• Engage

    Comparison, Competition, and Contentment*

    Rehearsal dinners can be an awkward thing for a single person. Having married late in life, I have several such experiences under my belt. One evening in particular stands out as I walked into a beautiful room full of beautiful people and suddenly felt, well, less than beautiful.  I sat down in the lone single chair at a table full of happy couples, all using the joyful occasion to reflect on their own courtships and marriages.  Hhhmmm….what could I contribute to this conversation?  As I sat in silence, my insecurities began to get the best of me.  After about an hour’s worth of misery, the time came for friends and…

  • Heartprints

    The Comparison Trap!

    A few weeks ago me and some of the church staff flew out to Phoenix and attended a church planters conference.  The whole experience of going to a conference and filling my head with tons of information has always been a love/hate thing. I love flying and getting out of the office for a little while.  I love going to different places and seeing new things and I love to hear great speakers and glean from their knowledge.  In addition, I usually get to eat well and enjoy the company of my coworkers in a more relaxed casual environment.     I usually learn a lot from the flood of…