I used to love Christmas and the things that surrounded it. The luminous lights, the December decorations, and of course the tasty treats. Remembering a time before the Internet when you couldn’t buy peppermint bark in July and when Santa’s wasn’t competing with scary witches. Our years in America are no longer marked by the […]
Tag Archives: spiritual awakening
08
Nov
Nov
When I was sixteen going on seventeen, our church youth group learned about the Appalachia Service Project (ASP), a Christian nonprofit ministry focused on the “eradication of substandard housing in Central Appalachia.” Growing up, I was aware that there were families who didn’t have the same standard of living we did, but participating in ASP […]
04
Oct
Oct
As I began to write about my story, I realized not only my deep devotion to the material world but the lies that I believed to sustain my faith in stuff. Lies that sustain the modern world, particularly in the west. Lies that have always deceived us.
05
Jul
Jul
As my years on this planet have accumulated, so has the stuff I’ve amassed. Even though I’ve made numerous attempts at “downsizing,” my success is always short lived and short of any sense of minimalism. I’m still hanging onto stuff because of my sentimentalism and sense of sacredness for things that remind me of those […]
28
Jun
Jun
I believe that the Bible is God’s story. A story of love and life, grace and generosity, mercy and madness, warning and wisdom, inspiration and insight. Words just as relevant now as they have always been. Stories that lead us to the good life because they lead us to God. Books that have shaped cultures […]
21
Jun
Jun
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit my family in Chicago. This was the first time seeing them since my father’s funeral in November 2023. People that I dearly love who are now 1800 miles away from me and my little family. People that I dearly love who will always be with me […]
07
Jun
Jun
Like other mixed messages from our culture, we get schizophrenic signs as it relates to love, specifically romantic love. On one hand we’re told to chart our own course and be our own person even if we have to go it alone. Don’t let anyone or even society stop you from pursuing your dreams or […]
24
May
May
It has been said, “A person dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken.” This quote has been attributed to everyone from Banksy to Hemingway to someone only known as anonymity. The latter being an ironic example of irony that lends integrity to this insight. As […]
17
May
May
Growing up, I was told to never discuss politics or religion with someone I had no relationship with; and even if I did have a relationship with said person, to tread carefully. In many ways, this was wise advice. Both realms, reflect our core beliefs and values (or perceptions) about what we believe is right […]
03
May
May
What was once a planned break to write my memoir has since become my unplanned retirement from pharmaceutical marketing. My unexpected life’s career when I expected my life’s career would be something else entirely. At one point it was ministry, then teaching, and then looking for any job to pay back my student loans. Taking […]