Category: LifeOnPurpose

Encouragement for Living On Purpose as we reflect on how God leaves His fingerprints everywhere if we would only notice...

Passing the Test

Some of us like taking tests. Most of us would rather avoid them. But being tested is an unavoidable part of life. Our lives are full of tests. Formal tests. Informal tests. Difficult tests and easy tests. Wouldn’t it be great if some of life’s greatest tests simply required a little studying, a number 2 pencil …

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Wake Up Call

Have you ever missed an important event because you didn’t wake up on time? I have. When I travel and I need to wake up early for an important meeting, I ask the hotel for a wake up call. I don’t fully trust my alarm clock. Actually, my alarm clock is a smartphone app, but …

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You’re Grounded!

Sometimes you’ve just gotta laugh. Overheard in the car one day when Elijah was a little boy: Mom: “That’s enough Elijah. You’re grounded from video games!” Elijah: “Oh yeah? Well why don’t you gwound me fwom books instead” Mom: “OK, then you’re grounded from books.” Elijah, quietly: “Good. Cuz I don’t even yike ’em!” It was hard …

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Really, God?

“There’s no sense in getting upset you can only look at the positives.”  Elijah left us with those words. He had no way of knowing how many of us would be telling God that we’re upset and we want to see the positives in his death. For those of us at the top of the pain chain, …

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InflateGate

There’s been a lot of talk lately about deflated footballs. The NFL controversy even has a name: DeflateGate. But it got me thinking about a much more serious problem. I’m calling it InflateGate. To be fair, some things certainly work better when they are properly inflated. Ever try bouncing a deflated basketball on the ground? And who …

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Let It Go…

Is there a significant loss in your life that you have yet to grieve about? Maybe it’s time to let it go. Not everyone grieves the same way. Or at the same time. I’m certainly learning the hard way ever since we lost our teenage son, Elijah. Sometimes the sorrow just overwhelms me at the most awkward moments. My brother …

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Good Grief

Who came up with the term ‘Good Grief’? Maybe it was Charlie Brown during a moment of confusion. How could he associate grief with anything good? Sort of like mixing the terms ‘Sweet Sorrow’ or ‘Awfully Good’. When we are living through a situation of significant loss, the grief can hit us suddenly and uninvited. And often. We can …

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Beyond the Impass

When we stand at the foot of the mountain, we don’t see the horizon. Our future joy and happiness seem blocked by a monumental barrier.  But when we allow our mind and heart to rise above our current circumstances, we see the horizon from a beautiful and positive perspective. God’s perspective. I took this photo today as I was …

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Tea Bags Everywhere!

One day last November I was standing at our kitchen sink when my wife Melanie brought to me six empty glasses she had gathered from around the house. She told me they were all from Elijah, but it was easy for me to figure that out. Each glass had 4-5 tea bags still in them. …

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The Big Picture

Nothing prepares you for the sudden loss of your teenage son or daughter. Where do you turn for comfort when you feel as though God has let you down? I miss Elijah every waking minute. But despite my pain and sadness, I have been encouraged to see the bigger picture. I just never could have imagined …

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