No matter how much I pleaded and begged to help make dinner, my mom's standard answer was "Watch me, and you'll learn." 

Watch?! No! That was no fun at all! Why couldn't I just get my hands in? Was she afraid I'd mess it up? I grew up thinking, "I'm just a kid. I guess I can't do stuff like that…

In Matthew 11, Jesus tells us “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” A simple statement that I have over complicated by thinking it requires more than just being…

Sitting on top of my fireplace mantle is a breathtaking picture of the North Carolina mountains that's near and dear to my heart. I didn't snap the photo, haven't had the opportunity to take in this serene view, and couldn't tell you the towns it overlooks. But, for me, it serves as a reminder that small acts of mercy can have profound impacts…

Four years ago, around this time actually, I signed up for a mission trip to Guatemala for that coming October. I was nervous and excited - but torn. My grandma was newly sick, and her prognosis was not easy to accept…

I am one for some fun competition. Whether it be video games, sports, trivia, or any other avenue, competition can be a great way to build relationships and have fun! I have noticed that because of my past I must check myself when playing basketball to remind myself I do not “have” to win, though I do enjoy it…

Night after night, I remind my son before bedtime that when he came into this world, it was supernatural. He promptly concurs saying…

Tough seasons of life come with the territory of living in a fallen world. At one time or another, we all face adversity, tragedy, difficulty, or strife. Overwhelmed and disheartened, life can feel as if darkness surrounds us. Darkness is anything that hides or conceals light and keeps us stumbling through our days…

Letting our minds wander causes us to go down trails of thoughts we never intended to tread on. When our thoughts run free, we make ourselves vulnerable. Proverbs 25:28 says that a person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls. Each of us must have a way of dealing with the world when it doesn't make sense…

I am a sucker for a movie with a really good pep talk, the kind of movie with an underdog theme. 

Like the sports movie where the coach rallies the team and sends them off for the game of glory. “How you play today, from this moment on, is how you will be remembered…

Summer is upon us! We are stocking up on sunscreen, with visions of sand & surf. It's time for backyard BBQs, pool parties and family vacations. Ahh, the family vacation... memories of the summer I turned 11 drift back to me…

Friends are game changers in this life. So much beauty, excitement and growth come from having solid friends. But there’s a trial season to eventually get to friendship. Now, if you knew me, you would know that once I say hello to you…

You never know what you will come across when you read the “In Other News” section found near the back pages of most newspapers. This is the place where tidbits of strange happenings make their home. They often tell of random events that don’t seem to fit anywhere else, but in the place labeled ‘other.’ If you ever find yourself in a bad mood, I’d suggest picking up your daily paper and reading this section…

"Daddy needs to rest a bit." As I gasped for air, drenched in sweat, I attempted to come to terms with my defeat. My daughter extended her hand to me with a grin draped across her face. She now held the title of "Just Dance" video game champion for our family. Even though I attempted to blame a malfunctioning Wii controller, the issue was obvious: I had two left feet…

I have a love and hate relationship with IKEA. They satisfy my belly with Swedish meatballs, but they frustrate my mind with their elaborate directions and Allen wrenches. One needs an engineering degree if they have any hope of assembling a simple bookshelf correctly. The allure of their reasonable prices bumps up against the tension of their "easy" ready-to-assemble furniture…

Have you ever struggled at showing up - as a friend, as a spouse, as a brother or sister, as a parent, or even as a follower of Christ? Yup, we are going there already! It’s been easy not to show up over the last year. So much has happened with the pandemic and life going on during it that we may feel like we are disappointing the people around us…

Families are filled with broken people who have their own struggles and failures. Even though we know this to be true in our heads, we struggle to believe this in our hearts…

I’m not a fan of driving in general, but I despise traveling back to my hometown. As much as I adore my extended family, I do everything in my power to avoid getting behind the wheel and jumping on I-95…

Batman was always my favorite growing up, but there was one day, specifically, that solidified our bond forever. I grew up with two brothers – Robert, who is 4 years older than me, and Nate, who is 10 years older. I played more with Robert because of our ages and many other factors. But this also meant we fought all the time. Such is the beauty of brotherhood…

Sometimes as a parent, I feel like there are certain things that I constantly repeat to my kids. One of those is some version of, "Be kind to your brother/sister." Another is, "Can you please be patient?" And now that our youngest has gotten to the age where she can get involved with the other two, I have added, "Be gentle, she's still learning!" to the mix…

Reflection is such a powerful tool. I hope you have found moments in life where you have looked back and thought, “Wow. Look how far I have come!”

I think about this every day when it comes to my walk with Jesus. I grew up with a family that pastored and went to church at every opportunity…