We watched as he carefully stacked the rocks inside the jar one-by-one until they brimmed the top. He scanned the crowd and politely asked if we thought the jar was full. In uncanny unison we all said yes. But we were wrong. Then he added pebbles, and after the pebbles, he added sand--until finally the jar was full. The pastor then went on to explain that when we take care of the big things in our lives first, the little things will fall into place, just like the rocks, the pebbles, and the sand. But my life didn’t seem to be working like that. I couldn’t help but wonder, “What if the ... Read the Post
Stand Firm
Twenty years ago, I attended my first Promise Keepers men’s conference. It was more than just a wake-up call for a young backslidden Christian man who had been sidelined by the temptations of life. It was a life-changing opportunity to understand what it really meant to be a Christian man. I was fortunate enough to experience it with both my father and my mentor. Although my father has since passed away, my mentor still encourages me to this day. Flash back to my college years, I had walked away from the church and my faith altogether. I was a seeker in a sense, but not for God—I sought ... Read the Post
How Do You Spell Faith?
Much of my younger life was spent running from God rather than running to Him. At age 46, I finally reached a place of brokenness that left me crying out for God’s mercy and grace. And He lovingly lifted me out of that dark place and into His light. Over the next several years, God began to tear down the walls of lies that had kept me from Him and smoothed off most of the very rough edges of my past. Once God got hold of my life, I couldn’t get enough of learning more and seeking to grow closer to Him. I looked at almost 50 years of what I considered wasted time, (although God never wastes ... Read the Post
Get In It
Years ago when I volunteered in ministry leadership, I had the opportunity to talk to men about my faith, my struggles and how my relationship with God had grown. One night while speaking to a group of men at a local church, a friend approached me with a confession. He shared his desire to grow in his faith, but he confessed his struggle with reading the Bible. What he didn’t realize was that he could not have one without the other. Our faith is grown out of the pages of God’s Word. I became heartbroken as I listened to his excuses for not having time to study the Bible. Of course, he ... Read the Post
Just Jump
I’ll never forget that day. The anticipation began to build as we walked toward the ladder. My excitement rose higher as I climbed up, reaching a fever pitch when I stood in the open air. The sun’s rays warmed my skin as the seemingly perfect, gentle breeze kept me from feeling overheated. When I slowly reached the edge, I looked down. I had watched my friends do it and couldn’t wait to take my turn… that is until it actually was my turn. I’ve always had an irrational fear of heights. I experience this sensation that something is trying to pull me over the edge and yank me down toward ... Read the Post