Christmas is full of traditions. With three boys, at or under three, we’re never short on dull moments. For the next twelve days, I wanted to share unique things to our family: thoughts, recipes, traditions, videos, posts, ideas; consider it a virtual Christmas Card from The Hams. Join with us as we celebrate. Day 1: Our three-year old – Matthew, Jr. loves to sing. He and Buddy the Elf would be best friends. Enjoy these videos of MJ sining his versions of […]
In college, I was a Dave Matthews fan; something like 13 shows in 4 years. As an avid guitar player, witnessing his shows was watching a work of art unfold on stage in perfect harmony. Last year, I made epic plans to see him again for the first time since 2004. Dave was coming to Raleigh; the perfect setting for a night away with Liz! A couple of days before the show, one of the boys came down with the […]
Mike Ashcraft is senior pastor at Port City Community Church in North Carolina and co-author of “My One Word: Change Your Life with Just One Word”. You can follow him on twitter @mikeashcraft or watch his sermons on portcitychurch.org Do Something About One Thing In just a few weeks, once the holiday bustle is safely in the past, we will turn our attention to the hope of the new year. Our minds will drift towards the many ways we […]
What does December represent for you? Stress. Anxiety. Busyness. Worry. Regret… Hope. Anticipation. Celebration. Generosity. Joy… As much as I’d like to admit that my list resembles the second list, there’s a little of both around our house. December provides a unique time for reflection, looking back on another year past. We revisit both tragedy and triumph, victory and defeat as we reminisce all that was. Additionally, we anticipate all that awaits. A new year promises new opportunities and new beginnings. However, as we ebb […]
I don’t have it all figured out, but I am searching as I continue my journey. I especially DO NOT want to preach. But I do know this… I’m tired of adjusting the truth… I want to be wise… “When the truth presents itself, the wise person sees the light, takes it in, and makes adjustments. The fool tries to adjust the truth so he does not have to adjust to it.” – Dr. Henry Cloud This isn’t a sermon […]
There’s rarely a time when I’m short on words. As a kid, I talked to everyone, from strangers in stores to the crosswalk guard. As a teenager, I talked to everyone, from umpires to ESPN camera crews. Which, I will add, featured me on an ESPN special about fans and nearly won me a new Toyota Tacoma. But, I digress. What I’m saying is that I’ve been given the gift of gab. I’m not making assumptions or tooting my horn, I’ve just […]
When my wife and I prayed for a family, we didn’t understand why God made us wait nearly three years for our prayers to be answered. All of the heartache and pain didn’t seem necessary. Why would a good, loving God drag us through a desert-like season that almost cost us our marriage? The wisdom of hindsight has revealed that God was simply preparing us for three boys. While infertility and marital struggles were challenging, nothing has been more challenging than parenting these […]
We get busy in life. Matt reminds us of why we dedicate ourselves to something other than ourselves.
- Robert Wagnon, CEO, Republic State Mortgage
