I fondly remember coaches in my younger years investing time and energy into challenging me to improve. As a soccer player, I chose to be a goalkeeper because of the lack of runnin... read more
Sometimes I find myself performing a task or involved in a situation that previously would have been an immense struggle. For example: My dog Woodrow is currently paralyzed in his ... read more
I am always fascinated when I run into an old friend and we catch up. Sometimes it isn’t anything profound. But other times it seems as if nothing at all has changed. You tal... read more
Have you ever thought that you needed to stop something to start something better? Hobbies and projects come to mind—you only have so much time in the day, money to invest, s... read more
When my oldest daughter was 2 years old, we had just adopted our son, and I was pregnant with our youngest daughter. Needless to say, my oldest was not only about to get evicted fr... read more
When I was in college, I spent a lot of time with our pastor’s family. I babysat for them, ate hundreds of meals with them, and even lived with them for a season. One evening... read more
Anyone who’s often around kids has noticed most kids believe that a band-aid and a kiss is a quick fix for their bump or scrape. For my daughter, it was the neon-green aloe v... read more
Since basketball just wrapped up, it’s time to talk college football, right?
Penalties are a common occurrence in football, and some of them even have interesting name... read more
As adults, most of us have witnessed the marriages of friends or family crumble, many times as the result of one or both spouses’ poor choices.
From the outside, we can ofte... read more
It’s been so good this week to focus on Jesus’ power over sickness. It shouldn’t surprise us that our Creator is able to heal us, but it’s a reminder I need... read more
Like you, I’m so excited about Southland’s new Hawaii campus opening up next year! I can’t wait… April fools! Haha!
Jesus physically healing people is pep... read more
The Gospels tell a number of stories of Jesus healing blind people. The Gospel of John describes an episode in which Jesus encounters a man blind from birth. In Jesus’ day, b... read more
As we continue to look at examples of Jesus’ power over sickness, let’s look at him healing leprosy. The term leprosy in the context of the Bible labels a spectrum of i... read more
The largest group of Jesus’ miracles mentioned in the New Testament involve physical healings. The Gospels give varying amounts of detail for each episode—sometimes Jes... read more
We’ve been in a teaching series called Plugged In—Tapping Into The Power Of God, and we’ve spent some time this week being encouraged by God’s power over da... read more
This week we’ve looked at God’s power over darkness. Today we’ll focus on The Light that has overcome the darkness! This Light was predicted and written about wit... read more
Jesus’ temptation by Satan is another example of His power over darkness. In yesterday’s devo, we saw Jesus exorcise demons that were tormenting two men. Few of us woul... read more
Jesus' encounter with the demon-possessed men is a stunning example of His power over darkness, and the story reveals multiple truths for us to consider. (I would encourage yo... read more
We seem to have a fascination with darkness. I remember trips to Mammoth Cave where the tour guide would lead the group into a lower chamber and turn off the lights. The darkness w... read more
Learning to ride horses is an interesting experience. As a novice rider, you’re taught to hold the reins in your hands like ice cream cones, not put your feet too tightly in ... read more
What is it that keeps us from living in freedom?
I had the opportunity to ask this question in a message recently, and I have been stuck on it since. I gave an answer throug... read more
If I had to pick a couple words to describe the last year for most of us, I would simply say devastating and confusing. That’s simply a real and raw reflection of what most o... read more
Joshua is one of the coolest characters in the Bible because the Lord used him in powerful ways. Joshua was tasked with leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, something tha... read more
What is the coolest trip you have ever taken?
For me, it would probably have to be when I got to go to the Holy Land (Israel) during college. I had spent a semester studying and p... read more
"When does a joke turn into a dad joke?" . . . When it becomes apparent!
Studies have shown that people laugh about 30 times more when they are around others than when they are alone... read more
My roommate in college used to tell me she could only parallel park when I was in the passenger seat. Was this because I was an excellent parallel parker? Absolutely not. I simply ... read more
Last year, I went to visit a friend of mine in New Orleans. On the way back home, my plane was delayed, and then delayed again, and then delayed some more. Finally, at 2:30am, they... read more
A couple of summers ago, we loaded up 21 high school students and leaders to drive to Cincinnati, Ohio, for a mission trip with BLOC Ministries. Four high school girls nervously cr... read more
The number 1 song on the Billboard charts for the last 6 weeks is the song, Drivers License, by Olivia Rodrigo. I work with high school students at Southland, and they told me all ... read more
Chances are, you or someone you know has played the perennial hit video game Mario Kart. You choose a character and race on a track against your opponents. The tracks you choose va... read more
According to my Google skills, the fastest a Formula 1 racing car has sped in a race is 327. 6 km/h, which is the equivalent of 231. 5 mph. These amazing race cars go 0-60 mph in two... read more
It’s interesting to me that Paul’s great list of the fruit of the Spirit contains self-control. It is usually pretty evident when someone’s life is under God&rsqu... read more
My driving experiences have developed over the years. From a plastic three-wheeler to a bicycle, to a go-kart on a guided track at Disney, to a golf cart, and eventually a gasoline... read more
I’ll never forget laying in bed as a kid after a day at the beach. I wasn’t awake for long because of the exhaustion of playing in the ocean, but for the moments I rema... read more
Isaac Newton’s first law of motion says: An object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. If you’ve ever skidded off the road or taken... read more
One day, I gave a friend a ride home after work. I’d never been to his house, so he was giving directions. He got to talking and suddenly shouted: “Hey! That’s my... read more
Years ago, I bought a little hatchback with a 4-cylinder engine, reining in 81-horses under the hood. (Compare that with the most popular vehicle sold in Kentucky right now that ha... read more
If you’ve ever considered renting a supercar, you may want to think a little longer before you take the plunge. There are a few questions to answer if you hope to be responsi... read more
Many automotive innovations trace their roots to Formula 1 Racing. It’s an ultra-competitive field where some mind-boggling ideas are pioneered. Hyper-expensive lessons are a... read more
My sister and I are both well into our 30s, with kids. Yet our parents are adamant about buying us a AAA subscription every year. My mom worries about us on the road—she want... read more
As we spend time in God’s Word, we come to an incredible realization of God’s holiness. He gives Adam and Eve the command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of Goo... read more
They always say your car loses value the second you drive it off the lot. Cars aren’t the best analogy of eternal life because they just don’t last. Above our fireplace... read more
The holidays always set my eating plans back a few months. It begins with a few chocolate bars at Halloween. Then, some pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. Fudge, cookies, and all kinds o... read more
I’m a distracted driver. Sometimes, I get to my destination and wonder how in the world I made it. Signs, traffic, new restaurants, billboards—there is a lot to take in... read more
Last year was a very loud year. The news was loud. Social media was loud. It felt like there was a lot to say, and we all needed to say it. No matter the issue at hand, there was a... read more
“Don’t trust everything you read on the internet. ” – Abraham Lincoln
I love funny quotes like this because, at their heart, they’re absolutely true. ... read more
There are many ways to measure wellbeing, and beyond the necessities (shelter, food, clothing), there is a vast plane of grey from which our culture might determine needs versus wa... read more
When I was an incoming freshman at UK in 2005, I remember we had to watch a presentation of what they were calling the Green Dot campaign. It was born from the effort of several ca... read more
Think about the last time you felt like a true outsider. It could have been when you were in another town or country, or even just around unfamiliar people. Think about how you typ... read more
No one changes more in seven years than a teenager. Adolescence is characterized by inconsistency, one of the side effects of rapid change. I’m glad God isn’t a teenage... read more
