Posts with the tag “authentic-christianity”

 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

As I walked into our living room a week ago and saw my college wrestling coach Ben Peterson, the memories flooded back—sweat-drenched practices, hard-fought victories, and his life-changing influence....  Read More

This past week has been tough. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl and about a million of our closest friends squeezed together for a celebratory parade.We enjoyed plenty of cheering and revisiting our favo...  Read More

This past week, Isaiah entered his first wrestling tournament. This is a pretty big deal in our household. I started wrestling about the same time I learned how to crawl and went through college…also…...  Read More

Super Bowl LVIII will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2024. This will be a game between the two best football teams in the world (at least at the time ...  Read More

About five years ago, we took a family trip through Birmingham AL for a wedding.  It’s amazing how much kids can grow in 5 years!I was reminded of some historical sites we visited while we were in Bir...  Read More

Today we are headed back to Kansas City after spending several days with family to begin 2024 in Florida. We loved soaking in some sunshine and warmer weather while relaxing and spending time together...  Read More

A few minutes ago, I was putting some final touches on my sermon for Sunday. I want to end our Advent Series, “Embracing Eternity” from the Psalms well. I also want to provide some practical ways to b...  Read More

Christmas is a time for favorite traditions.If you are like me, you probably have some favorite Christmas songs (Gloria in Excelsis Deo-sung loudly in my best dad voice ...  Read More

This past week, we were able to attend the elementary Christmas program at Isaiah and Ian’s school.To be honest, after five kids, the elementary program is typically one of my least favorite things to...  Read More

Welcome to the first day of December! I had a conversation with someone earlier today, and it struck me how, during this season, time seems to slip away, and suddenly Christmas is upon us.The calendar...  Read More

I love experiencing a group of people who are unified…totally locked in with each other…moving toward a common goal…a big goal…and then experiencing a once-in-a-generation win.Don’t you?Consider “Mira...  Read More