When I was around eight years old, I saw something at our local J.J. Newberry’s store that I just had to buy for my grandpa. It was a little statue of an old man flexing his muscles with a cape and a giant S on his chest. The inscription read: Grandpa… You’re Super The first […]
Sometimes gifts come back to us Read More »
I keep thinking about this idea that we are all writing a story. None of us fully controls the opening chapters. Some people begin life surrounded by stability, encouragement, safety, and opportunity. Others begin with chaos, neglect, poverty, addiction, abuse, loss, discrimination, instability, or trauma. Life is not fair in how it distributes suffering. Some
You Still Hold the Pen Read More »
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 »
There is an old irony buried inside The Ransom of Red Chief that feels strangely modern right now. I found myself thinking about it recently while listening to the news and watching commentators talk about escalation with Iran, retaliation, deterrence, and the language nations always seem to use before they become trapped in something larger
Iran, The Ransom of Red Chief, and the Psychology of Escalation 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 »
The rain started sometime after midnight. Not the violent kind of storm that rattles windows or sends people scrambling for weather alerts, just a steady Appalachian rain falling softly through the darkness. Before going to bed, I had accidentally left the door cracked open, and during the night the opening widened and the house slowly
Open Windows, Rainstorms, and Resilience Read More »
Our relationship with our parents doesn’t end when we become adults. It just changes form. And when that relationship is strained, it doesn’t stay contained in the past. It seeps into identity, into marriage, into how we see ourselves in the mirror. For better or worse, our parents are our first reference point for what
The Long Shadow of Our Parents Read More »
It came to me somewhere between waking and sleep. Not the kind of dream that feels strange or distant, but one of those that feels almost remembered, like it had already happened and I had just forgotten it for a while. I was lying there, not quite asleep, not fully awake, and the images started
The Revival in my Dreams Read More »
This week, I watched James Talarico’s speech after his recent political win in Texas. Something about the way he spoke landed with me. Judging by the reactions online and in conversations with friends, it landed with a lot of other people too, especially Christians who still care deeply about their faith but feel increasingly homeless
When the Church Leaves Before the People Do Read More »
These were the last words of Renée Good before an ICE agent shot her in the face. A few weeks later, Alex Pretti, a dedicated ICU nurse who was helping others at a protest, was also killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis. These deaths have cut deeply into families, communities, and our national conscience.
I’m Not Mad at You Read More »