Posts with the tag “pastor-wil-staley”

Whoever said there’s a thin line between love and hate was on to something. Because while I’d never say that I hate any of my family members, some I have a hard time getting along with. Some of my fam...  Read More

You may be familiar with the author Stephen Covey and his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In the book, one of Covey's encouraged habits is to begin with the end in mind. The idea is that wh...  Read More

I’ve shared this story often, but in elementary school, one of my favorite days of the year was “Field Day”. It was a day in which we would compete in a variety of field events in an attempt to earn r...  Read More

A number of students, leaders, and I recently got back from a short-term mission trip to the Nogales Baptist Seminary in Nogales, Mexico. The team was involved in several work projects that included t...  Read More

Have you ever felt powerless? Some people feel this way if they owe an insurmountable debt or experience a difficult addiction they can't seem to get free from. This type of feeling can leave individu...  Read More

I love, love, LOVE coaching. I got my first coaching opportunity back in 2010 coaching a six-year-old and under soccer team; the Hungry Sharks. It started as a selfish way to get more volunteer hours ...  Read More

Captain America: The First Avenger is a classic for me. I mean who doesn't love a good underdog story of a scrawny kid who gets superpowers and fights for our country? There's a scene early in the mov...  Read More

In high school our cheerleaders had a cheer that went like this, “Bullard Knights what time is it? It’s time to get loud. It’s time to represent.” And if there’s one thing that loyal fans do well, it’...  Read More

Who is your favorite "unlikely" hero? Me being a youth guy, a few that immediately come to mind are: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Peter Parker, and Emmet from The Lego Movie. Of course, there are seve...  Read More

Have you ever thought you were set on something only to change your mind? Well, let me say, that I have had quite a bit of experience in that area. After I'd been medically separated from the Marine C...  Read More

There are many pros and cons to online shopping. One of the biggest cons is that you don’t get to physically touch the item that you’re purchasing. Have you ever purchased something online and when it...  Read More

Joshua 4:5b–7 - “5 …'Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelit...  Read More

I get so intrigued by the behind-the-scenes features of a movie that I like. It really lets me know some of the intricate details of the movie’s creation. As a leader, I am always intrigued by how muc...  Read More

It was about a decade ago now that my wife Alexis and I used to run quite a bit. While I was working for Lance Kashian & Co. we would participate in seven or eight 5k races per year. During that time,...  Read More

In the age of streaming EVERYTHING, most of our music is now listened to on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, or Pandora. With that, we have lost the ancient art of making mixed tapes. Today, while...  Read More

Recently, we’ve had several game nights planned at our church. Regarding games, it would be awesome to have access to “power-ups” in life, similar to those found in video games. A good power-up can co...  Read More

I remember a time when my grandmother hated video games. She’d say things like, “They’re destroying our young kids' minds.” To which I’d laugh and just say, “Oh silly grandma!” But today, I’m starting...  Read More

Every now and then I just feel the need to unplug. I started thinking much more about that word and the other places and times it’s used. I began realizing that often when I need to unplug something i...  Read More

I remember playing a lot of video games as a kid. From Super Mario Brothers to Guitar Hero, from Sega Genesis to PlayStation, my childhood included a fair amount of video games and there have been tim...  Read More

I think I’ve shared some of my challenges with road rage in the past (God’s not through with me yet.) However, I believe that some of my indignation is justified. For example, have you ever been on th...  Read More

I don’t know about you, but bumper cars as a kid were my favorite. Even though they hurt sometimes, they were still so much fun. I think part of the reason was they took something that is usually pain...  Read More

In my youth, I was quite the thrill seeker. I enjoyed BMX riding, skateboarding, rollerblading, etc. Once, I even attempted to jump over a broomstick and land on a skateboard using a pogo stick in my ...  Read More

Every generation has its version of slang. In the 1920s for example, "The Bees Knees" was an extraordinary person or thing, "Putting on the Ritz" meant to do something with style, and "iron one's shoe...  Read More

It probably comes as no surprise to hear that three out of four people report feeling stressed or anxious about speaking in public. If I’m being honest, to my wife’s disbelief, to this day I experienc...  Read More

Have you ever played that old game called Perfection? I remember playing the game with my friends as a kid. I cringe a little bit as I think back to that annoying timer ticking down as you try to get ...  Read More

Do you remember playing the game “Sorry!”? I was playing not too long ago with my sons, and I forgot how fun and simple the game is. Like me, my sons are highly competitive and so whenever either of t...  Read More

When someone hurts or wrongs us, it’s often our instinct to get upset and even return that hurt in some cases. Nowhere is this more evident in my life than when I’m driving. I don’t know what it is ab...  Read More

I recently found out that Monopoly is the most successful board game ever. When it comes to sales, it finds itself in 3rd place behind Chess and Checkers. Even with that, the game of Monopoly, accordi...  Read More

When someone hurts or wrongs us, it’s often our instinct to get upset and even return that hurt in some cases. Nowhere is this more evident in my life than when I’m driving. I don’t know what it is ab...  Read More

The Palm youth and I recently attended an in-town youth camp at People’s church called Breakaway Remix during Passover Week. During the camp, students got a chance to play games, eat food, serve the c...  Read More

If you were a comic book character, what would your power be? Notice that I didn’t ask if you were a “superhero”. “Why the distinction,” you might ask. Well, villains have superpowers as well. And hav...  Read More

Have you ever listened to a song and had your face get all scrunched up as you think to yourself, “Nah…This ain’t it?” I’m obviously speaking from experience when I say this may have happened to me on...  Read More

Who is your favorite musical artist? One of my favorites as of late has been Charity Gayle. She has a song called “Endless Praise” that I could put on repeat and listen to over and over for hours. Do ...  Read More

Marine biologist, Sylvia Earle who spent four decades at the forefront of ocean exploration, is an oceanographer who Time Magazine called "Hero of the Planet" in 1998. As a 3-year-old child, a wave si...  Read More

I love working with the youth. One of the benefits is I get to see little problems that they deal with and have the opportunity to address them before they become major problems for them as adults. Id...  Read More

When we look deep below the ocean's surface, some of the stuff we see can be pretty wild. For example, did you know that the Sarcastic Fringehead, Sea Pig, Royal Gramma, and Bloodybelly Comb Jelly are...  Read More

In June of 2017, rock climber Alex Honnold, once considered the best climber in the world, attempted to climb "El Capitan,” the 3200-foot rock face in our Yosemite National Park — without ropes. They ...  Read More

I remember the first time I got into a fishing boat. It wasn't that long ago actually and I went out with a friend and our sons to go fishing on the lake. Initially when getting into the boat the only...  Read More

Do you remember the yearbook section that highlighted those who stand out for their superlatives? It was an exaggerated way to recognize and celebrate people. They often say things like: Most Likely t...  Read More

I don't know about you, but I love pizza. In fact, my family and I might be single-handedly keeping the industry in business. I kid of course but we do have pizza almost every Friday night to go along...  Read More