Are You Ready?

During Christmas, we often get bogged down with everything but the miracle of God coming to Earth. When people ask, “Are you ready for Christmas?” we rightly assume they mean, “Have you purchased all of your Christmas presents yet?” Getting ready for Christmas means a little less but costs us a bit more each year—in both our spirituality and pocketbook.

Each time we join into the verbal gymnastics of trying to eliminate Christ from Christmas and term it just another ‘holiday,’ we lose a little more of our understanding of what gift-giving means and who the biggest gift-giver is.

Transformed

In my twenties, I was cocky salesman who traveled from port-to-port. I was good at what I did and believed the world owed me some pretty hefty favors. Then one day in walked a blond who somehow changed my life forever. Sounds like the beginning of a joke, but the joke was on me. This blond was the beginning of my own transformation.

How?

It wasn’t her faith… but her lack of faith that suddenly brought God back to mind. I saw first hand what the belief in ‘graceless god’ can do to someone and subsequently how the uncovering of the true Grace of God can absolutely free someone.

The blond is now my wife, Jaclyn. Through her, I got to witness the journey from point A to point Z. I watched as a woman wracked by fear and distrust unraveled the mystery of God’s grace and her transformation eventually became mine. I watched as she finally accepted Christ and how that leap of trust and newfound courage of faith changed every aspect of her. How she talked, how she walked, even how she thought. Grace is truly a game-changer.

Hard Pill to Swallow

I’ve always had a problem with authority. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for others, I’m a natural-born rebel (my parents and wife can attest to this). It’s what has caused both incredible friction and abundant blessings in my life. This instinct to buck the system is what fueled my motivation to build and own my […]

Lonely for a Reason

What if that deafening loneliness you’re feeling right now is for a reason? If you’re truly lonely that question probably feels a little callous and rude. How dare I assume that your loneliness could come with benefits. But that’s exactly what I’m about to assume… so please, hear me out.  There are over 7.4 billion […]

What Do You Want

What is it that you want? I ask because most of us, myself included, have a series of wants that we think, should they come true, will improve our lives significantly. “If only I had (fill in the blank), I would be ___ (successful, happy, content, or attractive). The Christian author, Max Lucado, describes this […]

The Way

He refreshes my soul. What does that even mean? Well, right now, many of us are living in a perpetual state of hopelessness. It’s brought on by many different things from a relationship ending to a job loss, from a debilitating disease to an especially depressing news program — hopelessness can seep deep into the […]

The Impossible Mentor

In his book, Impossible Mentor, Ray Hollenbach wrote: “Jesus invites us to learn from him because he intends to reproduce himself in us. He does not invite us to learn about him: he presents to each the incredible offer to become conformed to his image.” Most people would agree that Jesus was a good man worth emulating, while in […]

Feeling Guilt on Easter

Easter and guilt were never meant to be synonymous. Yet somehow, we have distorted its meaning into a “payback” or “owing” situation. “He died on the cross for YOUR sins,” or “this drop of blood is YOUR sin.” Although both statements are correct, the meaning behind them is steeped deep in guilt. But let me […]

Need a Rest from Religion?

Are you in need of a rest from religion?  I know coming from an ordained minister that question may seem a little strange, but for many people, the “religion” part of our faith is borderline tiresome and sometimes unfulfilling. Why? Because often, the religion part demands that we keep jumping through a set of established […]

Saving Yourself For What?

“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” “Don’t depend on others.” “Never let them see you sweat.” We’ve all heard this advice, or advice very similar to it before. Our society constantly tells us to be self-reliant and to never show signs of weakness. It’s unfortunate and can be very harmful, especially in our spiritual lives. […]