It's Tough, Dude

"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things -- trees and grass and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the … Continue reading Farewell to the Shadowlands

You were born into a battle. The tears came as quickly as the words did. I was listening to a podcast by John Eldredge, finishing up a set of squats at the gym. John was discussing the wounds we experience in life, and the offer of Jesus to father us through the pain. As I … Continue reading Courage to Engage

I used to go to the local Barnes & Noble quite often, each time being to do school work, but after about ten minutes in the Starbucks cafe I never failed to find myself thumbing through a book by Steinbeck or Hemingway. I'd go about an hour or two before work, meaning around 1 O'clock. … Continue reading The Upside Down

"Eve is drawn from Adam's side and leaves that ache that never goes away until he is with her again." -- John Eldredge I think I felt it first in Kindergarten, sometime after lunch when playing tag on the playground. It was the sudden longing for the other. I did not know why at the … Continue reading The Ache for Love

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain..." -- Exodus 20:7 I don't remember too much from Sunday School, but from what I do remember from those years of flannel graphs and talking vegetables is that I shouldn't kill, steal, cheat on my wife, or...cuss. Now, I know that sin … Continue reading Bearing Names

I sit on my porch, sipping a coffee at 2 in the afternoon with my journal and a pen in hand with no words on the page. It's been weeks since I've undone the elastic band around the journal, or even thought about it for that matter. What was once a daily rhythm has become … Continue reading A Kingdom of Kids

A few months ago, I deleted all social media on my phone -- and I gotta say, I don't regret it one bit. Every now and then, when soaking in the daily monotony of life, I am tempted to go to the app store and download Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, but the depressed and stressed … Continue reading Jungle Coffee

In 1930, a conversation occurred that would change fiction forever. J.R.R. Tolkien -- a Christian believer -- and C.S. Lewis -- an agnostic -- were coworkers and friends at Oxford University, had both experienced the atrocities and hell of World War I, and shared a passion and interest for story and myth. While walking and … Continue reading The Power of Story

I remember the first conversation we had. It was his first day at Willis Road Elementary, and we were just two bright-eyed ten year olds who didn't get picked first in gym class. After the usual small talk that comes with meeting a new person, we quickly moved to more important topics, such as discussing … Continue reading The Innocence of a Cowboy

Ever since I read Wild at Heart the summer going in to my senior year of high school, I've become quite the recreational reader. I'll admit, at times it has been unhealthy -- spending hours in my room with nothing but a pile of books isn't really "soul care"; it's deadening. And as the teacher warns … Continue reading My Top 5 Reads of 2019