At the end of July, I communicated to our church staff and membership that it was “all hands on deck” for August. It promised to be a hurricane of activity, and we needed everyone in place to serve. There are three college campuses and one medical school within 15 miles of us. The student population [...]

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell This is the third book of Malcolm Gladwell, and it’s three in a row for books of his that I’ve truly enjoyed. He has a unique way of unveiling the assumed and revealing the patterns and reasons we don’t realize are present. In Outliers, Gladwell examines success stories. One of the [...]

This is a followup to my post Unopinionated. In it, I wrestled with the danger and necessity of voicing your opinion about public issues as a leader. I wasn’t referring to issues which are morally or biblically right or wrong but rather those issues that require vision, direction and wise counsel. One of the precipitating [...]

My family winged their way to parts west ten days ago. It’s part of their annual pilgrimage to New Mexico and west Texas. Some years I go; some years I don’t. It usually hinges on the activity level of August. This August has shaped up to be phenomenally phrenetic. The week before they left, we [...]

I hope I’ve made a case for asking significant questions and considering eternal issues as you consider “leaving your church.” If you are just stopping in, scroll down to the bottom and read the first entries in this series so you’ll be in the thought-flow for this entry. Simply put, there are times that you [...]

This is the tame version of the original quote: “Opinions are like buttholes; everyone’s got one.” Including pastors. Yes, we have buttholes. And yes, we have opinions. (I can sense my mom cringing from here.) Let’s clarify that I don’t mean opinions about scripture and theology in this column, although it would be just as [...]

It’s not too often that I review a product, and this will be short and sweet, but after plunking down a wad of dough for our iPad, I promptly began puttering around for some iPad protection. One thing you’ll discover quickly is that most of the cases that Best Buy and retail stores sell are, [...]

On July 15, 2009, we pulled out of our driveway at 320 W. Jefferson in Monticello, Arkansas for the last time as its owners. The last two months before our move to Virginia last year were a whirlwind of goodbyes, a mission trip to Poland, floating the Buffalo River, lunches with long-time friends, and garage [...]

It’s been about three weeks since we got our iPad, and I thought I’d share what we’re continuing to learn from it and our use of it. It really is in the process of revolutionizing how/when/where I digest information and media. It’s all about the apps. Even more so than the iPhone. Yes, one can [...]

Many moons ago, my in-laws gave me a tent for Christmas. Those many moons almost surpass the birth of Adelyn. When we decided last week to “go camping,” it was not with the confident declaration of a family that “camps.” Rather, it was the over zealous determination to have a family outing after a softball [...]

Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters by Joshua Harris I picked up Josh Harris’ latest with the eager expectation that I might be using it in personal discipleship with other guys. Harris is the pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD. This book was billed as a one that, [...]

This is the third part in a continuing series on the Youth of Western Europe, with a focus on France. See below for links to the first two parts of this series. The political animosity of France seems not only to be directed at the U.S., but also at the Christianity it sees portrayed by [...]

In this continuing series, we’ve been looking at the issue of leaving your church. With the advent of the popular, mall-like “megachurch” of the 1980s, the American culture has seen the continuing growth and rise of large, trendy churches seeking after relevance across the country. It’s now somewhat hip to be a church planter, and [...]

If you haven’t been following the drama, tension and amazing craziness that has resulted from the collapse of the Blacksburg High School gym earlier this year, it’s a good time to jump in. It’s about to take some strange plot turns. Since February, the students and staff of Blacksburg High School have faced and defeated [...]

This is the second part of a series that is focusing on the youth of western Europe. The series is subtitled Ignorant Heirs of a Reformation and focuses on the youth of France. HISTORICAL Known for its rich history and culture, France has long been a leader and influencer of world affairs. For the purpose [...]