Figuring Out Why We Are Who We Are
The older I get, the more I realize people don’t arrive at their beliefs through logic alone. We are shaped by family, fear, faith, trauma, culture, and the deep human need to belong somewhere.
Maybe understanding those “knots” matters more than winning every argument.
The Hidden Stories of the Movies I Never Saw
Looking back at the movies that defined the year I was born, I realized how many of them I never really knew at all. What began as a simple trip through film history became a deeper reflection on growing up in a conservative Christian culture where entertainment was expected to reinforce a carefully curated moral world—and how the stories we avoid can shape us just as much as the stories we embrace.
Grace, Grit, and 37 Years of Us
If I’ve developed a moral compass at all, it’s because of her. Not from sermons or verses, but from watching how she treats people — with patience, grace, and a kind of decency that makes you want to be better too.
Grace and Grit: A Simple Tagline with Big Meaning
“Grace and grit” isn’t just a tagline for me—it’s a reflection of two values that have shaped my life. In this post, I explore how both grace and grit play out in everyday situations and how these values guide my actions and interactions with others.
More Than a Mirror
A 55-year-old photo revealed a striking resemblance between my son and his grandfather—but also a powerful reminder that while we inherit faces, we build our worldviews. A reflection on family, difference, and the lifelong process of growing into empathy.
Randomly Rudimentary Life Stuff 
When the Truth Doesn’t Fit the World You’ve Built
As headlines swirl about Kristi Noem’s husband, a deeper question emerges: what happens when who you are doesn’t fit the world you’ve built around you?