I went to see my favorite band over the weekend. Kings Kaleidoscope. They are so fun. They are multiple genres woven into one. Exciting, creative, and this beautiful meshing of theology and creativity that have drawn me to them since I came to Christ 14 years ago. They are the epitome of the theology of Christ that I have tried to embody in my own life and practice. What I didn’t expect was the rush of memories as I was listening and watching them perform. Their music has bee

My kids are disasters when given access to soil. Absolute feral cave dwellers. And I mean this as a compliment. When you put children near dirt and give them permission (or simply fail to prohibit it quickly enough) something happens that is nothing short of primal. They drop to their knees without hesitation. They push their hands in. They smear it on their faces like war paint, looking like toddler versions of William Wallace in Braveheart yelling FREEDOM! They build things

I have had to learn how to extend grace and possibly the even harder lesson, learning to receive it. I'm not talking about the greeting card version or the cheesy bumper sticker theology of being nice to people who don’t deserve it. The actual, costly, sometimes inconvenient, occasionally infuriating practice of extending grace to people I love; my wife, my kids, friends and family…in the moments when it would be easier and honestly more satisfying to just be right about some

When I was in high school, many moons ago, I had this crush (who I happen to be married to now) and I wanted to learn a song for her. I was the epitome of a cheesy hopeless romantic. I loved this song called “Remember to Breathe” by Dashboard Confessional. I decided that this was the one. Simple 3 chords or so on the guitar, doable. Now, understand I was emo. To the fullest. Like I can’t even look back at my life and say it was a phase…it was who I was. So I learned it. Now,

Our house doesn’t run on a schedule as much as it runs on relational chaos. If our house were a play list, it would be everything from 60s country to some really obscure metal core band (whom if you don’t know their first album, you’re not really a fan) and everything in between. There are rhythms, sure; school stuff in the morning, bedtime prayers, dinner around the table (hopefully). Mostly there is a living, breathing ecosystem of personalities learning how to share space

I’ve been watching Stranger Things…and I love it. The show is full of all the stuff that makes a show great for me. I’m only in season 4, so do me a forgiveness if I misinterpret anything to this point…but it’s got the goods. Suspense, 80s nostalgia, humor, character building, relationships, action, and a great plot. It’s also incredibly theologically rich (intended or not). But it got me thinking about the new year…and how every new year feels like standing at the edge of tw