Truth and Grace Above All Else

A cup of coffee I have an obsession. Some people like to watch their favorite football team on certain days. Some people like to listen to music without ceasing. Others prefer to draw a world that once only existed in their minds, but me, I am obsessed with coffee. There, I said it. Those dark caramel colored magical beans produce liquid that cheers the eyes and the soul. I could talk about the science of why this magical bean juice makes me happy, but that is a conversation for another day. What I want to talk about today is how the elegance of a cup of coffee gives us an example of what it means to be intentional with our lives. Select your method From pour over to french press to the traditional brew, there are tons of ways to make coffee, but we are not here to discuss the nuances of brewing coffee. I want to use different methods of brewing coffee as a metaphor for how you are choosing to serve others.   Brew it This is what most consider the method o...

Calling all singles In thinking about writing this blog, there was much to consider including and even much more to exclude. The focus of this article will be based around these three things: Focus, Folly, and Fiction. Focus As a single guy, there are many things I have the time and ability to do that my married friends cannot do. Paul speaks about this in 1 Corinthians 7:8. I have questioned God many times as to why there is no resolution to my desire to be married someday, but through all of this prayer God has taught me of His sufficiency for me, His love for me, and His purpose for me is something other than marriage at this time in my life. Coming to terms with God's will for me to be single in this time of my life has always been a struggle, but it has taught me to rely on Him more fully and has formed me into someone who is focused on serving Him and not man. There is no greater fulfillment that I have found than when I am serving Him through spreading the Gospel. N...

Growth needs to be directed and maintained Having a few different hobbies keeps me very busy. Thankfully most of my hobbies require little to no effort to enjoy, except one. By far the most time consuming and enjoyable hobby that I take part in is growing bonsai trees. Yes, I know what you are probably thinking right now, "Oh, like Mr. Miyagi?". Yes, bonsai trees were popularized by the movie The Karate Kid , but that is not the reason I became fascinated with these almost whimsical plants.  I was browsing my Facebook feed one day and came across an image of a man holding a clay pot in the palm of his hand. Inside of that pot was a small tree that looked as though it was well aged and had a thick trunk to show how old it was. I became awestruck by this image and was captivated to the point of going crazy  over the other images I found of these delicate and beautiful plants. So about three years ago, I purchased a small kit to grow a tree from seed.  The pa...