Thinking Through Tragedy

This world is broken. Do you need any more proof? The entrance of sin has marred God’s creation almost beyond recognition. Terrorist bombings. Senseless violence. School shootings. Unimaginable pain and suffering. This world is a very dark place when wickedness abounds and sin prevails.

How do we make sense of these senseless acts? How do we comprehend the incomprehensible? We don’t. We can’t. Life simply doesn’t make sense apart from Jesus. Apart from Christ, there is no such thing as hope in the midst of wickedness, light in the midst of darkness, and purpose in the midst of pain.

Why do evil people do wicked things? The only possible explanation is sin. No one wants to talk about sin. We want to talk about personality disorders. Psychological syndromes. Emotional distress. Mental health. But we don’t want to talk about sin.

In the end there really is only one explanation. God’s perfect creation has been marred by sin. It has tainted every aspect of our society. It dwells around us. It dwells within us. This is not the world that God intended. Sin is an infringement upon God’s perfect plan.

But God dealt sin a crushing blow through the cross. The head of the serpent was crushed. And through His resurrection, Christ offers hope beyond this life. Jesus will be victorious over all His enemies – death, hell and the grave. And one day, God will right every wrong. He is good, He is faithful, He is just. But for now, as we journey through this sin-cursed world – in the midst of tragedy, trust Jesus.

Dealing With Disappointment

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed. UGA lost to Bama in the SEC Championship game. I’m proud of our boys. I think we played a great game. And, hats off to Bama for beating us fair and square.

I’m not depressed. I’m not down on my team. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. So close. One game away from a shot at the National Championship. So yes. A bit disappointed.

This small disappointment got me to thinking. How do you deal with disappointment in life or in ministry? Are there steps that you take? Is there an approach you use? Is there a strategy you employ?

Let’s face it. Life can be full of disappointments. How can we learn to deal with the disappointments and press on to what God has in store for us?

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Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Marriage

Recently, Stephanie and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. What an incredible blessing! I can honestly say we have been blessed with an incredible marriage. God has been so good to us. In the past ten years we have added to our family several times (with another one on the way). And we have lived in several different places. But through all the changes and additions, our marriage has stayed strong. 

So, I thought I would share with you ten lessons I’ve learned from ten years of marriage. Here they are in no particular order (except the first one).

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My Favorite Week of the Year

We are in the midst of my favorite week of the year. That’s right. I have a favorite week every year. Doesn’t everyone? Seriously. Think about it for just a moment. Do you have a favorite week of the year too?

Why is this my favorite week of the year? I’m glad you asked. There are several reasons. I’ll tell you the reasons. And I’ll add some lessons just for good measure.

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A Big Announcement

The Bible says in Psalm 127:3-5, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.”

What is a “quiver” anyway? Have you ever wondered that? Is it five? Is that right? Five children? If so, it looks like our quiver will be full once June rolls around. That’s right, a big announcement here on the blog today: Stephanie and I are expecting our fifth child at the end of June. Surprised? So were we!

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