Dawn and I have recently been falling asleep at night reviewing old episodes of Star Trek on Pluto TV. I love the nostalgia from those old shows I grew up with. I love the music, the corny costumes, the dramatic stories, and the impossible situations that somehow always seemed to land on Captain Kirk’s desk. […]
Captain Kirk and Impossible Scenarios Read More »
Eighteen years ago today, you were born. It feels impossible to even write that sentence. In my mind, I can still see you as that little boy running through the house, laughing at things only kids find funny, carrying toys in your hands, and excitement in your eyes. Yet here you are, eighteen years old,
A Letter to Landon, on his birthday Read More »
I confess. I did it. Before you judge me too harshly, you need to understand something about me. I need my sleep. I’ve always had a strange relationship with sleep. On one hand, I appreciate it. On the other, I resent it a little. I’ve often done the math: if I live to be 90
Confession of a Sleep-Deprived Man Read More »
We live at the end of a quiet road. Just us, one other property owner, and then the short stretch of the Daniel Boone National Forest rolling into Laurel River Lake. It’s the kind of place where mornings feel older than the calendar. Cold air. Frost on the grass. We love it here. A couple
The Totoro Hat and the Rifle Read More »
Have you ever noticed how we hear something powerful and immediately think, Someone else really needs to hear this? Not us, of course. It’s always a brother-in-law. A cousin. A neighbor. That person on Facebook. The one who doesn’t get it. I’ve watched this play out for years in churches, classrooms, therapy offices, and living
Amen. Preach It, Brother. (Just Not to Me.) Read More »
When a child starts to struggle at school, at home, or in relationships, most parents do what good parents do: they seek help. They call the school counselor, ask friends for referrals, or look for someone online who “specializes in kids like mine.” The problem is, in today’s world, that often means walking into a
Pt. 3 – Seeing Beyond the Label: What Parents Should Look for in a Therapist Read More »
There’s a certain kind of phrase that rolls off the tongue easily when we don’t know what to say. “Everything happens for a reason.” “God has a plan.” “This must be part of something bigger.” They’re meant to soothe, but too often, they wound. I’ve sat with people who lost a child, who were betrayed
The Cruelty of Comforting Lies Read More »
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in life is that reassessing your beliefs is not the same thing as caving to pressure. It’s not cowardice. It’s not compromise; it’s growth. Throughout life, we should be constantly examining our positions and our direction. We move toward a value we believe in, and often that value
Beyond Symbols: Living by Values, Not Flags Read More »
Today, in my garage, I picked up an old wooden grabber. It wasn’t much to look at; worn and twisted, but a name written across the wooden handle caught my eye. In faded ink, it read Doreen Wesley 216 A. My grandmother’s name. Her room number in the nursing home where she spent her last
The Grabber with Grandma’s Name Read More »
When I was about fourteen or fifteen, I decided it was finally time to shave. My face only had a little peach fuzz, but I’d watched my dad for years and figured I knew what to do. I opened the medicine cabinet, found his old safety razor, the kind you twisted at the bottom so
Shaving With Dull Blades Read More »