My family tells me I’m notoriously difficult to shop for. They’re probably right. But this Father’s Day, my sons gave me something no store could ever sell—they abandoned my party and showed me the type of men they truely are, making it the most meaningful Father’s Day I’ve ever experienced.
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As a teenager in Italy, I was convinced God had called me to spend my life as a missionary. Instead, He dismantled my plans, stripping away what I thought was my destiny, and taught me to trust Him rather than my own ambitions. Now, decades later—unemployed, caring for a wife with cancer, and living entirely by faith—I’ve discovered something unexpected: God has granted me the very experience I once longed for. Against all appearances, I’m living the dream.
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t being shaped by the Potter — it’s sitting on the shelf afterward. When seasons of waiting stretch longer than we expect, it’s easy to feel overlooked, unused, or forgotten. But what if the shelf isn’t a place of abandonment? What if it’s a place of honor — a reminder that being set aside can mean being sanctified for something special?
A season of job-search frustration reveals the heart change which is needed to make even menial tasks acts of worship—and restore joy in the process God uses to change us.
It’s easy at Thanksgiving to just give thanks, but God doesn’t give to us so we can consume it. This story from my Alexander File reminds me how to demonstrate I’m truly thankful.
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After walking away from a vehicle we desperately needed to pray over the decision, I returned the next business day only to find, to my dismay, that a “SOLD” tag had already been placed on the van. Instead of indicating I had missed an opportunity, that tag, now part of my Alexander File, illustrates how God knows our needs in advance and provides with perfect timing.
On some days, life just stinks. I didn’t need a children’s book, a college girlfriend, or a soggy walk up and down the hills of West Virginia to teach me that. But I did need them to learn that bad days don’t define a life — hope does. Over the next few posts, I’m going to share parts of my Alexander File with you, in hopes it inspires you to build your own. Because hope is meant to be shared.
The Alexander File Read More »
We laugh at Linus’ belief in the Great Pumpkin, but his wavering when he’s disappointed again and again feels uncomfortably familiar. When life is calm, faith comes easy; when things get hard, doubt rushes in. Yet the presence of fear doesn’t mean the absence of faith. Scripture shows us that real hope can boldly say, “God will deliver… but even if He doesn’t, I will trust Him.” That paradox is very essence of faith—releasing control and resting in God’s goodness.
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In the wake of unspeakable loss following the Kerr County floods, the instinct to assign blame has surged almost as quickly as the river itself. But in a culture desperate to make sense of tragedy, are we asking the right questions? Drawing on Jesus’ words in Luke 13, this reflection challenges our default response to tragedy and calls us to look deeper—not outward in judgment, but inward in repentance.
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At last night’s Astros-Cubs game, it wasn’t the stars who left the biggest impression—it was Taylor Trammell, a player with zeros across his stat line and a World Series ring he didn’t earn. His unlikely story reminded me that life isn’t always fair, but grace isn’t about fairness. Frequently, God gives blessings we didn’t expect or deserve—just to remind us He’s still writing the story, even when we feel benched.
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