Archives For Bible

Have you ever met the person who is always in the middle of some kind of drama?

Somebody always said something, looked some way, thought something, or didn’t do something and the the drama queen (or king) is all hot and bothered about it.

Clouds over her head

As they walk your way, you think, “Oh no. Here we go again. Wonder who peed in their Corn Flakes today?”

Somehow every conversation ends up about them and their life problems.

It seems like some people just always have a cloud of drama hanging over their head.

Working with teenagers, I see this all the time. But sadly many adults are just as bad.

Sometimes I just want to grab these people by the shoulders, and shake them while shouting, “WAKE UP! What is the common denominator in all your problems?” Continue Reading…

Have you ever been angry that God doesn’t just fix all your problems? I definitely have.

stress

Lately my family and I have been going through a rough time. I have prayed and prayed that all the junk would just go away. But when I opened my eyes it was still here.

Is God not listening or something? I mean, He is the all-powerful God of the universe. It’s not a question of whether or not he could do it.

With the snap of His fingers He could make all of our troubles disappear. But God rarely seems to fix things immediately.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that He doesn’t still perform miracles. He does. But some times it seems like all the stories of miraculous things happen to other people but never us.

So why does God allow bad things to happen to us?

I bet that if all of us looked back on our lives, we would agree that it was through the most difficult times that God has shaped us the most.

Continue Reading…

I don’t want to look on the bright side. Lately, after my ankle surgery I have been feeling pretty down. Who can blame me? It has been almost a month already and I still have 2 more months before I can walk again.

I'll be your Crutch (EXPLORE)

I’m a proud guy. So, for the first week after surgery it was frustrating not being able to go to the bathroom without someone helping me get there.

It is killing me not being able pick up my little girl. I miss chasing her around the living room and giving her piggyback rides.

It Is frustrating that I get winded just crutching to the kitchen and back.

I get mad that doing the simplest thing like pouring a glass of water, taking a shower, or taking out the trash has become next to impossible for me without asking for help.

Needless to say, I have had better days. Patience is not one of my strong points. Waiting for my leg to heal is killing me.

And if you have ever been through a rough patch, you know that you always hear the same advice from well-meaning people. They all say, “Look on the bright side.” Continue Reading…

Don’t ever mess with a mother’s baby! Seriously, don’t do it!

It doesn’t matter how sweet or nice the mother is, it will not go well for you.

Angry Bear

In fact, I firmly believe that every mother has super powers.

No joke. I have seen it first hand.

Continue Reading…

Building Sand Castles

July 14, 2012 — 1 Comment

When I was a kid my family went on vacation one summer in California. When we got to the beach, I did what every boy must do. I set out to build a sand castle that would put all other sand castles to shame.

sand castles

For hours I hand crafted a masterpiece. There were moats, towers, drawbridges… everything a boy could ever want in a castle. I was Michelangelo and this was my Sistine Chapel. It was perfect. I couldn’t wait to show Mom and Dad.

But what I didn’t know as a kid is that there is this thing called the tide. Continue Reading…

After celebrating Independence Day this week, I have been thinking a lot about the freedom we have in America. Unlike many countries, we are free to do so much. But our freedom also comes the responsibility to use it wisely.

Freedom

Are we wasting our freedom?

I read the following passage in my Bible this morning and I’m feeling convicted.

Continue Reading…

We judge people every day based solely on their outward appearance. But that’s not what God looks at.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to share this message with a large group of teenagers at one of our campuses. Take some time and watch the video below.

People look at looks; God looks at heart.

Have you ever misjudged someone because of their appearance?

I Hate School Dances

June 25, 2012 — 3 Comments

As a teenager, there was nothing I hated more than school dances. I went to all the dances and hated every one of them. Come on, is there anything on earth more awkward than a school dance?

Dance

I hated dances so much that one year I made the decision to officially boycott all dances. The night of the big dance, I looked out my window. I could see the high school parking lot from my house. I watched all the cars rolling in. I could hear the music bumping all the way from the gymnasium. Continue Reading…

Laziness affects us all. Giving in can ruin us. Overcoming it can define us.

Lazy dog

Last night I didn’t feel like going for a run, but I did it anyway. I didn’t feel like writing this blog post, but I did it anyway. After a crazy week all I wanted to do was go to bed, but I didn’t. Why?

Nobody ever got ahead by sitting on their behind. Continue Reading…

Bottle Rocket Runner

June 13, 2012 — 1 Comment

“Hilgemann! You’re running the 400!”

It was my first and only year running track in high school. We were at a track meet at a rival school and we were short handed. And these were not the words I ever wanted my coach – who we affectionately called “Coachie” – to throw my direction.

The track runs never-ending

I am not good at running long distances. Most runners run like a steam engine. They set a steady pace and chug along until they finish. I run more like a bottle rocket. I shoot off to a quick start and then everything goes up in flames! Continue Reading…