The Church and the Bachelor Have Something in Common
There was a time, not too long ago, when my wife would find herself drawn into the weekly drama of the Bachelor and the Bachelorette. At first I made fun of her, wondering how in the world any reasonable person could be drawn into such drivel. But I confess, soon even I began to wonder who would receive the coveted rose each week, wining the eventual marriage proposal. We eventually fully broke up with the show, finding the secret was not watching the first episode. Ok, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, we can move on. I found ...
How Dropping Your Phone in the Toilet Makes You Reconsider Priorities
Yesterday, my wife had a great day. We've been working on our health as a family and I bought her a Fitbit. But, where there were rays of sunshine spilling into the windows of her life, there seemed to be a small grey rain cloud following me. My middle son had an indoor soccer tournament on Saturday, so I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about soccer. Having trouble sleeping, I decided to head downstairs to think. So, I grabbed my glasses and phone and went to the bathroom......and promptly dropped my phone in the toilet! I ...
The Spiritual Discipline of Chaos pt. 2
I've thought a lot about successful spiritual formation in the midst of of surviving parenthood. Last week I acknowledged the value of escaping to some far-off mountain to be with God, but immediately recoil at the very thought of fitting long periods of quiet into my often chaotic life. You can catch up on the first part of the post HERE. But, then I take a look at the life of Jesus. Would anyone dare describe his life by using words like tranquil, quiet, silent, or solitude? In the book of Mark, one of the first items on Jesus’ ministry agenda ...
The Spiritual Discipline of Chaos pt. 1
I sometimes wonder why solitude and quiet are so highly revered in the Christian walk. I completely understand how a quiet place is a great way to hear the still small voice of God (1 Kings 19:12). Joshua Choomin Kang wrote, “ One of the obstacles to our spiritual growth is noise….How do our souls grow? Our souls thrive on silence”(2006, p. 106). I get this. I know the priority of solitude was modeled in Jesus. Before calling his disciples, Jesus spent the night alone praying on a mountain (Luke 6:12-13). Jesus called his disciples to a quiet place to rest ...
Jesus is Not Your Boyfriend
Jesus is known to be many things to people including Lord, Savior and friend to sinners. But, there is one thing Jesus is definitely not. Jesus is not your boyfriend. But, if you spend too much time around many churches today, you might think differently. In fact, I think this idea has become so ingrained in our churches, most of us don’t even recognize it’s there (or a problem). But, it’s a huge problem, and can be especially confusing to a man attending church for the first time. So, I’d like to share 3 ways the church unintentionally encourages this ...
Dear Christian, It’s OK to Pray for Patience
As a follower of Jesus there are many things I’m encouraged to pray for; my family, school, government, finances, marriage, kids, and also for qualities like strength, perseverance, and love. BUT, there is one thing many Christians think I should never pray for—patience. The story goes, a Christian should never pray for patience because God will then bring something difficult into their life requiring serious patience. For anyone who believes this, you may not realize it, but this theology is incredibly hurtful and inaccurate. I want you to know that you can, and should pray for patience. Now, maybe you’ve ...
The Work of God While Waiting
Remember back in middle school when people would pass notes to each other and ask, “Do you like me?”, followed by the instructions, “Circle YES or NO.” I remember being in 6th grade and thinking this girl named Erin, sitting on the other side of the room was cute so wrote just such a note. I can’t tell you why in the world writing a note in that moment seemed like the most logical course of action to discover the feelings a girl I liked. But, I wrote and carefully folded my note, writing her name on the front, and began the ...
Why We Go to Church
Why We Go to Church My three year old son is in the asking why phase of childhood. Whether it's asking him to eat lunch, turn off the t.v., or go potty his response to every given order is, "But, why?". This past Sunday morning, after explaining to him why he needed to get dressed and why he needed to eat breakfast, I informed him we were going to church. His immediate response was to ask why. I paused and pondered how I would respond to my inquisitive three year old. In that moment it was like my whole spiritual life flashed before my eyes. ...
Who Are Our Closest Friends?
As I held the phone my chest was tight, clenching my teeth waiting for my brother to respond. I tried explaining why I had not adequately planned nor expressed my desire to see him over a week-long beach vacation near his house. Reasons raced through my mind as I felt misunderstood and small. My brother exhaled slowly and deliberately, like he could feel the swell of a wave from deep within, and was determining whether he should let it roll and crash or try to push it back down to the dark. I could tell this was suddenly about more ...
The Weird Dreams We Have: David and the Angry Terrier
Weird Dreams: I have this weird dream I’d like to confess. I love dogs and after having to give away our dog a few years ago, I’d eventually love to own another. But, because of all the downsides of dog ownership, like actually having to care for the dog, I’m not pushing to purchase one anytime soon. But, I have this dream. I’m pulling in my driveway and a dog randomly walks up to me, kind of like God is specifically sending me a dog. I take it home and it turns out to be the best dog ever! It ...