Tag Archives: life

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How Are You Masking Your Pain?

When I was a kid, I had an accident while playing on the swingset in my backyard. This swingset was one of those old, metal A-frame type of swingsets.

You don’t see many of those around these days. Probably because they could be extremely dangerous.

I was playing with Jesse and Phillip in the backyard. We’d come up with the brilliant idea of placing a piece of wood on the gymnastic style bar and then walking up it.

After I’d gotten to the top, I saw my mother pull in the driveway. Seeing her pull in scared me. I thought we’d get in trouble for doing something dangerous.

So… I jumped off of the wood and landed on the ground. But before I hit, something else happened.

My forearm caught on the screw on the top of the swingset. It ripped my arm wide-open.  Read more...

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The World Keeps Changing

Only a few things are guaranteed in this life of ours.

We are guaranteed that one day we will day. And we are guaranteed there will be change.

Change Comes In Many Different Forms

You never know where change will come from. It seems like it was out of left field.

Sometimes the change will hit you like a train wreck.

Over the last couple of years, Pam and I have seen 2 youth pastors leave the church we were attending, we’ve left a church I’ve attended for almost 30 years, we lost one of our dogs, and so much more.

Change is quite. Change is shocking. Change is painful.

And sometimes change is good. Change can be refreshing. Change can be joyful.

You might see change in the growth of your child. You might experience change when you leave a bad job for your dream job.  Read more...

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Find A Pain Partner

In my interview with former pastor Sam Chand, we talked about finding a pain partner to walk through life with.

Ever since this interview, this idea has really intrigued me.

What Is A Pain Partner?

You’ve got to settle on your own definition of what a pain partner is. It’s unique to every person and how they want to live out their lives.

For me, my pain partner will:

Be willing to listen to me when I hurt

Be someone I can open up to about difficult situations in life

Be a person I can call day or night

Be understanding that we all fail at one point or another

Be able to listen without judgement

Your pain partner needs to be someone you can trust and someone you can contact at any time.  Read more...

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What To Do When Change Is Difficult

Over the last couple of years it seems my wife and I’s lives have been turned inside out.

We lost a beloved dog. A great mentor of ours moved from youth pastor to senior pastor at a different church. Another leader we knew had to be removed from his position of leadership..

you will face difficult times of change

To top things off, we made the difficult choice to resign our position as youth leaders and leave a church we’d attended for years. Talk about rough! And talk about change.

These changes have not been easy. These changes have not been pleasant.

But the changes we’ve faced have taught us what to do when we’re faced with change and when that change is difficult.

Pray: The first thing you need to do when you’re faced with difficult change is to begin to pray. Pray for guidance. Pray for wisdom. Pray for peace. Pray for hope. Pray for signs.  Read more...

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Make Every Day Special

Ruts are easy to get into.

We begin with thinking that everyone is out to get us or maybe it’s that no one is for you. We let the negative thoughts slip into our minds.

Doing so hurts us in more ways than one. But a major way our negative thoughts robs us is in the way it makes our days less special.

What makes your day special?

Simple pleasures make every day special

Every Day Is Special

Even in the mundaneness of our days, each day we have is something marvelous.

Most of us are able to run and jump and play and have fun. We are able to take deep breaths of fresh air. We’re able to look up and see the bright blue sky or the awe-inspiring darkness of night.  Read more...