On July 18, 2024 the world, for the most part, grounded to a halt. Any computer running Microsoft Windows displayed “the blue screen of death.” Air Travel, hospitals, and law enforcement were greatly affected. I myself, along with several other flight crews, were stuck in Vancouver, B.C. for 13 hours! Tensions were high and folks wanted to blame everyone that was visible for their delays. I became the voice of reason and broke up several verbal and near-physical altercations by simply being calm and assertive (my vertical privilege and the fact that I’m cis-male presenting probably made it easier).  The … Continue reading Interdependence

What does it mean to have liberty vs. freedom? I always thought the two words were interchangeable synonyms of one another, but that’s not necessarily true. “Liberty emphasizes the importance of individual rights and the limitations of government power, while freedom is more focused on the ability of individuals to pursue their own interests.” (from unitedwepledge.org). Let’s put that into perspective: I have the freedom of the pulpit. Ostensibly and within reason as your minister I’m allowed to do anything I wish from said pulpit. You are free to disagree with my views and presentations and are encouraged to share … Continue reading Liberty vs. Freedom

Today I’m sitting in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, enjoying a much-needed respite from a very busy week. I’m struck at all the families who are here celebrating various personal achievements and holidays, such as birthdays and anniversaries. My family itself is here celebrating two birthdays and a wedding anniversary! It has been fun interacting with people from all around the world as Walt Disney World caters to a good number of international travelers. We’ve all been wishing each other “happy birthday,” or “happy anniversary!” It’s a wonderful sense of community and a way to share joy with one another. My question … Continue reading Experiencing Joy

I just returned from a fantastic trip to St. Louis, Missouri (of all places). The last time I got a chance to really enjoy this city was during the tail-end of the COVID-19 pandemic, so a lot of experiences were closed, including the Gateway Arch. I got to explore the museum, which was free and great, honoring the arch as the gateway to the west, but also acknowledging that getting to that point included enslaving people, stealing land, and warfare. They also strongly acknowledged that while this was a productiveplace for white settlers, the Native people were completely displaced and … Continue reading The Gateway Arch

Spring is in the air! The temperature is rising, we’ve seen the sun a lot more than the dreary wintertime, and when we have rain, it is warmer than it was (I was able to wear shorts on purpose outside). The animals are flourishing – just outside my office window I hear the trill and song of some bird of indeterminable species (honestly, I never grew up around wild birdsong, so I thought my phone alarm changed itself again). As I walked out to my car this afternoon to take Geordyn to work, I was greeted with my car being … Continue reading Spring – a time of renewal