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Thinking Music: Spirituality Edition
Some people like music that makes them dance. Some people like music that makes them cry. I like music that makes me think. For as long as I’ve been old enough to know my own musical tastes, I’ve gravitated toward artists and musicians who approach the songwriting craft with a philosophical bent. It’s not that […]
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A Hell of a Problem
On the evening of August 14, 1994, two young women were walking together down a quiet street on the outskirts of Casper, Wyoming. Best friends since middle school, Tammy Sloane and her roommate Jennifer Durkin were returning home from their shift at The Rusty Spoon, a local diner where they both worked as servers. They […]
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14 for 14
On a snow-covered day in March of 2008, my life changed forever. I was just a kid back then, and I didn’t have any clue what I was doing. But it turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever done. I haven’t been the same since. And now, in March of 2022, I get […]
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That Ain’t It
If you’re looking for high drama and political intrigue, you’re not likely to find much of it here in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. Our humble little slice of America isn’t exactly the most exciting or influential of places. But in the past few weeks, a notable controversy has captured headlines and caused quite the stir. It […]
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Fact and Fiction
I saw a sign in front of a bookstore not too long ago. It said, “A book a day keeps reality away.” I thought it was cute. And witty. And an unfortunate expression of what I believe to be a completely misguided cultural notion about books, reading, and the benefits thereof. Remember the classic Beauty […]
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Resistance Is Freedom
There’s nothing enjoyable about the sound of an alarm on a January morning when the hour hand is still flirting with the number four. This is no time for human consciousness. This is no time for physical exertion. This is a time for burrowing deep into memory foam and cotton sheets. But downstairs a pair […]
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My 6 Favorite Reads of 2021
A lot has changed since 2016, but one reliable constant throughout these tumultuous times has been my end-of-the-year reading recap. Those who have been around for awhile now may remember how this works. As I look back on the books I’ve spent time with since the start of the year, I set aside the six […]
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Some Other Beginning’s End
The end is near. Almost. After four installments and over 8,000 words, my quest to pull back the curtain on my faith evolution is finally approaching its end. I’ve tried my best to distill a years-long process into a few key turning points. Despite leaving out plenty of details and glossing over numerous issues that […]
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Closing Day
Faith evolution is like selling a house. It begins with a series of small detachments: planting a sign in the yard, letting strangers wander through your rooms, packing possessions into boxes, entertaining offers, negotiating terms. These are the initial, necessary steps toward no longer living where you used to. They’re partial little goodbyes. But the […]
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Truck Shopping
If I had to catalogue all the dates that have been noteworthy in my journey of spiritual evolution, December 10, 2017 would definitely be on the list. At the time, I was the preaching pastor of a church I had served for over seven years, and I was in the middle of a holiday sermon […]