Posts with the tag “pastor-wil-staley”

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

Simone Biles had been a decorated gymnast for nearly her whole life, leading up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. I still remember hearing the shocking news that she was pulling out of the team and all-a...  Read More

The Disney classic Toy Story is a great movie about friendship. In the movie, Woody and Buzz find themselves on an epic adventure next door at Sid's house. At one point both characters find themselves...  Read More

Road trips are hit or miss for me. Much of it has to do with the other individuals who are in the car. But the place(s) that we are going to, the type of music we're going to listen to, and MOST IMPOR...  Read More

I heard that parking passes for last week's Taylor Swift concert were going for as much as $800 online! While I certainly don't identify as a “Swiftie”, Forbes declares that more than half of the US a...  Read More

Are any J. Beebs fans in the house? I'm not one myself. In fact, I'm not a huge fan of any secular artists really but there are some lyrics that have good messages every now and then. A particular hit...  Read More

Recently, I was playing in a team scavenger hunt game with my wife Alexis. In each round, the host would call for an object that every team was required to produce. The team that was able to present t...  Read More

When was the last time you upgraded your phone? The truth is most folks wait a couple of years and allow a few models to go by before upgrading to the “new and improved" version. Of course, nowadays I...  Read More

Several weeks ago, I asked my students what they’d do for a million dollars. I quickly learned that the question should have been, “What wouldn’t you do for a million dollars?” I asked questions like:...  Read More

One of my favorite sports movies is “Remember the Titans” starring Denzel Washington and Will Patton. The 2000 film is based on the true events of T.C. Williams High School’s 1971 (*spoiler alert) cha...  Read More

When it comes to group projects, are you the type of person who likes to be in charge and figure out what everyone else must do or would you rather sit back and wait for a role to be assigned to you? ...  Read More

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a tough, no-nonsense kind of dad. I’m a bit old school when it comes to my parenting style. However, I often ask my sons to do things instead of command that they do the...  Read More

Have you ever had a near-death experience? It burdens me as I write this to see that there's been another school shooting that took place at a private Christian school Nashville, Tennessee. I can only...  Read More

Do you know the United States Marine Corps’ 5th General Order of a Sentry? Do you know the acronym for the USMC’s 14 leadership traits? How about their battles of World War I, Code of Conduct, Core Va...  Read More