Finding the right Church

This past weekend we attended our church membership class in which the Pastor shared many different aspects about the church so we could make an informed decision about becoming official members. We have been attending for the past year and have already experienced the way the church operates, but were able to hear the philosophy behind how the church runs. We were able to put words to what we’ve seen for the past year. read more>>

Why Are You Striving?

As I journey through this thing called life, I find that I fall pray to some the common idioms and phrases about self reliance. You know the ones, pull yourself us by your boot straps, or God helps those who help themselves. At the heart of these and more in the idea that if we try hard enough we will be okay and be successful. One of the places in our lives where this really plays out is when we have made a mistake.We do everything in our ability to make it write. The process of striving harder and harder begins, often in the end all we feel is exhausted and still regretful. Why do we strive so hard with so little gain. “read more>>”Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

Adventures in Awful: Selling Out

Bridget (my wife, in case you don’t know) has frequently stated her desire to have Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser be her personal trainer for one day. If you’ve ever seen Biggest Loser, you know Bridget is crazy to ever wish this upon herself. Jillian Michaels devours people. She is a human pit-bull, barking orders, snapping at people, ruthlessly going in for the kill. Whether Bridget is crazy or not, I must admit that I kind of like Jillian Michaels – not the marital infidelity sort of like, but the I-think-she-could-bench-press-me kind of like. read more>>

Entering the Unknown

I was at a point about 2 years ago where I had no idea where to turn, what to do next. To be honest I was a mess. I was very unsure what direction my life was about to head in. All I knew is that God was leading me out of the place I was currently, and into a new territory. I didn’t know where I was going, for how long, or how I was going to get there. I was reminded today of a scripture that has given me much direction in the past. read more>>

Going Against the American Grain

My wife and I needed a well deserved vacation. Fortunately for us we got one this weekend. We took a quick flight to NYC and stayed on Broadway.

There is a list of many things we didn’t do, we see The Statue of Liberty, we didn’t take an elevator to the Empire State Building, we didn’t take a ferry ride around Manhattan, we didn’t stand in a crowd hoping to be on camera on Good Morning America, and we didn’t catch a Yankee game. Some would say that our vacation was read more>>

Fired Up

This past week, date night started before the weekend began. It was awesome and completely necessary, but not an exceptionally smart thing to do. As the week wound down and I spent my third consecutive night at school past 5 o’clock whatever will power I had for the day was spent on the decision to go to the gym before school started. So when I opened my inbox and found a coupon for Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse I immediately called Pete read more>>

There’s an App for that!

There are a ton of applications you can download for your iPhone or iPod touch. I’ve tried my fair share of them and would like to suggest a few that have hung around on my iPhone. I’d love to hear your fav’s so be sure to post your app treasures in the comments below. read more>>

Jump Scared

On a wall in my office I have a quote posted from the book, Entrepreneurial Faith by Kirbyjon Caldwell and Walt Kallestad with Paul Sorensen. The quote, “If you cannot jump brave, jump scared.” Fear often keeps us from venturing out into new spaces. I have become convinced greatness is so rare because people are held captive by fear, and do not jump.

There’s no I in TEAM

Most of us have heard this statement before particularly those of us who have participate in some sort of a team event. But this also holds true in marriage. The Bible tells us that “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and become united to his wife and the two shall become one flesh”(Ephes 5:31). We have all at one point or another come across this verse. Think about the last few words “the two shall become one flesh” to me this says that both husband and wife have to have an active roll in becoming one. read more>>

Adventures in Awful: Nice Lyrics, Genius

If you happen to drive by me on my way to work in the morning, you might just catch me doing some head-bobbing, steering-wheel-drumming, early-morning singing. See, I have a problem – I like hip-hop music. This might not seem like a problem, but you have to understand that I grew up on a farm way out in the country, so it makes me look like quite a poser (rhythmically challenged poser) when I am head-bobbing to hip-hop. The other part of the problem is that the first time I hear a song, I just listen to how it sounds, and usually I like it, but by the third or fourth time I hear a song, I begin to listen to the lyrics – major trouble. read more>>

Seasons, Chapters, and Empty Promises

Each season always seems like the longest, the coldest, the warmest, of course I’m referring to the actual weather. It is now Autumn and suddenly the temperature has measurably dropped. The early morning run is now coupled with a knit hat, gloves and that cold crisp air now freezing your lungs and throat. I tend to find beauty in each season. Yes it’s getting cooler, but read more>>

Grow Up, Eat Your Veggies

fish, red meat, incense, paste, coffee, and herbs sold… purses and livestock, cheese and deli meat, plants and flowers, jewelry and crafts, specialty foods and ethnic delicacies read more>>