I just had to post this. A few disclaimers here (which I find sad I even have to cover) before I get into this. First, this is not a knock on any other church in this city. Second, there is nothing wrong with advertising on a local Christian radio station. The reality is that the local station relies on user support and advertising dollars and reaches our community. This isn’t a knock on that station or those that advertise or support it.

Now lets talk about why this is wicked cool….

When I saw this ad from Rock City Church this morning on Columbus’ Alternative Station this morning, I just got all kinds of excited. This is why we’re here. That statement is painting it with a pretty broad brush. You see Rock City is committed to reaching the city of Columbus. They not only say it, they do it. If you think I’m kidding, check out this post from earlier this week. This church is reaching out to this city. They are being bold. They are going. They are doing.

The easy thing would be to advertise on a local Christian Station. That’s our audience….or is it? I would argue that our audience is those that don’t listen to Christian radio. Not that listening to a particular station makes you any more or less a Christian (I usually listen to Country Radio…so…), but Rock City is not following the normal. They are going to the places that so others may not go. They are doing things in this city that others won’t do.

And I love that.

So, what are you doing Sunday? Why not check out what Rock City is about for yourself. 9:00am, 10:45am and 12:30pm. Listen to X106.7 for Rock City spots throughout the day.

Rachel does an outstanding job of walking us through scripture while adding real life application and stories from her own journey. I can personally testify to just how busy yet remarkable this family is.

The fact that Rachel was able to get this book released while maintaining her many other commitments is a testimony to her obedience and belief that others would benefit from reading it. If you haven’t already grabbed your copy yet, it is well worth it.

Well done Rachel. Thank you for being obedient to what God laid on your heart.

My 7 Year old (Princess #1) - I don’t know what that song means. What’s it about?

Me - It’s about getting your heart broken

Princess #1 - What does it mean to get your heart broken

Me - I hope you never find out…..

No sooner had the words left my mouth did it hit me….she will. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, there is nothing I can do about it. I thought about locking her away with her younger sister in a high tower with nothing but a spinning wheel, but I’m not aware of any large castles in our town. I could get all legalistic and crazy, start a shotgun collection and impose the wrath on whatever boy steps foot on my property, but that would probably get me arrested. What scares me is that there will be boys and I was….well…a boy once too.

It keeps me up at night….

There was a lot of grace involved in my years as a teenager, college and even after that. I’ve got to keep that in mind. I know one day a boy, with a white horse (preferably a Ford Mustang) will show up in my driveway. This is where I lean into grace, the way we’re bringing her up now and let go of the handlebars. I pray I am showing her love so she won’t seek it. I pray I’m giving her purpose, confidence and wisdom. Because I know one day the white horse will arrive and ride her away. If she returns with a broken heart I’ll kill him we’ll help her mend it and prepare it for the one that won’t break it.

And pray a lot…..

**Originally posted May 2010

Today my oldest daughter turns 9 years old. Stop the madness. It’s so hard to believe how quickly this is all going by. I love this little girl with all my heart. When concerned about having the capacity to love more than one child, a friend once said “love doesn’t divide, it multiplies”. Perfect analogy. Perfect advice. Happy Birthday little one. I’m so proud to be your Dad.

Happy Mothers Day! I can totally see this text taking place between “the boy” and my lovely bride.

Several weeks ago my friends at Buzzplant sent me a login to review an upcoming move called “Girl In Progress“. I sat down with my wife one night to preview it with the link they sent me and realized it was a 48 hour window and I had missed it. After several failed opportunities to try to see it again, they were kind enough to send me one final login which I used this evening (the same night that the film was released in theaters). So although this is late, here is my review of the film.

In a word…interesting. This is truly a coming of age story. A mom that is struggling with her place in the world and a daughter that decides to live out her own coming of age story. She literally maps out all of the things she will need to do in order to make the self fulfilled prophecy come true. From her research, she has all of the key moments in her story planned and begins to execute them one at a time. I won’t give away the entire plot, but it does make for interesting viewing. While not a fast paced, action packed film, there are some lighter moments that keep it moving along.

To be honest, this is not a film I would take my girls to see (ages 7 and 9). I think the content is above their head and one subject matter was not something I really want to discuss with them at this time. This would be more for a pre-teen to teenage audience. The acting is good and the list of actors/actresses are recognizable. I didn’t love the film, but I didn’t hate it either. There is a nice finish, but in my opinion it took a long time to get there. I would like to have seen the ending start much sooner and be given more time. You’ll understand when you see it.

I give “Girl In Progress” a 3 out of 5.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Good gravy I have loads of respect for Josh Hamilton. I know the history and I can’t imagine the load he carries into the spotlight each day. There is no stone I can cast his way. He’s grinding out his faith, his achievements, his failures, his demons and his victories for the world to see. Keep up the fight Josh.

*Note – Interview really gets good at about the 4:50 mark.

There are days when a boy just needs his Mommy.

I’m going to take the liberty to think most everyone reading this knows the kind of day when you just need your Mom. You need to hear her voice and the words that tell you “it’s gonna be alright”. Dad can tell you. Your wife can tell you. Your kids and friends can all tell you but it never sounds better or more true than when it comes from Mom.

For those new to the blog, my Mom passed away in March of 2010. I rejoice in her place in Heaven but gotta be honest and say that there are days when this boy needs his mommy. There are moments when a phone call of encouragement and understanding could change the outlook of a day. Today is one of those days.

Moms, don’t ever underestimate the power of your words of encouragement. Pour them into your kids early and often. If any of you are reading this and haven’t called home lately, take the time to do so today. If you’re reading this and, like me, your Mom is in the presence of Jesus, rejoice and thank the Lord for the blessing that was your Mom too.

*Originally posted July, 2010

Truth be told, I’ve been slammed and didn’t get a chance to get started on it. I’m glad she read it when she did because it came at the perfect time for her. You see, she was dealing with some of the very things that Pete Wilson touches on in this incredible book, Empty Promises. It’s funny how things work out because I had some travel scheduled this week and this book landed at just the right time (which makes Heather “stealing it” providential). I read and wrestled with the words that Pete wrote all week long. And that is a very, very good thing.

Let’s be honest, you all know we’re big, BIG fans of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee. We consider it to be our “church in the south”. We follow along online and attend whenever we find ourselves in Nashville. I’m not sure “fan” is the right word of how we feel about the church, or how I feel about Pete Wilson, but it’s the only one I can think of at the moment. I love this guys heart. I love how he loves his wife, his 3 boys and his church. If you follow his blog, or his twitter, or his sermons on Sunday, you know what I’m talking about. His love for those things just oozes out of him.

I wanted to make sure I said all of those things so it’s not misunderstood when I make the next statement….my review of this book is not based on any of those things I just said. While I have loads of respect for Pete and love how he tells stories of his life through his writing, this review is about the book and the contents within. I’m glad I read it while I was alone so I could process and, like I said, wrestle with what I was reading.

If you would have asked me before I read the book if I struggled with idols in my life and their place before God, I would have said “maybe”. To be honest I didn’t really think there were things that needed to be placed in different order. If you ask me now, I would say “definitely”. “Empty Promises” was a bit of a wakeup call for me. It brought to light some areas that I didn’t realize had taken a prominent place in my life. I don’t get up in the morning, burn some incense and bow before a golden calf, but I do struggle with acceptance. I’m not out to get to the top of the Corporate Ladder, but I do have fears about money. I don’t run up my credit cards with toys I don’t need, but I do struggle with the definition of what’s “enough”. I’m just being honest.

Chapter after chapter, “Empty Promises” will walk you through a process of realizing that we all look to fill a God-given desire with everything BUT Him. This isn’t a “beat down” session, it’s an opportunity to pause and take some inventory. Let’s just say I didn’t like what I saw. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has an opportunity to read it. It’s given me things to work on and a sense of freedom from things I didn’t even know I was worshipping. Thank you Pete. Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for writing from the heart.

I give Empty Promises a 5 out of 5

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”