I’m noticing an uptick in my empathy for others. I think there are numerous catalysts for this, but I sincerely believe that one of them is Mister Rogers. I recently rewatched the film, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and … Continue reading
I’m still limping through this stretch of the calendar. We’ve brought our painting project to a good stopping point. Welcome Week has mostly run its course. We got Cor moved back into BGSU. Olivia is starting a new job in … Continue reading
I recently finished reading the book, A Theology of the Ordinary, by Julie Canlis. It was recommended to me by my friend John, after many conversations about life and ministry and humility and faith. I’ve been telling him about my increasing … Continue reading
We’re trying something new this year, organizing Kent State sophomores, juniors, and seniors to function as a sort of “short-term missions team” to reach incoming freshmen as they move in. The team’s three-day itinerary will include team-building, daily devotions, daily … Continue reading
I recently finished reading Miguel de Cervantes’s epic novel, Don Quixote. It is a big book. Over 1,000 pages in most print editions, or 39 hours and 18 minutes in the audio edition I employed. I read the first ten chapters … Continue reading
I am an astronaut on the dark side of the moon. Only a few crewmates are in the spacecraft with me, orbiting a lifeless sphere, cut off from radio communication with the rest of human civilization. I know that it … Continue reading
What a privilege to live just a 25-minute drive from a national park! What a privilege to work for a church who encourages its staff to take the “first-fruits” of our “crop” (i.e. time and conversation about church business) to … Continue reading
As I’ve slowed myself down to reflect on the bigger picture of this school year and the bigger season of life in which I find myself, I come back to that refrain from the Bible about the grasses and the … Continue reading
This week, I’m at the Collegiate Church Network’s Leadership Conference in College Station, Texas. I like traveling to unfamiliar places to interact with familiar faces (and some new ones, too); it’s fun to eat at different restaurants and run through … Continue reading
I’ve been wondering: If I’m truly going to heed the warnings that I’ve heard from God, keeping my cape in the closet and faithfully farming my forty acres, particularly prioritizing the need to experience and exude the presence of God … Continue reading