Dream Big

I think we too often place limitations on our dreams because: A) We don't have a big enough God in our heads or B) We secretly fear failing.

In 2025, I want to challenge you to dream BIG.

God can do ANYTHING, you know—FAR MORE than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."  (Ephesians 3:20-21, MSG)

Take a look around you and imagine what could be and what should be in this new year.

Seriously, take a deep breath and put pen to paper to write out your dreams for 2025.

And then God answered: “Write this.
Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
It’s on its way. It will come right on time."

(Habakkuk 2:2-3, MSG)

Write down your dreams for the future!  Did you know that it's been proven to increase the likelihood of achieving them? In a study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University, participants who wrote down their goals were 42% more likely to achieve them than those who didn't write them down.

Buy a Moleskin, pray some big prayers, and then write out some big dreams.  

Now is not the time to shrink back in fear.

Playing it safe is too risky!

Dream big in 2025 and let's see what God can do through you...

Are You an Energy Vampire?

In life and leadership, we are on a bus and we’re going somewhere. I think back to my elementary and junior high days… where riding the bus was more than just how you got to school. You had to get your spot, with your friends, and you definitely had a plan to cause chaos for the bus driver! 

Maybe you’re a business owner, an athlete, a parent, or you just started a new job…  ask yourself today: what metaphorical bus are you on? Who’s on the bus with you? Where are you going? And what energy are you bringing to it? I want to leave you with this..

5 THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT BEING ON THE ENERGY BUS


#1: BRING GREAT ENERGY TO THE BUS
Are you an energy vampire? You know, the people who kind of just suck the energy right out of you?When you walk into your job or a meeting, what are you bringing? Leaders know WHAT the room needs — and it's your ENERGY!

#2: DON’T CARRY OTHER PEOPLE’S NEGATIVE ENERGY
We are the sum total of our influences and if you’re not careful you’ll get swallowed up in the narrative of negativity. Now, of course you can JOURNEY with someone, but be careful that you do not CARRY their negativity or offense.

#3: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE THE BUS IS GOING IT MATTERS WHO’S ON THE BUS
In other words…relationship over productivity!


#4: YOUR ATTITUDE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY 
Generally bad attitudes are a result of mishandled/ignored conflict and a lack of accountability. Make it right, own it, have a clear conscience, and lead with your best attitude!

#5: SABBATH REST OR YOUR ENERGY IS DRAINED


Fatigue will make a fool out of you! Take the rest you need so that you’re leading FROM rest, not FOR REST.


Wherever you find yourself today, try to add more energy than you take! You got this... LET'S GO!

On Pain and Loss

This past week marked one year since my Mother suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. 

It is a weird anniversary to mark as it brings up memories and emotions that usually remain bottled up, untouched by daily life.  I think my sister put it best:

"One of the strangest things about loss, especially sudden loss, is that while your world is crashing down around you, the rest of the world keeps on moving. Today somehow marks 1 year without Mom. It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been an entire year without one of the most important people in my life. I try to not dwell on regrets, but not hugging her when I had the opportunity, not knowing that just one hour later she’d be cruelly and tragically taken from us, is the hardest for me to reconcile. I still struggle with the unfairness and trauma of it all, but I try to remember that I’m still here and there are people that need me. Mom is at peace, and one day I will get to give her that hug I so desperately wish for."

When she passed, I put together a little video that played at the opening of her Celebration of Life.  For what it's worth, here's the video:

The Joy and Pain of Adoption

November is National Adoption Awareness Month.

To be honest, this subject feels a little heavy for us.  We have had the privilege of being a family built and shaped through adoption for 18 years now and it's been a journey marked with so much joy and gratitude for the gifts that our children are to our family.  I love our big, bustling crew and how our home is filled with laughter and how we get to celebrate the unique diversity and beauty of each of our children as well as their beautiful birth cultures.  It is such an honor to embrace all of it and something that we deeply cherish together.

That being said, while adoption is abundantly beautiful, it always starts with loss.  In the perfect world there would be no need for adoption and children would never be separated from their birth families.  Every adoptee will have their own journey and unique feelings and way of processing through their story.  Most adoptees will tell you that there's a considerable amount of grieving that happens at various stages of their life.  To not acknowledge the trauma that many of our children have walked through and the impact that it has on them would not honor them.  And so while we celebrate the gift that a month like this is, we also recognize the loss that our children had to endure before coming into our home.  Everyone deals with pain in their own way and our goal is to always be as supportive as possible while honoring each of our kids' stories which is private to them and sacred to us.

And so we hold the tension of two truths at the same time - that adoption is both beautiful and redemptive and full of goodness and joy and also that adoption is costly and painful at times.  Sending our love and support to all who walk this path, both adoptees and their adoptive families.  May you sense the overwhelming love and peace of God towards you and sense His nearness in every season of your life.  We are so grateful for this community here and the way we are able to encourage and support each other on our unique journeys.

Answers on the Fly

One of my favorite Sundays of the year is when we do Answers on the Fly: Live Q&A via texting. 

Instead of a regular sermon with notes, we invite the audience to instead text-in questions anonymously that I then answer live on stage. 

It creates a safe place for people to wrestle with their faith while keeping me sharp and on my toes!  Everyone loves the accessibility and trust this creates (i.e. "This guy really does know what he's talking about!").

For what it's worth, here's our latest Answers on the Fly featuring questions about Yeshua, abortion, LGBTQ issues, and more!

Dealing with Church Factions That Rise Up

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

It’s hard to be meek when factions rise up within a church.  We get wrapped up in factions.


FACTIONS - When there is a pile-up of disgruntled people who build up a case that becomes a driving fantasy.  Driven by the “What If?”


Factions live their lives on something that has not happened.  It takes great skill to deal with factions, this is why we have Therapists!  Sometimes we can’t get resolution, just accept it.

  • Give up the right to be treated right.


Anger is secondary to a Hurt.  Body is so hyped that it FEELS helpless, resentment, fear and anxiety.  This is Paranoia.

When there is trauma, the body becomes hypersensitive – Your body wants OUT of this!  You move from prudence to paranoia.


People will try to FOG you: Fear, Obligation, and Guilt.  You can’t drive forward when your windshield is fogged up!  If I can get you to feel one of these three feelings,  I can control and manipulate you.


Ex: Small children and parents

Students and substitute teachers

Elderly parents and adult children

Politicians and the public


To avoid being manipulated, practice DeFogging – Clarity is kindness.  “Now it’s clear.  Now I’m free.”

Clarity assigns responsibility so you can forgive.

If you can’t forgive, you’re stuck.

The goal is clarity – Learn to accept real expectations.  Live with it.  Sometimes you get validation, sometimes not.


Every feeling has a THOUGHT attached to it: “My right to be treated right is violated.”

This leads to Hostility and Harshness - the Law of the Jungle.

MEEKNESS is the opposite of Harshness.

Gentle and kind is not natural.  But it allows God’s supernatural work into your soul.


Philippians 2

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.


Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.



Jesus became MEEK rather than HOSTILE.

You have to give up your right to be treated right.

Rights are things you can’t control because you can’t control the other person.

REPLACE your right to be treated right with God’s Promises!

This leads to God’s power in your life – resurrection of good things out of factions.


Don’t fight for your natural rights and watch God bless through His supernatural economy.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.