The Best Years of Your Life

Just a few days ago, we celebrated this little one: graduating from high school: The days and weeks following my graduation were life changing. There wasn’t a single ounce of me that felt sad about high school ending. I’ve never related to the saying that the high school years are the best years of yourContinueContinue reading “The Best Years of Your Life”

Peace Like a River

My son participated in a mountain biking practice at Mohican State Park earlier this week, and I waited in the park while he rode, relishing 90 minutes of relatively poor cellphone reception. My plan was to make my way down to the lake that sits at the bottom of the hill from Mohican Lodge, findContinueContinue reading “Peace Like a River”

Particle Physics, Evolutionary Biology, and Being a Christian

Let’s talk about particle physics, my past crisis with evolutionary biology, and being a follower of Christ. Those are simple topics for one blog post!  My daughter, who is clearly smarter than I am, recommended The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the EdgeContinueContinue reading “Particle Physics, Evolutionary Biology, and Being a Christian”

Priests and Prophets… and Eating Paleo

In January, we almost mostly completed a Whole 30 reset together as a family. We’ve been here before, a couple of times, and although there were fewer bad habits to break this time, it’s always good to reassess and begin better habits over again. Looking back on these various endeavors, I think my most favoriteContinueContinue reading “Priests and Prophets… and Eating Paleo”

Little Joys—Advent

Back in May, I asked my Facebook friends to share songs that celebrated the little joys of life. I asked because I was scared. The frailty and finitude of life was right there, right in front of my face in the form of microcalcifications in my right breast. I waited a month for answers. InContinueContinue reading “Little Joys—Advent”

Behold, A New Thing

I keep describing the last four months as a wild ride of trying to trust God, getting it wrong (or right for the moment, and then wrong, and then right again, for now *crazy eyes*), and questioning the mysteries of God’s will, my will, and the conflation of these two things into one mushy pileContinueContinue reading “Behold, A New Thing”

Hold On Loosely

This morning as I drove the kids to school, a blade of light cut through a hole in the clouds in that divine way, you know, the way that feels like God is descending through the clouds to rest his glory on your shoulders, and you feel blessed, and particular, the center of the universe.ContinueContinue reading “Hold On Loosely”

The Universal History of People Doing Whatever They Feel Like Doing

In those days there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing. – Judges 17:6 I’m reading Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones right now. At the same time, I’ve been trudging chapter by chapter through the book of Judges in the Bible. The confluence of these two narrativesContinueContinue reading “The Universal History of People Doing Whatever They Feel Like Doing”

Sifted As Wheat

Sometime around 2005, the “everything happens for a reason,” feel-good faith of my college years shattered. I had had two miscarriages and health complications that accompanied those losses, and to tell you the truth, God did not feel real close, or real good, or real loving. In fact, I didn’t feel anything for God exceptContinueContinue reading “Sifted As Wheat”

Sarah Ruins Jeremiah 29:11

Pete Enns has ruined Exodus, Isaiah, and Christmas, so I thought I’d take a stab at ruining one of the American Christian’s favorite Bible verses, an oft-quoted, stenciled, and memorized Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans toContinueContinue reading “Sarah Ruins Jeremiah 29:11”