Lessons from White Water Rafting

Spending a week in Deep Creek, MD with the family and some friends was ridiculously refreshing. Amidst the spontaneous naps, coding practices, and obsessive reading, I was able to fit in some white water rafting. It was a blast, we had the best guide, and it gave opportunity for many lessons.

As a Father

The inability to do anything presented a need for something I hate: asking for help.

The Point of Morning Worship

One number. Line. Two numbers. Line. Two numbers. I hesitated before I drew the box. I hadn’t chosen a Biblical chapter yet. Both paths felt like dead ends. Option One had lofty words about children and enemies and dominion. Option Two had a stale plot line that prevented me from getting to the good stuff. […]

But How Do I Serve God Here?

I distinctly remember the gnawing ache in my stomach as we pulled out into our daily territory. Businesses made it worse, Hispanic shops made it better, but any kind of territory brought about this reaction. Canvassing terrified me.

Why Good-byes are the Worst (but Not)

I’ve always been a messy goodbye-sayer. Dormitories where I hung my hammock, trailer homes that shook with the morning stroll, a basement bedroom next to an overly active washing machine…sure, I’m a lover of places. But of course, the pain of leaving is evoked by my torn heart strings wound around those lovely people.

When It Doesn’t Feel Fair

I remember being less than half my age, driving with the family in my stepdad’s pristine car–and when I say pristine, I mean the full extent of that word. We were going somewhere to do something, the details are long forgotten. But not the moment we arrived at our destination. Somewhere near the backseat, under […]

Reality in Christ | How to Manage Darker Days

This is part four of a series on how I manage my anxiety. Read the introductory post here. I’ve been dragging my feet to write this post, because I don’t know how. It’s like the most important part. My friends are fans of the hypothetical. I’ve been asked the following question several times, but I’ve only recently […]

Chosen Reactions

I thought it was a waste of time. I didn’t say that with my mouth, but I said it just as clearly with my face and posture. It was a school-wide program and I was apparently the only one that hadn’t been properly initiated through a two-day-download of information. And so, with a very reluctant […]

The Real Issue

It’s easy for me to be hard on the Israelites. I mean, they’re kinda like the byword for “awful people who are terrible at serving God basically always” in Christian circles. They worked pretty hard for that status it seems, too.

Something Else

I’ve been a list person for as long as I can remember. The bullet journalling wave has been an easy one for me to ride, especially with the pretty letters to lure me in.

I love the satisfaction of filled in circles and squares, the affirmation that I did what I set out to do. It feels really, really good.

For about 10-15 seconds.