Growing up, I can remember my mom keeping an old-school tape recorder in her purse to capture song ideas that would come to her at random moments. Today, we have smartphones with thousands of hours of recording space. We have access to apps that allow us to record at a quality level people could only...
There are few things that I enjoy more in life than a great conversation. I love people. I’m fascinated by understanding more about what makes them tick and how they view the world. In this way, conversations present me with meaningful opportunities to honor and value the ideas and experiences of others. Great conversations also stimulate...
I know of no sport that exists where the championship happens at the top of the season. It would make some sense. At the beginning of the season your roster is usually at its healthiest. You’re usually missing the least number of players to injury. The team is fresh and rested. As with the beginning...
I think it’s safe to say that we all experiment with doing what our hearts desire against the instruction of conventional wisdom. For some, this desire-based approach to living marks an entire season of life. A subset of these people string together enough seasons to make this approach to living the theme of their lives. These...
Each year, I collaborate with God to choose an orienting word on which to focus. As I wrote about in my final blog post of 2020, I went on a major Karate Kid and Cobra Kai binge to cap off the year. There were so many unexpected gems of wisdom in this series, but one concept...
I have a nearly obsessive fixation with eradicating ignorance from my life. Simply stated, I love to learn. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy knowing as much as I enjoy learning. It’s sort of like the feeling of watching a TV show for the first time vs. having watched it already. If I could erase...
Well friends, it's Black History Month and my friend Albert Cook has crafted a brilliant 10-part radio/podcast series on the topic "Black History and The History of Racism". For 23 years, Albert has taught in the Social Studies Department of New Paltz High School. This enlightening collection provides a rich, global perspective on Black...
Perhaps some people really don’t know any better. Or maybe it’s more nuanced than that. Perhaps there is a large subsection of the population that never got a chance to see it up close. Maybe for these people it is just a concept. Maybe it’s like the abominable snowman. I could see how it could...
In order to properly launch into the hit series “Cobra Kai” (season three comes out tomorrow… wooo!), I decided to go back and watch all of the original Karate Kid movies. It took me a few days to get through the series but I thoroughly enjoyed them. I gained much inspiration from the late Pat Morita’s...
This week, I’m focused on one thing: presence. Through each of the challenges and triumphs of this week, I want to be here for them. In triumph, there is the chance to celebrate. Triumphs bring me the encouragement that I have what it takes to overcome whatever I’m presently facing. In challenge, there is the opportunity to learn...