Snapshots and Synapses

I love the Christmas season! For me, it’s always been a time of peace and goodwill, a time for family gatherings and reconnections, a time of giving and joy. It colors every aspect of my life and fills me with an intense appreciation of all that I’ve been given: the relationships, assets, and circumstances. It also fills me with a longing for Eternity, a knowledge that this is not my home and that the treasures of my Christmas are a but a dim reflection of what is currently unseen and the glory that will be revealed.  There are so many Christmas stories I enjoy: movies, books, and memories. Yet so many of these are a sleight of hand distraction from what Christmas truly is. Some people would rightly point out that many of our Christmas traditions come from pagan practices, and a person could wonder why Christians would have overlaid Saturnalia with a Christian holy day. But consider this: God always has something better for us than what we would choose for ourselves. The joy, peace...

My timing and God’s timing have never quite been in sync: I was ready to graduate from college while still in high school; ready to get married before I had even met my wife or matured enough emotionally and spiritually to stay married; not ready to take ownership of my vocation, finding it easier to blame others; and not ready to write today’s blog. The truth is, I can be both overly eager, not taking the time God gives me to prepare, and slow to move out of my comfort zone. Fortunately, God’s timing is always perfect.  We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan. ~ Romans 8:28 The truth of that Bible verse has been increasingly penetrating my heart since I first put my trust in Jesus, learning to trust Him more and more. It tells me that I don’t need to have it all figured out. I have my part, and God has His. I’m called to take ownership of my actions, to be responsible in doing what I know to be right a...

Years ago, I wrote a Christmas short story that's now available on Amazon. The Kindle ebook will be available for free from 20-DEC to 24-DEC. Although a work of fiction, I believe the story truly explains the real meaning of Christmas. It starts off pretty traditional before taking a quick pivot.  If interested, follow the link to Amazon. The story is called " The Shepherd's Letter ".  I hope you enjoy... Merry Christmas!

Truth and Lies I’m of the belief that God is in control, that He doesn’t make mistakes, and therefore our gender, height, and hair color are part of His perfect design. You should also know you were born for such a time as this. The timing of your birth and the family you were born into were intentional, which isn’t to say that how others treated you was part of God’s plan. The important thing to realize is that you are no accident. Your gender is no accident.  I’m writing this to those were born male and to dispel some lies about being a man. One lie is that masculinity is toxic or that one gender is better than another. There are some traits that are inherently masculine and some that are feminine. There are also traits that apply to both genders: intelligence, creativity, resilience, etc. As people we made in God’s Image (See Genesis 1:27) and we were made to be loved and to love others.  Yet chances are, you’ve been lied to about the facts of life and what it means to be a...

You are unique There is no one else exactly like you in all the universe and in any time period. Even if there were an exact biological duplicate, they would not have your life experiences or made all the decisions that led you to where you are today. They would not have overcome all the hardships you have overcome in exactly the same way. They could not have persevered in the same way that you have. In fact, no one but you can be you. No one else can choose to grow from this point in your life, and no one else can make the choices that you will moving forward from this moment. So be the best you that you can be, the best version of you.  There are circumstances in life beyond our power to change. Our past remains our past. Some aspects of our lives are controlled by other people, but no one can take our integrity, making us choose the wrong thing or the wrong path. They can take our lives or our ability to choose. They can even deceive us to pick the worst path, but no one can mak...

  I've heard this question many times in different ways:  "[Your] God made this happen!" "How can there be a God when He allowed this to happen?" "If God is in 'control', why would He allow this?" "Why would I believe in a 'god' that allows this?" Before answering these questions, it’s important to know what is meant by the term “God”. Throughout history, mankind has worshipped many 'gods'. The nature and power of these gods vary. Some are good, some are bad, but they share one common trait: they are simply beings superior to man. There’s even a subtle form of ‘self’ worship where we view ourselves as somehow greater, kinder, and overall better than if we pause to consider an honest reflection of who we really are. We see this in secular humanism which has a utopian vision of man as a being who is basically good with the power to achieve anything he sets his mind to do. But to be God, and by this I mean the One-True-G...