Fitting in. Belonging. Acceptance. God placed those desires in our hearts. He created us to live in community. And yet, when you throw a bunch of broken people together, God’s ideal plans often don’t play out the way he intended. Announcements about my upcoming high...
Five years ago, I took a college course on love. Among the list of texts for the class, along with the likes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Plato, was a reference to the song "The Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston. If you're not familiar with the song, Houston sings that...
I am fortunate to live near San Jose State University, within walking distance of my place of work on campus. I don’t drive, so I rely on the bus, light rail, and the occasional ride from friends to get beyond downtown San Jose. While taking public transportation is...
It’s been five days without an Internet connection or cell phone coverage. The nearest town is almost two hours away. We are literally in the middle of nowhere. Two hundred eighty people are sharing 4 toilets. It’s hard to believe I’m not in a foreign...
Recently I visited my parents’ house down in Almaden Valley to clean up my old bedroom. As I went through my stuff, I came across a drawer where I used to shove old graded assignments in case I ever needed them again. As I went through them, I saw the giant red letters at the...
I wrote a script for my family, which featured our future, redeveloped backyard as the backdrop. It went something like this: my daughter leaves for college (yes, she will) in six years. Between now and then, she and her brother need to create fun childhood memories in our home and...
Or could the mundane actually be profound? Since moving to the Bay Area three years ago, I’ve experienced significant development in my walk with God and my prayer life—possibly greater strides than I’ve ever experienced. (Signs of this popped up in my earlier blog...
I was reminded the other day of a Sunday school tune, based on Matthew 6:33, that I had learned to sing as a child. The song came to mind as my fiancée and I were sharing childhood memories and humming tunes we knew on a bus ride home. (Yes, we have odd conversations)...
A few months ago, I was standing in the changing room of our gym when one of the members started complaining about the parking. During busy times, there usually isn’t enough parking for the number of people who belong there. As I listened, I was agreeing in my head. I’ve...
I have a birthday this month, which puts me far enough into my forties to know that 40 is not the new 30. I definitely feel different than I did in my thirties. If I don’t work out for one week, it will be markedly harder the next time I exercise. If I over-indulge while on...