Gap Management: Making the Most of Every Moment
There is no such thing as a spare moment. Every minute I've been given must account for something, whether I like it or not. Even the "down time" that is incorporated in my life is not "spare" or "wasted" but intentional and celebrated. Recently I was on a call with my assistant (the world's greatest, I am sure if it)....
Christ’s Persistence with My Stubbornness
Resistance is something Christ had to face often in His earthly ministry. From the Pharisees to the demons possessing people, He was familiar with having to confront the stubborn will of His adversaries. But how discouraging it must have been when He saw an attitude of resistance in His followers. It is expected for His opponents, both in this...
Stop Scourging Yourself
Honesty relieves us of the scourge of self-judgment. So long as we remain in hiding, alone with our sin, it is easy to wallow in guilt and shame. We flog ourselves with memories of every time we failed to live up to expectations—ours or those of others—and cringe with shock and dismay at the depth of our unworthiness. Since...
Calling Out the Writer Within
Sometimes writing feels like pushing a 10,000-pound steel ball up a hill. In those moments, there's nothing in me that wants to write. The annoying cursor flashes at me with persistent regularity as if it is badgering me to do something I’d rather not. My fingers feel as limp as spaghetti noodles. My back is hunched over as if I’m...
Why I Took a Vacation from Meetings
Have you ever eaten something and as you savor the deliciousness you ask yourself, "Why am I just now tasting this!? Where has this been my whole life?" That is how I feel about this week. My schedule is very full—it has to be because of the demands of my day job. But too often, the demands of my day...
Avoid Being a Dumb Ox: Tips for Abolishing Pride
In high school there I had this one girl that became the bandit of my breath and the captor of my heart. She was my dream girl and I was sure I was her dream guy. I had built myself up in my own mind to the point that I was convinced I would meet this girl’s wildest dreams and be...
7 Bible Resources That Make Great Christmas Gifts!
(This post may contain affiliate links, read full disclosure here) It's Christmas time around the world and that means the Christmas wish list is filling up fast. I know my own kids are already talking about what they want for Christmas. You may have your own wish list this year. What do you want to impact your life the most this...
Where is The Recipe for Raising Kids?
Making pumpkin pancakes is much harder than I thought. So is being a dad. Last Saturday I thought I’d try out our new mixer. After all, it is fall, so pumpkin pancakes seem to be calling my name. As for the mixer, well, we got it last Christmas and I wasn’t about to let a whole 12-months go by without...
I Want to Punch God.
Life is not fair. God is always fair. Shelly (name changed) is a woman who has had a very hard life. The things she has told me in our counseling sessions are enough to make me depressed. I’ve told her time and again, “I wish there was a ‘reset’ button I could push for you. Life has been so hard...
The Rest of God
Summer is usually a season where we get to kick back and enjoy some long weekends and a vacation here or there. I believe God desires for us to rest and enjoy life, even more than we allows ourselves to at times. We too often are like Jonah – instead of finding our peace in the sovereignty of God,...
What Is A Life Transformed By Christ?
One of the things I loved about working at Mission Hills is that our vision is clear and concise: Transformed Lives. But as the Discipleship Pastor, my role demanded that I accurately define what it means for a life to be transformed by Christ. Our values clarify why this type of change is important, but we had never really defined what...
What We Can Learn From The Healing of a Blind Man At Bethsaida – Mark 8:22-26
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he...
