I get carsick very easily. I always have. A few months ago, I was in the passenger’s seat of our car and my three-year-old daughter said, “Daddy, I can’t find it.” She was talking about this little plastic Cinderella figure her mom gave her.
Give Your Spouse Some Space
Today, I was with my family at Chic-fil-A, and my two-year-old daughter was eating a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich that my wife had in her purse. After my daughter finished her fries, she asked if she could dip her sandwich in her ketchup. “That’s gross – no,” I said.
Answer to the Cry of an Abandoned Son
Most of my childhood and teenage years, I grew up without a father. My dad left our family a handful of times, and even when he was home, he usually had a job as a truck driver, which meant he was on the road most of the time.
Why Not Let God Parent Other People?
My oldest daughter recently graduated to big kids’ Sunday School. What that means for her is: goodbye coloring sheets and eating Goldfish; hello memory verses and eight-year-olds.
My Southern Accent and My Relationship With God
I grew up in the deep south – a Mississippi town called Petal that’s 65 miles from the Gulf Coast. And naturally, after spending the first part of my life there, I developed a southern accent.
God Wants to Color With You
Today, my four-year-old daughter and I colored a house that I drew. Our work of art isn’t perfect – in fact, we did the clouds in such a way that it looks like the back of the house is on fire. But whatever – we made it together. And when we finished, I think I caught a glimpse into how God interacts with His children.
Meeting God in the Frustration of Waiting
I’m currently waiting on some news that’s important to me, and it’s starting to get a little uncomfortable.
Rejoice When God Makes You Wait
I’ve had a lot of dreams that came to nothing – at least not when I wanted them to or the way I wanted. For example . . .
God’s Going to Set You Free (Whether You Like it or Not)
In his book Run With the Horses, Eugene Peterson tells a story of seeing an adult swallow teaching its chicks to fly. Three young swallows were perched on a dead branch that stretched over a lake, and what happened next must have been terrifying for the little chicks:
What’s in a Selfie?
I got a call from my Aunt Kathy Jo last Friday morning. She told me she was wearing her pajamas, a fur coat, and rollers; and she was standing in her daughter’s yard trying to round up the dogs. “My daughter’s neighbor is laughing at me,” she said, laughing along with him.
Why God Doesn’t Just Do it Himself
When you look around at Christians, it’s so easy to judge. Believers get it wrong all the time – they get behind the wrong causes; they do a poor job living the truth; and they frequently serve Jesus in selfish ways. You wonder why Jesus didn’t just stay here and do the work of loving the world Himself. Using all of these messed up believers seems so inefficient.
Five Ways to Make Visitors Feel Awkward at Your Church
It wasn’t that long ago that my wife and I were visiting churches after having moved to a new city. Before moving, we were part of a church where almost everyone knew us, and everything about the Sunday services felt familiar. So it was odd to suddenly be strangers in a meeting that used to feel like home.
The Reason Why God is Proud of You
This week, I was rushing to get out of the house to go to work, and my two-year-old daughter asked me to draw her a house. I took a green crayon and quickly scrawled a house on a blank sheet of paper. “Alright, now color it for me,” I said to her before running upstairs.
Be Careful What You Promise Yourself
For the last five days, I’ve walked past the Cozy Coup sitting in my driveway and gotten a dose of humility. Two years ago, I looked at a neighbor’s house where a Cozy Coup was in the front yard, and I told my wife that we would never allow our children to do that. “It looks trashy,” I said. Oh well, I guess our front yard looks trashy now.
Loving a Mormon Never Hurt Anybody
One Sunday last summer, my wife and I pulled out of the church parking lot, and there was an elderly woman walking down the street in her Sunday best. It was 12:15 in the middle of a sweltering August day, and I felt sorry for her.
Joshua Rogers 