I have what looks like is going to be a scar under my right eye. It happened a few days after my mom was in a horrific car accident (January 2019) that almost took her life. I spent every day in the hospital with her as she was dealing with seven broken bones, three surgeries, and bleeding on the brain. I went home one night to go check in on the fam and help with a few things around the house. Alight in the living room needed to be changed, so I went to grab the ladder out of our utility closet in the garage. When I grabbed the ladder, the weed whacker fell off the brace that holds it up...

I just found myself all up in my feelings tonight as I wrote the first draft of my conclusion for the doctoral dissertation. Three years worth of academic research and practical ministry as I've explore race, economics, and friendship as it relates to the topic of biblical neighborliness. Here's my first stab at my conclusion... it will change through the editing process, but I wanted to share the experience as it unfolds. There's probably mistakes, but after three years and 12+ hours of writing today alone, I don't hardly care at all ... hahahahaha... shoot me a message if you have any...

Ever feel reluctant in your leadership or too nervous to speak up? Welcome to the company of heroes of the faith. We may remember their names now, but everyone one of them were normal folks like you and I. Consider the story of Moses. Even though he is now regarded as one of the central figures in the Bible, he was an incredibly reluctant leader. God saw strength, character, and integrity in Moses. He knew the task ahead would be arduous, and he knew Moses could handle the heat. However, like many of us, all Moses could see was his insecurities and inadequacies. He said, "I can't speak...

Each kid in our home has gotten a cell phone when they got to middle school. It is both a fun moment for the family to communicate with our kids in a new way, and a terrifying reality that the world is opening to them in a whole new way. We've had ups and downs along the way, but overall we have absolutely awesome kids that are (mostly) open and honest with us. One of the ways that we try to encourage that openness is by setting clear boundaries and letting them know that they can talk to us. Here's the agreement between us and them that we came up with recently. I found a template at...

I have a thing for ships. This is Edward Moran's "Ship at Sea, Sunset" painting. Ships have been a prevailing metaphor for my journey of faith as I travel from who I was to who I am becoming. It is fascinating to me that the ship in this picture does not have a motor, depending only on the wind to propel it toward the intended destination. You cannot see the wind, and I cannot "see" the Holy Spirit. I can feel the wind. I can feel the Holy Spirit (most days). I am also struck that the crew has to work with the wind by adjusting the sails to get this ship to the destination. I am working with...

Introduction             Spiritual disciplines are practices that orient the heart and mind of followers of Christ to see past the distractions of our culture and uncover the heart of God.  Dallas Willard states, “Our plan for a life of growth in the life of the kingdom of God must be structured around disciplines for the spiritual life. A discipline is any activity within our power that we engage in to enable us to do what we cannot do by direct effort.”[1] God will faithfully lead his children to the things that matter to his heart, but each person must choose to orient their lives in a...

**This is an academic paper written for my Doctor of Ministry program at Southeastern University. The formatting is weird (bullet numbers, spacing, etc.) but my only desire is to give this an online home, with the hope that it may benefit some. God cares so deeply for the poor and marginalized, and he's not nearly as impressed religious systems as we are...  I hope this is a blessing to those who take the time to read and consider the story from Mark's Gospel. All footnotes are found at the very end and correspond with the number in the body of the writing. Introduction Mark 12:38-13:2 is an...