It’s probably no surprise to anyone that rates of teen depression in the U.S. continue to trend upward. Take a look at a teen’s social media accounts, and you will likely find expressions of disappointment and cynicism. Not in response to issues at hand, just a generally jaded outlook on life. Over the past few […]

Confronting sin in your own life is difficult. It can be even more difficult if there are competing views about what is profitable for the faith. However, I’ve seen many Christians allow their determination of sin to be based on their perception of guilt resulting from that sin. We sometimes try to justify behaviors that […]

One of my favorite passages in scripture is the Doxology of the book of Jude. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before […]

The hero’s story often begins in obscurity. For Luke Skywalker, it begins on the desert planet of Tatooine. For Frodo Baggins, it begins in the all-but-forgotten realm of the Shire, and for Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), it is the remote island of Themyscira. And these heroes stay shrouded in obscurity if not for a Bold […]

Trust grows best when you are willing to be vulnerable. Mentorship often includes a process of introspection on the part of both parties involved.  However, if this becomes more of a gripe session, or a time where either the mentor or the hero is overly criticized for past failures, or current struggles, then we must […]

May is National Foster Care Month, a time designated to recognize foster families, volunteers, mentors, child care workers, and members of the local community who help foster children connect with area resources, and hopefully, adoptive homes! Throughout this month, you will likely see a variety of organizations making significant efforts to raise awareness about the […]

Mentors increase resiliency by keeping you rooted when hard times come. Some of he most profound moments in my life have been times when I thought everything was going to crash down around me, but one of my parents, or one of my mentors helped me weather the storm. The honest truth is, storms are […]

Asking good questions is the foundation of the learning process. The form in which a question comes is as important as the answer that is given, because the question can reveal some assumptions and expectations of the questioner. To simply answer a question without first recognizing the questioner as a real person with a real […]

Debates surrounding the validity of church membership/attendance have raged for as long as there has been a building designated for worship. However, the question about attendance/membership is a silly conversation until you correctly define the term, “Church.” As a believer, and even as a minister, I had intellectually addressed the idea of church attendance, and […]

The loss of a loved one is an event for which we can never be prepared. Regardless of the timeline, or circumstances surrounding the passing of someone we care deeply for, the process of grief is both common and unique. In so many ways, our grief will walk us through a variety of stages that […]