As a kid, my name and the word “shy” was inseparable. Classmates, friends, family — everyone classified me that way. In all truthfulness, I guess I was. I always got nervous speaking in class, I rarely initiated new friendships, and I never went out of my way to talk to someone I didn’t know. I was never proud of being called shy, and I...
Over the past several weeks I’ve spent some time reading through the story of Christ’s birth. It’s a story that transcends both time and history and is one that I look forward to teaching my son every Christmas season as he grows older. He may only be a little over a year old, but my wife and I already have him playing with a plastic manger...
I don’t mean to start this post with a complaint, but if there is one thing I hate in life, it’s being sick. It’s not just the physical aspects either. I hate getting off schedule, getting out of rhythm, feeling stagnant, feeling bored, and after staying home for several days – feeling like a hermit. Last week I felt all of...
As I write this, CNN is playing on my TV in the background and political pundits are offering their projections and estimations for the 2016 election. I’m not sure who the winner will be but I don’t have to be sure about the winner in order to be sure that there will be millions of disappointed people as the winner is announced. That’s the...
Growing up, my dad had a strict “no quitting” rule. It didn’t matter how bad of an experience I was having with a sport, a team, or a hobby – quitting was not an option. If I signed up for it, I was expected to follow through with it. It was okay to fail. It was okay to mess up. It was okay to make mistakes. But it was...
A couple of years ago, my wife and I were in New York City for our anniversary. I had spent months planning for the trip and had done my best to go all-out for our anniversary night. I booked a fancy restaurant that required reservations weeks in advance and we both got dressed up. I even scheduled for a private car to take us downtown. After...
Growing up in the South there really isn’t a question as to whether or not you will go to church. The only question is what kind of church will you go to? Baptist? Pentecostal? Catholic? Church of Christ? Regardless of what kind of church you attend, when you grow up in church, you tend to get into a routine. It’s not the...
Hearing your name is one of the most comforting things in life. It starts as a child, when your mom or your dad calls your name to come inside for dinner. When your best friend shouts your name in the school halls. When your child calls you, “Mom-ma” or “Da-da” for the first time. A name means a lot, especially when...
When I pull up to order a coffee at my local Starbucks I rarely have to pronounce my order. Before I can finish my sentence, the barista chimes in and finishes my request. “One grande, blonde roast coffee – light cream.” Every day. Every morning. It’s actually become somewhat of a joke among the employees. I can’t help it;...
“Bath time” at my house is currently quite the ordeal. It begins as soon as the water begins splashing the floor of the tub. For some reason, that sound activates something in our son, Asher, unlike anything else. Regardless of what he is doing, he immediately stops and “speed crawls” towards the bathroom. Then, wide-eyed and all smiles he...
