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Happy Birthday Ben
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights…James 1:17 Happy Birthday Ben! Today, you are one year old, and we are so thankful for you. On this day, one year ago, you came into this world. I wish we knew more and had more to share of…
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No Shame in the Small Step
I’ve had seasons of physical fitness in my life, but it’s fair to say I’m not currently in one of those seasons. Over the past ten years I’ve trained for triathlons, marathons and tony-hortons. I thrive on a workout calendar. My soul savors every check box and every crossed-out-day completed. In fact, over the last…
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Adoption Update #2
It’s been a crazy couple of months since the last post in July. Let me catch you up… From July to September we completed what is called the home study process. It’s called a home study, but everything get’s studied. We gave family histories, took medical tests, made a visit to a psychologist, watched videos,…
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Now Over Next
I keep a giant 6×3 foot calendar hanging on my office wall. It helps me see an entire year with one glance: birthdays, family trips, camps, mission trips… I received my 2019 calendar in the mail a few weeks ago and made an immediate and short-sighted decision. In my excitement about the year to come,…
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Suffer or Serve
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.—Matthew 5:10 This is the eighth Beatitude. It’s different. I can understand the attitude of humility that comes with being poor in spirit. I recognize the need for mourning over sin. Gentleness, mercy and peacemaking are clearly…
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Peace and Pumpkin Spice
It’s October, and there’s plenty to look forward to. Fall weather, flannel and familiar flavors. That’s right. Pumpkin Spice! Maybe it’s a recent phenomenon but I feel like the pumpkin spice people are getting pushy. It’s started off with the lattes but now they are invading every aisle in the store: muffins, donuts, cereal, candy,…
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Pure Hearts, Pure Moments
Well, I got off track. I’d been faithful to post once a week, but a busy weekend got the best of me. Our student ministry took a trip to raft the Chattahoochee. It was an incredible trip. We rafted a class five rapid. We zip lined from Georgia to Alabama,. We took time to worship…
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Songs that Stick
Every so often someone asks a question that flips the world upside down. Nearly, 19 years ago, the Baha men accomplished that feat with this simple question: Who let the dogs out? Who? Who? Who? The question probably isn’t significant nor is the song really that good, but it is catchy. Songs are like that. …
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Ice Cream and Jesus
The Tchoupitoulas Challenge. It’s impossible to pronounce but worth the effort. This ice cream creation is a product of the Creole Creamery in New Orleans, and it’s the only food challenge I’ve ever seriously considered. I have little interest in the worlds spiciest wings or the nations meatiest burger. But, something seemed magical about eight…
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Stretch Don’t Snap
While they’ve faded as fast as the fad arrived, fidget spinners were all the rage for a few short months. You couldn’t go anywhere without the seeing a child spinning the trinket between their fingers. Although the fidget spinner was absent from my childhood, I had something far better: the rubber band. There was no…
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Skipping the Sad
Jim, Pam, Dwight, Angela, Kevin and Creed. If you’re anything like me, you love them more than Dwight loves beets, bears and Battlestar Galactica. If you don’t recognize the names, they are characters from my all-time favorite show, The Office. While these people may not be your crew, you’ve probably found a similar affection for…
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Ugly Orange Life-Vest
It was orange, goofy and uncomfortable. There was no way I was wearing it. As I stood staring at the ocean in front of me, a kayak at my feet and a paddle in my hand, the thought of wearing this ridiculous life-vest seemed unimaginable. I boldly tossed it to the shore, confident in my…
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Monday Morning Meditation
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.”—Psalms 1:2 There are few outlets that can keep my attention day or night. Buzzfeed is one. It knows me. It draws me in…with the most ridiculous, random lists. 45 Things from Your 90’s Childhood You Probably…
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Our Adoption Story: Part One
We’re adopting! It’s a journey that’s been years in the making, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be walking down this road together. Shannon and I knew having biological children might not be a possibility for us, so the seed of adoption was first planted during our dating years. But, after three years of…
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Gummy Bears for Breakfast
I’ll admit it. I’ve been proud, arrogant and probably a little bit stupid. Blame it on seminary. Blame it on being raised in the church. Or, more likely, blame it on my tendency to float towards pharisaic tendencies. But, for the longest time, I have rejected the idea of devotions. All I needed was the…
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