Allie and I have a regular habit. After we put the kids to bed, we are exhausted. We collapse on our couches. Sometimes on the same one, other times on separate couches. Then we open our phones and let the blue glow of our screens usher us into oblivion.  Read More

You may have heard it said that money cannot buy happiness, but researchers at Harvard and the University of British Colombia wanted to test if that was true. Their findings may surprise you. According to  The Globe and Mail, the researchers gave students across one Vancouver campus $5 to $20. Some were instructed to spend it on themselves and some were told to spend it on others.Researcher Elizeb...  Read More

Allie and I had been through quite a busy few weeks. In week one we were preparing for a wedding, then we were married. That process in and of itself is exhausting. In week two, we went on our honeymoon. In week three, immediately upon getting back home, Allie and I chaperoned dozens of teens at a week-long youth camp. If you've ever been to youth camp as an adult, you know some people never recover under normal circumstances, let alone being preceded by wedding prep, a wedding, and a honeymoon.  Read More

Chances are, you use social media. While we can argue about the benefits and harm of social media, for good or for bad, most of us have it. If you are one of those blessed souls that do not use any social media app or website, stay strong!  Read More

Today I want to share with you the secret to making a new year's resolution. Growing up I had a lot of bad habits that I (mostly) conquered as I got older through life experience and persistent parenting. Let me give you a few examples.  Read More

At least once a year my extended family would take a vacation on the Outerbanks of North Carolina. Those trips rank among some of my favorite childhood memories. We would hang out, fish, ride bikes all over the island, learn about Black Beard the Pirate, and visit old lighthouses.The Outerbanks are home to The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in the United States, and the second-ta...  Read More

My three youngest boys are terrified of the dark. Our house has a long narrow hallway with their bedroom at the end. Plus, Allie and I are obsessive about turning out lights in rooms we're not in. So, almost every night they must inevitably traverse a pitch-black hallway to reach their bedroom. This is something they will not do. If I tell Olan, my seven-year-old, to head off to bed he will peek into the hallway, tentatively look back at me, then the hallway, then me, then the hallway, and say, "It's... it's dark dad." He will not traverse the dark hallway on his own, and this is a hill he will die on. But there is a solution! If his mother or I walk with him, he finds the courage to walk with us to the light switch located about halfway down the corridor.  Read More

Most of us probably think of Valentine's as the season of love. I mean, we exchange cards, heart candies, and roses. So, I get it. Yet, I would argue that Christmas is the real season of love.  Read More

There are only a handful of movies where the sequel is better than the original. The Empire Strikes Back, End Game, The Dark Knight, and Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (Now that I'm looking at it, that is a pretty nerdy list of films). While those movies may be a nerd's dream, the next better-than-the-original sequel is something completely different, yet also one of my all-time favorites: Sister Act 2.  Read More

Have you ever wondered what has been the most peaceful time in history? This is an ongoing debate, but according to How Stuff Works there are some stand-out contenders.  Read More

As unlikely as it is, let's just say that the sun randomly disappeared, what would happen to us? Not that I'm worried about it, but this week's sermon study had this question that was bouncing around in my head. Thankfully Michael from Vsauce covered this almost a decade ago.  Read More

Thanksgiving is this week! That means Friday kicks off the Christmas festivities. Let's be real though, the holidays have began the day after Halloween. We know this because every Christmas Mariah Carey comes out of her cave feeling just fine to launch the Christmas season with her holiday classic "All I Want for Christmas is You." Early on I enjoyed this song as much as anyone, but after almost t...  Read More