From my heart...

Mask noun   a covering for all or part of the face, worn to conceal one's identity. Masks. Whether we admit it or not we all wear them to conceal the parts of our identity we'd rather not let the world see. Unfortunately, the very thing that could bring us the healing and growth we need in those hidden areas of our lives is the very thing we are unwilling to do: open, honest acknowledgement of our deepest flaws and wounds.     Out of curiousity, I posed a question to facebook to get some observations from others about how they'd describe me.  Here's some of the responses I received: Enthused, proud, funny, compassionate, committed to your faith/God and your family. Witty! Handsome. Charming. Charismatic. Fun! Great dad. Stubborn. Messy! Intellectual, hard-working, resourceful, while sometimes over anxious, worrisome, yet cool headed. A walking encyclopedia. Newscaster, try to inform FB friends about everything. A good friend once cautio...

Unless you're living in a cave without access to media in any form (in which case, how are you reading this?) you probably know that last night the Seattle Seahawks dominated the Denver Broncos en route to a 43-8 victory in Super Bowl 48. There were two storylines that dominated the sports talk circuit leading into last night's game:  one was Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman's "colorful" postgame interview after making the play that put his team into the championship.   Amped on adrenaline just a few seconds after the play, Sherman had some less-than-charitable things to say about his opponents.  Whether his words and behavior were appropriate or justified was a much-discussed topic the past few weeks. The other "big story" concerned the impact the game result would have on Broncos QB Peyton Manning's "legacy."  Manning, after coming back from a potentially career-ending injury two years ago, broke multiple records this season on hi...

fa·ther noun 1.  a male parent 2.  a father-in-law, adoptive father, or stepfather 3.  any make ancestor, especially the founder of a race, family, or line; progenitor 4.  a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector or provider 5.  a person who has originated or established something:  the founding fathers.  Father's Day is celebrated in 48 nations around the world.   In the United States, we celebrate on the third Sunday in June, which happens to be today.   There was a time when the idea of a father was pretty straightforward:  the man who, with your mother, conceived you and then after your birth raised you to adulthood.  We know that in today's world that is certainly not always the case.   Many of you know my story, perhaps a few do not.  I was born the day after my mom's 17th birthday.   When I was not quite 3 years old, my mom married Dave Sexton, so from my very ea...

My favorite Christian artist is Brandon Heath. I have all his CDs, and more often than not he's who I'm listening to in the car.  My kids love the music, but they listen very closely to the lyrics and are always asking me questions about the meaning behind the lyrics.  One such question came about Heath's song song "The One" which includes these lyrics:  When I think of what could be if we let our hearts believe that it takes just one, just one could turn this all around.  And if we're living history, how will they think of you and me if it takes just one, just one.  What if I'm the one? Brandon Heath I explained to the kids that the song is about how even one person can make a difference in the world.  Caleb immediately exclaimed, "Even a KID could change the world!"   Oh how I love that optimism and simple faith of a child.     That conversation brought to mind a man who lived 1600 years ago, a simple man, but one whose action...

Napoleon Bonaparte was 34 years old when he was crowned Emperor of the French in 1804.  In what became known as the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), he conquered most of Europe.  By the time of his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, well over 5 million soldiers and civilians had died in the conflicts.   It is during his reign a story has been passed down to us.  Whether it's true or not is up to debate, but the story goes like this: Napoleon Bonaparte A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death as the penalty for his crimes.   "But I don't ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy."     "But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied.   "Sir," the woman cried, "If he deserved it, it wouldn't be mercy.   And so I ask for mercy."  "Well, the...

One of the most fascinating (and scary) things about being a dad is seeing the ways in which our children are (or are not) like us.  All of three of my children seem to have inherited their mom and dad's outgoing personalities.  Overall, however, my daughter Rachel is the most like me.   She shares my love for history, loves to read and is way ahead of her grade level in reading, and loves to learn.   Our biggest difference seems to be how we handle our emotions.  I tend to internalize everything, and only let it out when I can't contain anymore.  With Rachel, one never has to wonder what she's thinking, whether she's sad, hurting, angry, etc. One of the "manifestations" of her emotions happened a few weeks ago before a soccer game.  It was the third game of the season, and when the time came to get her dressed and ready for the game, that's when it happened. First, some background.  Rachel is going to be eight years old in a few wee...