I have a friend whose son has recently begun working in the movie industry. I asked him if his son has had his name listed in the credits of a movie yet. My friend said, “Not yet. You only get your name in the credits if you’re one of the big dogs.”  It got me […]

Here are 21 lessons you can teach your kids so you don’t put a knee on George Floyd’s legacy…

Dear Fellow American,  I see where you’re coming from.  I know you have strong and valid thoughts on this pandemic, what should happen next and when America should reopen. We all have our opinions.  But rather than just share my own as if it’s the only opinion that matters, I want to take a moment […]

In 2004 I was hired by Disney Cruise Line to come aboard one of their ships as their resident DJ. I flew from Albuquerque to Orlando, completed shoreside training for the cruise line at Disney World, and then boarded the Disney Wonder ship, which was going to be my home for the next 5 months. […]

I just read a breaking news article that oil plunged well below $0/barrel today. For the thousands of you in San Juan County or other parts of the country who work in oil and gas, I can only imagine how devastating and heartbreaking this news must be. While I admittedly know little about the oil […]

When I worked for Disney Cruise Line, we were paid every week since dozens of crew members would rotate off and dozens more would rotate on every Sunday.    For my particular role as the ship DJ, I worked 7 days a week for 5 months straight. In fact, nobody on board the ship had […]

With our first-ever Easter experience in quarantine, we’re excited to introduce our first-ever Piñon Hills Community Church digital Easter Egg Hunt! Trophies and gift cards are up for grabs, including a $100 Amazon gift card for the winner who finds all the digital Easter eggs first. To get started, click here. The hunt ends at […]

OVERVIEW PHCC is offering a live-streamed service for a Passover Meal on Thursday, April 9, 2020 at 6:00pm MST. Passover is an annual holiday remembering how God delivered His people from captivity under Pharaoh’s control 1400 years before Jesus was born. Each year following the mass exodus of Israelites fleeing Egypt, the Jews celebrated Passover […]

Palm Sunday is an annual reminder of the moment when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem as the king just days before His crucifixion. This was a moment prophesied about five centuries earlier by Zechariah when he foretold the arrival of a new king riding on the back of a donkey. Before entering Jerusalem, Jesus stopped at […]

James, the brother of Jesus, said: “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” (James 4:8a) This challenge is not only clear and direct, but it is also a promise. When we come near God, He will come near us. During a time of chaos and uncertainty, draw near to the God […]

People are reacting to COVID-19 in many different ways. Some people are getting creative with their workouts. Others are getting creative with their social gatherings. Others are adopting “pets” and making new games. I read about a guy who hijacked a semi-truck of toilet paper last week. Who does that? By the time the police […]

When Brent and Ashley Walker decided to post the “before” and “after” picture of their road to recovery, they never dreamed it would blow up like it did. I tracked the couple down after reading their story in People Magazine and sent Brent a message asking if he would be interested in a Skype interview. […]

More people visit porn sites everyday than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined.  Getting porn used to take time and effort, but now it takes hard work just to avoid looking at porn. 34% of all internet users have viewed unwanted porn via ads, popups and spam.  The issue isn’t getting better; it’s about to get […]

The 2018 Heisman Trophy was awarded to the quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners, Kyler Murray. While I consider myself “Sooner born and Sooner bred”, what fascinates me most about Murray is that he had already been offered a $4.66M contract with the Oakland A’s as a professional baseball player before starting the 2018 season of […]

Michael Cohen was sentenced to 3 years in prison this week after multiple counts of criminal activity.  Some of the counts against him were due to tax evasion, but what threw him into the public spotlight was the fact that he had lied to Congress about covering up illegal payments made to cover up Donald […]

While watching George H. W. Bush’s funeral this week, I was reminded of the importance of leaving a legacy. During the eulogy, a portion of the 41st President’s inaugural address was quoted by his son: “We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account, we must hope to give […]

In July of 2018, President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the United States Supreme Court. The nomination is significant to the future of our country considering the judges who sit on the Supreme Court will be making and amending laws for decades to come, long after Donald Trump is no longer the President […]

Love him or hate him, Colin Kaepernick is the face of a new Nike ad celebrating the 30th anniversary of their “Just Do It” campaign.  The ad reads: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”  Kaepernick started the trend of kneeling during the National Anthem in the NFL in 2016 to create awareness […]

This past Tuesday Starbucks shut down over 8,000 stores and put 175,000 employees through “Racial Bias Training” for 4 hours. This unprecedented move was in response to two black businessmen who got arrested in Philadelphia for “trespassing” after one of them used a Starbucks bathroom without yet having placed an order. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson […]

The first funeral I ever officiated as a pastor was for a 15-year-old high school student who chose to take his own life with a shotgun blast to the face. When his parents told me they wanted an open casket funeral, I was a bit shocked and secretly questioned whether it was the right decision. […]

Each Black Friday while millions of people head out for all the steals and deals the day after Thanksgiving, I get most excited about the holiday season upon us. I love the Christmas lights, parties, eggnog, and the rest of the craziness that comes along with the holidays. Yet in the midst of all the […]

Think back to when you were in mid school, high school or college. When you think about the one person who impacted you the most, who first comes to mind? A teacher?  A coach? A principal? A coach? A youth pastor? A friend? More than likely, there’s at least one person who pops into your […]

If you’re like most parents, asking your teenager questions about their life may feel like dead-end conversations more often than not. Because parents don’t want to annoy their teenager, many take a “hands off” approach to parenting in an effort to avoid becoming a nuisance. However, most teenagers secretly want some very specific things from […]

This year can be your best yet. Here are 5 relatively small steps that can get you on a new track leading to big changes. 1) Choose new friendships Just because you’re going back to school doesn’t mean you have to get back into all your old routines and hang out with all the same […]

After Netflix released its popular “Thirteen Reasons Why” original series about a girl who killed herself, the topic of suicide has become viral. However, suicide has unfortunately already gone viral among teenagers in the United States. According to The Jason Foundation, Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for teens. More teens die from […]

There are countless ways to connect with your students as you encourage them to join a lifelong relationship with Jesus. Here are 13 impactful thinking-outside-the-box ways to connect that have the potential to revolutionize how you run your ministry: 1. Use Instagram Live In late 2016, Instagram followed in the footsteps of Periscope and Facebook […]

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about Snapchat lately, but did you know you can use it to build buzz and excitement for your church, business, organization or product? So many people have asked me how to use Snapchat after my last blog post about it that I decided to write a book about it. […]

“Alternative facts” is a new phrase that’s been in the news a lot lately. The phrase came about after President Trump’s relatively low attended inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2017. Sean Spicer, the newly appointed White House Press Secretary, erroneously claimed that President Trump’s 2017 inauguration ceremony was the “most-watched inauguration” in history. However, the […]

Do you know that you know that you know that you’re going to heaven? Gosh, if only I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard pastors say that phrase in a sermon. I understand the heart of such a phrase. Pastors want people to have confidence and assurance in their salvation. However, the phrase […]

I recently read The Writer’s Manifesto by Jeff Goins. It’s a simple ebook you can read in about 10 minutes that discusses the value and importance of using your passions and talents for the sake of serving others rather gaining personal glory. We all have talents and passions, but do you use yours for the […]

Today I took my Ducati 749 to get registered in California. It hasn’t been registered for quite some time, largely due to some weird laws in the state that make registering out-of-state motorcycles really difficult, if not impossible. I was, however, successful in getting my bike registered, and there are several things I learned today […]

Snapchat discreetly announced this week that they changed their name to Snap Inc. This subtle name change comes as a result of the Snapchat brand gaining more traction as a popular household name in the last few years. You know your brand is doing well when it has been turned into a commonly used verb (ie. […]

Dear Mr. Trump & Ms. Clinton, Your debate Monday night drew in 84 million viewers, the largest audience for a televised political event in history. The exit polls in San Diego indicated that Trump had 5% of the vote and Hillary had 22%. The news suggested that those results mean that Hillary won the debate, […]

Even as a pastor, it can be really hard for me to forgive sometimes. If someone wrongs me and comes to ask me for forgiveness, I have no problem granting it without hesitation. If someone wrongs me and asks for forgiveness only after I confront them about it, I still give them grace. But what […]

You may not know me, but I think I know you. I’ve spoken to enough moms to think that maybe just maybe one of the following statements might actually describe you: You’re a young mama with a kid or a few and you’re trying to learn how to do this whole “mom” thing while fronting […]

When I accepted a new job in California in 2013, my wife and I initially thought we would sell our home in Albuquerque. After our appraisal came in much lower than expected, we instead decided to rent out our home to build equity for a few years before putting the home on the market. We rented our home for 3 […]

Dear Senior, Well, you made it. This is it. One more year and you’re done with high school forever. You’ve come so far in the past three years, and you’re finally in the home stretch! This will likely be the most exciting year you’ve ever experienced, so let’s make the most of it. Here are a few […]

Dear Junior, Hey there upperclassman! You’ve successfully completed half of your high school career, and you’ve only two more years to go! Even though you’ve got two years left, I’d make the argument that your junior year is even more important than your senior year, so here are a few tips to make the most […]

Dear Sophomore, Congratulations! You’ve made it through your first year of high school last year, and now you have earned a new set of opportunities during your 2nd year of high school. Despite the fact the original Greek meaning of sophomore means wise moron, here are a few tips to make the most of your sophomore year in […]

Dear Freshman, So you’re finally about to head into high school?! Like most students, I’m sure you’re pretty excited for the new adventure! But like most students, I’m sure you’re also a bit freaked out. Even though this is your first year in high school, it’s also a pretty important year, so don’t screw it […]

In 2004 while working with Monster.com, I found myself traveling to a lot of podunk towns giving presentations to college and high school students about how to make the most of their future. Monster paid for all my meals on the road, so I made it my personal goal to try to find as many mom & […]

On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a rental truck packed with explosives outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. At 9:02am, he detonated the explosives, killing 168 innocent people in the worst terrorist attack on US soil until September 11. Of the victims, 19 of them were children. It was […]

Apple created an ad for their “Shot on iPhone” campaign using a portion of Maya Angelou’s “Human Family” poem that will air for the first time during the Olympics Games Rio 2016 opening ceremonies tonight on NBC. The Screen Actors Guild of America, which includes actors, radio hosts, singers and models, announced its list of the […]

Flirting with someone other than your spouse may seem innocent at first. However, as one small compromise leads to another, you may find yourself doing things you never dreamed you would do. Before you know it, what initially seemed so innocent could get you trapped in an extramarital affair resulting in consequences that are definitely […]

Most people are more afraid of public speaking than death. As Seinfeld said, “At a funeral, most people would rather be the guy in the coffin than have to stand up and give the eulogy.” Whether you are one of the millions with a fear of public speaking or you do it every day, I […]

When I was 25 years old, I started dating a girl I met at a wedding. She was a Christian. I am a Christian. She loved running. I love running. She loved Chinese food. I love Chinese food. We had a lot in common. Several mutual friends had also been invited to the wedding where […]

Some believe that Tijuana, Mexico, is the most-evangelized city in the world. However, during a recent trip to TJ, I realized that while many people know ABOUT Jesus, far fewer people actually KNOW Jesus. Last Saturday I took a group of students to TJ (watch video). We partnered with Spectrum Ministries as we helped facilitate a hygiene clinic […]

Becoming a leader who is worth following does not happen overnight. Any leader who is worth following has built a reputation on solid character and integrity. It takes time to win friends and influence people and build a platform filled with people who actually want to listen to you. Because leaders are never “off the […]

You’re heard it said 1000 times… The best kind of marketing is word-of-mouth. This is true for any organization, whether it be a business, non-profit, event, or anything else that would necessitate any type of advertising. It’s true. They weren’t lying. But how do you get word-of-mouth advertising, especially for your business? You can’t just […]

It blows my mind how many leaders simply don’t lead well. You know what blows my mind more than that? That so many “Christian” leaders don’t lead well. I’ve had the opportunity to work in several secular organizations as well as several Christian organizations, and some of the leaders in the secular organizations lead their staff far better […]

A few weeks ago I was sitting next to a campfire with a high school student who had just confessed to participating in some horrific activities. Worst of all, his dad had put him up to those activities. His mom and dad divorced when he was 7, so the family has been divided for quite […]

Part of me doesn’t care about whether people wish me a happy birthday each year. Everyone has a birthday. It’s just a day like any other. It may be a special day to me, but it’s not to anyone else. Other than my mom, that is. I was born on my mom’s birthday. My name […]

Remember those old radio headsets with the built-in headphones? Those were so cool! I received a pair for Christmas in 1997 right when they were becoming the “it” product. I busted them out for my practices on my cross country team, and was one of the few “cool guys” running with headphones with no wires […]

One of the most effective ways to connecting with students in your youth ministry is to engage them in a personal way. Should you do the opposite, you can kiss your ministry goodbye within 12 months. During His 3-year ministry, Jesus’ most impactful stories are those where He personally interacted with an individual. Think of […]

WILD & CRAZY GUYS For over a year I worked as a personality at Wild 106, a hip hop radio station that was #1 on the FM dial in the State of New Mexico. Each morning there were over 50,000 listeners who would tune in and listen to the crazy antics of Mr. Clean, AV, […]

There are countless leaders who lead people the wrong way. While they are still leaders, they simply aren’t worth following. My goal is to be the type of leader who is worth following. I want my life to have meaning. I want to have purpose. I want to leave this world different and better than how […]