"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
In the past when I've come up with New Year's Resolutions I'm really enthusiastic and driven for the first month. The second month the excitement and commitment starts to fade. By March those resolutions and goals are typically long gone. Ancient history. A thing of the past. To be honest by March I have trouble … Continue reading 2021 Progress Report
I am always fascinated by the New Year's holiday. Every 365 days people gather to celebrate the turning of the calendar, giving way to a brand new year filled with aspirations. There is one word that I believe encapsulates New Year's: hope. No matter what happened in the year prior, we are filled with a … Continue reading Hitting the Reset Button
Back in September my supervisor at work asked me if I'd be interested in participating in a kayak training in order to become a certified instructor. The idea behind the invitation was that I'd be able to help teach kids how to kayak during camps the following summer. On the surface I thought this was … Continue reading The Kayaking Caper
I first discovered the Appalachian Trail five years ago on a trip to the Appalachian Mountains with my dad. Ever since that trip I have dreamed of one day setting out on the trail, backpacking along the way, and taking in all the wonderfully beautiful sights. My desire for a trip of this nature (pun … Continue reading Trail Magic
Nostalgia is a conundrum. On one hand, it's a wonderfully powerful source of joy as you reflect back on happy memories, simpler times, and meaningful experiences. On the other hand, it also brings about a sense of sadness as you realize you will never relive those days and experiences. Nostalgia has been the word on … Continue reading Nostalgia
We all have a bucket list. It may not be a literal, tangible list where our dreams and desires are all written out, ready to be marked off. But that doesn't mean we don't all have a running internal list of aspirations and things we wish to achieve and accomplish in life. Some of the … Continue reading Dreamland
Twenty-seven. That's the age I turned this past week. While it may seem like a fairly insignificant age it has had my brain churning as I've processed being a year older. Here are a few random thoughts I've had as I've attempted to give my new age some context: I am now officially in my … Continue reading Twenty-seven
Way back in March, when fear of COVID-19 was increasing by the day, everything began shutting down, closing up, and getting cancelled. One of those of those unfortunate cancellations was my youth group's Luke 18 retreat. We had been planning for this retreat for months and were only a week away from the kickoff. However, … Continue reading Enough
Our country is bleeding right now. It literally feels like it's being ripped apart at the seams. People are dying in the streets and buildings are being set ablaze. People are being forced to pick sides, although to be honest I'm losing track of how many "sides" there are. I'm not here to tell you … Continue reading Unity
A friend recently lent me a book entitled 438 Days. It chronicles the true story of a fisherman that was lost at sea off the coast of Mexico for over four hundred days. It details the extensive lengths this man went to in order to survive and the suffering he endured both physically and emotionally. After finishing … Continue reading A Journey at Sea
What am I doing? 