There is a real desire in every human being to be approved. Everyone wants to believe they matter. And even though we say we don’t care what people think, we constantly give them the authority to validate who we are. As a result, we orchestrate our lives to please others—our boss, our spouse, our kids, our parents, our friends, even the guy we bump into at the coffee shop. The problem is, we lose sight of who we really are because we live the life that […]
I have a dear friend who has been given an incredible gift: her eyes find beauty in the mundane. Her passion is to uncover meaning in the everyday moments as she captures life through her lens. In my humble opinion, she is a modern-day Rembrandt of photography. Sometimes she captures an image so extraordinary that it demands your attention—a picture worth a thousand words. In this case, I felt compelled to share those words with you. At this moment in the history of […]
Over the past few months, I have given an excessive amount of energy toward calming my fears about the state of our nation. I began to look to politics and the upcoming Presidential race as my source of hope. Maybe if the “right” person was elected, it will solve the problem. The weight of this misplaced hope became an anchor in my life—like I was swimming with something tied around my neck, carrying around a burden that I couldn’t pinpoint. I’d find myself waking up each morning, […]
This is a call for American Christians to turn their gaze from the things of this world to the things of God. We, as a collective body, have to return to our Father. I will begin with an honest question: What if we spent as much energy drawing near to God as we spend on politics and social issues? Rest with those words for just a minute. What if every ounce of energy you spent watching the news, scrolling your Facebook […]
Two hundred and forty years ago ink collided with paper to create one of the most important documents in the history of our world. On July 4, 1776, fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, a proclamation of freedom from British oppression and an announcement of birth for the United States of America. When these men came together to establish our great country, they included a short, simple phrase which is the foundation for their entire argument. It is one of the best-known sentences in the English […]
Four years ago, I wasn’t a very good dad. I never was a baby person, but taking care of three humans made me feel incapable. I guess that’s God’s grace on display. Sometimes He gives us the very things that incapacitate us so we’ll finally let go and trust Him. The truth is, He was molding me for something far bigger than I could see. And this is what it was going to take to break the strongholds that would finally set me […]
Bedtime at our house is a challenge. Putting four kids to bed is not for the faint of heart. Too often, my wife and I exchange short words without paying attention to how it affects an already chaotic situation. Our negative words breed negativity and our emotions pile up until they bubble over. As a sort-of social experiment, I’ve begun paying attention to the amount of criticism in my life. Whether it’s comments on Facebook or Twitter, the terrible tragedies […]
We get busy in life. Matt reminds us of why we dedicate ourselves to something other than ourselves.
- Robert Wagnon, CEO, Republic State Mortgage
