News & Updates

I’ve never really been good at small talk. Honestly, it always seems to be in the way of much more valuable conversation. But of course, you can’t just rush into a deep conversation with someone. That’s weird. So, I usually find myself in one of two extremes – either saying too much too soon, or saying nothing at all. Awkward, right? Somehow, I think our communication patterns with each other bleed into our relationship with God. Perhaps, the Lord longs…

Words are critical. Words speak. Rachel Wolchin wrote these penetrating words: “Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime.” I was a part of a generation who coined the ground-breaking phrase, “Word Up!” When something outstanding was said, and we wholeheartedly agreed, we’d swag our intonation and blurt, “Word up.” Eventually, a much cooler, hip hop crowd distanced themselves from nerdier types…

The Waffle House was buzzing. The grill was sizzling. The coffee was brewing. Cars were coming and going. Waitresses were turning tables as fast as people could eat. It was the haze and daze of a busy dawn of Friday. Waffle House seemed to mirror and mimic the pace of our non-stop culture. Two good friends were meeting me for breakfast. We each confessed the many things going on in our lives as we choked down scrambled eggs and mediocre…

Sometimes it feels like my life is made up of a bunch of spinning wheels. The more hurried I am, the more the wheels seem to spin. Blood, Sweat, and Tears once sang about spinning wheels. “What goes up must come down. Spinnin’ wheel got to go ’round. Talkin’ ’bout your troubles, it’s a cryin’ sin. Ride a painted pony, let the spinnin’ wheel spin.” Does your life ever feel like an exhausted ride on a merry-go-round where the spinnin’…

Remember Sunday night church? Once the Sunday night sermon kicked in, it was time for me to check out. I would weirdly do a butt-scoot slide down the pew away from my father’s firm grip. And once I slid down the pew a bit, I could lie down. If I couldn’t catch some Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday night TV, I was going to catch a snooze. At this point, I could also call the old Sunday night option…

How do you do with the subtleties of life? Can you take a hint? Do you infer accurately the undertones of conversation? I personally am not really good at taking a hint. The more direct the information, the better capacity I have to understand. My wife can attest to this. If it weren’t for her persistence we would not be together today. My own insecurities tend to interpret information in a very negative light. I thought, “There is no way…

Alex Thompson, our Counseling Director, just popped into my office. She’s back from adoption leave. She and her husband, Ben, have a new baby, James. I saw several pictures and two videos of the very blessed little James. Amazingly, the cozy-cuddly James resembles his parents. In fact, the adoption agency remarked how much James looks like Alex and Ben. In adoption after adoption, I’ve seen these same God-ordained resemblances. They are definitive God-things. It’s so very cool. What about your…