Regular Contributions | Before I Forget

They’re Not Dumb, They’re Nonverbal

17 April 2024, TheRoanokeStar.com

"They say if you’ve met one person with autism…then you’ve met one person with autism. It turns out that when they also have apraxia, you didn’t meet them the first time."

Our Radius of Attention

18 March 2024, TheRoanokeStar.com

"When our radius of attention spans the globe, when we are looking everywhere, our opinions can only stay shallow and our efforts ineffectual. What happens if we localize our focus?"

Movie Theater PSA

7 February 2024, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Part of the moviegoing experience is the tacit fight over the shared armrest."

New Day's Resolutions

13 January 2024, TheRoanokeStar.com

"This year, I’m 'resolving' day-by-day."

When Lightning Strikes Twice

21 December 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Video killed the radio star and logic killed our sense of wonder."

How to Ask for a Raise at Work

6 December 2023, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

"You only ever need a raise insofar as your work performance shows you deserve one."

Don’t Work for the Weekend, Work Toward It

8 November 2023, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

"This perspective has set my circadian rhythm to God’s design, and I am more rested, daily and weekly, because of it."

What's in a Middle Name?

3 November 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Only a moment prior...we deemed the other worthy and trustworthy of such personal information. It was a daring foray into intimacy."

A Minute in My Neighborhood

16 October 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Laying on our blanket covered with the earliest crumbles of fallen leaves, I see our mailman four houses down. "

The Creative Process by Adam Grant

14 September 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I wrote according to Grant’s 'Creative Process' before I sensed there was a formula to how I write.

Don't Be Productive, Be Fruitful

30 August 2023, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

Focusing on being fruitful instead of efficient means being patient in our limitations, valuing quality over quantity, and trusting in God's unpredictable timing.

Ranked sixth of IFWE's top ten blog articles of 2023.

A Few Observations

11 August 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"It is words which turn the world."

Riches to Rags: Why We Don’t Expect a Celebrity for a Waitress

2 August 2023, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

We all dream about a rags-to-riches story, yet we can't fathom the opposite being true. What would we do if our waitress was a celebrity?

The FloydFest Experience

21 July 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Now living outside Virginia, FloydFest is one of those remnants in my mind of growing up in Roanoke."

In Sleep, We Trust: Our Need to Rest Is God-Created

5 July 2023, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

"If we can trust an anesthesiologist to put us in a state of unconsciousness for surgery, how much more can we trust God who does that nightly?"

This One Trick Has Enhanced Our Marriage

1 July 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"When I told my friend that my wife and I do a different nightly activity each day of the week, he said, 'Whoa, buddy. That’s your business.'"

How I Interact with Hot Topics

15 June 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I’m ready to talk, but first I need to listen."

The Sound of Music at Festival in the Park

15 May 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Festival in the Park Music is the background theme for killing time at Elmwood Park."

Quitting a Book

13 April 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I used to think it was virtuous to finish every book I started."

You'll Probably Forget This Article Tomorrow

15 March 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I learned something demoralizing recently: we forget most of what we read."

How to Instill a Biblical View of Work in Your Children

8 March 2023, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

Jesus taught that our words reveal our hearts. Therefore, we must consider what we say, especially about work and particularly to our children.

Thought from a Coat

15 February 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

My coat has a message for me, and possibly for you.

What Would Jesus Do if He Had My Job?

6 February 2023, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

"What else does it mean to be a Christ follower than to do what he would do?"

Approaching the Page

16 January 2023, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Anymore, I don’t think I can talk to my enemies, at least, not when I consider them so."

Climate Change My Mind

28 December 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"What are the implications of being wrong and why is it so important to be right?"

“Open Mindedness" - How to Draw the Line

12 December 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"True open-mindedness is humble."

I've Heard Enough from You!

29 November 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"None of us are so open-minded that we don’t ignore somebody’s message."

Running Up Against the Lived Experience Argument

15 November 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I think 'narrative' is an academic word that really means 'conspiracy theory.'"

Riffing on the Pandemic

3 November 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Remember when we were hopeful about what the pandemic could do for humanity? It was just for a week or two, a sliver of time early on."

WJWD is the New WWJD. WTH?

18 October 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"When you don’t read the Bible, Jesus is whoever you’d like him to be."

Why Calling Someone '-Phobic' is a Weak Argument

5 October 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"So, when someone is branded a homophobe, transphobe, or xenophobe, the attempt is to taint anything else that person says."

Who's Missing in Your Workplace?

26 September 2022, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

"[W]e can picture the workforce as a body...Yet one of our organs has atrophied. We may have even amputated an appendage."

First Week with the Second-Born

20 September 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Day 1: This is all really familiar and really different."

How Do We Prepare Students for the Real World?

31 August 2022, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

Students need to know more than cell structure and math formulas. They need to be equipped for the real world with biblical concepts of work and success.

Ranked fourth of IFWE's top ten blog articles of 2022.

The Strongest Argument Against Me

29 August 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Have I been taking issue only with specific words? Why haven’t I argued ‘gay’ return as a synonym of ‘cheery?’"

Euphemisms That Kill

15 August 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"for today’s listener to hear that someone can simply 'discover their pregnancy' is to tell them they can divorce procreation from its mechanism."

In Which I Write My Heart on the Page

4 August 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I haven’t yet accepted this as simply a hobby, a socially acceptable way to talk to myself."

I’m Turning 30...Or Am I?

19 July 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"As I look toward my 30th birthday at the end of this month, I wonder how old I’m going to be."

When Online, Bide Your Time

5 July 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"What I heard and read was an inside look at the echo chambers on the other side of the aisle, a place many on all sides decry for its insulating effect and retreat to for the same reason."

"Even since my first thought for it germinated—that’s when a book really begins; not the moment you type its first word—I’ve learned much about writing, a lot (but not near enough) about the publishing industry, and the most about the virtues of diligence and patience. I’m pleased to provide it to you today for free."

I'm Releasing an eBook

6 June 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"[Words] matter more than the most gabby of us might realize, though perhaps the chattiest Cathys grasp that even more than the Silent Scots. In any case, it’s only fitting that the first book I write is about words."

It Was Just a Flat Tire...

25 May 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I learned my lesson that night: you can’t perpetually keep a leaky tire inflated. God didn’t teach me anything."

My Family Plays Rummy

11 May 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"To keep the family tradition going, we’ve added what now totals 27 rules of our own."

We Closed on a House

26 April 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"If you recall my outlook on the housing market expressed three articles ago, you’re probably surprised to hear we got a house; we were too. Here’s what happened."

Who's Allowed to Contradict Lia Thomas?

7 April 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"On that same level of authority (his own) from which he demands of his online connections, 'Who are you to talk?' I could ask, 'Who are you to stop them?'"

Apostasy & Singing

25 March 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Can I use the songs they sing to the essence of life so I can sing to its Author?"

Lament in a Seller's Market

8 March 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"My family is now part of an unfortunate demographic: out of luck home buyers. We’re being outbid by out-of-staters who pay with cash out of hand."

Drug Store Fiction

24 February 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Before my diagnosis, I would stop at a Walgreens, maybe once a quarter, to treat myself to an overpriced Gatorade... Now, I go in every two weeks to get my medication prescription filled."

On Death.

8 February 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"We think grievers 'shouldn’t have to make such decisions at a time like this' but when else do any of us make such decisions?"

The Gospel Presented...on NPR?

25 January 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Listeners were provided a contemporary version of the debate as old as the Enlightenment: can faith and science coexist?"

Response to ‘To Breed or Not to Breed’

12 January 2022, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Apparently, the birthrate in these United States has been dropping for six years in a row – not by some disease but by the woman’s choice."

Is It Just Me Or...

29 December 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Have you ever thought about what it takes to become a train conductor?"

Before I Forget

14 December 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"So, I wrote – I write – to remember."

Pet Insurance

30 November 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I swear I’m not an animal person, but here I am shopping for pet insurance."

Retracting Myself

16 November 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Should I regret my written words if I now disagree with them?"

When Stretching The Truth Isn’t Lying

1 November 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Though they may stretch the truth of what might have technically happened, the story is better told according to the characters’ experiences than fact-reporting."

What’s Up With Halloween Decor?

20 October 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"The jumble of decorations this time of year is too eclectic to characterize."

Judging a Book by Its Insides

6 October 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"The books are nothing to sneeze at but their potential to devastate society as we know it may be overstated."

Why Open-Mindedness Isn't a Thing

20 September 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"‘Open-mindedness’ is a virtue in our culture, but we mustn’t kid ourselves by saying we practice it."

Another Least Funny Joke

7 September 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Familiar to every fiancé and expectant father is some derivation of 'the ball and chain' joke."

The Least Funny Joke

24 August 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"They say anytime you have to explain a joke, it’s no longer funny. But that is my goal here."

It Is Only 'Us Versus Them'

9 August 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Sure, we can Be Kind and COEXIST, but let’s not pretend we don’t wish the world would agree with us."

How Can You Believe That?

28 July 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"This is the essence of every disagreement: if you knew what I know, you’d agree with me."

The Right Isn't Always Right

13 July 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Perhaps my vision there is how I account for the Left coming to such preposterous conclusions."

I Got a New Job, Part 2

29 June 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"In my previous article, I didn’t give the seniors quite a fair shake."

I Got a New Job

15 June 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"But I no longer consider jobs stepping stones; they’re patio decks."

Half-Staff Overkill?

2 June 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"So, the lower the personal quota to satisfy a 'mass shooting' and the more patients who die with COVID, the more these events occur. And, if federal edicts continue, the Star-Spangled Banner will stay at half-staff."

Can I Be Content in the Life I've Been Given?

24 May 2021, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

"But my mistake was forgetting that God had given me the ability to write, that a dream career is a relatively novel and entitled concept in humanity, and that fame, even if I’m pointing people to the Bible, doesn’t necessarily bring God the glory in the way he predestined."

Ranked ninth of IFWE's top ten articles of 2021.

3 More Phrases People Should Stop Using

17 May 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Especially online, where our words will persist as long as the Internet does, we’ve got to say what we mean and mean what we say. To do this, we have to know what we are saying."

Rehoming a Pet

4 May 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"...we were given a lesson in the relentless dungeon that is the comments section of the Internet."

Chauvin's Verdict Does Little for Justice

21 April 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I’m hesitant to write this because there’s such a thin line between commenting out of a feeling of obligation and out of personal need."

People in Suits and Human Nature

6 April 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"During my quarter-life crisis, a phase from which I still carry residual angst, I developed a hatred of authority."

Appall Appeal

24 March 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I don’t want to come across as a high-strung Puritan. It’s a simple fact that what’s commonplace on our TV screen is a frequent flyer in our mind."

4 Phrases People Should Stop Using

9 March 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Maybe these are grammatical pet peeves, or maybe I’m onto something more profound. Either way, here are four phrases people should stop using."

On the Things I Was to Understand When I'm Older

25 February 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"One group worries apocalyptically that the world is getting worse. Another group is encouraged that humanity is becoming better as we become more 'woke.' But, there’s a balance to everything in life."

If I Were You

10 February 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"As much as I am a proponent of absolute truth, I also recognize that our experience colors our understanding of the world."

Watch for the Subtleties

26 January 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"...we must consider what we hear in terms of what we know."

I Was a Tour Guide at the Capitol

12 January 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Knowing where the felonious protestors were, having walked those same hallways seven years ago, it was as if a South American coup was photoshopped into my living room."

You Know What Happens When You Assume?

7 January 2021, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Each of us should develop habits that remind us that some of our conclusions about a stranger are only assumptions that should be dismissed."

How Can the Wealthy Enter the Kingdom of God?

6 January 2021, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

"Because I didn’t have a personal relationship with these caricatured wealthy people, I translated their possessions as a lack of Christ-minded priorities."

Ranked third of IFWE's top ten articles of 2021.

You Can't Trust a Good Samaritan...Completely

23 December 2020, TheRoanokeStar.com

"But these uplifting stories have a tendency to misplace people’s hope. It shouldn’t be in their “do-good” neighbor but, rather, in the source of the virtues that spurred the neighbor to do good in the first place."

We Are Not the Exception

7 December 2020, TheRoanokeStar.com

"We excuse ourselves from the rules until we realize we are imperfect and not immune to consequences."

How Do You Know If You Are Where God Wants You to Be?

25 November 2020, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

"If we strive for a dream job for our own sake, thinking we will only be satisfied once we’ve arrived at this 'final stage' of service to God, we miss out on where he has us on the way."

Ranked second of IFWE's top ten blogs of 2020.

My Modus Operandi Online

23 November 2020, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Everyone wants to be heard; perhaps I am only adding to the noise. Yet, I have learned from others and even

altered my thinking after people share their contrasting views."

Six Logical Fallacies on Twitter Leading Up to the Election

12 November 2020, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Fallacies are wordplay to trick the opposition and listeners into inferring something so the speaker is seen as correct. It shields the fact that the speaker has no argument."

Why We Can't Just "Agree to Disagree"

29 October 2020, TheRoanokeStar.com

"When you are utterly convinced that you are correct, it is the most loving thing to want someone to know the truth instead of letting them continue in what you believe to be wrong."

A Proposal for Meaningful Legislation

14 October 2020, TheRoanokeStar.com

"I’ve long believed what I’ll talk about and in my research for this article, I found that I’m not alone in my opinion."

It Takes a Village

1 October 2020, TheRoanokeStar.com

"Don’t get discouraged at the amount of injustice in the world. There will never be an ultimate solution to all of it but the biggest dent will be made if we put in the most time and resources where we are truly able to make a difference – not where we have a cursory grasp or incomplete understanding of the real issues involved."