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  gotta give a big shoutout to my good friend @wscottcheney.  He was supposed to be running the Irving Marathon this morning, but when it was canceled, he decided to run the 26.2 anyway on an 8.73-mile loop through NW Dallas.  We had to bring out the TJ soccer drum for some motivation when he ran by our house. #soundon🔊

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  tax prep assistance from my Pops the coronavirus way - I’m pointing my phone at my computer screen, he’s squinting at his phone trying to read tiny print tax forms through a magnifying glass 🙄😂

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  With schools shuttered, volunteers have joined Dallas ISD cafeteria workers and school staff (like Northwest Dallas’ resident superhero TJ principal Sandi Massey) to distribute food and laptops to children at grab-n-go stations set up at campuses around the district – like Medrano Middle School down the street from my house.  Principal Massey even passed out school supplies out of the trunk of her own car.  Not only are the pick-ups a chance for kids, who normally receive meals at school, to receive needed food; they also give school staff the opportunity to maintain a personal, albeit brief, connection with their students. For the past two weeks, Dallas ISD distributed food on Mondays and Thursdays, giving each family enough food for the days in between.  On March 30, the district announced it would be limiting pick-ups to Thursdays only in order to mitigate the risk of transmitting coronavirus.

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  Grayson Bingham and Megan Phillips had plans for a big summer wedding, but when Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins announced a shelter-in-place order last Sunday, they decided to go ahead and tie the knot early.  On Monday evening, seven hours before the city shut down, the two said their vows in Megan’s northwest Dallas front yard in front of six guests, one photographer, a cluster of neighbors on the curb across the street, and about 50 family and friends tuned in virtually. “God chose an unexpected period of history when His people were in the midst of a scary and confusing time to demonstrate His love for all of us through Jesus,” said Grayson, “and we wanted our marriage ceremony to be a representation of that.”

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  As prohibitions on public gatherings have become increasingly strict, church congregations have sought to maintain the unity of the body in this uniquely difficult season while abstaining from corporate worship services.  On Saturday morning, we recorded @thejoshuaduncan leading in worship music and Brady Goodwin’s timely message on God’s call on the church to care well for one another, which will be posted on northwaychurch.com at 9am on Sunday morning 03/22.  A big thanks to @theworshipinitiative for generously sharing their space with us.

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  As we’ve spent more time in the house under quarantine, we’ve had the joy of watching two blue jays build a nest in the small live oak just outside our kitchen window.  With one job after another erased from my calendar, they’ve been a helpful reminder of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:26-27 - “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” - (Also, trying to get these two little guys in focus as the fly through the trees has helped to scratch the missing sports photography itch.)

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  @northdallasyounglives coordinator Rachel Silvester loads donated diapers, wipes and books into the cars of teen moms from TJ and WT White high schools as they pull through the parking lot of Grace Bible Church (@gbc_dallas) on Friday, March 20, 2020 in Dallas.  The drive-thru will be open again tomorrow (Sat. 03/21) and they are still in need of more wipes, so if you’d like to donate, call Rachel at 817.266.3540!

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  I am excited to announce the global release of “For Home Chapter 1” – a collaborative global music project from @jaydenton and @endure_studios. - @jaydenton is: an LA-based singer/songwriter/producer, a top-class Krav Maga trainer, a human-trafficking fighter, an international business developer, the best man in my wedding, the embodiment of the warrior spirit, and my oldest and closest friend.  Last year, Jay founded ENDURE International Projects to bring LA artists together with talented musicians in destabilized regions across the world to collaboratively create hope-filled music that intersects language, style and story. Today, ENDURE releases the first album in the project: For Home Chapter 1.  This project in particular features refugee artists from Iraq and Syria (such as @souzdaammo and @mizgin.khalil) that Jay recorded last year in Beirut, Lebanon, as well as LA artists like @aaronkellim and @imfaithrichards. I know what it’s like to pour your heart and soul into a project and then release it out into the world just hoping someone notices and cares – so please, as you sit locked away in quarantine today, take a moment to listen and appreciate the stories and work of these devoted artists.  Is there anything more appropriate right now than a project called ENDURE dedicated to bringing hope to a destabilized world? (Available wherever music is found) #ENDUREforhome #ENDURE #ForHome

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  Thanks to @smudallas for putting me and @iamdgxi (former TJ soccer player who normally works as a parking attendant at the AAC) to work today! - silver lining: we were able to record clean audio on an interview in the rotunda of Dallas Hall during the middle of the day without one slamming door or echoing voice!

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  Evening falls on #webbchapel as shoppers grab their last few items and head back in for another night at home.

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  To all the TJ kids, You are valuable. You are loved. You matter. You can do this. The tornado didn’t take y’all down, and neither will this. God loves you and hasn’t forgotten you.  His purposes are always good and perfect.  Trust him and keep soldiering on. We are with you and we are for you. - Check out @tjva9048 @younglifetj and @northdallasyounglives for important info about available resources

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  Dear friends, Like so many other freelance and non-salaried workers, I have found my work significantly disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and the “social distancing” it has necessitated.  The bulk of my paid work is directly tied to schools, sports and other events – all of which were essentially halted instantly and indefinitely.  I literally erased my entire spring shooting schedule and thus my entire income stream all at once.  Especially with a new baby and Kelly on maternity leave, I am seeking alternate sources of income to keep the business going through this season. Fortunately, as a trained photojournalist who shoots both stills and video, I am adaptable to a wide variety of visual media. Starting on Monday, March 23rd, I am looking for any opportunity to shoot your family/senior/engagement portraits, your personal or corporate headshots, your video interview, your real estate property, your restaurant, your ranch, etc. – anything that doesn’t involve public gatherings.  Of course I will make every effort to practice responsible “social distancing” during our time together. I know we are just one of countless families facing significant challenges due to this crisis, and many are starting from a much more dire position that we are.  We are not anxious or afraid, trusting the Lord for each day’s provision. If you are interested, please email me at jmcwhorter11@gmail.com. And please share on your social media channels!

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  No strangers to displacement after October’s tornado, the people of @northway.church gathered this morning as Christians have for centuries – scattered in homes across the city, devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the (sanitized) breaking of bread and the prayers.  Thankful to be a part of this body, no matter what we face together! (Thanks to @jeanne_damoff, @lil.dam and @ericamcelroy for welcoming me this morning)

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  As my Pops always says: “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.” On the last day before spring break, while public and cultural institutions across the country shuttered in response to the coronavirus, the students, faculty and staff of Thomas Jefferson High School scrambled to prepare for a likely transition to online-only learning when they “return” from the break. The disruption of the coronavirus lands like a cruel right hook on the chin of a community still reeling from the near-knockout blow of October’s tornado. The prospect of online-only education poses unique challenges for a low-income school like TJ.  The district provided Google Chromebooks to most students earlier in the year, but today administration scrambled to get computers into the hands of all who still didn’t have one.  Many students do not have wi-fi at home. (Senior Denilson Duarte told me he’d be working from his girlfriend’s house because she has internet access). Other students expressed confusion about when the potential change will take effect, as it will be preceded by a week of vacation.  And some simply suggested they won’t participate at all - opting instead to work paying jobs, even as “absences” are counted against them. Still others found a bright side.  Sixteen-year-old junior Marlen Arias, who works as a hostess at Pluckers, told me she’s excited about the prospect of being able to pick up full-time hours at the restaurant while still keeping up her schoolwork on her 2-hour breaks.  Senior Guillermo Muñoz was excited about “going to school” while still in his pajamas. Nevertheless, another setback like this will undeniably intensify the battle weary TJ teachers and administrators constantly fight against dropout rates even under normal circumstances - which at this point are a distant memory.

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  The @uswnt defeated Japan 3-1 tonight in the final game of the SheBelieves Cup at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.  The players wore their jerseys inside out during the national anthem and pregame team photo in protest of documents filed in court earlier in the day by US Soccer that argued the job of a women’s soccer player requires less skill and responsibility that that of a men’s player.  The documents were filed as part of legal proceedings to determine whether the USWNT players should receive pay equal to their male counterparts. The game was also overshadowed by the feeling that it might have been one of the last major sporting events in the metroplex for a while as news broke about the NBA’s indefinitely suspended season.

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  Cleanup crews, overseen by Fabricio Garcia (photos 2-4), transform Globe Life Field from a construction site to a gleaming new ballpark on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. Garcia, who also worked on AT&T Stadium, told me he has been on the ballpark project “since it was a parking lot.” Shot for a story in @aldiadallas about the Hispanic construction workers who have brought the @rangers new home to life.

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  We brought little Travis home from the hospital only to discover our home had become an influenza ward, so while Kelly and the baby stayed under high-security quarantine in our back bedroom, I took the redheads out yesterday to experience an iconic moment in Dallas history.  Turns out it was a little underwhelming, as can be seen in the classic interview Little Bro and I gave to @nbcdfw.  See link in profile.  It’s the second video down on the page titled “Dallas’ ‘Leaning Tower’ Endures as Wrecking Ball Delivers Blow After Blow.” Make sure you watch till the end. #LeaningTowerOfDallas

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  “Weeping may remain for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” - Forty-eight hours after learning of Mimi’s death, we went to Medical City McKinney to have Kelly’s labor induced, and at 11:27 a.m. on February 22, 2020, our fifth child, Travis Strachan (pronounced “strawn”) McWhorter was born.  Even in the midst of grief, Kelly labored with beauty and courage and now rests with this new life safely in her arms. Christ, who came to bring light into darkness and beauty from ashes, was called a “man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” Over the past few days, we too have experienced this strange mingling of sorrow and joy.  My friend Matt Clakley summed it up best in a text he sent us last Thursday: “As Jesus approached Golgotha, He was already brutalized, his body ravaged, facing severe agony on the cross, but also the turmoil of the impending separation from his Father. Yet even in the midst of it knew the joy that was set before him upon his resurrection.  This Jesus is Kelly’s High Priest. He knows the exact emotion, pain, sense of loss, and strange expectation of joy. This Jesus is praying for Kelly, making intercession for her. Sympathizing with her in her weakness, bringing peace, sustaining with grace, and holding all things.” Thank you to all who have wept and rejoiced alongside us this week.

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  Mimi, From the day I showed up on the scene, you made me feel nothing but welcome in your home and your family. You were the exact opposite of the stereotypical nagging mother-in-law. You carried yourself with a calming grace that diffused any tense situation – one of the many beautiful qualities you passed on to my wife. You were one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, putting us thirty-somethings to shame with your inexhaustible energy. You were the epitome of a servant.  You lived your life for others. Whenever you were in our home, everything you did made our lives better and more joyful. You once cleaned all the exterior windows of our house just because they needed it. You painted almost every wall in our old house, and I can’t walk 10 feet without seeing something in our home that you made with your own two hands. Your cooking was unmatched and you joyfully shared that gift with everyone. We never needed a meal train after having babies because we had Mimi. Because of you, I think we went five years before buying a single stitch of clothing for our own children. You delighted in your grandchildren and they delighted in you. You celebrated my work and encouraged me in it. You experienced a litany of brutal hardships throughout your life but never turned to self-pity. You exhibited incredible patience and longsuffering as you cared for your own mother at the end of her life. You strengthened our marriage in many ways, but one way I appreciate the most is all the times you kept our four kids for extended periods so Kelly and I could enjoy amazing experiences together that we never would have been able to otherwise (Iceland, Kenya, Flagstaff, Seattle, etc.). You were one of my wife’s very best friends.  You cared about the little things that no one else (including me!) cared about.  You were her constant sounding board, confidant, medical expert, and all around adviser. You were faithful, kind, gentle and loving till the end. It’s hard to imagine life without you, and I don’t really want to. We love you and will miss you like crazy. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, w

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  Bedtime

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  Miss Bertha introducing us to the latest internet sensation #broombalancing

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  @northway.church hosts the Thomas Jefferson High School Sadie Hawkins dance in their gym-turned-sanctuary so the TJ kids can have the dance in their neighborhood.

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  Your Valentines Day dining options at Bullion in downtown Dallas - shot for @dallasnews

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  Everyone wants a piece of little Travis

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  Shot a food assignment yesterday at Bullion, and the VP of hospitality was dressed to match his restaurant’s interior decor. I had to make a quick portrait. Pretty sure this is a level of style sophistication to which I will never ascend.

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  Little Avery turns 4

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  Since the October 20 tornado, I’ve sought to visually document the shared tragedy and collective recovery of @northway.church and Thomas Jefferson High School.  As I struggled to choose the right photos to coherently communicate these intertwined stories on my website, my sage adviser @mhamtil suggested the use of diptychs.  Turns out it was a brilliant idea and I think they came together beautifully.  Northway on the left, TJ on the right. My hope is to continue this story until both buildings are rebuilt. You can see the full story at full size at the link in my bio.

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  Dragon fly

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  @kemcwh is nearing the end of her fifth pregnancy, and although each one has basically been 9 months of misery, she has always carried herself with a strong, quiet beauty, grace and dignity.  She’s never really been one for the spotlight or excessive flair, but since there’s a pretty good chance this is Kelly’s last time to carry a baby, and since she’s never really had any legit maternity photos, I thought it might be fun to rent a fancy skirt, get her hair done, and have some fun with it.  We didn’t exactly get the sun-drenched afternoon at the arboretum we were hoping for, but the soft downtown mist made for a pretty cool look too.  Major shout-out to skirt-tosser extraordinaire @eclakley and @bertharamirezz09 for taking the last photo.  I love you, Kelly, and can’t wait for you to hold that baby on the outside!

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  staying warm and making noise with @joshlagunez and @andreasix while cheering on the #tjsoccerfamilia in The Battle of Walnut Hill against Hillcrest. Ended in a 1-1 tie.

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  @rangers shortstop @elvis_andrus1988 donates equipment to help the TJ baseball and softball programs today at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy in #westdallas. The @rangers have also let TJ use their Youth Academy facilities which are just around the corner from the “new TJ”.

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  Dallas ISD held their latest community input meeting last night at ESD.  The conversation was dominated by parents and neighbors of beloved but tornado-damaged Walnut Hill Elementary who voiced concern that the proposed PreK-8 consolidated campus would lower property values and leave their young kids feeling pushed aside.  While parents expressed a desire to keep WHE as a stand-alone elementary school in its original location, trustee Edwin Flores maintained the district’s position that it would be impossible to rebuild an elementary school on the site that would meet current TEA standards.

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  Spotted the rare North American Red-Crested Unicorn while hiking at #cedarridgepreserve

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  Sunday afternoon soccer in #webbchapel. It’s a shame the closest thing to a real soccer pitch in Webb Chapel is this converted tennis court. I’m hopeful that when the new TJ field is built with Jerry’s money, it can be accessible, at least some of the time, to the wider community. #TheTimeWeHaveHere

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  Thanks to Pictures of the Year International @poyipics for featuring #TheTimeWeHaveHere and shining more light on these kids and their stories.

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  This past weekend, for the third year in a row, the Thomas Jefferson High School varsity boys soccer team traveled to Georgetown, Texas for the Governor’s Elite Cup tournament.  They went 1-1-1, but the win-loss column is never the point of this annual tradition.  Like any good teenage boy road trip, it included copious amounts of pizza, wings, video games, Walmart shenanigans and late night noise complaints; but for many of the players, it’s a first-in-a-lifetime experience they’ll never forget. #tjsoccerfamilia #TheTimeWeHaveHere

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  just a little science experiment hanging out on the kitchen counter 😂

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  Our Christmas gift to the kids - a one night staycation in a downtown Dallas hotel. Our view of the Big Pickle and the unoccupied indoor pool were both big hits. We also watched the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which I hadn’t seen in probably 25 years. That chocolate river tunnel scene is weird.

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  such a fun and unique start to 2020. Happy New Year, everyone! #nhlwinterclassic

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  A very happy birthday to my partner in adventure for the past 30 years - the only one who I know will never turn down a 5am mountain climb or ill-advised physical challenge. You’ve always been better than me at everything (except procreating 😉), but have always made me feel like it’s the other way around. You live the adventure like no one else I know. You’ve made every one of these 33 years count and inspired countless others to follow suit. Onward. Love you, brother. @jaydenton @endure_studios (📸cred: @cicimcwhorter for the first two!)

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  Despite some less than ideal weather, nearly 90 kids showed up for the first annual TJ Soccer Alumni Game.  It was so great seeing all of y’all! #tjsoccerfamilia

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  you can’t make this stuff up

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  the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it

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  As my son extends his hand from the bathtub, quizzically presenting me a chunk of his own poop, I receive the perfect object lesson for this Christmas Eve. When all we had to offer was our own ungrateful, self-righteous filth, Christ condescended to us, “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men,” and “for the joy set before him, endured the cross.” And there, he who knew no sin became sin for us, that we the unrighteous might become the righteousness of God.  He entered our poop-smeared bathtub, lifted us out, cleaned us off, and promises to one day make the whole thing as good, true, just and beautiful as it was always meant to be.

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  Two months after our building was hit by an EF-3 tornado, @northway.church moves back in.  There’s still glass in the yard and half the building is headed for the landfill, but we are thankful to be home and humbly aware that these temporary accommodations are palatial compared to 90% of the world’s churches. (and a huge shoutout to @rlusk64 and his army of volunteers for getting things ready!)

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  As his fame and my hair continue to grow, the @lildickygram comparisons only become more frequent. Today the hysteria reached a new high when, while out on a signing day shoot, this group of @jesuitdallas prepsters giddily asked me to pose for a photo. #gottagivethekidswhattheywant (I used to always get Screech from Saved By The Bell... not sure which is worse).

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  where dreams are born #forthoseabouttorock

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

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  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

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  spotted an endangered species in the wilds of Austin

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  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.

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

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  “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!

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  Ow... swipe ⬅️

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

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  @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

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  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.

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  Two days with the @texaschristianuniversity School of Music

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  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.

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  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.

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  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

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  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!

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  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.

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  ninja warrior in the making

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  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)

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  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!

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

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  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

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  Happy birthday @bertharamirezz09!

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  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.

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  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.

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

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  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!

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

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  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!