Your Calling
If you could do anything else with your life, would you be doing it? It’s possible you could have selected another company to work for or pursued a different role and title, but you would still be you.
Waiting to Fly
Life doesn't always give us defined waiting times. Life includes illness, job instability, tragedy, loss, and grief. Some phases of life can feel like an extended stay in a lonely airport.
Our Way In The Cold
There's a great deal of sadness, anger, and grief with the challenges around our more vulnerable neighbors here in the city. I feel sad, even just writing out the word neighbors. The word neighbor implies a relationship of acceptance and coexistence. The forced evacuation of these sites has proven that we have a lot of work ahead of us before we can say Edmonton is a neighborly city.
You Should Read More
I've done my best to commit to lifelong learning. My quest to become wise has involved setting a reading goal for myself at the beginning of the year. The act of reading doesn't instantly impart wisdom, but the exercise of reading has made my brain ready to catch and retain wisdom when it presents itself.
Time in a Bottle
If you had an expiry date printed on your forehead and you were aware of the time of your death, what would you want to get done? I believe there's value in taking stock of how much time we could have left on this earth.
Shepherds and Short Ribs
I wonder if the fear the shepherds experienced in the Christmas story was not just because they were seeing a supernatural event in the sky but because it was an army. Powerful armies have always been used to push aside and kill their nomadic people.
It’s ok. Make New Friends.
I transitioned away from full-time ministry 18 years ago this month and forged a new career in hospitality. After moving back home to Edmonton, I started my first job in a hotel. That first week was so awkward and scary for me. I
Keep Going, Keep Giving
Showing genuine hospitality is a constant test of character. It's a test because offering kindness, generosity, and care to someone doesn't always yield the desired results. You can walk into any human interaction with pure motives and still be attacked and misunderstood.
My TV Show Pitch
Dear television executive
I would like to pitch an idea for a new 45-a-50-minute reality-based show called "The Great Canadian Campfire."
Journey to Jupiter
I'm bothered that people are struggling to pay their grocery bills and have every reason to worry about whether they can keep a roof over their heads. Many of these people are the ones keeping the lights on in our communities across our country. I sense the fragility of peace in our present moment.
Risk Contagion
One day, I'd like to take a big risk on a dream. Throw myself into it and give it a go. Seize an opportunity to forge a project together that fuzes my passion with my career. My dream is inspiring and hopeful and would make the world a better place. But my dream is a tough one to pull off. It's big enough that I know it could quickly fail.
The Creative Grace
There are a lot of reasons to be afraid these days. We know this because our news feeds don't offer us a variety of stories to consume. The menu of the day seems to be a buffet of war, destruction, violence, and despair.
Scotch Reminder
The sky was cloudy that afternoon in the Scottish Highlands when I visited a scotch distillery about an hour's drive from Glasgow many years ago.
Tables and Walls
With terror and horrific stories coming out of Israel and Gaza these last weeks, I feel the deafening roar of both sides of the conflict in my ears. I find myself feeling angry and sad all at once with no clear direction on what I should believe.
Only Human
I'm not upset because I got sick. I've always known it was bound to happen at some point. I'm upset because I had to take time off work. I've always been proud that I'm rarely ill…And yet, a small rapid antigen test has reminded me of the following:
Be Unreasonable
After nearly two decades of working in hospitality and community, I've learned one thing: motivation is a non-renewable resource. There is often an infinite and unending demand for service. We only have so much energy to give, and it doesn't take long to give the little we have. We're only human.
How Do You Sleep?
If you work in a stressful role, you'll know that sleep is not guaranteed. Your mind can be very good at keeping you awake. You have a stressful job if your work involves elements mainly out of your control.
We Went to Quebec Part II
We have a young family, so we had to be intentional about what we'd like to do and also leave room for rest and spontaneity on our trip to Quebec City.
Pack A Photographer
There is one thing you could include in your travel budget that will enhance your experience at your destination, continue to provide value for you for years to come, and provide a gateway for you to return to the great memories you made on your trip. If you can’t pack a photographer, you should at least budget to hire a professional one.