For the past few years, I have taken time to study and reflect on the story of Christmas. Although the characters stay the same, the experience is always unique and stretches my faith. Last year, I was overwhelmed by the lineage of Jesus and what it teaches us about God’s desire to use our imperfections. This year, I find myself focused on a few ancillary characters that I’ve never considered—King Herod the Great and The Magi. King Herod the Great […]
I climbed the stairs to the raspberry-colored, oceanfront home, ready to begin a 2-day sabbatical. It was an odd feeling to be alone in such a beautiful place with only my thoughts and the vastness of the ocean to keep me company. But this is something I desperately needed. In 37 years, I’ve never been truly alone. I guess that’s why it terrifies me so much. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been an extrovert. But the problem […]
Our home backs up to College Acres Baptist Church, a largish church with quite a bit of paved parking that drains to a retention pond just behind our home. Although the frontside of Hurricane Florence only produced five inches of rain, the retention pond was full and it appeared that their drainage system was not removing any of the standing water. As the water began to backup, it flooded an undeveloped lot beside our home and subsequently poured into our […]
Over the past few weeks, I have found myself navigating a tension. Since leaving my career to step into full-time ministry with our organization, YouPrint, my schedule has been busy. Between meetings, our radio show expansion and corporate engagements, my time has been filled. But beneath the full schedule is a lurking emptiness. This weekend, as I was spending some time alone at the beach preparing for my sermon, I felt God say, “Don’t become so busy with this stuff […]
When my wife and I were navigating infertility and the aftermath of bad decisions, it was hard. Actually, hard isn’t an applicable word. It felt impossible. In that moment, we were no longer concerned with having a family, we were concerned with saving our marriage. The immediate feeling was hopelessness. It was an empty feeling with one logical outcome—giving up. But for reasons beyond logical explanation, we felt God’s presence more powerfully that we had ever felt it before. And […]
To the man who’s feeling the pressure of raising kids even though he doesn’t feel adequate, I hear you. To the man who’s buried under the suffocating weight of debt, I hear you. To the man who’s mistaken himself as the provider, I hear you. To the man who’s trying his hardest to succeed at work because it validates his desire to be known, I hear you. To the man who’s afraid of his greatness because he’s comfortable with good, […]
Since I’ve made the decision to resign after ten years in insurance business, I’ve had to face a lot of questions. And that’s understandable. I don’t mind questions. If you’re crazy enough to chase your dreams, you have to learn to become comfortable with them. In the world of questions, the two most notable inquiries begin with “Why”. Knowing the answer to this is incredibly important. If you’re going to pursue an uncommon life, you’ll have to answer it. The […]
We get busy in life. Matt reminds us of why we dedicate ourselves to something other than ourselves.
- Robert Wagnon, CEO, Republic State Mortgage
