A Distorted Picture
Living in the suburbs in the 80's, my cul-de-sac served as the activity hub for the neighborhood. Bikes left in the front yard were akin to social media posts that fun was going down. In the warm summer months, we'd play outside from sun up to sun down. Some of the games got quite competitive, especially Tag whenever my friend Keith played…
In The Stands
Don't let my current "dad bod" fool you; I swam competitively for a few years while in high school. Okay, so competitively might be a bit of a stretch to describe my athletic prowess in the water…
Today Matters
The light and the dark. It’s the epic struggle we’ve seen depicted in our stories since the beginning of time. The hero of light struggles against the villain of darkness. We love these stories because they seem to reflect our world. They reflect our own desire that the light will win out over the darkness…
Whatever You Do
The older I get the more habitual I have become. I wake up in the morning, turn on the coffee pot, drink a glass of water, grab my coffee, and then go straight to my chair for my quiet time. Then dressed and off to work. I talk to my daughter on the ride and my day is underway. I am sure my days are like yours with more mundane moments than exciting ones.
Be Different
"Where are you, HEART!?!" I quickly realized how loud I expressed my frustration as soon as I looked up and saw everyone in the lobby staring back at me. While waiting for my daughter to finish her doctor's appointment…
Meeting Interrupted
As my boss rambled on about projections and sales goals, my stomach growled, and my mind began to wander. It was almost lunchtime, and the all-day conference seemed to have no end in sight. And that's when it happened…
Fickle Feelings
"Daddy, I love cuddling with you. You're like the world's best squishy pillow."
Talk about a punch in the gut. Granted, it is apparently a nicely cushioned gut, but a gut nonetheless. Even though my daughter's words strung, it didn't make them any less accurate…
Rest and Refuel
I’ve heard it said that there are two types of people in this world. First, there are those individuals who see the "E" illuminated on their car's dashboard and think, "I got this…I can drive 15 more…
Is It Wise?
We’ve all had numerous people who gave us advice that went “in one ear and out the other.” To take this to another level, we’ve probably caught ourselves giving the same advice to someone else and as we hear it come out of our mouths we’ve realized that we don’t even heed what we’re saying…
What We Prioritize
We walk through our days consumed with a million little concerns and cravings that steal our attention. I don’t know about you, but my mind is constantly running through a list of things I have to do and decisions I need to make. As a result, I have difficulty staying in the present because I am so caught up thinking about what’s next on my schedule. And when I’m not thinking about what has to be done, I am thinking about what I want.
Behind The Wheel
If you ever need a ride from me, I should give you a fair warning that I failed my driver's license exam three times. I became such a familiar face at the DMV every instructor knew me by name. I've never been a great test-taker but put me behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, and my already anxious nature skyrockets even more…d
Stay Strong
If you were on the row of treadmills at Planet Fitness the other day, I want to take this moment to apologize for my huffing and puffing. Yes, that person plodding along gasping for air was yours truly…
Welcoming My Doubt
When I think back to the first time a curse word left my lips, I get a bad taste in my mouth. My mom sticking a bar of soap in my trap as punishment failed to wash this memory from my system. But I think that was the whole point. Dirty words weren't allowed in our household…
Deliver Us
Everybody encounters temptation. Yes, everyone. No one is immune, including Jesus. If He was tested, then so can we. At the core of every trial we face resides a question that exposes our heart: Can God be trusted? Our ability to withstand and walk in faith hinges on our confidence in God.
Smokey and The Bandit
Growing up, our family participated in a local charity road race every summer. We'd race around town, going from clue to clue, hoping to get to the finish line the fastest…
Laser Tag Rambo
During my time in the corporate world, our office had a weekend retreat focused on team dynamics and morale. To break the tension from numerous meetings throughout the day, our bosses set up an evening of laser tag to blow off some steam…
The Prideful Path
What is pride? It's hard to define, but we all recognize it when we see it. Okay, that statement is only partially true. Even though it's easy for us to acknowledge it in those around us, we often remain blind to the pride that resides in our hearts…
Drawing Up Our Plans
I'll admit it: I'm a planner. You would see what I mean if you saw my Google calendar. I love to organize my day into color-coded, predictable blocks of time. I love the sense of control I get from planning—admittedly, I get my peace from thinking I "know" what's ahead. I want to know precisely what I can expect each and every day. Unfortunately, however, I'm not omniscient.
So Far
Today has been a beautiful day! It was hard, but I resisted the urge to drop a "so far" at the end of that sentence. With no magic mirror shedding light on what lies ahead, the "so far" tagline protects me from potential disappointment and the world's ugliness washing away the glimpses of beauty I'm experiencing.