I’m a three-branch guy. What I mean by this is that I’m a Christian in the Protestant tradition that believes wholeheartedly that I share the same faith as my Orthodox and Roman Catholic brothers and sisters. There are three branches of Christianity: Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism. All three branches share allegiance to the cross and the Trinitarian faith expressed … Read More
Churches & Pastors: Toxic or Trustworthy?
If you’re a regular subscriber and missed getting the blog last week, I’m sorry about that. I was a bit overwhelmed with some other projects and deadlines which I’ll explain. It was my first time to skip a week since starting in June 2016! As I shared in a recent bi-monthly ministry update, I’m getting ready to do a soft … Read More
The Power of the Father Wound
Michael Jackson was one of the most talented performers who ever lived. His personal life also contributed to his status as a global sensation. He was born on August 29, 1958 and died on June 25, 2009 at just fifty-one years old. Many called him “Wacko Jacko,” and whether they were deserved or not, there were many other such nicknames … Read More
Happy Together: Moms, Dads, & Healthy Marriage
Recovering God’s heart for dads means recovering his heart for moms and healthy marriage too. In God’s ideal and design, dads do their best work together in a loving relationship with mom. To say it another way, women and wives are essential and full partners in raising healthy kids. And marriage is intimately tied to fatherhood. It’s been said that … Read More
My 2021 Favorites
Happy New Year, dear friends! Besides a favorite pic of my grandkids above and one of our church plant below, here are my favorite quotes from 2021 on… How We Treat People: “The Bible calls on us to develop a theological imagination within which we see the world as a community and not a collection of hostilities.” -Esau McCaulley “Condemnation, … Read More
On Dragons and Manger Scenes
“And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten … Read More
Praying for Our Kid’s Hearts
In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rossetti In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, long ago. Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain; Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign. In … Read More
Caring for Aging Parents
“Honor your father and your mother” is a command that’s central to our faith, even if discerning exactly what that looks like is challenging in various seasons of life– ours or our parents. Many of us know by personal experience that there is a lot of emotional, physical, and psychological fatigue associated with caring for aging parents. As one Canadian … Read More
EXCLUSIVE PRAYER & MINISTRY UPDATE- 120121
Hi Friends! I haven’t sent out a ministry update since early September and—WOW—a lot has happened since then! Here’s our latest: Care Net: As most of you know, in my full-time day job, I’m the Executive Director of Church Outreach & Engagement for Care Net, an umbrella organization that serves 1200 pregnancy centers across the United States and Canada. In … Read More
Difficult People and God’s Surprises
“As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for … Read More