My wife recently brought something to my attention that I’ve known for many years, but I’ve always had a hard time admitting. I could tell she was hesitant when sharing this hard truth with me, but she loves me enough to bring things to my attention when needed. It’s was harsh reality that I am never content…
It’s been about eight years since I first picked up a Bible and read it out of pure desire and intrigue. I’ve had access to a Bible most of my life, but the reality is that it spent most of it’s being collecting dust on a shelf in my room. Every once in a while,…
I’ve run into a lot of people in my life who seem to think that their relationship with God is for them to know and for others to not worry about. And while I agree with them to a certain extent, the biblical text is clear that our relationships with God are called to be…
God’s scandalous grace invaded Portage, Wisconsin, with unwelcomed splendor in April of 1994. It targeted a criminal serving multiple life-sentences in the Columbia Correctional Institution. It’s not uncommon for thieves and murderers in prison to receive God’s grace, but this day was different. The person who attracted God’s love was a man who killed 17…
I remember growing up in church and always feeling a little intimidated when one of the pastors would walk by my family in the foyer or hallway. There was this reverence and awe that came over me each and every time I saw one of them, and I believe it was because I truly did respect…
I remember sitting on the floor of our youth building one Sunday morning while one of the dads who attended our church led a small group for me and four other boys. I was bored, I was ready to leave, and I was hoping he didn’t ask me if I memorized the Bible verse from…
There are a lot of things in my life that I feel like I do well. But for every skill I think I’ve mastered, there is always another person that I think does it a little bit better than me. In some cases, this may be true, but in others, it’s due to a helping…
Sometimes it’s hard to express your feelings to the people around you. Not because you’re afraid of what they’ll say, but because our culture doesn’t seem to be very keen on being honest about their pains. The reality is that way too many people are putting on a facade of perfection in order to keep…
1. Allow small interruptions. I’ve come to learn that even the smallest of interruptions have while the impact on my little one, and they even give me a moment to refocus. Whether you’re on your computer, working on a project around the house, or even just watching your favorite sports team on television, giving your…
Real friendship is hard. There are other, less real versions of friendship. The less real versions are “less” precisely because they are less costly, less committed, less disruptive, less scary, less gritty, less gutsy, and less out-of-our-control than real friendship. But here’s the rub: Less real versions of friendship are also less rich. In the…
