“Either it’s true or it’s not.” That was one of the phrases that I heard frequently from my father when I was younger, and, while it seems to be a simple statement, I have learned that it contains great truth. It makes me think of a commercial that ran on television for an insurance company […]
Earlier this week, I published an article in which I said that “Ezra developed an intimate, personal relationship with God. Because of that personal and deep relationship, he didn’t simply learn to know who God was and is; he also came to understand God’s nature and heart. He had developed a relationship that enabled him […]
“You learn most things by experience, but it’s usually less painful for you if it’s someone else’s experience.”
This is a seemingly obvious and simple statement, but upon reflection, one with significant meaning. Simply put, before you can teach and lead others, you have to live it, but in order to live it, you have to know it. I experienced this (or, better put, failed at this) in my first experience as the […]
“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.”
I regularly make reference to lessons I have learned throughout my life from my dad, and more often than not, it comes in the form of a quote. I will be addressing a situation, speaking about a topic, or giving counsel or advice to someone, and I will say something like, “My dad used to […]
“I think I want to write books.” That was my answer to my dad’s question. I had completed my seminary master’s degree in marriage, family, and personal counseling and had started working in my first counseling job. However, I was still wrestling with my future goals and where I ultimately wanted to be in my life. Writing books sounded […]
Early in my marriage, my wife and my mother were having a conversation about me (always a scary thought), when my wife commented about how annoying it was that I would wiggle my feet while I went to sleep, which of course made it difficult for her to fall asleep. My mother replied, “His dad […]
My father went home to be with His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, May 8, 2016, as the result of a stroke a few weeks earlier. As my siblings and my mom gathered together in the hospital, with much uncertainty at the time about the eventual outcome, often our conversations would turn to […]