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Unfathanonable "Haves"

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Right now, it is hitting me how quickly our boys are growing and changing. I was flipping through pictures in my phone and came across a trip to Branson a couple of summers ago. We had a blast. Then the memories and Thanksgiving just around the corner sort of collided. I remember how easily an ungrateful heart would develop on the trip. We’d be in line for a roller coaster, but instead of walking right onto it, we’d have to wait 10 minutes. *Grumble* We’d get a snack, but instead of pizza, we got popcorn. *Grumble* We had to leave, but we only could ride each roller coaster 5 times. *Grumble* As a parent, I grew frustrated by this rollercoaster of emotions. But that night, I recognized, we as God’s children can focus on the “have nots” instead of the unfathomable amount of “haves.” If you’re struggling to be grateful this Thanksgiving, let me offer you some encouragement. I believe every Christian can be grateful because of the four gifts we have received. Life. “The years of our life
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What is Apologetics?

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Apologetics is a known word, but few people know what it is. Is it an apology? Is it the best methods for apologies? What is apologetics? Simply put: apologetics is a defense. It's a defense of something. It's a legal term and we  get the term from 1 Peter 3:15, which says, "B ut sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always  being  ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the  hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Peter says always be ready to make a defense…the Greek is apologia . An apologetic for the hope that is in you. We as Christians need to be ready to give a defense…a reason for our faith. I am a trained apologist. But I believe we are all called to be apologists. But we’re not the only apologists. Most world religions have apologists. They are to give reasons for their truth claims. But no other religious worldview requires it. Why does Christianity require a defense?  Because it’s defendable.
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The Holocaust Should Be Applauded...IF...

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This week marks the 75 th anniversary of the liberation of the Jews from the concentration camp of Auschwitz. One of the motto's you heard from liberated prisoners was the expression, “Never forget.” Unfortunately, some are taught the holocaust never happened. Some, if not many, are not even taught of its tragic history. (Stutthof Gas Chamber) Just what happened at Auschwitz? Lucia Suarez Sang says it concisely: “ Auschwitz-Birkenau was the most notorious in a system of death and concentration camps operated by Nazi Germany across occupied Europe. It is estimated that some 1.3 million people were deported to the camp between 1940 and 1945.Of these, at least 1.1 million are believed to have been murdered by the gas chambers and crematoria before the Soviet Army liberated the camp 75 years ago.” [1] My wife and I visited Stutthof Concentration Camp in Sztutowo , Poland. 63,000 total people were murdered there, including 28,000 Jews. A sobering testament to the wickedness
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5 Reminders from Untimely Death

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“Crazy if it’s true.” That’s what I saw on my phone after my son’s basketball game. “What’s crazy if true?” I thought. I knew I had missed something. There were over 10 missed texts. So, what was “true?” The apparent death of Kobe Bryant. It would seem like Sunday would be day that many people won’t forget. Whenever a young, well respected, and famous person dies, the world reacts. And they should Death is a painful shock to our souls. But why do we react with such fervency? Because it's a reminder. In fact, I believe there are 5 reminders that come from untimely death. Death is inevitable. It doesn’t matter who are you, what you do, where you live, or when you live, we will all die. We may get face lifts to look younger. We can workout to tighten up bodies. We can eat vegan or as much meat as the world offers, we are all going to die. Period. We are powerless over death. This is what James reminds us of in James 1:9-11: “ Let the lowly brother boast in his exal
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What is Christianity?

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If someone came up to you and asked, “What is Christianity?”, what would you say? I would bet that you would get 100 different answers from 100 different people.  So, can Christianity be properly defined? Yes. Christianity simply put is a religious worldview based on Jesus Christ as presented in and throughout the Christian Bible. Where do we get the term Christian from? It comes from the word Christ. No, Christ isn’t Jesus’ last name. Christ means, “messiah, anointed one.” Simply put: a savior. So, is Christianity a religion? Well, yes and no. Yes, because it answers four key questions about reality: origin, destiny, meaning, and morality. By answering these questions, Christians build a worldview. Christianity’s worldview is built from the Bible. But Christianity really isn’t a religion because religion is a list of dos and don’ts. Religion tells people how they can gain salvation, how they can gain access to God or many gods. Religion is all about what you do
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15 Cheats to Win Each Day

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Goals. Resolutions. New Days. We’ve all got these initiatives and goals in our lives. But there’s a problem. In order to achieve anything, you must overcome your greatest enemy: yourself. More specifically, your aversion to being productive. We all start off well-intentioned, but quickly we’re distracted. We’re behind. We’re overwhelmed. You want to be more productive? Want to win each day? Try these 15 cheats. Start the night before. Too many people start their days off exhausted because they didn’t sleep. Therefore, prepare well for the day to come. Set a limit. You won’t get enough sleep binge watching Netflix or playing games on your smart phone. So set a limit to your consumption before bedtime. Make a plan. How can you win the day if you don’t know what winning looks like? Create an achievable to-do list. Without one, you’re going blind. Read. It’s amazing how quickly your eyes get tired when reading a book. You may as well learn something while tricking your ey
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5 Key Ingredients to Winning in 2020

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I swear this is the year I will....you can fill in the blank. Over the past few days, I've heard enough resolutions to fill up my coaching calendar for a year. I've even heard my kids talk about resolutions. Sure, it's encouraging to hear people recognize something isn't as it should be. For example, I need to lose weight. I should be happier. I should read more books. I should watch less television. But we all know the vast majority of these resolutions won't be met. They won't even be pursued for more than 2 weeks. That's why I want to help. I want to offer you the five key ingredients for winning in 2020. Why should you take my advice seriously? Maybe you shouldn't, but if you've heard my story before, you know I've turned around a marriage, lost nearly 100 lbs and kept it off for 20 years, and completed 3 degrees and more. Not convinced? Read on anyway.  So, what are the key ingredients for winning in 2020? Let's go. Know wher
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