Jesse and Rylee got engaged back in March. I saw it posted on Rylee’s Instagram. So when I saw them at Wendy’s, I offered my congratulations. And my standard “Watermelon Wedding” proposal, which is partly social commentary and partly Dad … Continue reading
Marci and I are celebrating twenty-four years of marriage this month. So we decided to mark the occasion by traveling to Charleston, South Carolina, for a three-day, two-night getaway. Charleston is a lovely city, with a rich history, distinctive urban … Continue reading
I recently finished reading Wendell Berry’s novel, The Memory of Old Jack. It’s another installment in his series of fictional stories of fictional people of a fictional town called Port William, Kentucky. But I rarely encounter characters and places as real as … Continue reading
My wife, Marci, comes from a long line of strong women. Marchelle Louise Anderson-Asp, daughter of Fleta Louise Hettinger-Anderson… daughter of Virginia Beatrice Fackler-Hettinger… daughter of Fleta Marie Pittinger-Fackler… daughter of Ida Belle Baker-Pittinger… Going all the way back to … Continue reading
Today has been a day of contrasts! One might say “Morning Grit” and “Evening Grace,” to adapt a phrase I recently heard from a friend. I started out the day by waking up early and driving an hour north of … Continue reading
It’s that time of the year for retrospection. After posting my Top Ten Songs of 2021, Top Ten Books of 2021, and Top Ten Hikes of 2021, and Top Ten Ministry Moments of 2021, it’s time to conclude my lists with looking back on the … Continue reading
For twenty-five years, now, I’ve developed and maintained a tradition of writing a new story for Christmas. So this year, with the 25th edition of this tradition celebrated on the 25th day of December, I gave each member of my … Continue reading
We went to the beach in Oregon today. It felt like a spectacular, sunny, Spring day. You’d think “Summer,” right? But the wind coming off the Pacific Ocean was pretty chilly. Sweatshirts were comfortable. And none of us wanted to … Continue reading
Take a left in Streetsboro, go about 2,500 miles west, and you can’t miss it. Getting to Washington State and the Pacific Northwest is that simple, with the United States’ Interstate highway system. But our family took the long way. … Continue reading
I felt like the “weird new kid” when our family moved to Kent in 2012. I wasn’t a part of the church-planting team who moved from Bowling Green in 2008. But I wasn’t the traditional 18- or 19-year-old freshman on … Continue reading