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A few years ago I wrote a blog post regarding my oldest daughter Kayleigh turning 16.  This week my second daughter Ragan crosses that threshold as well.  I am in denial and shock.  My sweet princess is 16! How does this happen?!?  Time is a cruel taskmaster and a wonderful gift at the same time. On this special day, I want to remind you Ragan of a few reasons why your Daddy loves you "to the moon and back" ... 1) You have a caring heart. I love Ragan's heart.  She cares for people. She loves her family and friends.  She has a tenderness about her that is unique.  Her heart has been captured by the gospel and it gives her a loving kindness that few young ladies her age have. 2) You are growing into a beautiful young lady. As Ragan gets older, she is growing more and more beautiful.  I love her cute smile and happy personality. Her naturally small frame is the envy of anyone who has to "work" to stay in shape but it does not define her....

I do not consider myself a great parent.  Unfortunately parenting does not come with an instruction manual. Most parenting is learning as you go. For that reason alone, I frequently make mistakes as a dad. By the time you add to the mix different personalities, genders, emotions, life circumstances, sin, and the complexity of leading and loving another individual, you realize quickly there is no such thing as a perfect parent. I have also discovered parenting girls is completely different than raising boys. I grew up in a home with all brothers. My father is an only child so he has no sisters. My mom was raised with two brothers and no sisters. My older brother has only sons.  My daughter Kayleigh was the first girl in the Hudson family for 2 generations. Needless to say, raising daughters was not in the genes when my girls came along. Every season of a child's life is different. They evolve as a person. They grow. Their personalities are shaped. Life experiences mold them...

We are in a benchmark series at City Church called CORE.  In this series we are unpacking what it means to fulfill the mission to which we believe we have been called: to continue what Jesus began. We have refined our mission with 4 Core Values that serve as our guardrails to make sure we remain focused on our task.  Two of those values focus on what we believe: 1) The Church belongs to Jesus & 2) Grace is a way of life.  The other two deal with what we practice: 3) We live intentionally in community & 4) We are in the city for the city.  This Sunday I will be preaching part 2 of our second core value ~ Grace is a way of life.  Living a life of grace begins with believing and accepting the gospel of grace.  We learn grace by being graced. As we grasp the gospel (what has been done for us in Jesus & who we are in Jesus), grace becomes a way of life. We tend to live out what we have received - what has changed our lives. I believe most of our...

Today we announced that Revolution Church is re-launching as City Church.  We are excited about this direction change for a number of reasons. 1. We believe it is time for a fresh start.  With new leadership comes a re-defined focus. The name Revolution (and formerly Crosspoint) Church served a purpose. We believe that season is now complete and it is time for a new start.  It is important for Ashley and I to take ownership of a fresh focus and changing the name is a natural part of this process. 2. We want our name to reflect who we are.  We believe God has called us to be IN this city and FOR this city.  God has called us to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel in this community. We want the people in our city to know that we are for them. We will serve them. We will love them. We will partner with them to make our city a better place.  The name City Church reflects a bigger vision than what just happens on Sunday mornings. 3. Our mission statement i...

Eighteen years seem like such a long time ... until you drop off your first child at college. At that moment, you realize just how short 18 years actually is. There is no way to prepare for the 18 years of emotions you feel as a parent. As I drove home yesterday after leaving my Kayleigh at Samford, my heart felt ... I don't know how to describe it other than weird .  I am SO excited for her future and know that these next 4 years will potentially be some of the most memorable of her life.  And yet there is a deep heaviness in my heart knowing it will never quite be the same. I am not sure you ever feel ready as a parent to say goodbye to your child. I am proud of the young woman she has become and yet every insecurity I have as a parent surfaces in these defining moments.  Your mind is filled with both good times, struggles, and a flood of questions regarding your abilities as a parent. A lot of memories are created in 18 years - many you will cherish always and so...

Tomorrow evening my oldest daughter Kayleigh will put on a cap and gown, walk across a stage, receive a diploma, officially become a high school graduate, and enter a new season of life. I am not sure that reality has sunk in for me yet.  My little girl is becoming a young woman. Even as I type those words, my heart pauses for a second.  On one hand, I am so excited for her and what lies around the corner in her life.  On the other hand, I want to burst into tears, hold her close, and protect my little princess from the broken world that awaits. My mind races to the giggles, vacations, closeness, wins, laughs, and everyday moments we have enjoyed. And at the same time it also recalls the hurts, tears, tough conversations, pain, and moments of distance we endured.  As she prepares to transition into this new season, I wish I could multiply the good times and edit the not-so-good ones ... but then I realize ~ God has used both to make her the person she has become ...