What Football, Fans, Birthdays, Life Purpose and Hot Tubs Have in Common

I spent my 21st birthday at a Texas Roadhouse in Indiana (with friends I still love).


And my birthday this year (couldn't get the whole table, but this post features Danae anyway).


The after-party when I was 21 was very Taylor University-like.  I came home to a surprise party thrown by my dorm.  Those Christian college kids even got special permission to have boys on the floor. Scandalous, I know. We drank sparkling cider straight out of the bottle! 

In between, I've had some memorable birthdays.  And after-parties.

But I think this year will stick with me for a long time.  We threw a getaway at my dad's lake house.  And when the rest of the world got silent, I made my way to the hot tub with one of my best friends, co-workers and fellow child-champions.  For hours, Danae and I sat under the winter stars and talked about how we can better define our purpose, our methodologies, and our contributions to help kids and families.  It was the perfect way to ring in a new year of life.

This video captures some of the feeling behind what we want to do for children.  It will change you.



You're a little teary, right?

Every child, every prisoner, every coach needs to be cheered on.

Maybe you've been pondering what to do with your life. Or your year. Or your day. What if we all just lived out this video? What if we look for the people around us that don't have fans? The children that need their names chanted the most?

And we'll be their fans. We'll cheer them on. We'll show them that they're worthy. And champions. And when they go to bed, they'll have memories of people chanting their names. And those memories won't go away when the hard times come again.

Posted in: Heart for Kids,Lake House