Tag Archives | Worry

Stress and the Gift of Rest

Sometimes, God hides truth just beyond our view. We get to choose whether we’re going to complain that we can’t see what He’s doing, or we get to go an an adventure to seek it out. That’s because God knows that for deep truth to sink in, we can’t be told, we have to be shown. After five years of writing and seeking, I’m finally beginning to understand the deep truth of rest. Stress is a Thief Our world is […]

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If I’m Honest… | The One Thing Our Lives Desperately Need

Rampant, subtle dishonesty ruled my life for many years. My business was booming although it stressed me out, my social media feed showed the smiles instead of the meltdowns, my marriage appeared pure despite the fact that it wasn’t and my conversations delivered what I thought people wanted to hear instead of what was true. With the best intentions I ever-so-gently positioned my life to seem better than it was. It was a vicious cycle that robbed me of authenticity and […]

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Wooden Owls, A Flock of Seagulls and Refusing to Live in Fear

There isn’t much to like about seagulls. They’re noisy, obnoxious and invasive. But this weekend, as I found myself wrestling with how to navigate the news, resolve my fears and hold on to joy, a flock of seagulls taught me a fantastic lesson. On Sunday, my wife and I took our four children on an adventure to a neighboring beach community. After a cold weather snap and an above-average flu season, we needed some time out of the house. As […]

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Overcoming Anxiety

Anxiety is one of those taboo things that we all experience in some form, but are rarely willing to talk about. The conversation surrounding such an issue is much bigger than I can address within this post. There are many reasons not to share something so personal, but I’m choosing to overlook those reasons because I believe that vulnerability has the power to break things open. What I’m about to share,  I share for two reasons. One, because I know […]

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A Mom of Four and Her Road to Recovery

My wife, Liz, is an amazing mom to our four children. We’ve walked through a challenging season with her health that has proven to be both humbling and empowering. As you read her story, we hope it will be both humbling and empowering for you as well. In the fall of 2011, I gave birth to identical twins boys. Despite being born six-weeks early, each weighed six pounds. I knew that pregnancy had done a number on my body, but […]

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To The Men…

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 […]

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After the Storm

Growing up as a kid in Coastal North Carolina, the threat of hurricanes was a staple—just like tornadoes for those in the midwest, earthquakes for those out west, and snow storms for those in the northeast, every geographic location has its nemesis. This week, Hurricane Hermine swept through the southeast and left a swath of damage in its wake, affecting millions along the coast with flooding and power outages just ahead of the holiday weekend. As the storm passed through, I went to Wrightsville […]

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