You've heard the story: The shepherds were in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, terrifying each brave shepherd. The angel declared good news of great joy given to all people in all of time—including you and me: "Fear not, for behold, I bring [...]
Remember inspecting the packages underneath the tree? You may not have been old enough to read, but you could recognize your own name. There it was: mixed in with other presents, was one wrapped just for you. And there was your name. You knew that on Christmas morning, you would open that present, and [...]
On a trip through the mountains, aspen trees quake in glorious splendor, ablaze in orange and red and gold. Rarely will you find a lone aspen—they grow in stands or groves. Why? Because aspen trees grow together, not separately. The visible part of a tree is not the entire part. Below the surface, roots [...]
I've had this weird thing going on with my eye, and been putting off getting it looked at. At random times, most often in the evening, my left eye would feel like something was in it and be quite uncomfortable. Flushing with didn't help. Visually inspecting my eyeball didn't reveal a problem. My eye [...]
Dates don't have to be confined to the prototypical "dinner and a movie." Although, for the record, a dinner and a movie is indeed one of our favorite dates. When Peter (also known as the Man of My Dreams) and I were getting to know each other, we searched for effective ways to grow a [...]
Asking questions and listening well can take every relationship deeper. Have an engagement tool for the next time awkward silence fills the air Discover the God-designed uniqueness of another person Help someone else process his or her thoughts and emotions Engage in new or sensitive situations in non-threatening, conversational ways Jump into your day [...]
Season 3 of the Presently Engaged Podcast just released! This season is loosely organized around the engaged family. It’s full of short, friendly encouragement to live intentionally right where you are—and just the right length for a short drive or a walk around the block. Listen in wherever you enjoy podcasts! [...]
At the risk of alienating most people reading this update, I am not a football fan. When I must pretend to follow sports, I am a basketball fan, and I cheer for the Dallas Mavericks. In a city full of rabid San Antonio Spurs aficionados, I wear my Mavs gear with pride. Every other year [...]
Here comes Season 2 of the Presently Engaged Podcast! In it, you'll find short, friendly, Jesus-focused encouragement to live intentionally right where you are. Listen in wherever you enjoy podcasts! Open Tabs & Emotional WasteAn Engaged LifeComposition for World ChangersFinding GoodCarry a Big StickNegative SpaceDon't Skip the CreditsMusic [...]
There are things we tell our children never to do. When I think about directives my parents gave to their seven kids, there are a few that stand out. For example, there was only one child that they told to never jump from the roof to the pool. There was only one child that they [...]
