On the night after Thanksgiving 2008, a crowd of more than 2,000 people gathered in the parking lot of a suburban New York Wal-Mart. They were waiting for the store to open, with Black Friday savings to be had. As the 5am opening neared, the...
Read moreOvercoming the Darkness
When I was in college, I was maybe not the most focused student. There was far too much fun stuff to do, and in most (non-math-related) classes, I could more or less get away with it. During finals one year, my friend Trez (who usually planned...
Read moreThe Hopes and Fears of All the Years
One of my all-time favorite movies (and books) is The Princess Bride. I’ll pause while those of you who haven’t seen it consider revoking my Man Card, but just remember: it’s got Andre the Giant in it. For those of you who have seen it, you’ll...
Read moreMirror Mirror on the Wall…
One of the simplest ways to entertain a kid is a funhouse mirror. You know what I mean: the mirrors that change the way you look. There’s the wavy one that compresses some parts of me, while stretching out others. There’s the one that makes your...
Read moreResponding Well When God Puts the Squeeze on You
I once heard a profound – and memorable – analogy from a youth worker: “People are like zits. When pressure is applied, you discover just how much nastiness is hiding under the surface.” With that visual in your mind, think back to...
Read moreWhen Feeling Small is a Good Thing
My wife and I have very different definitions of “camping.” Growing up in New Mexico, camping meant backpacking into the mountains and living for several days in a tent off what we brought in with us. Good times. My wife likes a different kind of...
Read moreIs Ignorance Bliss?
When God Leads You Down a Dead End Road
Like most guys, I watch a lot of action movies with muscular stars. I loved it in The Bourne Supremacy when Matt Damon took on a knife-wielding assailant with a hand towel… and won. I ignore the part about Jason Bourne being a tragic and...
Read moreWhat is our purpose?
But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. – Exodus 9:16 Purpose. Such a direct word, yet sometimes so difficult to interpret. One dictionary defines...
Read moreGod and Victory
Pharoahs brash and arrogant leadership present a unique set of circumstances where God can accomplish a miraculous revelation of His glory. The manner that Pharaoh mocks and ignores God is certainly a major part of this work. God’s rightly...
Read moreFrom the Brink
It is no secret that I like Apple products. My affinity aside, the company has an interest to me that is even broader. Apple represents what may be the most improbable of all business comebacks. The company was co-founded by Steve Jobs in 1976...
Read moreWhen it all goes horribly wrong
Do you ever come up with what you thought was a great idea, then when you tried it out it failed miserably? As the proverb goes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. In 1985, Coca-Cola thought it had a burgeoning hit on their hands...
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