Firsts. This season, the Colorado Rapids will encounter many firsts - moments where the team and organization find themselves as never before. For example, 2014 is the first season that the team is being coached by a former player (Pablo Mastroeni). This past Saturday's game was the first point for the new head coach, it was also the first time that two homegrown players started the same match, as well as the first professional start by Goalkeeper John Berner, and more. Many times, the firsts in our lives are memorable for one reason or another - first kiss, first girlfriend, first job, first child, etc. The same is true in terms of our faith - when someone comes to faith in Jesus Christ it

After a Houston Chronicle article in 2009 declared the city of Juarez, Mexico the "most violent zone in the world outside of declared war zones"1  most Americans and many Christian mission organizations stopped travel and efforts to help the poor of the estimated 1.5 million people who call the city home. The violence spawning from the drug cartel wars has claimed many lives and mission work in the city was deemed too risky. But there were a few organizations that still dared to carry on the work - meet Missions Ministries. Started in 2002, Mission Ministries worked at constructing homes for Juarez's poor and they partnered with churches throughout the southwest United States in order to build relationships and help

This year, I returned to Denver Seminary - no, not to speak to students about chaplaincy (although I do that occasionally) or to mentor students in CPE or pastoral care - I was actually back, sitting in a seat, acting the part of a student. As the class went around making introductions and sharing what year students were in, a sense of nostalgia came over me. It was over 10 years ago, I began a journey at this same seminary - leaving the corporate world and recently married - I came into a Master's of Divinity program with some idea of being in ministry, but no clear direction. I knew that God had been speaking to my heart - it

I had the privilege of attending portions of the recent ID camp held for Colorado high school student athletes at Valor Christian High School this past week. The camp was put on to give students and college coaches an opportunity to be observed in hopes of receiving scholarships or invitations for possible openings on college teams. Of the 100-some students and 25- some college coaches participating in the event, there was an air of  anticipation and hope  - perhaps this might be an opportunity to receive an offer from a college to study and play the sport that they had come to love. As I reflected further, I was reminded of the life of Jesus and his own ID'ing that

With this past weekend being Valentine's Day there are plenty of stories of love in the air. From the Colorado Rapids' Drew Moor proposing to his girlfriend and Goalkeeping Coach Chris Sharpe getting married to the Major League Soccer #soccergrams that fans could get creative with - there is much ado about showing love to the people and things that mean the most to us. And, of course, living in a house with 5 women (my wife and 4 daughters) there is a lot of cards and hearts and pink and red. In reflecting, upon this "season of love," I was reminded of the Jesus' interaction with Peter on the shore (John 21:15-17) where he asks Peter the question, Simon son of John,