Sterling Griggs

I have a confession to make. I like Red Bull energy drinks. I know that these are nothing but sugar and caffeine and some other mystery ingredients that would probably make my heart explode, but I enjoy the flavor of a Red Bull every once in a while. Plus, the little rush I get from downing one is kind of nice too. Then it wears off and I'm back where I started. We all go through times spiritually where we aren't motivated or excited about our faith. Sometimes we might be cruising along with no real worries but no real passion either. Then we get hit in the face with an experience that rocks us to the core and we catch a new fire for God. This could be the result of a mission trip, concert, conference, whatever, but it moves us (often times emotionally) closer to God. And then the high wears off. Adrenalin - whether it's physical or spiritual - can only carry you so far and will only last so long. Just like the effects of an energy drink, experiences that spark our...

If you know anything about me, you know that I love coffee, but not just any coffee. I typically only drink the coffee that I roast myself. You can call me a coffee snob if you wish - it's true - but once you learn how to roast your own beans and have the freshest coffee known to mankind, you just don't want anything else. I also love sports and probably watch too many games on TV. But while my wife thinks I'll watch anything, that simply isn't true. You see, there are some good games to watch and then there are some bad games too. For instance, I enjoy the Atlanta Braves but most other baseball bores me. I can't just sit down and watch any old game and enjoy myself. Soccer is a game that I have always enjoyed but it doesn't get a ton of airtime. Fox Soccer Channel is awesome, but there are only so many games one can sit through. When the World Cup rolls around, I'm not sure there's a better sport in the world at the time. Then there's basket...

Kellie and I had a chance to take Chandler and Reynolds, our two oldest daughters, up to Washington, DC, this past Friday and Saturday. On Friday, it was chilly and rainy, but we had the chance to tour the Capitol building via Richard Burr's office and that, my friends, is an amazing building. Also, Chandler has to take "Flat Stanley" with her on trips (if you don't know who Flat Stanley is then ask a second grader) and he got in a lot of really good pictures. The ultimate reason we went to DC was to watch Wake Forest play Navy in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium. We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown DC and it just happened to be the hotel for the football team. They came out in the lobby on Friday night and hung out with everybody and took lots of pictures, including several with my girls and Flat Stanley. The game itself didn't start off too hot on Saturday but the Deacs rallied and wound up pulling out a solid 29-19 victory. It was co...

Charlie Hall is without a doubt one of my all-time favorite musical artists. His music captures theology in song and he paints incredibly broad pictures of God's love and majesty. His latest album is called "The Bright Sadness" and on it he records a song called "Hookers and Robbers." With a title like that you can almost be sure that it won't wind up on the regular playlist of your family-friendly Christian radio station, but it should. As you listen to the song, focus on the lyrics. In them Charlie describes just who it is that can come to Christ - anyone. You don't have to be clean or even good. Just come as you are.

I love Facebook . I check my account multiple times daily and it's been so cool to reconnect with so many old friends that I haven't seen nor heard from in years. One unique aspect to Facebook is that you can put your status at the top of your page for everyone to see. For instance, you might read "John is studying for exams" or "Beth is being driven crazy by her kids." And you can comment on someone's status to offer them encouragement or to just give them a hard time. Checking the status of my friends on Facebook is a lot of fun for me, but it can also be a little depressing. Everyone has bad days, but so many people appear to live such dreary, purposeless lives. I know that's a lot to infer from someone's status update, but when it becomes a trend it raises concern. Why are we here? Do we exist just to procreate, work, and then die? Should we settle on boring, mundane jobs or lives that give us little hope or excitement? No, we should...

I was at the dentist getting my permanent crown cemented (which is a lot less painful than all the prep work) when my dentist made a comment about something that bothers him this time of year. He thinks it's awful that there are work places where employees can't say "Merry Christmas" and how our culture has become so PC that "Happy Holidays" is now the norm. Of course, when he asked me my opinion I sounded like one of the adults on Charlie Brown with my cheeks numb and my mouth filled with fingers and gauze. When I could speak, I told him that it really didn't bother me all that much when commercials and retail store clerks and media outlets only say "Happy Holidays." Nor does it bother me when the world around me ignores the cries to "Keep Christ in Christmas." You see, it's not the world's job to celebrate the Savior - it's mine. When commercials and politicians and TV shows proclaim "Happy Holidays!" they...

My wife and I had a great talk over the weekend about being bold and daring. Many people have jumped from airplanes (with parachutes I might add), bungee jumped off of bridges, or leapt off of cliffs into the sea, but you don't necessarily have to be bold to do that (stupidity could come into play). What I am talking about is being bold and daring in your life decisions. I have been listening recently to podcasts from Clayton King , a guy whose ministry I have followed for well over a decade and have had the pleasure to run into on a few occasions. Before Clayton got married, he had the opportunities to travel the world and he along with some of his friends got to take the gospel to places that it probably had never been before. He's married now, but he still takes the opportunities to go to places like India where he knows that his faith can put him in danger. I went to Sudan three years ago but I was far from danger. My wife Kellie has never been out of the country (unles...