Four years ago, as Alexa was preparing for her freshman year in college, we reconnected with a friend who had briefly lived in Kansas City. After a few months, he decided to move back to Springfield, MO. Shortly after his relocation, Alexa committed to attending Evangel University. I reached out to our friend Jim and asked if he could keep an eye on her if she ever needed anything. Jim quickly agreed and graciously offered for us to stay with him if we ever needed to spend the night. When we planned a trip to visit Alexa on Labor Day Weekend of 2020, I took Jim up on his offer. “Absolutel ..read more

What does the ideal personality look like to you? Is there a single word that comes to mind? Now, before we dive in, let’s set the record straight: I don’t believe there’s an ideal one-size-fits-all personality out there. Our differences? They add flavor and depth to life. But if I had to pinpoint some key traits, here’s what I’d highlight: First off, there’s that whole “unconditional love” thing. You know, loving others despite their flaws and slip-ups… Then, there’s being a clear communicator, someone who listens and talks with empathy and understanding. Next, let’s talk abo ..read more

Yesterday, our oldest daughter graduated from college. She has made great friends, learned a lot, and is now all grown up. In the words of one of the speakers yesterday, she is now an “adult, adult.” If age 18 was like dipping her toe into adulthood, and age 21 was wading out into the water, then graduating from college yesterday is like a canon ball into the deep end. I just don’t feel old enough to have kids doing cannonballs into the deep end of life. However, my options are to deny my age or embrace it. So, I’m coming in for a hug (see what I did there)…and now looking for my AARP appl ..read more

One of my favorite times every Spring is the day we spread new mulch in our yard. Since I love getting a good deal, I typically wait until I can buy it for $2 per bag. And this season didn’t disappoint. HD had a special running on mulch that was 5 bags for $10. I decided to wait for the boys to get out of school and on the way home we stopped to get our first 25 bags. Now, before you start conjuring images of landscapers gracefully sculpting flower beds while birds chirp in harmony, let me set the scene straight. This was a DIY project and I certainly wanted more “do it together” than ..read more

A few weeks ago, my youngest son Ian invited me to join him for “Doughnuts with Dad” at his school. I must admit, the prospect of waking up early to hang out in a cafeteria filled with elementary school children and their dads wasn’t exactly on my bucket list. I know…I am an extrovert and I love my kids and I love doughnuts and coffee and I even care deeply for other kids. However, I don’t love small talk with other dads I may never see again, and I don’t love the confines of a loud school cafeteria. Nevertheless, recognizing the significance of such events to our children, I willingly rea ..read more

Easter Sunday breathes new life into us for many reasons. Personally, it started with seeing our New Life CityChurch family and worshipping together. This was truly a blessed time for worship and building deeper relationships. We even broke an attendance record….and perhaps an unofficial record for coffee consumption. Afterwards, we spent time with family and friends eating incredible food and sharing stories around the table. After the youngest kids went on an easter egg hunt, most of us found chairs in the backyard. And what better way to cap off the day than with one of our favorite past ..read more

This past week has been a whirlwind of activity at the New Life office. It’s almost like watching a team of caffeinated beavers (side note: we also have a new coffee maker) on a mission to turn the place into a Pinterest-worthy paradise. As you can see, Pastor Anthony’s been spotted with his Bible open, looking like the epitome of devotion. But let’s not be fooled; behind that serene facade lies a man deeply entrenched in March Madness mania ?. It’s like he’s conducting a covert operation to keep one eye on the Scriptures and the other on the scores ?. Now, Pastor Jeff, bless his heart, has ..read more

Over the past few days, my newsfeed has been popping with NFL teams making moves by trading, signing, and releasing football players. Although I’ve never had to deal with this sort of stress, every name that comes out is a real person with feelings and dreams….and a lot more athletic talent than probably each of us combined. How do you cope with disappointment? In January 1993 (my junior year in high school), Frank Reich, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills engineered one of the most astonishing comebacks in football history. The Bills were trailing the Houston Oilers by 32 points, early ..read more

A few weeks ago, I was driving downtown Kansas City, heading back to the church office and I noticed a car coming towards me while I was stopped at a light…nicely obeying all traffic laws ?. I watched a car turn onto the street a few blocks away and something didn’t seem quite right. Then the driver of the car flashed his (in the end, I never saw the driver, but my guess is a guy…we pay less attention to details and we always think we are right…and yes I’m scoring points for this statement….ok I’m done ?) lights as if to warn me I was on the wrong side of the road. I hurriedly strained aga ..read more

Earlier today, my brother Todd and I and Dallas drove over to Council Bluffs, IA to watch my nephew compete in the Junior College National wrestling tournament. At the beginning of the day, there were 35 wrestlers in his weight class from all around the country and there are just four competing in the semifinals tomorrow…my nephew, Tucker won all three of his matches and is one of those four. He won his first match pretty easily and then decided to make it exciting. During his second match, he was behind by three points heading into the final period and towards the very end got the pin. In ..read more