Christa Sterken is my first interview in the A Day in the Life of... series. And honestly, she is one of my favorite people in the world. She is like the sister I never had, and I am sure we would argue over who was the little sibling between the two of us. (I'm the big brother). Christa also has …
Porn: Something Christians Don’t Do
This post is something a bit different than what you would normally see on my site. It is a guest post on a vital topic, but this guest post is by an anonymous Christian. They have chosen to share a bit of their story in a very transparent way, with the hope of encouraging or challenging each of …
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When I Bear-Hugged a Hero in Burger King
One January day in downtown Phoenix, a man in his mid-twenties limped up to me and asked if I could buy him some lunch. After saying yes, I walked with him to Burger King, listening to his story: He was in the Army, deployed to Afghanistan. After being there for six weeks, his leg got blown off …
Balance is Hard When You Have More Priorities Than Appendages
I remember the days when I only had one project to work on at a time. I zeroed in one thing and stayed focused until it was done. Whether a book draft, an analysis for my job, or a blog post, I could stay in my sweet spot until it was done. I was overreacting to the myth of multitasking. Did you …
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We Are Not Okay Even When We Say We Are Great
“How are you doing?” “I’m good, great actually. How about you?” “No complaints!” This is the most repeated lie in the world today. The truth is much more complex. Maybe one person in this conversation is struggling with depression and wondering if it will cost them a job. Perhaps the other …
Broken Hallelujahs
Confession time: I don’t like most Christian music. I find it trite and disconnected from the challenges of daily life, as if we are not allowed to acknowledge struggles in our songs. I believe it is a symptom of the biggest lie we tell as Christians –we are all okay, all the time. Every once in …
Depression and Heavy Water Create a Warrior
The cursor won’t stop blinking. Even when I don’t look at it, I know it’s there. Mocking me for the empty page in front of me. I know every page starts empty, but I feel the mockery nonetheless. The lack of words proves the whispers in my ear – You have NOTHING to offer. This is what it feels …
Jamie Coots, Doctors Are Not God’s Enemies
Jamie Coots, a famous snake-handling preacher in Kentucky, died this past week due to a snakebite. Something about this story unsettles me. This is not because I have a history with snake handling pastors, and I don’t have any long-standing issues with reptiles either. Actually, it’s not even his …
When #WINNING is not winning
Ever have one of those moments where you realize you are not quite as awesome a parent as you imagined? I had one of those moments two nights ago. My daughter Cynthia was out of pajama tops, so she asked to wear one of my t-shirts. I said yes, and she grabbed a shirt with the above image on …
The Board of Education & Abuse
My father’s school breaks were always terrifying for me and my mom. He drank all day for weeks on end and abused us whenever he wasn’t passed out somewhere. We cowered in fear, hoping not to upset him. It never worked. He yelled for me that morning, like he always did. Probably needed me to grab …
When Life is the Roadrunner and You are Wile E. Coyote
Some days, life feels like the Roadrunner, smarter and faster than us. Quietly mocking our inability to catch up to it and feast upon it, no matter how many Acme products we use. It feels like we are hanging over the edge of a cliff, tenuously clinging to the branch of a tree that is slipping …
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That Focker was Right
I literally couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The tenor of the entire meeting turned gross with no warning. Mockery and derision about concepts and people I admire. I felt literally sick to my stomach, but I said nothing. I was the newest member of the organization, and this was the first …