Ice Cream and Golf

One of my daughters, when growing up, had a difficult time making decisions. I can remember distinctly the challenge we had as a family going to get ice cream. We quickly learned to order first because if we waited for her to decide, the chances of the ice cream shop closing its doors before we ordered became a real possibility. The ice cream choices when I was a child were simple… chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. However, then some old chap named Baskin and his wife named Robin (I may have made that up) decided to add many, many, many, many […]

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Freaking Out

I have fond memories of a slightly chaotic situation. We were enjoying an evening with some friends at our home, which at the time had a small dock on a canal. The evening was pleasant as evenings with friends can be. The moon was full, and the tide was high. The children were playing outside, around the pool and down by the dock (supervised I might add). We heard some commotion and my youngest daughter came running through the house yelling at the top of her lungs, “I’m freaking myself out, I’m freaking myself out, I’m freaking myself out!” Running […]

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We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Box

Box of Mystery Years ago, when our children were younger, we used to schedule “mystery family vacations.” The idea was a brilliant one, I might add. The concept was simple. Lisa and I would devise a fun family vacation but keep it a secret. We would simply share with our children the date of departure, the date of return and provide them a packing list, inserted with a few decoys to throw them off. The first year our children complained that we were terrible parents trying our best to ruin their lives, (jury is still out on that one) but […]

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ChristMISS

Christmas morphs into ChristMISS I often have regrets after Christmas. I will regret spending too much time on the unimportant but momentarily critical noise rather than absorbing in the cackling of my many grandchildren, indulging in one of those, “hey dad, what if…..” conversations, hanging with friends, holding the hand of my wife, etc. Many of those regrets stem from not noticing, not listening and not seeing. I regret cutting a conversation short because I become bored with it and wanted to move on to something else. I regret times when I was more concerned about my diet than indulging in someone’s […]

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The Wonderful Things My Wife Says…

One day, my wife Lisa said she felt that it was time we sacrifice more. I wasn’t sure what she meant. Was it time to begin to construct an altar in the back yard?  What would our neighbors think? What would we do with all the animals? Would Chihuahuas qualify? “Stephan, Stephan, Stephaaaaaaan….I think God is telling us we need to sacrifice more.” When I heard my name repeated several times, I realized that I had drifted off, probably a coping mechanism. “What do you mean?”  I asked. “I think we ought to adopt a child, and I think that […]

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Now is Not the Right Time

Time is an enigma to me. There is no escaping it. It never stops. It marks births, deaths, celebrations and tragedies. Sometimes time moves too fast, and sometimes it seems to move too slowly, though it actually always moves at the same pace. I can think of times when I was waiting in a line and wondering to myself (actually, probably out loud), “Why is this taking so long?” However, have you sat and watched a sunset and remarked to yourself (actually, probably out loud), “Wow, look how fast the sun is disappearing.” Like I said, time is an enigma […]

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Who’s Got Zach’s Back?

Imagine living your life in such a manner that increasingly no one wanted to be around you.  You were so self-obsessed and so focused on your own “so called” success that people and relationships did not matter. Now, imagine something happened that changed all that. Perhaps a book you read, perhaps a sermon you heard, perhaps a caring friend that spoke into your life, but you truly had a “scrooge moment” and woke up with a new perspective. You were different. You assumed everyone would be happy and excited and want to celebrate this new you. However, you were not received the way you thought you would be. Perhaps […]

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Hopeful Horton (and the lessons I can learn)

I am increasingly aware of the hopelessness in our society that seems to exist like a thick fog.  I understand that most of that hopelessness is masqueraded with busy lives, conversations centered on frivolous topics and the propensity to show off on social media. The more you stop and listen and filter out the noise, the more you here the cries of those around you. Enter Horton the Elephant I am reminded of Horton, the main character in Dr Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who.” The basic premise is that Horton, an elephant, has the capacity of hearing the cries of […]

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Limitless

Limitless Creation! I was recently reflecting on how I was created. Have you done that? I obviously know that about 55 years ago a sperm and an egg came together. The necessary ingredients belonged to my dad and mom, which is a bit too much information for my old mind to dwell on, but it happened and I am grateful for that. However, I was actually talking about something bigger, more majestic and more cosmic. I am a follower of Jesus. I don’t always know what that means, but it does imply a significant amount of faith. A follower of […]

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The 21-Day Slow

I typically don’t like to fast. I know it’s important, and it’s encouraged throughout the Bible. I know that there are many benefits to fasting. The clarity and focus that occurs as one intently focuses on Jesus is something supernatural. I have dear friends who fast regularly for extended times and speak of its benefits. I still don’t like to fast. I have fasted many times and frankly, will fast again. However, did I say I don’t like to fast? 21-Day Fast Our church has, over the past few years, encouraged its community to fast for the twenty one days […]

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