What if no one shows up?
I write and create with the hopes of an audience, but I really do it because I believe the work in itself is important.
Inconvenient Change
Sometimes, it's easier to have someone remain a villain. False clarity makes conflict convenient. For good reason, we think of redemption as a great lofty concept, but it's easy to forget that it comes with a set of inconveniences. Basically, a redeemed villain requires me to rewire how I think and respond to that person. This isn't comfortable at all because it means I need to change.
Church of Glass Houses
Idols are insidious because they sneak in the back door of places of worship, take a seat in the pew, and sit there for years with no one asking them why they're there.
Repel The Attack
If something is not right and it is disrupting the health of whatever brings you contentment, take action to deal with it before it worsens. Like gardening, peace needs tending.
Joe Biden’s Next Transfer
It's easy enough for us to be aspirational about how we think others should deal with disappointment, but we need to decide ahead of time how to respond when life has dealt us cards that we can't work with.
Prayer for the Unremarkable
I work hard every day and try not to get in other people's way or stir up trouble. I don't even ask for much attention, but it'd be nice to have a bit. This world I live in has very little room for the unremarkable.
Is This Your Country?
"Is this your country?" a stranger asked me in amazement in broken English as I sat in a small food stall in Tokyo earlier this spring. I was scrolling through photos on my phone while waiting for chicken skewers to cook over a smokey charcoal grill. I was looking at some pictures of Edmonton's river valley, fields on the Alberta highways, and some scenes from the Maligne Canyon in Jasper.
Edmonton’s True Colors
This playoff run has not only unearthed the qualities of our community, but it has also revealed our true colors, which run deeper than blue and orange. Edmonton is a city of resilience and determination, a place where we work hard and love nothing more than having fun with friends and family. It's a city that we are proud to call home, a place where we can raise a family and build a life.
Make it Home
But we only have 24 hours a day to work with. Family, work, and sleep all want some of those hours. I'm happy to be in the camp that is able to make it home almost every day to be there when the kids go to bed and to be there in the morning to make them breakfast. Being a Dad is not easy, but it's worth it.
Give Me A Break
It's easy for me to lobby for a day off for myself, but it's equally important that I live my life in a way that makes it possible for others to rest.
The Best of Us
Worry and anxiety are feelings that are difficult to manage in a world that is low on grace and high on shame. Here are the top three things I worry about. Making mistakes Getting hurt and Disappointing people
All We Have is Us
Dreams, like plants, need to be nurtured where they are planted. We have the greatest opportunity to help bring the dreams of small business owners to life. We would be mistaken if we expected a flood of business to come in from other markets to help our local business grow. When it comes to cheering on our neighbors, all we have is us.
Picard And Pentecost
You cannot truly understand someone if you don't know their story. Language is often a carrier of culture and meaning. You have to listen to catch it.
Travel Like Matt
If your personal, professional, and spiritual journey is helping you become a more humble person, you’re traveling well. If you find yourself building your own brand by endlessly critiquing and “yelping” against your own culture, you might be impeding your own progress. The best way to critique is to build something new and beautiful while maintaining a foundation of love.
Heretics Can’t Go Home
…But as much as I’ve loved the journey, there are times when I look back over my shoulder, and feelings of nostalgia catch up to me and tap me on the shoulder. In those moments, I find myself wondering if I’d be happier if I could go back to the start and enjoy the comforts of the familiar.
Eclipse and the End
“It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.” -J.R.R Tolkien “The Fellowship of the Ring”
Bob Dylan’s Voice
Diversity and collaboration look great on paper, but neither happens naturally or comfortably. I have no magic wand to make the awkwardness of diversity and collaboration go away. I've had to learn to be brave enough to be myself.
What if…Easter?
I’m now speaking for myself, but the story of Jesus’ resurrection requires me to ask this question. “What if you truly believe in the power of Easter? How does your story play out?”
Long Road to Osaka
I have experienced success, but I've always had to take the long, unscenic route to get there. It looked to me like these kids had found the shortcut that I had looked for, but I had never found it. While sipping my Old Fashioned, I wondered to myself, "Did I waste my twenties?"
Sake Runneth Over
Restaurants live and die by keeping a close eye on cost controls. A spilled tablespoon of Sake with every customer adds up quickly and ultimately requires the business to buy additional bottles with no opportunity to recover those costs. Restaurant owners want their guests to be happy, but not...too happy.