One night when my wife was studying for nursing school, she looked up from her textbook and said, "I think you have Prader-Willi syndrome." Just like that, she went back to reading without explaining what horrible disease was plaguing my body. So, I did what any semi hypochondriac would do; I headed over to WebMD to self-diagnosis myself…

Peaceful. Secure. Undisturbed.

We're all friends here, so let's be honest. Those words don't describe my house, and chances are good, they stand in stark contrast to what's taking place under your roof right now…

As you read this passage, you can almost feel the crowd of people inch a little closer when they hear the rich, young ruler’s question for Jesus. Even though they were captivated by His miracles, finding out the answer to this question…

It was a beautiful and sunny day at the beach. The air was crisp, the sand was hot, and the sea was blue. My daughter and I were catching waves on our boogie boards, laughing it up. She was little then, maybe 5 or 6 years old, and could only see the wave coming at us, nothing beyond. I, however, being much bigger than her, could see farther out and had a good view of other waves rolling in…

Defeated, we all looked at each other and realized it was a lost cause. The sweet oversized couch we found at a yard sale wasn't going to make its home in our dorm room. We had spent the better part of two hours maneuvering it up three flights of stairs and pivoting at every turn, so much so, that Ross Geller would be proud…

A few summers ago, a storm rolled into town, and our family headed to Wrightsville Beach to check out the surf. The waves were impressive. They rose to great heights and then came crashing down. Surfers lined the horizon, but all the other beachgoers stayed out of the water for safety, everyone except me…

I remember how nervous I was proposing to my now wife. My concern wasn't because I thought her answer swung in the balance (after all, I'm quite a catch...I kid, I kid). It had everything to do with making it a memorable moment, and plans going smoothly…

I'm not much for conspiracy theories, but I do believe my smartphone listens in on my conversations. I've lost count of how many times this has happened: I'll be talking about something random with friends and the next time I scroll through social media or…

Go with me for a minute to middle school summer camp. As your heart races, you walk to the edge of the diving board. Feeling 100 feet in the air, you're short of breath and unsure. What if you pass out and fall off the board? Your feet are slipping. You turn around, thinking you cannot possibly do this; you'd rather face embarrassment…

“First of all, keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it’ll kill him. Second, don’t give him any water, not even to drink. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight.”

There is a slight irony that I am sitting down to write a devotion today about being pressed but not crushed. Sometimes that feels like my story. Maybe it feels like yours. Nothing is ever too devastating that you are not here to tell about it, but you feel pressed from every side more often than not…

When we were newlyweds, my parents surprised Jenn and me by gifting us a trip to Cape Cod. They failed to mention that it was at a timeshare resort, which meant that we were obligated to listen to a sales presentation sometime during the vacation…

Living on the coast of North Carolina, chances are good you know of someone whose world got turned upside down because of a hurricane. It might be a co-worker, neighbors down the street, family, or friends. Perhaps it's even you…

The elementary school I attended wanted to expose students to arts and music as early as possible. One way they accomplished this goal was our 5th-grade band. During the year, every student tested out different instruments to see if one sparked their fancy. We all got a turn playing things like the saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, and violin…

One of my favorite summer traditions involves watching America's Got Talent with my family.  Over the years, we’ve all had our "Golden Buzzer" favorite picks, but one contestant named Shin Lim stood out to all of us. Shin is without question the greatest up-close magician I have ever seen…

Like most teens, my two daughters bicker from time to time. Most skirmishes tend to center on clothes, makeup, and hogging the bathroom when the other is attempting to get ready. However, the greatest source of contention is the television remote…

As a line of cars honked their horns, I realized that my driving career was off to a less than stellar start. The issue at hand was whether I looked at oncoming traffic when attempting to yield. I felt I had (and to this day, I still do), but according to my driving instructor, I had not…

Today, let’s focus on eternity. Sounds nice, but this is not going to get the laundry done, the kids to school, the report finished for your boss, or your research paper turned in. Neither will this line of thinking change any of those interruptions and obstacles you are currently facing…

The person in charge of running the meeting was missing in action: no text message, phone call, or email letting us know about his whereabouts. With every minute that ticked off with him still being a no-show, the conversation turned into the legendary college debate…

The other day my wife Jenn and her friend took a day trip to visit (and shop..and shop..) IKEA in Charlotte. The longer it took for her car to pull into the driveway the more I could feel my wallet getting nervous. Fortunate for our budget, she showed amazing restraint by just picking up a few odds and ends…