September 16 The 2018 Sing! conference in Nashville was spectacular. Experiencing so many of my favorite speakers and songwriters in one place was wonderfully overwhelming, and the greatest aspect of the week was singing Psalms and hymns with thousands of brothers and sisters in praise to God. While many of the songs we sang were … Continue reading 3 Fresh Worship Songs from Sing!

September 9 My family and I are just outside of Nashville, Tennessee today gearing up for the 2018 Sing! worship conference here. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be back for my second year at Sing! This year’s conference theme centers on the Psalms, a topic that will be covered by speakers … Continue reading On the Way to Sing!

There’s a catchphrase among photographers reminding us it’s okay to occasionally set down our cameras. “Pet the whale” experts tell us. Switch off the camera, tuck away the iPhone, and reach out to live in the moment for once. The expression evolved in some form from whale watchers so keen on capturing their spectacular, Facebook-worthy … Continue reading Live Fully: “Pet the Whale”

September 2 This morning we sang a new song at church that I’ve been listening to quite a bit lately. It’s called Life Defined by Shane and Shane. The lyrics are wonderfully simple, yet I think they proclaim a truth often lacking from the plethora of Christian songs today. It’s a truth that echoes Galatians … Continue reading My Life Defined

August 26 One of my absolute favorite websites just got a brand-new look. The Rebelution.com is a site for Christian young people who desire to rebel against low expectations and glorify God with their teen years. I’ve had the privilege of being published once on this blog, and many of its articles are written by … Continue reading A Website for Christian Teens

Ashley Harp was a curly-haired tomboy when our friendship took root many years ago. Today, she is a twenty-year-old young woman with a heart for Christ, a love for her family, a talent for art, and still very curly hair. Since those early teen years, Ashley has experienced much and discovered truths that have shaped … Continue reading Living Intentionally as a Young Person: Ashley Harp

August 19 My senior year of high school officially kicks off tomorrow. It’s that time in life when everyone’s favorite question is the same: “What will you do after high school?” With so many future uncertainties and decisions filling my mind, I’ve found myself often slipping out of an eternity mindset and into one that … Continue reading A High School Senior’s Prayer + A Sneak Peek

August 12 “Seems that I’ll never get through ‘preparing’ for the mission field,” Jim Elliot wrote as he struggled through the task of learning fluent Spanish. “But I’ve been comforted this week thinking of our Lord’s thirty silent years of readying Himself at home with His family and bending over a carpenter’s bench. Were those … Continue reading Every Work Matters to God

Inspired by Christian songwriters and poets who weave Scripture truths so beautifully into their work, I have picked up my pen recently to dabble in poetry. This is a poem I recently wrote, centering around chapter sixteen in Ezekiel. It's a rather obscure and graphic passage, but nonetheless revelatory. This poem echoes the Lord's words … Continue reading Faithful (A Poem)

August 5 The Lord has been revealing within me lately a discontentment for my surroundings. Every day I brush past the wonders he’s created, and familiarity dulls my senses. I compare the humid air, dense brush, and shallow Missouri hills around me to the raging waterfalls of the East or the towering Rockies out West. … Continue reading Cultivating Eyes for Wonder