I love reading through the Christmas story and seeing what pokes out at me that I didn't notice the year before. There's something sacred and unique about this time of year…

Many of us, perhaps most...okay, probably all of us, struggle with identity. This is because so many forces impose on us, trying to shape and mold who we are or, at the least, who we present to the world…

Unforgiveness is toxic. If you have ever kept forgiveness from someone who has wronged you, then you understand that unforgiveness can rot you away. It consumes us with unhealthy thoughts, motives, and habits…

When I used to think of this line in the Lord’s Prayer, I read it more like, Give me just what I need, the bare minimum, and help me be happy with that…

From the very first words Jesus uttered, He teaches us to call God our Father. We are invited to experience prayer very personally from Someone we can know very intimately…

When we first started the "Our Father" series, Mike told us that simple prayer serves as the foundation for continual prayer. As I have walked through the exercise of praying the Lord's Prayer daily, something interesting has happened…

Every occupation has its fundamentals. Professional athletes practice the rudiments of their sport. Interior decorators strip down rooms to the studs. Surgeons wash their hands before they operate…

I have learned a lot being married to my wife, Denise. One of the more important lessons I have learned is the difference between being heard and being listened to…

When it comes to the world of wills and trust funds, bizarre stories of big money take center stage…

Today's reading stands as one of my favorite passages, a piece of Scripture I've held onto for a long time. Numerous things stick out to me throughout these four verses. But there is also a thread sewn into all these different ideas - God is in charge of our hearts and wants to bring healing to them.

Today, we live a "high test," fast lane, immediate gratification, microwave timing kind of life. I try to be intentional about my quiet time, yet with pressure on many fronts - unanticipated emergencies, shifting schedules and multiple conflicting priorities - it can be difficult to carve out that time to recharge…

When my parents dropped me off at college, they taught me one final life lesson: how to do laundry. Yes, as embarrassing as it is, I am a momma's boy who got coddled too much growing up…

"Guys.... he's not moving!" Panic set in as we surrounded our lifeless friend. Each one of us dropped our pillows, realizing we were in trouble. Eventually, Andrew began to groan and roll around, and we all breathed a sigh of relief, but then someone asked the question everyone was thinking…

Life comes at us quickly. We move at such a fast pace that we rarely spend any time taking care of ourselves. As long as nothing is majorly wrong, we ignore the condition of our hearts. We often assume we are okay until we are not…

Let's face it: small talk can be awkward, uncomfortable, clumsy, and distressing, especially if you're an extreme introvert like myself. You don't know what to say or where to begin…

My yard is a blanket of red and gold leaves. So much so, I can barely see any grass at all. I’m constantly amazed by the specific orientation of our house within our neighborhood and the way that everyone else’s trees somehow drop their leaves into our small patch of earth.

Prayer is powerful.

The Scriptures have so many verses that encourage, challenge, teach, and compel us to pray. The disciples who walked with Jesus asked Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1)…

Last night, to help unwind, our family sat down to put together a puzzle. Piece by piece, the picture on the box started to come together. Towards the end, we realized that we were a few pieces short…

You don't need to trust anyone if you think you have everything under control. But, here's the thing about control - it's an illusion at best. The only predictable thing about living in this world is its unpredictability.

Growing up, one of my favorite games to play was Hide and Seek. It started when I was a toddler attempting to hide from dad. As he would begin to count, I'd giggle and try to find a place to hide, typically ending up underneath a blanket, inside a closet, or behind a sofa (with my feet hanging out)…