We Went to Quebec
"Your French is better than my English." said the taxi driver to me as he drove my family to Jean Lesage Airport to catch our flight back to Edmonton. I hadn't put much thought into the quality of my French on our family trip to Quebec City, but I did feel a sense of gratitude for my parents' decision when I was five years old to put me in a French immersion school program.
Never Meet Your Villains?
Meeting someone in person is always different than meeting someone in theory.
He-Man, Barbies, and The Sound of Freedom
I was a classic child of the 1980s, and my Saturday mornings included watching Masters of the Universe, Droids, Ewoks, The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, and Pee Wee's Playhouse. This was normal for me and millions of other kids, except for one little caveat. Before church, my mom often said, "So, please don't bring up He-Man and the Masters of the Universe at church."
Instant Faith
We're all smart here. Despite what we're being sold, we all know deep down inside that any worthwhile transformation requires a crucial ingredient—hard work. There is no way around it. I can't change myself for the better unless I do the work. Though TikTok and Instagram advertise otherwise, sustainable success is a long game.
Haters and Creators
Complaining is easy. The road taken by the chronic complainer is broad, and many walk it.
World’s Greatest Street Preacher
I've written about the worst street preacher ever, but would you like to know about the best?
Back to the 80s
Hollywood has a target audience to capture at the box office. The target, for now, seems to be kids from the 1980s. The bait for this particular audience is nostalgia.
Workplace Wounds
Workplace Betrayal.
It's an injury that's very likely to happen. It’s also an injury that doesn’t have a caution sign that we could post in an office to warn people about.
Less Afraid
There is a market for inspiring fear and anger. Yes, there is often cause for concern, but fear is paralyzing, and we need more people who are willing to make an investment in our collective courage.
The Callin’ Coyotes: An Edmonton Bedtime Story
An Edmonton Bedtime Story. This one is just for fun. If you’re looking for a bedtime story to tell your kids, here’s one. Enjoy!
Jesus Freak
This is the struggle of the ages for anyone religious. Do you allow your faith to evolve when presented with new information? I would say yes.
Tasting Notes
A good cup of coffee doesn't just appear on its own. There's a process behind it, and it requires an entire community to bring it to your table.
Going Solar!
Growing up, I was taught in school that solar power was possible. Still, back then, it seemed that this kind of technology was reserved for millionaires, mad scientists, James Bond Villains, or.... all three combined. Decades later, these life choices are no longer the prerequisite for residential solar power generation.
The Pentecostal Diet
This kind of faith pushes Christians beyond the boundaries of comfort and into a world where they could one day sit at a restaurant and enjoy Filipino Sisig or an Argentine Choripan. Not just to enjoy the food but to love the people who serve it. A faith where Christians would learn to speak new languages not just to become comfortable in the world but to better understand and appreciate it.
The Kids are Watching
I'm asking myself questions about how my wife and I teach our two boys about the current provincial election. What do they need to understand? How should they respond to flag-waving and partisan rhetoric? What's helpful regarding civic, regional, and national pride?
We Went to Portland: Part II
This is the second of a two-part series of travel blog posts on good reasons to visit Portland, Oregon. In this post, I want to talk about food. Now, I don't want to talk about food from the perspective of a food critic. Food critic blogs are legion, and I'm not interested in joining them anytime soon. I am, however, drawn to talk about food in the context of value and connection.
We Went to Portland: Part I
My wife and I recently spent a few days in Portland, Oregon. Our family stepped up to take care of the kids while we were away, and we had a great time. Why Portland, you ask? There are many great reasons to visit Portland, but here are the four reasons it made sense for us. This is a two-part blog and in this first part, I’m going to cover the first two reasons.
The Auditor: A Hotel Story
Late one afternoon, a nervous-looking guest services agent came to my office, "Jordan, our QA auditor has just checked in to the hotel and would like to see you." When I worked in a branded hotel, I could expect to receive two audits per year from the brand. There are two letters in our alphabet that will send a chill through the blood of any hotel general manager.