Why do kids believe in Santa Claus, even when they can't see him? One reason is that kids can see tangible evidence of Santa's rumored character all around them during the holiday season…d

Even though I publicly blame Jenn, my wife, for my HGTV obsession, secretly, I'm a sucker for a good home renovation show. There's just something about watching the transformation of a rundown, worn-out-shabby house into a breathtaking and next-level residence…

Sometimes you are the guy who asks the homecoming queen to the big dance, and other times you are the guy who chickens out and spends his time by the punch bowl. Unfortunately, I was the latter…

Being around someone who is always complaining, bickering, and grumbling is exhausting - they have the uncanny ability to suck the life and air out of a room. It's draining and far from life-giving. We avoid these individuals in the hallways, sigh when a text from them pops up and hit ignore when they call…

The apostle Paul makes a rather bold statement in his letter to the church in Ephesus. He tells this body of believers to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. What an absurd command! Why would anyone want to do such a thing?..

My kids spend a lot of time together. Most of the time, they work out their disagreements and genuinely care about one another. But there are other times that I am startled at how easily they can tune one another out…

Imagine waking up with a full day of student-teaching ahead of you. You are exhausted from a week of wrangling kindergarteners and learning about the daunting (and demanding) career that awaits you. The sun hasn’t even come up yet. And what do you find in your sink? Your husband’s beard shavings. This is the daily reality of my best friend and sister-in-law…

One can eat too much watermelon. I learned this lesson the hard way as a teenager after having my fair share of it at a summer block party. In the middle of the night, I woke up with a rumbling in my tummy, ran to the bathroom, and well, had a seed spitting contest…

When my youngest daughter was a toddler, my wife and I took our daughter to a state park near where I grew up in western Maryland. The park is on the side of a large mountain and overlooks the town below…

Today's verse may be easy to look at and think, "Steal? I don't steal things; this verse isn't for me." But within the larger context of the passage that we have been reading this week in Ephesians 4…

What if I told you that the God of the universe allows you to be angry? Now, that doesn’t mean we should go and change our One Word for the year to anger. But instead, it’s an invitation to unpack our anger…

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’m the king of last words. Just ask my wife. Even though I’ve become better over the years, my tendency is to approach arguments as if they were high school debates. Only one side will be declared the winner and it must be me…

Have you ever wanted a fresh start? There have been some seasons of my life where I wish there was some sort of reset button. A few seasons were marked with poor decisions and choices and I long to go back to make it right. But since I cannot go back, I push forward, hoping that the lessons learned along the way will keep me from making the same mistakes again…

Our home is often loud. With three toddlers in the house, someone is almost always singing, trying to tell a story, and often crying. The volume consistently seems to be going up…

I'm not particularly eager to brag, but I am a hide-and-seek grandmaster who can go undetected by his pursuers. For instance, when my kids were younger, we were engaged in an intense game, and it was my turn to get lost…

One major lesson I am learning is that everything has a cost. I know what you are thinking, very scary if it took you almost 29 years to learn this. But hear me out, I am talking about going beyond the price tag to count the cost of what we get in this life…

Statistics show that more than 60% of people lose their temper at least once per week. This stat should get you angry because 40% of respondents are not honest…

Recently, our family found an amazing doctor. Yes, his pedigree is impressive, from "post-doctoral scholar" and assistant professor of medicine to "world-renowned clinician-scientist." His practice is cutting edge; an integrative approach that embraces mind, body, and spirit…

One of the things I regret about my adolescence is that I never got to pull a fast one on my parents and do a Ferris Bueller's Day Off ditch day from school. My mom knew all the tricks to fake being sick as a nurse…

I know I am a little late to the game, but I recently got around to watching the docuseries, The Last Dance, which follows the dominant 1990's Chicago Bulls led by all-time great Michael Jordan. It highlights the ups and downs of their legendary dynasty…