This past weekend, I was working on our backyard fence when I heard the unmistakable sound of an ice cream truck coming down the street. When I was a child, I lived in Kansas City on a dead-end street. Once school was out, the neighborhood children gathered in the streets to play kickball. During the…

“Yes!” It is a good word. It is a positive word. It is a word people like to hear. But parents can get into a lot of trouble if they use it too much. Would you like to sign up for soccer? Yes! Piano lessons? Yes! Youth group retreat? Yes! Extra study group? Yes! Travel…

Our desire is to teach kids to have a serving heart both here at home and towards those living in faraway places. And although we can’t always reach out to those across the ocean, we can reach out to those down the street. And what a great place to start! A friend was telling me…

There it is again. A deep, unsettled feeling creeps into my soul, wrapping its tentacles around my heart. The truth is, stepping into God’s purposes scares me. The vision is so grand that is seems vastly out of reach. It’s global, foreign and unknown. The unknown has never seemed like a wanted companion, especially when…

I love candles. I learned to love candles on long, dark winter nights in Norway. Lighting a candle on the dinner table or some tea lights on the coffee table made the room a little warmer, a little cozier, the darkness less oppressive. Growing up on the Canadian prairies where the winters were harsh and…

Do you ever sit and reflect back across your life to see how you arrived at this moment? I am compelled to do this during difficult times, but even more so in times like right now when I sense the Spirit of God moving and bringing my dream into focus. If you have never dared…

My wife will tell you I’m not very good at taking vacations. I understand the concept, a time of resting and making memories with your family, but I have a hard time putting it into practice. For most of my life, I have traveled internationally for my job. When I get off the plane, I…

“I’ll show you, Alia.” I watched as four-year-old Molly kindly demonstrated what to do with a crayon. Meanwhile, the other children in my Sunday school class stared at the visitor, baffled that someone didn’t know how to color! But Molly was right there helping Alia learn a new skill. When the coloring was done, Molly…

As motivated Christian parents we often think brokenness will never characterize our homes. Many reading this post are likely diligent about investing in their marriages, discipling their children, and leading their families to be missional in everyday life. Despite our best efforts, brokenness can quickly invade our homes. Everyone experiences moments or seasons of brokenness;…

We live in a chaotic world. We know it and, unfortunately, our children know it too. Yes, we can do our best to isolate them from what’s around us, but one look at a newspaper in the checkout line at the store, one overheard newscast, one neighbor kid relating something he saw on the Internet…