On Fatherhood

Like so many of life's milestones, I expected more in the way of preparation leading up to this one. A burning bush or booming sky voice, some sort of certificate or even a merit badge. Something that would confirm that yes, you're ready for this. Once again, I am reminded of the overwhelming sameness of …

Diamonds

In May of 2016, I hopped on a plane in Philadelphia and flew to Portland for the first time. I was going to see this amazing girl I'd been talking to for the last few months and had fallen completely head over heels for. After landing in Portland and making my way through the airport, …

The Shelf

Hanging the shelf took more time, energy and effort than it should have. First we had to get a working drill to put the anchors in. Then there was the measuring, centering, leveling and marking. Then the holes were drilled, but maybe that one was too close to an unknown pipe/wire/stud/whatever behind the wall. Then …

Give Thanks

What does it look like to give thanks during a season of sadness? What does it feel like to be thankful when you're still grieving a great loss? This was my year to find this out. It's hard to put into words all that my grandfather was. From my youngest years I remember him as …

I’m not Ron Swanson

As big Parks & Rec fans, and as someone who may share a few personality quirks with Ron Swanson, I was super excited when Marcia surprised me with tickets to see Nick Offerman. While his comedy can be a bit blue (he opened the show with a song about his inability to work PG-13), he …

Too Much of a Good Thing

It was honestly one of the most majestic sights I've ever seen. We'd been to Astoria before and seen sea lions, but never like this. An entire pier covered with them, with more swimming in the water looking for a place to fit in. A deafening cacophony of barking, grunting and roaring. On Sunday, we …

304 Days…

I've been married for 304 days. That's almost a full year for anyone keeping score at home. In the past year I've moved across the country, made a bunch of new friends and learned how to call a new place home. I've been stretched and challenged for sure, but I've also experienced moments of pure …

A Goodbye in 7 Parts – Part 2 – Family

This one is a strange one for me. In one sense, it's not like I'm losing my family but in another sense it feels like I am because of one very big change. See, for as long as I can remember the idea of family has been synonymous with one thing. This house- This is …

A Goodbye in 7 Parts – Part 1 – Aldan Union Church

Next Sunday morning, I'll board a plane and fly into my future in Portland, Oregon. I'm tremendously excited for that future, for all it entails and who I'll be spending it with. I'm leaving good for better. Even so, I wanted to take this final week to reflect on all that I'm leaving behind and …

What I Learned About Sin From My Mouse

It happened again today. I was trying to click on something on my screen and I clicked in the wrong place. As I wiggled my cursor around, I realized how sluggishly it was moving. I'd seen this before and knew exactly what it meant. It was time to pop the trackball out and do some …