We weren’t fully prepared for the cold and wind. I mean, we knew the weather forecast ahead of time and packed sufficient layers. We had talked to park rangers and mapped out our plan. We were logistically prepared. But we … Continue reading
Out in the farmlands of Richland County, there’s a cemetery labeled with a simple wrought-iron sign: “Revolutionary War Cemetery.” As the name suggests, a few well-weathered gravestones go all the way back to the 1700s, when this part of the … Continue reading
Marci and I flew out to San Francisco last week for a four-day getaway. We arranged for the trip because this month marks our 20th wedding anniversary, and we wanted to do something special together. Northern California was appealing to … Continue reading
The Glass City Half-Marathon was hard. I went out fast, and I stayed fast through the first ten miles: splits consistently between 7:00 and 7:15 minutes per mile. I was pushing the pace, keeping myself in the upper echelons of my … Continue reading
We’re back from H2O’s Spring Break trip to the Great Smoky Mountains! Fifty-four of us traveled from Ohio to Tennessee to learn and practice spiritual disciplines in the wilderness, like Moses, and Elijah, and John the Baptist, and countless others … Continue reading
I love the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). I’ve come to know it as a place for exercise and rest. It’s a setting for fun with friends and family as well as spiritual solitude. It feels both very close and very … Continue reading
It starts with me and Elliot: a 40-year-old pastor and his 15-year-old son. We pull out of our driveway and head to the gas station to fuel up for the drive to our church’s men’s retreat. Before hitting the road, … Continue reading
I’m a slow reader, by nature. I like to absorb every word and thought, as much as possible. I appreciate the ways things are written: the language, the pacing, the artistic imagery. I prefer to be thorough, when I read … Continue reading
I spent yesterday afternoon introducing some young leaders to the idea of getting extended time with God in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We had unseasonably warm and sunny weather, so that made the experience extra-pleasant. But honestly, I would … Continue reading
I cannot decide if these winter mornings are terribly beautiful or beautifully terrible. The air feels cleaner and more refreshing, but I’m not able to breathe it in as deeply. The light is low, still it’s not dark. Illumination seeps … Continue reading
