Here is an excerpt from my book Before You Go. ***** “They say love is blind; it is also deaf, dumb, and stupid.” -Jaded Cynic “The girls all get prettier at closing time.” -Mickey Gilley I used to hate doing premarital counseling and so did the first few couples I counseled. That’s because I didn’t […]
Archives for July 2011
Like Sands Through the Hourglass
I love this image from Repacking Your Bags: It begins with an image-the image of an hourglass. Most of us live our lives as if we’re in the top of the hourglass. We’re rushing around trying to build our sand castles, but as fast as we can do so, the sand is running out. The […]
July 14, 2011 by 1 Comment
The Good Life
I’m reading through Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Rest of Your Life for a project I’m working on. One of my favorite parts of the book is their generic formula for living the good life: Living in the Place you belong, with the people you Love, doing the Right Work, on Purpose. […]
July 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
From Curious to Kool-Aid: How CrossFit Changed My Life Part 2
Read Part One The day after my first workout, Mark called to check on me. I missed his call because I was too sore to pick up the phone. I was hurting in places I didn’t know I had. A few days later I went back to Eric and signed up for “Elements,” three private […]
July 12, 2011 by 5 Comments
From Curious To Kool-Aid: How CrossFit Changed My Life Part 1
I saw Mark almost everyday at Starbucks. We sat across from each other in the comfy blue chairs in the corner of the store. We worked on our laptops, cracked jokes, and asked each other ponderous questions. Once a week I’d ask him how much weight he had lost. Each week the number would change: […]
July 11, 2011 by 5 Comments
A Great Pregame Prayer
I’ve been a fan of Friday Night Lights from the very beginning. I love to hear Coach Taylor pray. (How often do we hear a main character on a TV show pray?) This prayer from a recent episode is the best pregame prayer I’ve ever heard: Dear Lord, please allow these young men to safely […]
July 9, 2011 by 2 Comments
The Church of CrossFit
When I speak in churches I meet Christians who happen to be CrossFitters. When I’m working out I meet CrossFitters who happen to be Christians. In both instances, we talk about the difference CrossFit has made in our lives. We tell our transformation stories and show off our “before” and “after” pictures on our phones. […]
July 8, 2011 by 16 Comments
What They’re Saying About Before You Go
I recently I released Before You Go: A Few Sneaky-Good Questions Every Minister Must Answer Before Moving to a New Church as a Kindle ebook via Amazon. I’ve been encouraged by both the number of downloads (it has been the #1 bestseller in preaching on Amazon on at least two different occasions) and the reactions from […]
July 7, 2011 by 4 Comments
Show Me Your “Before” and “After” Photos Part 2
Read Part One God’s foolproof marketing campaign for getting the word out about his plan for the world is to give every believer a head-turning set of “before” and “after” photos from their lives. This is the greatest argument a follower of Jesus can make for the validity of the gospel. This is who I […]
July 6, 2011 by 8 Comments
Show Me Your “Before” and “After” Photos Part 1
***** I love the church. I love her so much she drives me crazy. I’ve given my adult life to helping churches make hard, necessary changes so they can do a better a job of accomplishing their mission. My efforts have led to tremendous frustration for both myself and for the churches I’ve served. This […]
July 5, 2011 by 6 Comments
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons