunteered their time to create the perfect tailgate scene. Little Bro even snuck in a cameo appearance going after Tony’s chips. @eclakley @kristincgray @cbillman223 Thanks to @draftrmedia for helping on the crew.

    My screenwriting and directorial debut featuring TCA dad Tony Romo and Coach Mike Singletary co-starring alongside the King twins as fake dads, my amazing wife @kemcwh, all our kids, and a bunch of amazing fellow @tca_alumni_addison alumni who generously volunteered their time to create the perfect tailgate scene. Little Bro even snuck in a cameo appearance going after Tony’s chips. @eclakley @kristincgray @cbillman223 Thanks to @draftrmedia for helping on the crew.

  • Seven years ago, @wscottcheney and @rebeccacheney, freshly arrived from Chicago, walked up to us in the zoo that was group connect and wrote their names down on a clipboard (see fifth photo). In the years since, they have truly become family (and according to our will, if Kelly and I died, our five kids would literally become their family 😬). Now they and their 4+ kids are stepping out to start a new home group, providing a place of belonging for new members of Northway Church. Never have I experienced true biblical community like I have over the past 7 years with these folks right here. We’re gonna miss them like crazy, but are excited to see what God has for them in this new season.

    Seven years ago, @wscottcheney and @rebeccacheney, freshly arrived from Chicago, walked up to us in the zoo that was group connect and wrote their names down on a clipboard (see fifth photo). In the years since, they have truly become family (and according to our will, if Kelly and I died, our five kids would literally become their family 😬). Now they and their 4+ kids are stepping out to start a new home group, providing a place of belonging for new members of Northway Church. Never have I experienced true biblical community like I have over the past 7 years with these folks right here. We’re gonna miss them like crazy, but are excited to see what God has for them in this new season.

  • Our second first day at @wdcschool - adding Little C this year

    Our second first day at @wdcschool - adding Little C this year

  • To all you TJ kids starting a new chapter in college today - we love you, we’re proud of you, and we’re praying for you!  Seek the Lord first, stay focused, work diligently, meet people that are different from you, make mistakes, and remember that in the end, all we have is grace.  We are always in your corner. @dav_07 @ronald._.05 @rojas.sofiaa @___aj.____ @lissagalvan_ @jayygutierrezz @friitzyyy @uglyjesus._ @loganbruce7 @itspepei @juanromano21 @bryan_castanedaa @aidanl_6 @deandre011 and anyone else I missed.

    To all you TJ kids starting a new chapter in college today - we love you, we’re proud of you, and we’re praying for you!  Seek the Lord first, stay focused, work diligently, meet people that are different from you, make mistakes, and remember that in the end, all we have is grace.  We are always in your corner. @dav_07 @ronald._.05 @rojas.sofiaa @___aj.____ @lissagalvan_ @jayygutierrezz @friitzyyy @uglyjesus._ @loganbruce7 @itspepei @juanromano21 @bryan_castanedaa @aidanl_6 @deandre011 and anyone else I missed.

  • #title9trip - Part 4 of 4

    #title9trip - Part 4 of 4

  • #title9trip - Part 3 of 4 (in the fourth picture, @thejakegreen lost his Apple Watch while cliff jumping into Lake Crescent, but his heroic scuba-diving stuntwoman wife @nikkitomlinsonla dove down 30 feet to retrieve it!)

    #title9trip - Part 3 of 4 (in the fourth picture, @thejakegreen lost his Apple Watch while cliff jumping into Lake Crescent, but his heroic scuba-diving stuntwoman wife @nikkitomlinsonla dove down 30 feet to retrieve it!)

  • #title9trip - Part 2 of 4

    #title9trip - Part 2 of 4

  • In last year’s “Summer of Love,” we saw three of the original six Road Trippers tie the knot and @kemcwh‘s 8-year reign as the only Road Trip wife come to an end. Last week, a new era began as the 14th annual trip was the first ever to include wives. #title9trip - Part 1 of 4

    In last year’s “Summer of Love,” we saw three of the original six Road Trippers tie the knot and @kemcwh‘s 8-year reign as the only Road Trip wife come to an end. Last week, a new era began as the 14th annual trip was the first ever to include wives. #title9trip - Part 1 of 4

214.808.5079 • jmcwhorter11@gmail.com