We weren’t the same people when we finally met again. The distance, the stillness had changed us. It was good to see you calm and coming back to life. I knew you needed a break from the constant social pressure, regardless of how much I ached to say. When we met again, it was indeed … More Dear Smoky Mountains—
A salty tear slips from my cheek and drops to find its long-lost home back in the salty sea. A wave pummels its way up the sandy shore and knocks me in the legs. I stumble and splash—and I laugh. And that laughter, this sudden sensation of joy then melts into a softened heart. “This, … More Ocean Meditation
My toes were a combination of numb and painful. It was below freezing on a Friday night in the District of Columbia, and I was spending it walking around Capitol Hill talking to people living life unsheltered. I handed Dan and Jenny each a cup of hot chocolate, as they playfully teased me for the … More Conversations with God: Being a Servant
I’ve long felt that God is where the sea meets the land. I was born and raised submerged in a Pacific Northwest marine layer, always aware of the omnipresence of the powerful Pacific Ocean. Without questions, without doubt, I found myself throughout my young adult years drawn to the water. I haven’t always had the … More Conversations with God: Let Go and Let the Pacific
“Everyone here is valuable,” she said to me, “Everyone plays an important role.” I could tell that she meant it. It wasn’t just one of those nice things you say to try to make everyone feel like a winner. I looked into the eyes of this woman one Sunday at the New York Avenue Presbyterian … More I Saw God Today
(For the first chapter of this journey, read “History and the Call to Adventure.” For the second chapter, see “Crossing the Threshold and Riding with Jesus.” For the third chapter, see “The Land of Adventure and an Introduction to Totems.” For the fourth chapter, see “Death, Rebirth, and Honoring the Ancestors.”) Days earlier, my dad … More The Chevy and Me, A Hero’s Journey: The Final Chapter
(For the first chapter of this journey, read “History and the Call to Adventure.” For the second chapter, see “Crossing the Threshold and Riding with Jesus.” For the third chapter, see “The Land of Adventure and an Introduction to Totems.”) The original plan had been to do the final 12-hour haul from my brother’s house … More The Chevy and Me, A Hero’s Journey: Death, Rebirth, and Honoring the Ancestors
(For the first chapter of this journey, read “History and the Call to Adventure.” For the second chapter, see “Crossing the Threshold and Riding with Jesus.”) I awoke in Albuquerque to a grand realization. It was arguably one of the most meaningful moments of the trip (though there were plenty of these superlatives along the … More The Chevy and Me, A Hero’s Journey: The Land of Adventure and an Introduction to Totems
(For the first chapter of this journey, read “History and the Call to Adventure.”) And so the story’s end begins one December night in Northern Virginia. A few days earlier, I had received the text from my dad who, after a good bout of rumination, saw that the beauty in the idea could not be … More The Chevy and Me, A Hero’s Journey: Crossing the Threshold and Riding with Jesus
I’m not religious, but I have quite an affinity for religious iconography and songs. There is just some sort of strength, some sort of connection that comes out of spirituality that tickles me. There is a song I enjoy where one verse describes a girl on a subway who takes out a toothbrush and starts … More Here’s a Map and Here’s a Bible
ROUGH OUTLINES 