Texting can be a convenient way to communicate. There are days that Crista and I will use texting to figure out where to meet, what the kids have going on, who’s taking who to their activities. For those types of situations, texting can be useful. However, communicating through text regarding an emotional situation or a situation that doesn’t have a quick answer, can often lead to a misunderstanding. It often goes like this: His wife just walked into the kitchen and found her son with yogurt all over himself and the floor. It takes her 30 minutes to respond to …
Being a pastor is not easy, and the ministry can be demanding upon their family. Most pastors are bi-vocational, so they are juggling work, being a pastor, while trying to carve out time with their family. It’s easy to view our pastor as an anchor that will always be there. But like us all, they go through the ups and downs of life. Ways to encourage your pastor Pray for your pastor and his family daily. Let him know that you appreciate him. Allow him and his family to be human. Attend church regularly. Gossip can destroy a church. Be …
I’m getting ready to celebrate my 42nd birthday. This post is an updated post that I had written a while back. It’s a few lessons that I have learned on this journey. People that know and love you will forgive you. Loyal friendships are a rarity. Living in the present moment is much more challenging than living in the past or dreaming of the future. The grass is not greener on the other side. A person that has a hard demeanor and is often angered is dealing with some internal issues. Respect and love go hand and hand. Doing the …
One of my favorite family Christmas traditions is reading from a grateful journal that we keep as a family. Throughout the year, each of us will write down what we are thankful for. Some of the entries are as simple as going out for ice cream while others are more serious such as God keeping a family member for being seriously hurt. This past Christmas as we read aloud each entry from 2018, I was reminded how blessed our family had been. Like all families, we had ups and downs, but through it, all God provided. Crista and I want …
Though Solomon made a lot of mistakes, he is still considered the wisest man that ever lived. I love the book of Proverbs because of the wisdom it provides for everyday living. Below are fifty-nine verses, that I find helpful as a parent to guide my children. If you have not read the book of Proverbs in a while, take a month and read one chapter a day. What is your favorite verse from Proverbs? My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: Trust in the Lord with all thine …
Often, as new parents we look at family devotions as a checklist: 1. Read a chapter of the Bible 2. Discuss the chapter 3. Pray Repeat Daily For Crista and I, this way of doing family devotions did not last long. When you have a grumpy 4-year-old, that is ready to go to bed, reading a chapter from Revelations does not do much for them. It does not set the right atmosphere when you are having to threaten your child that we will do this devotion if it takes us all night. There were times we were so concerned …
A while back, I attended the funeral of a manly man. The type of man who preferred blue jeans, cowboy hat, and boots. He worked long hard hours to support his family. I began to ponder the question, where are the manly men at today? Where are the men that might be a little rough around the edges, but when he shakes your hand, you know you have shaken a man’s hand? A mother once shared with me how now she not only prays that her daughter will find a husband that is filled with the Holy Ghost, but in …
Crista and I met at Winter Youth Retreat in 1998. I must admit, I was stricken by her at first sight. There was something so graceful and ladylike about her. After WYR, I’m not sure if she thought she would ever see me again, but it was not long until I made the six-hour journey to the little town that she was from. This past March, we celebrated eighteen years of marriage. I am thankful for the wonderful marriage that God has given to us and by His Grace, I trust it will remain that way. Unfortunately, there are many …
Most of us fulfill many different roles. I am a husband, dad, business owner, employee, minister and the list goes on and on. Each of these roles brings a level of satisfaction. It is easy to get wrapped up in a particular role that builds our confidence and one that people are always applauding. I once heard an actor talk about how he would spend all day at a set and everyone around him would brag about him and laugh at his jokes. When he arrived home that night, he was met by his wife who had been at home all …
If we are in town, most Sunday afternoons we go home after church and have a “Sunday dinner”. It is a time we slow down, where sweet tea and dessert are must-haves at the dinner table. Our conversations range from God to politics. We discuss things that happened during the week. Luke, who is animated will sometimes stand up as he tells us a story. A family Sunday dinner is a tradition that I love and cherish. I realize that as our kids get older, it might be harder to make it happen, but right now it is working. …