Maximizing Relationships
One of the things that I love most about this season is the intentional look at relationships. Relationships matter so much and in so many different ways. Whether we want to admit it or not the world we live in is built on relationships, and our success (or failure) is often determined by our ability to navigate them carefully.
Three Things the 4th of July Teaches Us About Relationships
So many of us get caught in the rut of life that the opportunity for fun is missed or, even worse, intentionally forgotten. Relationships need fun, awe, and unity in order to survive.
How Much Does Your Relationship Cost?
We’ve been in vacation-planning mode for the past several weeks, carefully planning out everything we want to do and see, and deciding what adventures we want to have. I love planning everything out, looking at options, and deciding what is going to work best for our situation. I have huge dreams for everything we can do, then – right before I book it -- I need to do one more thing: Look at the price. That’s when the decision gets tough.
It’s Not Your Job to Keep Your Wife (or Husband) Happy
One of the things I often wrestle with is my desire to fix and control things. I am someone who values being in the driver’s seat. Often times I like to push the limits of what I think I can do, or the situation that I am in. In a lot of situations that works out well: when I’m casting vision for the church, when I’m leading in the Army Reserve, or even when I am coaching my son’s baseball team....
Practice Makes Perfect, but Only if Practice Is Perfect
In high school, one of our sports teams put that on the back of their warm-up shirts. I can still remember what it looked like and how often I debated in my head what that statement really meant. I would often wrestle with the thought of what a perfect practice would be, and how would someone know if it really was perfect....
He Isn’t the Same Superman Without Lois Lane
I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be on the same team -- about how in my marriage one of the most important things I can do is to partner with my wife and make sure that we are both in this together. In the Bible, they talk about meeting together and spurring one another on towards good deeds.
If It Doesn’t Change You, Then You Aren’t Doing It Right
This past Sunday all the campuses of Ginghamsburg Church came together for an all-campus worship event on the lawn. The evening before, a contingent of Christ-followers gathered at the Point to make a statement against the deadly drug heroin. It was an incredible weekend of community and worship.
How To Put Disney Magic In Your Marriage
I’ve been on vacation with the family for the past week, and the Disney Magic amazes me. Since we arrived on the property, Disney has gone out of its way to make us feel special. From the “First-time Visitor” buttons to the cast members calling my kids “princes” or “princesses,” Disney cares about our experience....
What the 4th of July Can Teach You About Marriage
This year America is celebrating 238 years of existence. It looks good on America, but there are some tough lessons that we have learned along the way. Some of my favorite lessons are ones that are applicable to marriages, and it would do all of us some good to remember the past as we look forward.....
Don't Freeze to Death
An older man was standing in the middle of a log home. With a bundle of firewood in his hands he glared at the stove and said, “If you give me heat, I’ll give you wood.” The old man froze to death....