Today, we celebrated our twin girls' 14th birthdays. I spent some time this morning reflecting on the miracles that surrounded their emergency premature delivery and found myself in tearful awe of the many ways we saw God's hand in the experience. 

I'll spare you the details, and tell you that I re...

It's impossible for a newborn to fly a plane. 

It's impossible for a kindergartener to discover a cure for disease.

It's impossible for a high school junior to run for President.

Impossible is based on the present moment and existing resources. With design, focus, time, and connections -- magnifi...

I'm focusing this weekend on some really powerful inputs, by tuning into our church's semi-annual conference (2 full days of beautifully uplifting talks and music focused on the Savior). So many rich lessons about Jesus Christ and how we can better follow His example. It's been a beautiful experienc...

There's the type of education with books, pencils, notebooks, desks, and assignments/tests from an authority figure.

But that's not the only kind. (I would argue that, in many cases, it's not even the best kind.)

Does the fact that a person hasn't sat in the same classroom as another person make t...

Of course it didn't go perfectly. How many times had you done it before this? 

It's easy to feel disappointed in ourselves when we fall short of the level of excellence we expect. Holding ourselves to a high standard is a great way to grow, but we also have to be reasonable.

Capacity is expandable, bu...

I started doing something regularly late last year that has dramatically improved the quality of my time in prayer: 

I pray on paper.

This will sound a lot like Julia Cameron's "morning pages" (as described in her book, The Artist's Way) -- and that's actually how it started. 

Morning pages help get th...

I had a unique opportunity to tour the Pentagon today, where we walked (according to my steps tracker) 9,414 steps all around the building, just getting a small taste of what it's like there. From the outside, it's a large building -- but I'll confess, driving past it over a hundred times, I've neve...

I grew up singing a children's song at church that has guided many of my decisions, but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I found a new, even more powerful way to apply it. Here are the lyrics: 

Every spring, over 1.5 million people visit Washington DC to see the 3,000 cherry trees blossoming along the tidal basin and National Mall. We're about 30 minutes outside of the city, so my girls and I met up with my niece in the city this weekend to join the fun. 

As I sat under one of the cherry tr...

When something comes to an end, especially when it's special to you, it feels like a massive loss. You feel a gaping hole in your life where it was, and life as you knew it is gone. In that moment, all you can see is that loss. It's one of the hardest parts of being human. We'll often go to great le...

It's finally spring here in Virginia, and my youngest loves to play at the park after school. Today, we had to come home first to change clothes and grab a snack. As she was changing, she had an idea:

"I want to ride my bike to the park!"

"Sure!" I agreed.

"And we'll have an adventure!" She added.

"Abs...

Each one of us is offered a role from God, and it's up to us whether we choose to accept it or not. It's a starring role that will push us both outward and inward. It is the role: Beloved Child of God.

This might sound like fancy old-fashioned language. Simplified into plain ol' American English, it ...