Set Your Mind Above

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever come home smelling like work? When you are immersed in a distinct smell, like on a farm, or working fast food, you end up coming home smelling like what you were immersed in. This has happened to me many times, as I am sure it has happened to you. Well...a shepherd should smell like their sheep. Leaders of the Lord's church do not do so from a distance. They are...

Send us Fan Mail We are currently undergoing a lot of changes. We are prepping for the new baby, which will of course be the biggest change. The kids are starting to share a room. We sold our small car. We changed auto, home, and health insurance. There is a lot happening over here. New beginnings and endings can be scary, but they are inevitable. Well...Solomon teaches us that there is a time for...

Send us Fan Mail Tonight is full of anticipation, and that's because my three day men's golf trip begins tomorrow. 12 of us are headed to Tennessee to hit 72 holes over 3 days. But it's not about the golf, as we always say, "It's about the food and fellowship." I'm excited about this trip because of how I will bond with these men, and be encouraged by them. I won...

Send us Fan Mail I am so done with Facebook marketplace and these other platforms. We are trying to sell our vehicle, but nearly every message is a dead end. They never answer, never show up, or low ball you. But the worst? The scammers. The one's that intentionally are out to deceive you and steal from the unsuspecting. Educating yourself about their tactics is essential. Well...the greatest...

Send us Fan Mail We have two toddlers and one on the way. So, why not get a puppy, that sounds completely sane...right? We are crazy. How we got this dog was crazy. We drove 5 1/2 hours each way up into Northern Ohio to get him on a whim. We didn't get home until well after midnight, and why? Because parents will do some crazy things for the children they love. Well...how much more so does Go...

Send us Fan Mail Well, just as soon as I’m back from vacation, I’m turning right around and going back out of town once again. I’ll be wheels up tomorrow in route to Colorado, where I will be heading up a youth lectureship with the Pratt Parkway Christians that meet in the in city of Erie. I am so looking forward to my time there, not only to catch up with some old friends, but to make many new on...

Send us Fan Mail We will be returning from our vacation tomorrow, but are still enjoying our time in the mountains! So, today, you have another special treat for the second week in a row. My good friend Hal Hammons of the Citizens of Heaven podcast is taking up the microphone today. Who knew a dog's special diet that excludes chicken could teach us so much about our spiritual diet and what we...

Send us Fan Mail We are currently on vacation! But that's not stopping the podcast thanks to a few good friends. Today, Dr. Kenny Embry from the Balancing the Christian Life Podcast takes the microphone up. He shares with us a story about pulling up their carpet, taking everything out, and learning what needs to be put back in. Who knew that something as simple as replacing your carpet could...

Send us Fan Mail I keep breaking things. This time, it was my computer. I have tried and tried with Windows computers, but they all seem to give out after just a few years. So finally, after asking for some help from some computer experts, I made the switch to a Mac - something I had shrugged off for years. My friends, I am NEVER going back! I didn't realize how good it can be, my MacBook Pro...

Send us Fan Mail We left putting a fence in this week to the professionals, on account of how rocky and hard our ground is. However, I thought I could manage putting in some bushes. On my last one, I went to lift up and *snap* my shovel split into two pieces. I had gotten underneath an unyielding massive rock, and it was not going to budge. Well...Jesus warns that our hearts can be like this. Love...

Send us Fan Mail I am an old soul. I listen to old music, watch old movies & old shows. There is so much more wholesome content than what is frequently put out today in looking to times past. One of my favorite shows is the Andy Griffith show, and one particular episode made it's way around social media this week. It's where Opie is convinced by a traveling vagabond to skip school an...

Send us Fan Mail What would you do for a Klondike bar? It's such a great slogan, isn't it? Some of the funniest or craziest things have been done all in the name of being given a free Klondike bar in return. "I would hug a cactus" or "I would walk around Times Square like a monkey", and things like this. They've even made a game out of it, which I'm dying to...

Send us Fan Mail This is a very special episode, but a difficult one. Last episode, I opened up about the state of depression I've found myself in, and the different things we were doing to try and get me back on track. After much counseling, among other things that need to change, I learned that I needed to do some pruning in my life to help me better manage my time. So going forward, we wil...

Send us Fan Mail It's been a struggle recently for me. I've just not been myself for several weeks. I have all the symptoms of depresssion but not a ton of answers as to why, just a few. Thankfully, as much as I've tried to just deal with it on my own, others have not let me. My wife, for starters, has stepped in to get me back on track. Secondly, some of my closest brothers here th...

Send us Fan Mail What is the most valuable thing you possess? I think there is a good argument to be made that it is your time. We all have the same amount of time, yet feel we can't get enough and that we need more. But maybe the problem isn't that we need more time, maybe it's how we are choosing to spend it. Well...God is very interested in how we choose to spend our time. We mus...

Send us Fan Mail The value of real estate is so drastically different depending on where you are looking. Today a news article was shared with me about a man in his 80's who bought a home in Pasedena, CA 40 years ago for $155,000. It listed this week for $1.3 million. It sold for $2.5 million cash. How? Why would anyone pay this cost for a 3/1 1900 square foot home? Location. Well...what is i...

Send us Fan Mail Today is a special day, because it is Jackie Robinson Day. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball on April 15th, 1947. Depsite much oppression and hardship, through his example and willingness to press on, he paved the way for black atheletes to compete side by side with white men, as it always should have been. To honor him, today all players in the MLB...

Send us Fan Mail Dandelions: the bane of my existence. I just finished mowing the grass on Monday, and I have 3-6 inch stems already growing all over my yard as of today! It can be maddening - you cut something down, only to have it pop right back up again. It seems no matter what you do, there is no getting rid of it. Well...temptation is much the same way. It can be maddening, you overcome a tem...

Send us Fan Mail We had our 16 week ultrasound appointment today where we find out the gender of the baby. We are so excited to announce we are having another little baby girl! In just 5 months from now, Finley Grace Sipe will be joining this world. While it's been a very challenging pregnancy, and the next 5 months will be hard as well, we both know it will be worth it the day that we get to...

Send us Fan Mail Today we finally got our taxes started and will finish them up in the next day or so. Nothing like waiting till the last minute. Everyone has to do taxes, even though people hate it. Nothing is free, and everything comes at a cost. In fact, even Jesus has something to say about taxes - "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Well...what is...

Send us Fan Mail Today as I was getting the dishes unloaded and loaded, I asked the kids to leave the kitchen. Dane left, but Ava lingered and told me "just a minute". I said now, and she proceeded to return with a "gift" for me - and that is why she couldn't leave yet. It was a great teaching moment to show her if she wants to make me happy, she needs to do what I ask the...

Send us Fan Mail Today was filled with anticipation. We are eager to have Kylie feeling better from the flu, and the kids kept asking about her. I am eager for baseball to start tomorrow, as it's opening day! In the world of golf, people were anxious to hear if after 14 months Tiger would feel well enough to compete in the Master's tournament again. In the music industry, highly awaited...

Send us Fan Mail Well, we're back to an abnormal schedule again (hence the late drop for the episode). My wife somehow contracted the flu, and prayers on her behalf are appreciated, especially while pregnant. Poor thing is miserable, so I'm back doing full time dad & work duty for this week. Today just wasn't going well, all the small things just weren't going right. That&a...

Send us Fan Mail April Fool's Day. A day that I both love and hate. A day that I love because I enjoy a great practical joke. A day that I hate because you never know what to take seriously. No matter what you read or hear, it takes extra work to do some digging to discover whether or not it's actually true. Nothing can be taken at face value. Well...maybe that's not such a bad thin...

Send us Fan Mail Since our family is expanding, we've done a little bit of snooping into the market to see if we could get some more space for our growing family. When purchasing a house, it's important to look at the seller's disclosure, where the owner of a home is obligated to list current or potential problems with the property. If there are extensive fixes and needs, most buyer...