By seeing how God has wired us, we can begin to shift our lens towards our strengths. Yet, this is easier said than done. Our natural inclination is to focus on our weaknesses, enable our insecurities to overcome us, or allow fear to halt us in our tracks…

"Do you know what time it is?" my dad asked a teenaged me. 

I had attempted, in vain, to quietly make my way to my room after coming home passed my curfew…

Breathless.

This is how I have felt over the last couple of months. What’s crazy is none of it can be seen on the surface. Aside from the basketball court, I’ve been breathing normally. But in the places people cannot see, my heart and mind, I’ve been breathless trying to run harder every day…

Very few things clear my mind better than a good run. I put in my earbuds and pound the pavement. It's just me, my thoughts, the open run, and sometimes an eclectic Spotify playlist…

I wouldn't say I'm a die-hard Apple fan, but I do enjoy their products. I like how they work, I like how different devices easily sync up, and for the most part, things work as I need them to. I do sometimes laugh, though, because Apple seems to have found the secret to keeping their customers…

I'll set the record straight once and for all: I'm not related to Kelly Ripa, or at least, I don't think I am. I've lost track of how many times people see my last name, start to grin, and say, "Any relation to Kelly?" It happens at the bank, doctor's office, restaurants, and even when I'm calling about my wi-fi being down…

Forget Sasquatch, The Loch Ness Monster, or The Chupacabra. These legends that get talked about, yet seldom seen, aren't the rarest sight known to man. That award resides for the elusive person who had a great middle school experience…

Like most kids who grew up in the '90s, one of my favorite sitcoms was Saved By The Bell. So naturally, I wanted to be Zack Morris, the charismatic and charming kid who ruled Bayside High School. Even though, in my teen years, I was probably closer to Screech in terms of awkwardness and looks…

A few years ago, my family was vacationing in Disney World. My husband, son, and brother rode The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom while we took my daughter and nieces to visit Rapunzel. When we finished that princess encounter…

How do you handle distractions? I mean, we live in a world of them. It appears the more critical the task at hand, the more distractions that pop up. Most of us get a little frustrated at distractions. We look at them as some hindrance to our primary focus. But what if the…

I remember all too well when I felt like the odd man out. My mom bought me Wrangler jeans instead of the popular Levi's. I tried to pass my no-name brand sneakers off as Keds. In my young world, I just wanted to fit in. To be not like the others was devastating…

The summer after my sophomore year of college, I worked at a marina at the Lake of the Ozarks. My duties included cleaning and gassing up the ski boats and pontoons we rented to tourists…

Each summer in the Caribbean Sea, there is an area at about 21 degrees north and 85 degrees west where humans can encounter whale sharks…

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you just couldn’t believe what someone said? It may just be me, but I seem to have a little bit of skepticism when it comes to big elaborate stories…

With a briefcase in hand and swimming in a suit two or three sizes too big, I stood in front of my first-grade class and announced my intentions: I want to be a K-Mart manager when I grow up. Understandably so, laughter, groans, and snickering broke out…

Before I started my relationship with Jesus, still in college, I read this scripture through the lens of "Jesus forgives us no matter what, so why are Christians so hung up on making people who are living differently than them feel bad…

Jesus performed many miracles and today's story highlights one of those. There was a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. He was near a pool that he believed could help him, but he could not get into the water…

Have you ever gotten rusty in a hobby or activity you enjoy? Of course, you have! It is normal for people to go through seasons where hobbies or activities take the back burner. Denise and I have a 6-month-old and when I get my 2-3 workouts in a week, I am often reminded how rusty and behind I am…

My daughter is getting to the age where she wants to ride a bike. Maybe it's because she is our firstborn, or perhaps it's just her personality, but I wouldn't describe her as a risk-taker. She thinks things through and is overly careful; she even tries to convince others that they need to be more cautious…

I watched as my dad talked my son through gathering the rope, then the weighted net, and how to hold it just right. He would show him, then pass him the net. They did this back and forth a few times until my dad thought my son had a good grasp of how to hold it…