I gave myself an early birthday present this year. Two weeks before the big day, I made my last payment on my college loan. The top of the debt thermometer hanging on my refrigerator read, “Happy Birthday to me, I’m debt free!” I scribbled up to the goal line and smiled as I snapped the […]
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
Some things in life are not easy, like eating with chopsticks, doing math in your head, or cooking something other than microwave popcorn for dinner. Then there’s the really hard stuff, like figuring out which college to attend or which career to choose. The Apostle Paul tries to encourage us in Romans by explaining that […]
Mountains of Impact
I’ve always believed I was born with big dreams in my heart. I’m sure some were accumulated along the way, but large aspirations and dreams have always seemed to be present within me. It’s these dreams and lofty goals that I feel make up part of who and what I’m called to be. I was […]
Letting God Work
“All I do today is for Jesus” is my first thought as another mundane workday begins. The Bible says: “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3). I know this, but I don’t always do this. I wrestle with questions like: Am I content with my life? Do I […]
THE SECRET SIN OF THE CITY
I’d be remiss if I didn’t start out with a confession; like many, I had no clue that there was such a thing as sex trafficking. Sure I’ve heard biblical stories of men working for the right to marry their wives, I’ve read history books of our nation’s poor choices in enslaving African Americans, and I’ve […]
RECOVERING EDEN
The first earthly paradise, according to Genesis, was a garden. Chapter 2 of the first book of the Bible tells us that after God created his perfect universe “and saw that it was good,” he made the pinnacle of his creation–human beings. God then “planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the […]
7 Habits of Highly Effective Christians
As believers we have a new identity in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17 NIV). The problem we face is how to live out that new identity in a world where everything concerning Christianity seems to be under […]
9 Ways To Make Easter More Meaningful
The crux of the Christian faith is found in Easter. It is the story of a man called Jesus, who was killed by being hung on a cross, and then three days later rose from the dead. The Bible says in John 3:16 that because of this act of love, those who believe it will […]
COMING OUT CHRISTIAN
Justin Bieber inks it on his calf. One-armed surfing inspiration, Bethany Hamilton, wears it on her would-be sleeve. Bono wears it in (RED). And former Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow, displays it on his knees after every infield victory. This is how some of today’s biggest figures in sports and entertainment publicly display their faith. […]
OUTSOURCING LOVE
One November day in 2010, much to my surprise and joy, I found a lesson somewhere I thought I’d already learned: Humble beginnings of people with humble hearts produce huge results. For nearly eleven years, I have lived in a small city in the Northern part of Arizona called Kingman. Just about the only great […]