Yesterday morning we went out for breakfast and coffee as a family. The coffee shop we visited was located inside an old brick building called Atherton Mill. We had visited several times since we moved to Charlotte, but this time an old black and white photo caught my eye. It featured a cotton field, and in the background, what looked like an...
I recently read about a nurse named, Bonnie Ware, who wrote a book called The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying. In her experience as a hospice nurse, she gathered people’s last moments and thoughts. Over the years, she began to see a pattern involving people’s regrets. The #1 regret she discovered? “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true...
Over the years I’ve written several blog posts about prayer. Some have been about the ingredients of effective prayer and some have even been about how I learned I was praying wrong. Unfortunately, it’s the latter that often reminds of my prayer life. Most of the time I feel like a failure when it comes to prayer. Sure, I pray when things...
Several months ago I had an important meeting on my schedule and I spent several days preparing for it. I was a little nervous, but I was also excited. I tend to over-prepare, but unfortunately for this meeting, I way over-prepared. I stayed up past 2 AM the night before and woke up the next morning feeling terrible. I thought I would be fine, but...
At the end of every year, our church participates in a year-end offering where we make a sacrificial gift dedicated to growing and expanding our reach as a church. This was my family’s second year to participate, and it’s become one of my favorite traditions. One of the things I look forward to most is that we also look forward to the year...
I love being a dad. It’s an honor, a privilege, and a blessing I’m beyond grateful for. With that said, there are a few things about being a parent that can be stressful. One of those being, trying to leave the house with a toddler. Sure, sounds simple enough. Just throw some clothes on your kid and then head out the door. Well, it’s a...
We’ve all heard the story of Zacchaeus and the sycamore tree. In fact, just the mention of his name is probably enough to bring the Sunday School jingle to your mind. I’ve always enjoyed the story, but only until recently have I realized how illogical it is. Zacchaeus was basically a 1st-century gangster. As a tax collector, he would’ve...
Growing up my nightly bedtime routine consisted of pulling down my black leather King James Bible and turning to Psalm 23 (I had heard that Psalm recited at several funerals, so I knew it had to be important). I eventually memorized it, but the truth of it never seeped into my heart. I would pull out my Bible every night and then somehow manage to...
It was a few years ago when I first felt God put the idea of ministry on my heart. I was a little surprised. I had never really pictured myself working at a church. But, I was pretty sure God was speaking to me, so I decided to stay open to the idea. During this season, my ears became attuned to the Christian buzzword “calling.” It...
