Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’m one of those crazy weirdos who actually likes work. Well … let me rephrase that: Sometimes I hate work, but in general, work comes naturally to me. I understand it. Relationships are messy, and I’m not super good at leisure time. But with work, there are clear expectations. Come at this time. Complete thisContinue reading “Giving God Control of My Career”

A few years ago if you would have told me the hottest, trendiest show on Netflix today would be a show about “tidying up,” I would have thought you were crazy. There is so much content on streaming platforms these days — some of it’s even nominated for Oscars. And we’re watching people clean? SandraContinue reading “Tidy Up From the Inside Out”

In my job at a local church, I regularly interact with older people. Sometimes we just chat before a church event. Sometimes I help put together details for a loved one’s memorial service. Sometimes I’m simply their best option for free tech support (“Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in?”). My interactionsContinue reading “Stamping Out Cynicism”

I vividly remember a conversation I had with one of my teachers near the end of high school. I had multiple leadership roles that year, so I had all sorts of trainings to complete, meetings to run and banquets to plan. Maybe it was just “senioritis” kicking in, but I remember feeling weary. I thinkContinue reading “The Curse of Ambition”

Back in 2014, I started hearing a bunch of hubbub around a popular new podcast called “Serial.” In the 12-part series, a journalist from Chicago dives deep into a murder case in Baltimore from 1999. The true story includes crazy twists and turns, and much of her research seemed to point to a possible wrongfulContinue reading “The “Serial” Podcast and God’s Heart for Justice”

As I’ve written before, I have a weird relationship with “Christian” music. There were seasons in my life where that was all I listened to, and I absolutely loved it. I bought every Michael W. Smith album (literally), waited in line to meet Nicole C. Mullen and was usually wearing a Hawk Nelson tshirt. IContinue reading “Are We Entering a New Era of Christian Music?”

A few weeks have passed now since the media maelstrom surrounding the Nike/Colin Kaepernick controversy took over the Internet. This story has taken the predictable trajectory I’ve come to expect with things like this: Big news breaks, everyone overreacts and gets angry on Twitter, and eventually we settle down and make Dwight Schrute parody memes.Continue reading “What We Can Learn from Colin Kaepernick”

This article originally appeared in the July/August issue of Christian Leader magazine. I co-wrote it with my Lead Pastor, Brent Warkentin. Reading the Bible can be (very) hard. Even for seasoned believers, certain sections of Scripture can seem to have very little cultural relevance to our lives today. Other parts feel repetitive, and some versesContinue reading “Is the Bible Worth Reading?”

I remember going to concerts all the time when I was in high school. Whether it was Switchfoot or Hawk Nelson or TobyMac or any of those bands that good little Christian teenagers are supposed to like, I fondly remember singing along and jumping around, soaking up the fun energy. These days I seem toContinue reading “Dear Artists, We Need You”

I’m in the middle of a pretty busy season. I’m swamped at work these days, and it’s no small feat to care for (and keep alive) a babbling, hungry, fussy 9-month-old. Then there’s a few side projects, and I also do my best to find time to run and stay in shape. I know I’mContinue reading “Thou Shalt Have Fun”