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Movie Review: Where Hope Grows – in theaters May 15th

I’ve had the privilege of meeting and hanging out with David Desanctis several times this year. He is quite the character and a lot of fun! Plus, he is a movie star! I had him auto-graph one of the movie posters for me for his first major motion picture Where Hope Grows coming out in theaters May 15th. We even had fun trying to re-create the poster: David pulled some strings for me, and I got to see a pre-release copy of the film. The entire family say down and enjoyed our “sneak peek.” I highly recommend this film for adults. It is about the journey of an alcoholic to find healing through a unique God-ordained friendship. But need to caution up front that it is NOT for children. One of the very first conversations is between the single father and his daughter about sex and there is, of course, heavy drinking, plus adultery, and some violence including an attempted rape scene (with little consequence to the boys doing the attack). So we had to at times distract my son and ultimately, remove him from the room. But with that said – there is much to enjoy for adults. It…

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Have You Heard of The Gathering?

Have you heard of The Gathering? I recently got to hang out with Michelle Anthony at a conference, and was excited to learn more about this amazing event called The Gathering! I can’t make it this year, but I’ve penciled it in for the following year! My friends Greg Baird, Keith Ferrin and others will be there with the goal of pouring into YOU! This is a conference focused on spiritual formation and family ministry. You’ll be given the chance to collaborate with other ministry leaders and leave with practical ideas you can use right away in your church! You can choose from 2 locations, Costa Mesa, CA and Chicago, IL. But don’t wait to register…seating is limited. Come be inspired, refreshed and renewed at The Gathering! You’ll be glad you did! LEARN MORE:

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Get the Kidology App – and an App for Your Kidmin!

NEED KIDMIN HELP?ON THE GO? — > THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT! We are excited to announce that Kidology.org now has an iPhone/iPad App! Not only can you quickly and easily see what’s new in the Zones, Store, my blog, etc. – there are bonus tools for sharing the Gospel, a free eBook, and more! There is even a fun (but challenging) flappy bird style game to waste time with! Play Flappy Bulb! PLUS, find out how you can get an APP FOR YOUR OWN KIDMIN and as a Kidology Subscriber, save on a custom app for your own Children’s Ministry. Details in the App! So now you can have Kidology.org anywhere you are! GET IT NOW!

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A Father’s Forgiveness

My son is nine. He has always amazed us with his incredible memory. He will randomly bring us experiences and family events that happened long ago that we didn’t think he was old enough to remember. Often, we had forgotten, but his memory brings back ours. I marvel at the things that stick in his little head and it reminds me to be intentional about how I conduct myself as a Christian, a husband, and a dad in his presence. But there is one type of question he brings up every now and then that bugs me as a dad. Luke is a pretty good kid, and rarely does anything intentionally wrong – usually when he is in trouble, it’s something he’s learning about life rather than outright willful misbehavior. His heart is usually in the right place and when emotions get him carried away, he is quick to apologize when he calms down. As a result, we have rarely needed to discipline him other than verbal correction or mild things like a “time out” or missing out on something or going to bed early. However, the few times we needed something more compelling – he remembers those, and often…

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Finding the Reflection of God

One of the highlights of Yosemite, is seeing the reflection of towering granite cliffs in the water of the valley. In fact, one of the lakes in Yosemite earned the name “Mirror Lake” due to the beautiful reflections upon it’s surface. While not technically a lake, visitors enjoy seeing in its smooth surface the mirror image of the cliffs towering above. Mirror Lake it actually a man-made lake, from a time when sand and ice were exported from the area for use down in the coastal cities. Today, it is being allowed to return to it’s natural meadow conditions, so each year this once famous lake reflects less – and becomes filled with more grass and rock as the surface drops and widens into a meadow. Nevertheless, a creative photographer can still find places to capture a reflection of Half Dome that rises majestically above it. The reflections can be amazing… but to be seen, something is required. Without this one thing, there can be no reflection of the grandeur above. Waterfalls and flowing rivers and creeks pour over rocks and around bends throughout this incredible park, all working their way to the Merced or Tuolumne Rivers and ultimately to…

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