Essay

You'll never guess what came on the UPS truck the other day—a life-sized cardboard cut out of Bob Ross. You know, the curly-haired PBS painter who made painting look easy. I used to watch Bob Ross; he inspired me to want to be a painter.…

I'm guessing many of you have a photo app that likes to remind you of memories from years past. This morning my wife texted me this picture: You might be thinking "So what? It's a van." Yes... yes it is. The story behind this van…

Twice now I've had people ask me to give more examples of how we can love our neighbor. A common theme in my sermons is how loving God and loving neighbor are deeply connected. We can't love God if we don't love our neighbor—that's what…

This past week I co-led another Prairie Serve, an event that brings high school students from the U.S. and Canada to Sioux City, Iowa to see how God is at work. We partner with Siouxland Unity Church, a Lao community in Sioux City, the Gospel…

High school students know how to play the game. The ones I taught knew what to say and when to say it. In class, I'd listen to a student give a heart warming articulation of the Christian faith, only to hear through back channels that…

A few years ago I was in a conversation with a National Guard member. Ok, it was an argument, but before I continue please know I respect people who serve our country. My father was in Viet Nam and his father was in World War…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-rmGy9gWvE Tonight I get to play music with my son. We started a band called The Hiccups. We mainly play covers—the Foo Fighters, Jack White, Nirvana, and Rage Against the Machine. My son, Christian, started playing the drums a few years ago, and I figured we…

The Shape of Water won the Oscar for best film last February. It tells the story of a mute woman who falls in love with an amphibious creature held captive by the U.S. government. The films of director, Guillermo del Toro, tend to incorporate fantasy…