Sterling Griggs

This fall time of year often causes me to wax nostalgic.  Initially, I dream of summers gone by and how I wish we could just bypass winter altogether and have it be July year-round.  But then I settle into reality and start to reminisce about other times in my life that were meaningful to me.  Some of these times involve family trips or mission opportunities that propelled my spiritual growth, but almost all of my reminiscing involves people who have inspired me along the way in my life. Today I was thinking about those people who have truly inspired me in my life, some of whom have already died and others who are still here today.  As I reflected on what these individuals have brought to my life and how they have invested in me, the gratefulness inside my heart is overflowing.  Let me share some of the names of those who have already passed but not before they were able to be an incredible source of inspiration to me: My grandmother, Dossie Dagenhardt. ...

I hate being stuck in the same old position.  You know the one I'm talking about.  Where you know what is right and honoring to God, yet you find yourself stuck in that repetitive pattern of "habitual" sin that has plagued you for your entire life.  Why is it so hard to just say "no" to sin?  Sure, we can avoid the "big" ones without much difficulty, you know like murdering, adultery, kidnapping, knocking off banks, stuff like that.  But it's the sins that the world puts a smaller price tag on that chip away at our spiritual foundations, pushing us farther away from God and into a spiral of frustration and guilt. The Bible is full of truths when it comes to the nature and effects of sin.  We are born into sin yet we are offered grace through Jesus Christ that has defeated sin and brings us new life.  Paul tells us that we are dead to sin and alive to Christ (Romans 6:2,11), therefore the yoke of sin is effectively removed from those who are in ...

What is your first thought when your eyes open in the morning?  When your feet hit the floor, do you feel a dread for what faces you during the day?  I would dare to say that most people don't consider themselves morning people, but even if you are one who enjoys mornings like I do it doesn't mean that you greet everyday like you are Mr. or Mrs. Sunshine.  How many people live as if their goal is to just make it through another day?  I love to people watch.  Without sounding too obvious, people look and behave drastically different when they are on vacation or doing something that they enjoy compared to when they are at work or are busy with tasks and errands.  The smiles that I see on faces at the beach disappear when we are "back to reality" and "hitting the grind" in the "real world."  It's as if we live in alternate realities, one that is pleasant and fulfilling and another that is brutal but necessary.  The goal of many is to just get to...

He comes into the room and no one really notice that he's there.  It's not that no one likes him, it's just that no one really knows him or has taken the time.  He is allowed to exist in obscurity, a regular presence that you notice out of the corner of your eye yet you don't feel compelled to connect with him beyond a surface level.  If someone were to mention his name it would probably ring a bell, but you would struggle to match his face with his name.  For all intents and purposes, he is invisible. If you took the time to get to know her you would really like her.  She's not all that different from you, but then again how would you know?  You have never spoken more than five words to her beyond a common greeting and you honestly can't remember her name.  You barely have time to share the latest news with all of your other friends much less take a few minutes to talk to her.  She is more than welcome to come and join your group if she wants t...

With today being an election day, I've noticed that the disillusionment that many Americans on all sides of the political spectrum feel toward government institutions has perhaps never been so severe.  The idealistic notion that the next elected official will somehow be a political messiah no longer holds weight (not that it was ever true in the first place).  Discontent seems to be everywhere, that is if you believe the saliva-dripping media that can't wait to run to the next pile of vomit. Politics can be an ugly game to play and perhaps nothing can create as much angst against one's fellow man than a good ol' political argument at the dinner table.  People respond in various ways to the dilemma that is politics.  Some withdraw completely, wanting nothing more to do with politicians that they believe are only looking out for their own interests and not that of the people.  There is another group that embraces politics to the point of being "eat up with it....

The rebel is easy to spot.  He's the one who cares nothing for the rules - or better yet, he manipulates them to fit his own needs.  He wants to blaze his own trail, yet his trail won't lead to the benefit of others but rather to the base of an altar that idolizes himself.  The rebel isn't willing to compromise with any standards that don't mesh with his own.  He'll show up at your meetings but only to make sure you know that he thinks your way is inferior.  The rebel is insensitive to the voice of wisdom and truth.  The rebel is unleadable. The renegade also goes against the flow but his approach is not the same as the rebel's because the heart of the renegade is connected to the greater cause.  The renegade: Might come packaged differently than you, complete with tattoos and a bizarre wardrobe Has ideas that sound and look different than what you are comfortable with Prefers styles and methods of expression that make many in established circles ...

I just read an article in an ESPN Magazine about Tim Tebow, the starting quarterback (for now) of the Denver Broncos.  If you've never heard about Tebow then you have probably been living without electricity for the past decade.  He was the all-American high school quarterback from Florida who just happened to be home-schooled.  Tebow is the son of missionary parents and from day one in the spotlight he brought to the table a missionary mindset, one that was more concerned with the gospel being proclaimed than touchdowns being scored. After starring at Nease High School (he lived in their district so he was allowed to play there), Tim Tebow went on to an incredible career at the University of Florida.  One Heisman trophy and two national titles later, he found himself as a first round draft pick of the Broncos.  If you know nothing else about him you might think that this is a great sports story of a kid who can't miss in the pros.  But nothing is ever qu...

Me. Myself. I.  These three pronouns love to go together and they always push for the front of the line.  They know nothing about courtesy or respect.  Sacrifice?  Are you kidding!  Someone once said, "There is no 'I' in team."  True, but there is a "me" in there and there are plenty of people who jettison the notion of being a team player for a shot at the limelight.  If you don't believe me, then go to the mall on the day of a big sale and see how well you are treated by fellow shoppers.  Corporate criminals don't go to jail for being generous but rather for scamming the pants off of people so that they can line their own pockets.  Have you ever watched a bunch of kids at a party trying to break open a pinata with a stick?  When that candy hits the ground, sharing the booty is not part of the equation.  The world can be an incredibly selfish place. Sometimes. Even though it seems as if it's every man for himself, there is a ...