I wear plaid. I'm a blogger.

When I hit my adolescent years my dad required that before I date any girl I needed to talk to her father first. One of these conversations sticks out in my mind above the rest. I was talking to Don about wanting to date his daughter. He was open to the idea but wanted me to know what his view was on dating (and subsequently what his girls had grown up being taught). He told them to view dating like grocery shopping: feel free to explore with different kinds of guys and use those relationships to teach you what kind of attributes you want to look for in your future spouse. I was a bit shocked. I had grown up with the understanding that the more dating relationships you entered, the worse off you would be by the time you got married. I was at a crossroads, trying to decide which school of thought I ought to subscribe to. Ultimately I decided that the idea of dating around wasn't for me. Years later I married one of my best friends, knowing that we already had chemistry because...

A couple years ago my wife and I got a chance to visit a dear college friend who now lives in San Diego. San Diego is a beautiful city. The weather seemingly is always a balmy 86--with a 3 degree swing cooler overnight. No matter where you are in the city you are only 20 minutes away from a view of the Pacific Ocean. I'm pretty sure that the Garden of Eden may have actually been San Diego pre-flood era or something. My guess is that if you were to ask someone born and raised in San Diego, they wouldn't have nearly the same excitement that Katie and I had. After all, we all get bored with what surrounds us. When someone with an oceanfront property wakes up, they don't sit and gawk at the ocean the same way a Midwest American would. Someone from the West Coast likewise might be intrigued by the symphony of cicadas on a summer night in Ohio because they are unfamiliar with that experience. We get so ingrained in our habitual routines that many (...

Yesterday my church family got together and had a party. It was a hot, muggy day in Cincinnati but we didn't let that stop us from getting together and playing games together and eating food. Fun authenticates forgiveness and helps build real -ationships (see what I did there?) in a way that attending church services and Bible studies alone cannot do. It gives us a chance to see each other sweat, wear gym shorts, spill water, eat cookies, and laugh out loud. It was a sweet time. The lunch arrangement was for everyone to bring a side dish to share. Dale and a few others prepared hotdogs and meat while everyone's side dishes lined a table in the shade. Everyone brought something to the table and there was plenty left over for people to take home. Watching the potluck unfold gave me some new fodder for my theological brain: The Church was designed to be a potluck experience. Everyone brings something to the table and each of our unique dishes combine to create a whole dinner...