When my wife and I prayed for a family, we didn’t understand why God made us wait nearly three years for our prayers to be answered. All of the heartache and pain didn’t seem necessary. Why would a good, loving God drag us through a desert-like season that almost cost us our marriage? The wisdom of hindsight has revealed that God was simply preparing us for three boys. While infertility and marital struggles were challenging, nothing has been more challenging than parenting these […]
∞ “Just as God gives comfort to the faithful in their affliction, He will surely afflict the comfort of those unwilling to step beyond it—which probably makes Him an irresistible hero for the called, and the unspoken villain for those who’d rather keep cheering them on from a distance.” —Kevin Adams, The Extravagant Fool ∞ Far away, along the road to purpose, is a town called Comfortable. Hidden perfectly within the mountains, it sits just beyond the river and past the […]
In the summer of 2014, less than one week after completing a Half Ironman, I was diagnosed with stage three, spreading malignant melanoma. I’m not sure I’ll ever be comfortable writing those words, but I am eternally grateful for the prognosis. By God’s grace, I am now cancer free. After my surgery, I took eight months off from exercising. Four of those months were necessary. The other four were a by-product of my own excuses. Finally, after months of internal wrestling, I started running […]
Answering the question of anger could be the single, most important step in the direction of our dreams that we could ever take. Why? Anger is a roadblock. Not the kind that appears as a wall to breakthrough or pass over, but the deceitful type. It stays hidden, crouching; waiting to attack. Anger is the kryptonite to our soul. As Mike Ashcraft so eloquently put it, “Anger keeps our excuses relevant.” Here’s the problem with anger: It disguises itself differently in […]
At twenty-two years old, I moved to Florida to work for one of the largest private real estate developers. This company had it all: luxurious events, world-class amenities, and a company culture with the motto, “Work hard, play harder.” As a way to build employee morale, they hosted a spinoff of American Idol, encouraging employees to take a shot at becoming the next big thing. They set up an elaborate stage and flew in Tom Arnold to host the party. And […]
Earlier this week, I saw an online guru share the number of website views they have each month as a way to introduce themselves. It was an attempt to validate the scope of their leadership. My initial reaction was, “Holy cow, that’s a lot of influence.” Feelings of insufficiency immediately followed. One million views a month seemed incredible. I quickly discredited my own opportunity for influence, but then I remembered when I first began blogging and 10,000 views seemed unachievable. Whether it is website views or […]
There is a plague that faces our culture today. A plague of Fatherlessness. It has myriad causes, but at its root is men not being the men they were created to be. Whether from a lack of knowledge or a lack of desire, the cure for Fatherlessness has to start with selflessness. Somewhere beneath selflessness is love. The recognition that it’s not about us. As much as we fall into the trap of believing otherwise, it’s not. Many of you […]
We get busy in life. Matt reminds us of why we dedicate ourselves to something other than ourselves.
- Robert Wagnon, CEO, Republic State Mortgage
