May 29, 2014
When Calls the Heart Do you know Janette Oke’s “When Calls the Heart” series on the Hallmark Channel? Last week I met the show’s creator and executive producer, Brian Bird. We were at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I had supper at his table one night. God has called this humble man to serve as a Christian writer and producer in Hollywood. In his keynote address, Brian […]
May 27, 2014
Avortovar Maligtonay (pictured here) is the last waveson. I am excited to announce that my Young Adult novel The Last Waveson: Grafting placed first at the Blue Ridge Mountain Writers Conference. The Last Waveson: Grafting follows the life of a farm boy turned draka rider in a How to Train Your Dragon meets Lord of The Rings fantasy epic adventure. Will Avortovar risk his future as a […]
May 5, 2014
This week I played 56 holes of Putt Putt with my six-year old son. For you OCD people… yes I know we should have played 54, but we had playoffs. I lost by two strokes, I may have manipulated the score a little bit, but isn’t that what dad’s are supposed to do? I learned a few valuable lessons half way up the mountain where […]
December 31, 2013
Do you want to celebrate New Year’s Eve with your children at a reasonable hour and still go to bed early? Let me share you our new tradition… Last year, we celebrated the New Year at 8pm. We didn’t ruin New Year’s Day by making our children stay up till midnight. They woke up refreshed and excited just like any other day. They weren’t tired […]
December 17, 2013
I hate the elf on the shelf… or at least I did. My wife and I didn’t want to add one more thing to our already long list of holiday traditions. We both mutually decided, no elf. We were going to resist the urge to participate in the “fad”. We already do the polar express, Santa, a chocolate ribbon calendar of Hershey kisses’, etc. One […]
May 28, 2013
This week I played 56 holes of Putt Putt with my six-year old son. For you OCD people… yes I know we should have played 54, but we had playoffs. I lost by two strokes, I may have manipulated the score a little bit, but isn’t that what dad’s are supposed to do? I learned a few valuable lessons half way up the […]
May 15, 2013
When my niece Allie was 5, she frequently asked me imaginative questions about God. One day Allie arranged a pastoral ministry session for me. I waited on the front steps of her house while she gathered several of her friends. A study group gathered, and Allie announced, “My uncle is a preacher, and he can tell you what kinds of ice cream there will be […]
May 10, 2013
When our children were young, Barb and I quickly learned that parenting skills were not intuitive or inherited, so we sought mentors who could help us. Bill and Jane, a couple in our church, the parents of five wonderful daughters, agreed to share dinner with us once a month to discuss parenting issues. I remember the evening that Bill and Jane taught us about what […]
May 4, 2013
My oldest son started high school this fall. At his orientation, the counselors spoke to parents about the greatest challenge they see students face in school. I expected to hear about poor study habits or substance abuse, but to my initial surprise, these were not at the top of the list. Apparently, the greatest challenge presenting itself in the office of the high school guidance […]
April 25, 2013
This week, I am rocking it out to “dubstep” worship music at a ministry conference in Atlanta, Georgia. If you don’t know what dubstep is, you are either old, boring, or my own mother. (Just Kidding) During this conference, we continue to review a statistic that came from two national surveys a few years back from Rethink and Lifeway. Those studies examined adults who stayed […]
November 19, 2021
Camping is a great way to spend time with friends and family while enjoying the outdoors. If you are going camping, there are some things that you need to make your trip easier and more enjoyable. One item that will help light up the night is a camp lantern. A new option for a high-quality outdoor lantern has been reviewed by many customers who have […]
July 21, 2022
With the recent fluctuation of gas prices finally reaching well over five dollars per gallon, it’s time for families and individuals to reevaluate their current automobile needs in their homes. When gas prices reached $5.19/gallon in my town, I started seriously considering if it was time to get a different car that gets better gas mileage. We love our 2019 Jeep Wrangle Unlimited, but with […]
September 13, 2022
I recently returned on a flight from Raleigh, North Carolina. I had forgotten to download movies to watch on the flight, which is not that abnormal for me. The internet connection on the plane was not strong enough for my phone apps to connect. Most of my games require a consistent internet connection. So, with the limited available internet I searched the internet for any […]
June 17, 2024
Let’s talk gaming! If you’re like me, you appreciate diving into a game without those annoying interruptions—ads popping up at the worst moments, disrupting your flow. That’s why I’ve been exploring an online gaming platform that promises ad-free gameplay across a variety of genres. Picture this–you choose your game and then begin playing instantly, and the best part is, there are no ads to distract […]