There’s a small zoo in my hometown that boasts a lion as one of the main attractions. But if you pay close attention, there’s something terribly wrong. This lion doesn’t roar. Instead, he lay silent with his face pressed against the dirt of the earth. I imagine the lion initially welcomed the attention as the main attraction. He was well fed and he roared on occasion to keep his admirers entertained. But in time, the chains of captivity robbed him […]
As an eighteen-year-old high school student, I was given the task of completing a senior project. It seemed like an insurmountable goal to culminate thirteen years of education and my personal ideals into a thesis paper, related product, and oral presentation. I titled my project “Faith in Business”, an attempt to highlight the idea that these concepts were not oil and water. Contrary to popular belief, faith and business were not only intertwined, they were mutually beneficial. Those who judged my efforts introduced common criticisms, making it clear that America had […]
Today would have been Grandma Ham’s 90th birthday. For those who didn’t have the privilege of knowing her, she was four feet ten inches of well-permed, God-fearing delight. After she passed away, my mom found my grandmother’s Bibles while cleaning out her home. What surprised us all is what we found inside. To my grandmother, the Bible wasn’t an old dusty book full of do’s and don’ts, it was a weapon—the living Word of God, an active asset in an […]
This political season has become reality television at it’s very best (or worst depending on your perspective). Regardless of which side of the aisle you’re on, it hasn’t been pretty. As a result of recent terrorist attacks, the ongoing LGBT conversation, a violent resurgence of racial tension, and pending economic issues, there’s a heightened state of tension that has created the perfect storm. Our emotions are on overload. But what troubles me the most is the number of professing Christians who […]
I recently read a story about an ambitious dad who decided to trump the Elf on the Shelf tradition by actually dressing up as the elf himself. Apparently, hiding a stuffed elf every night wasn’t challenging enough. His story went viral. Touché elf dad, pictures of you dressed up like a life-sized elf duct-taped to the wall are on every news site in America. Clark Griswold, eat your heart out. But I have a confession. When I see stories like this […]
There has been a lot of upheaval lately in social, political, and religious circles on the topic of refugees. Should we, or should we not allow them to enter the United States? That’s a heavy question. I find myself wrestling with both sides of the equation. Prudence perpetuates one answer, while compassion for humanity perpetuates another. But this morning, in the shadow of another Christmas season, I want to approach the situation from a different perspective. For both sides of the refugee […]
A twenty-something friend reached out to me recently, just to talk. He had abandoned the idea of God in his late teen years after religious culture and hell-fire-and-brimstone left a bitter taste in his mouth. I can’t say I blame him for spitting it out. Now, after ten years of tasting all that life has to offer, he is weary—thirsty for something that life isn’t providing. Sure, he’s successful, and he’s a great guy. But he’s sinking. He’s in the midst of some […]
We get busy in life. Matt reminds us of why we dedicate ourselves to something other than ourselves.
- Robert Wagnon, CEO, Republic State Mortgage
