Posts with the tag “authentic-christianity”

Yesterday, a few of us pastors…Jeff, Anthony, Jordan, and I, along with the incredible Derek, had a “super fun” outing: moving our desks into the new offices ?. Sounds simple, right?Of course not.Thes...  Read More

This week, Ian (our youngest son) and I took a quick road trip to Omaha, Nebraska, for some good old-fashioned father-son bonding. We had a blast!We went to talk about what it means to grow into a man...  Read More

This past Saturday, my brother Todd, our middle son Isaiah, and I hit the Swope Park mountain bike trails, eager to conquer a new path. Everything was going great until I hit a steep climb and SNAP!My...  Read More

On Monday, our family did something that challenged each of us. No, we didn’t run sprints in 100-degree heat or try to get by a 300-pound lineman. We did something even more daring in this digital age...  Read More

We just got back from a few refreshing days up north at Lake Amelia in Minnesota with the whole crew, and let me tell you, it was rejuvenating.We fished, skied, tubed, and ate like we were preparing f...  Read More

We just returned from a great week of family vacation at Table Rock Lake near Branson. It was one of those trips where the days felt full, in the best kind of way. We spent our days boating, swimming,...  Read More

For the past few weeks, Leigh-Ann and I, the kids, and many others have been on a secret mission to help set the stage for our oldest daughter Alexa’s engagement. The plan was simple but layered with ...  Read More

Our dog Gratzi is, without a doubt, my favorite family pet so far. She’s well-behaved, loyal, and, best of all, she loves just being with us. Most mornings, the moment she hears the front door open, s...  Read More

When I first met Leigh-Ann, I knew she had a heart for children. What I didn’t realize was that she had been dreaming of running an orphanage since she was a little girl. (I thought she meant, like, i...  Read More

This past week, our youngest son, Ian, participated in his Taekwondo testing. If you've spent more than five minutes around him lately, you’ve likely seen a flying kick whiz past your face or heard th...  Read More

There’s something powerful about a meal shared around the table.Now, I’ll be honest…Leigh-Ann always makes incredible food. Whether it’s a normal weekday dinner or a holiday spread, she somehow nails ...  Read More

 If you’ve ever tried to build something…whether a bookshelf, a budget, or a backyard shed that didn’t quite turn out level, you know that building takes time, effort, and a clear plan.The same is tru...  Read More

This afternoon, I had the privilege of attending a graduation…not for high school, college, or even a seminary. No, this was a graduation for Fatherhood Foundations. A ministry designed to help men un...  Read More

If there’s one thing Pastor Jeff is passionate about (besides Jesus and a good cup of coffee, and the Royals, and books?)…it’s community.He’s the kind of guy who never drinks coffee alone, partly beca...  Read More

Monday’s warm weather meant one thing…driveway basketball. Our 2v2 games can get intense. Two hours straight, no breaks, just pure grit (and occasional wheezing). By the end, I was sore…but the good k...  Read More

Today is Valentine’s Day, which means I get to celebrate Leigh-Ann who has been my Valentine for the past 28 years.From the moment I first saw her, I was blown away by her beauty. And as we got to kno...  Read More

So, tomorrow’s the big day—Chiefs vs. Texans in the playoffs!Let’s GOOOOOOO!!!I don’t know about you, but I feel good about our chances. Yes, we have some incredible players—Patrick Mahomes, Travis Ke...  Read More

This week marks a BIG moment for our New Life family: the fourth phase of our building remodel is officially underway. As I walked through our now-demoed auditorium and kitchen, I couldn’t help but fe...  Read More

On Monday, we decided to go on an adventure. Around 4 PM, on a whim, I decided to see if we could test drive the Tesla Cybertruck. Within minutes, I had locked in a 4:30 PM appointment, and soon our t...  Read More

Yesterday, we took the kids skiing for the first time. If you’ve ever introduced beginners to the slopes, you know it’s equal parts adventure and chaos…and plenty of stories to tell about Black Diamon...  Read More

There’s nothing quite like piling the family into the car for our annual Christmas lights expedition. It’s a favorite tradition in our house…part adventure, part chaos. We cram in (someone always ends...  Read More

Setting up for Christmas isn’t my favorite thing.At all.It means climbing into the attic and through the garage to retrieve trees, wreaths, lights, greens, linens, bins and bins of stuff, candles, orn...  Read More

A few days ago, I had one of those simple-yet-profound moments. Sitting on the couch with my Bible and a bowl of my favorite cereal, Raisin Bran Crunch, I was ready to start the day. But after nearly ...  Read More

Last Saturday, I took my two oldest boys and a friend to Worlds of Fun, thanks to some free tickets Dallas scored. The park was packed—longer lines than I’ve ever seen—but that turned out to be a bles...  Read More

I will never forget my first flight with my daughter as the pilot. She flew in to meet me on her own, and then we took off together for an incredible experience in the sky. I have to say, I was blown ...  Read More

This past week, I was sitting in my office, deep in thought and preparing for my sermon, when I suddenly heard the familiar sound of buzzing. You know the sound—it’s like a tiny alarm clock going off,...  Read More

Last weekend, Leigh-Ann, the boys, and I drove out into the country to get haircuts and watch Sophia play soccer. We definitely enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine and decided to make a pit stop at a l...  Read More

How well do you like to admit you were wrong?  Yeah, me neither…what is it that makes this so difficult?This afternoon I was working on some illustrations for Sunday and decided to enlist some help, s...  Read More

This past Tuesday, I went for a run—well, more of a duty to ease my guilt so I could justify eating ice cream later that night. I figured, “Run now, relax, and refuel later,” right?What could go wrong...  Read More

Earlier this week, I was all set to start a fire on the porch to chase away the chill. But when I looked at the fire thing-a-ma-jig, I discovered what I thought was a large stick. Turns out, it wasn’t...  Read More

A few days ago, our middle son, Isaiah, got the chance to be a ball boy at the Sporting KC match. We were all pumped about it, ready for an evening of soccer thrills. But, as it turns out, soccer game...  Read More

This past Sunday was a day of both heart and hustle as we took our oldest daughter to medical school in Orlando. The alarm went off and within a short time, we were walking out the door at 5 am, to st...  Read More

Last night, when most of the world was asleep, Leigh-Ann had an unexpected encounter that left her heart pounding. She walked into our bathroom and was met with a sight that would send shivers down an...  Read More

Vacations are typically synonymous with relaxation, lounging by the pool, and indulging in good food. However, this year, we decided to spice things up by signing up for the "Run for Freedom" 5K at Bi...  Read More

This past week, our family managed to escape for a much-needed vacation. We swam, floated, read, and competed in all sorts of fun activities. But one of my favorite moments happened last night, and it...  Read More

If you’ve ever spent a morning, afternoon, or even a whole day waiting at the DMV, you know the frustration of feeling like just another number. Today, I needed to get one of the girl’s cars registere...  Read More

Nearly thirty years ago, I was a Freshman in college and spent Spring Break traveling with several other students from Maranatha Baptist University. We started in Wisconsin and went out to the East Co...  Read More

What does the ideal personality look like to you? Is there a single word that comes to mind?Now, before we dive in, let’s set the record straight: I don’t believe there’s an ideal one-size-fits-all pe...  Read More

One of my favorite times every Spring is the day we spread new mulch in our yard. Since I love getting a good deal, I typically wait until I can buy it for $2 per bag. And this season didn’t disappoin...  Read More

Easter Sunday breathes new life into us for many reasons. Personally, it started with seeing our New Life CityChurch family and worshipping together. This was truly a blessed time for worship and buil...  Read More