He arrived two minutes early, blazered and buttoned up, with shoulders, as he put it, as wide as my hips. Finding our table, we exchanged compliments on how improved the date versions of ourselves were over our post-workout versions who had met the Saturday before on the edge of Chinatown. Had I not chosen the … Continue reading Searching for Mr. Sharpie
You know the story. High wall. Fragile man. Great fall. Irreparable damage. There were many moments where it felt like that was my year. Shortly after turning 33, someone told me it was my Jesus year. Listen, I don’t know what that means but if it means growing acquainted with the cross, not having … Continue reading 34 Eve: My Humpty Dumpty Year in Review
A few weeks back, I was describing to a friend this new class I've been taking and when I reached the end she asked who was teaching it. I said I am. "Well, where'd you get the syllabus?" she asked. I made it. She was surprised and asked if I'd ever considered becoming a teacher … Continue reading My Christian Nonfiction Writing “Class”
Upon receiving my first debit card 16 years ago when I started college, I promptly began to spend and spend big. With movie scenes depicting cards being declined at fancy restaurants in the back of my mind, I thought that once its balance reached zero, my card would stop letting me make purchases. I soon … Continue reading Pride, Prejudice, Pressure and Pain: Becoming a Skeptical Receiver
It wasn’t just a job I wanted as I hoped for the end to this season of waiting, but all that came with it: To wake up and not find 10 job search emails to sift through reminding me of my work status each morning. To stop being micromanaged by a 22 year old at … Continue reading On Contentment
[This page left intentionally blank]
Anyone who has ever really tried to "take their thoughts captive" knows that they can be quite the wily fellows. Like trinkets on the bottom of a claw machine, a house fly in the dead of summer, a wet bar of soap or even a good man these days, thoughts can't be caught. But one year, I tried. … Continue reading That Year I Gave Up Daydreaming for Lent
Over the past several months, I've shared about how difficult work has been. I would be lying if I said all that's happened wasn't upsetting—because it is—but even so, God has been meeting me and challenging me in the midst of it. This is some of what I'm chewing on at the moment. My Job … Continue reading Faith When Your Job Is On The Line
For Halloween two years ago I dressed up as the token black friend. I double checked the party invitation list to make sure no other black people were going (it was a formality, I pretty much knew I'd be the only one) and then wore whatever normal clothes I wanted as my costume. Easy. To help … Continue reading Whatever You Do, Don’t Make a Black Friend
Last night my small group discussed why the opening of salvation to the Gentiles by faith would have bothered the Israelites. Why was it a stumbling block that it should come that way? And how am I like the Israelites in the story? "But the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way … Continue reading A Stone That Causes People to Stumble
