Category: Thoughts On Life
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On Mentors, Identity, and Turning 30
Tomorrow, I turn 30. As an introvert (INFJ, for those that care about such distinctions), it is only fitting that I spend at least a few minutes reflecting on the last decade of life that was my twenties. Ten years ago, I leapt from my teenage years with excitement and…
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The Open Doors of Ash Wednesday
The doors are open. It’s not odd for this to be true because it is, after all, an unusually warm day for March 1. I approach and enter them with wonder: at their openness, and at what is to come inside. We gather in the pews, preparing ourselves for the…
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The Holy Place
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” – Exodus 3:5 (NIV) I was far from any burning bush when I realized the ground on which I was standing was holy. No, I didn’t remove my shoes…
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I Have No Words.
Today, I struggle to find the right words. I sit here in my warm, quiet home without a worry if tomorrow will come or if my family will be safe. I’m filled with hope that the future is still on course- that my journey will continue into the dawn of…
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Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch: A Metaphor for Collegiate Ministry
In Acts 8:26-40, we find the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip hears the voice of God telling him to go to a place and he goes, with no idea what is waiting for him when he gets there. What Philip finds is someone seeking to connect with, and…
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Refraining Good Friday at Christmastime
Christmas Eve worship is always a favorite of mine: carol singing, decorations, “lessons” from the scriptural Christmas stories, nativities, children hardly able to sit still for the coming Christmas, and, of course, candles filling the worship space with light. All of these elements of worship in this annual service are…
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When Strangers Become Family: My Journey With CBF Fellows
I’ve always stressed the importance of community with the students I serve. Whether it was in the basement youth room of a church near Raleigh or the halls of the student center on a college campus in Greenville, I’ve always encouraged students to seek out those with whom they can…
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Our Family Is Growing!
Heather and I are excited to share with everyone that, at some point in the next year or so, our family will be growing! The decision to become parents is lot like a journey. There are resources to pull together, maps to be charted, questions to be asked and a…
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Boat Shoes Don’t Belong in the Woods
Step after step I take, my boat shoes on unfamiliar territory as they cross over rocks, branches, and logs turned into stairs. I’m surrounded by changing leaves, cool air, and deep quiet. It’s morning but most of nature is still asleep. “This is not my world!” my mind screams at…
