Life is a trip. My son turned thirteen today.
It really does feel like it was yesterday that my little guy was born. After a brief touch of crying, he looked up with those dark, observing eyes and quietly took in the view of his awestruck green parents. And we were never the same.
The hospital let us take him home. [...]

I have been reading and studying the gospel of Matthew along with friends in my church, and it has been pretty mind blowing. This Sunday I am going to be speaking from Matthew 13, where Jesus likens our hearts to soil.
For me personally, the analogy is challenging. Have I let what is true be choked [...]

It’s still so unreal. I have a Haitian friend who works in the Dominican Republic; his wife and children live in Haiti. When the earthquake hit, he emailed me to tell me he was going home and wasn’t sure where his family was, or if they were okay.
I don’t know what that’s like. It broke [...]

Firstly: Thanks to my friends for all of your input on the driving songs. It was fun building a list from your suggestions, plus a few of my favorites.
It’s in no way conclusive; that’s the fun thing about playlists. I’m sure the second I post this I’ll think of another hundred songs to go on [...]

All right, friends – help me out! I’ve had a few conversations lately about how great certain songs sound in the car, how they can match the driving mood.  Which doesn’t mean every driving song is for leadfoots.
- Some driving songs are thoughtful and mellow (reflective ride)
- Some are fun and upbeat vacation songs (family [...]

I realize how valuable new starts are. It’s a challenging, encouraging feeling to have a blank canvas, a newly tilled field, an open road. Fresh commitments are fueled by the thought: “This time I’m going to make it! I can feel it!”
It’s why January is considered the most disciplined month of the year. We have [...]

Maybe He should have hired a firm.
The advent of Christ was a time-splitting event, forever altering history and human hearts. You would think God could have thought through a better marketing plan.
A young mother, painfully pregnant, stuck in Bethlehem for a government census (the timing!). While in town for the census, she goes into labor, [...]

Tylenol shouldn’t be at the top of your Christmas wish list. I mean, come on.
Every year it happens, even amongst throngs of people who say they’ll resist it: turmoil over the Christmas season. Why? Why would we ever choose this? And I use ‘choose’ very purposefully. See, I think that all of the stress, worry, [...]

Don’t get me wrong. I am a Facebook user. I comment. I tweet. It’s great.
And it sucks sometimes.
Here’s why: It all falls under the label “social media”. And in a day when the most social interaction someone might have is to invite you to join their Farmtown, we could be heading towards trouble. A few thoughts:
- [...]

Food is art. You have to have fun with food. Make it beautiful. Make it a memory.
I was looking through some summer 2009 food pics that brought back some great memories; thought I’d share them.

1. Crawdads in Buttah: Had a great time this summer camping with friends down on the Deschutes. After tubing, we waded through [...]