Why Did God Bring You Together?
We often tell the story of how we met, but do we ever wonder why we met? If God has a plan your life, and He brought the two of you together, God must have a plan for your marriage, too. What is it?
Being Deacon
Being Deacon: Good vs. Good
During diaconate formation, commitments were mostly structured and mandatory. Now, after ordination, little is mandatory. How to meet expectations is largely discerned, not dictated. It’s been a year, and we still haven’t figured out the magic formula.
Being Deacon: Holy Associations
God’s call for us can be revealed through the people the Holy Spirit has placed in our lives. I blame Deacon John McCully. Whenever someone asks about my vocation story, I start with him. He played an integral role in planting the “diaconate seed.”
Being Deacon: Lessons From the Fishbowl
As a deacon, I’m becoming more comfortable with the idea that people are watching me and my family. I may not like it, but I’m learning to embrace it. To a large degree, that’s what I signed up for, to be a symbol of something different, a sign of contrast, to represent Christ in a way I hadn’t done before. But as Christians, aren’t we all called to represent Christ in a way that’s visible, that makes Him known to the rest of the world, through the witness of our lives?
Springtime Photo Dump
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared photos of our family and kids, so here’s a quick photo dump. — Das Schmidt Haus, Easter 2015 — Okay, it wasn’t really Easter, and Cy, Iowa State’s mascot, didn’t attend church with us. But let’s pretend because I need an obligatory family Easter photo. Maybe I should Photoshop the … [Read more…]
Being Deacon: Not Quite Ready for Primetime
It’s been a few weeks since I was ordained a permanent deacon. After four years of deacon formation, there were still some things for which I was not totally prepared. Here are seven … Quick Takes style. — 1 — Everything — A good friend of mine, Deacon Andrew pictured with me above, was … [Read more…]