If you feel distracted in prayer, don’t worry—it’s a good thing
So many times the same frustrating thing happens when I try to pray. “Heavenly Father,“ I say, but almost immediately I get interrupted by my own thoughts. Read more
Sep 24
Sep 16
The most hurtful thing my wife ever said to me
Two years ago, my wife hurt me worse than she ever had before. Her big offense: She said something that wasn’t very nice. Read more
Sep 8
What happened the sixth time I went to the principal’s office
When I was in third grade, I had problems behaving. My heart was in the right place, but my good intentions didn’t make it to the surface a lot of the time. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to follow the rules. Read more
Sep 8
If you think God looks at you and sees ugliness, think again
One day when I was in my 20s, I was struggling with a lot of guilt and shame because I felt like the only thing God ever saw about me was my sin and brokenness. God must’ve told my mother.
I came into the dining room where my mom was and she said, “Joshua, look at that angel up there on the shelf,” and then she pointed to a ceramic angel behind me. Read more
Aug 25
Something to consider the next time you get annoyed with someone
I was standing across the counter from the lady at the hole-in-the-wall dry cleaners and I was getting irritated. She had lost my pants and I was sure of it, but I couldn’t find my ticket to prove it.
The woman kept insisting that I hadn’t dropped them off with my suit jacket. Read more
Aug 13
This lady had no idea she was about to be an answer to my desperate prayer
I was a poor law student living on $300 a month, and as soon as I saw the police cars down the road, I instinctively put my foot on the break. I couldn’t afford a ticket.
It was just a police checkpoint though. I slowed down, stopped beside the officer, and handed him my driver’s license. He furrowed his brow. Read more
Aug 4
This what God may be doing with your unanswered prayers
I wanted the job. I wanted it badly. And a few weeks after making it to the final round of interviews, I learned that I had just missed the cut.
I called my friend Shon to share the bad news.
“Is the door totally shut?” he asked. Read more
Jul 24
The most awful, humiliating, embarrassing thing that’s ever happened in my marriage (so far)
In my first year of marriage, my wife and I got into a disagreement while visiting a family member’s home. We went to the guest room to hash it out privately but we had no idea how badly we were about to embarrass ourselves.
While in the guest room, our tempers flared. Unfortunately, I became particularly disrespectful until suddenly, my wife’s face dropped and she said, “Oh my gosh – the baby monitor is right next to you.” Read more
Jul 14
My baby nephew was dying and his mother’s response was unforgettable
My seven-month-old nephew Canaan was dying and nobody knew it, including his doctor, who had misdiagnosed his digestive issues. The real issue was Hirschsprung’s disease, one of the leading causes of death for kids like Canaan, who has Down Syndrome. Read more
Jul 10
Jesus surprised me — years after a devastating phone call
I was not prepared for the phone call I received on May 26, 1994. It came from my mother, who was letting me know she was worried.
“Joshua, I’m just calling because I want to remind you to be careful today. There was a teenage girl who was killed in a horrible car accident this morning.” Read more
