If you read this blog much, you’ll see that one of my big recurring themes (or, as my wife says, one of my “soapboxes”) is building resilient kids that become strong adults. In this culture, where …
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The Worst Marriage Counselor
I am the worst marriage counselor ever. I have thought for the longest time that, if your marriage was on the skids, and you needed someone to push it over the edge, I mean, really drive that nail …
Begin With the End in Mind
I’m preparing to take comprehensive exams for my PhD work on Saturday, and my mind is crammed with what most would consider utterly useless information about leadership. As we begin the school year …
Lessons Learned from a College Kid
Our freshman came home from college for the summer. For those of you who have never experienced this, I’ve got to tell you, it’s weird. It’s not like you get back your kid; you get back this …
Commencement Charge 2016
Last Saturday, GCS graduated and sent out 57 seniors to impact the world for Christ. The following is my graduation charge: It’s my privilege to be the last voice you hear as you leave Grace, to …
Deconstructing a Mess
You know the old story about boiling a frog? About how the best way to boil the frog is not to throw him in the boiling water, but to put him in the water when it’s still cold, and to turn the heat up …
Don’t Forget to Say “Thank You”
When I was little, and someone would do something nice for me or give me something, my mother would remind me, “don’t forget to say ‘thank you.’” Good moms always do. Even though my mom isn’t around …
Practicing Your Serve
I heard a sermon by Tim Keller the other day that has stuck with me. He was talking about personal growth. He said that material growth is easy: if one has a pile of bricks, and one wants to make that …
Loving Newman
One of my favorite shows of all time was Seinfeld. Some of the all-time greatest television characters in history were written into that show: George Costanza, Elaine Benis, Cosmo Kramer, and, of …
Faith 401
In his 16th century poem, untitled but commonly known as The Dark Night of the Soul, Christian mystic John of the Cross wrote about the mortification of his soul, becoming dead to sin, and alive to …
Take Me to Church
In You Lost Me, Barna Group president David Kinnaman reports that as many as 6 out of 10 18-29 year olds leave the church as they reach this crucial age in their lives. Most leave, but still consider …
Attaining Grandparent Greatness
The following is my address at this year’s Grandparents’ Day event. Several parents and grandparents asked if they could have a copy, so I’ll just make it this week’s blog: I may seem like an odd …