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March 11, 2026
In late 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, starred in a Pfizer ad where he repeated the phrase “Two things at once!” several times, encouraging people to get both their COVID-19 booster and flu shot in a single pharmacy visit. Around the same time, we had a new puppy who loved to play with two toys at the same time. So we lovingly gave our puppy, Edison, the middle name “Travis” in honor of the ad featuring...
February 22, 2025
I have a special and treasured relationship with my 87-year-old uncle. To most of the world, he’s Father Dennet, a Franciscan priest. But to our family, to me, he’s Uncle Joe. I don’t get to see him often, but he makes a point of calling me every few weeks. And I drop everything and take his call no matter what I’m doing. He’s not a stuffy priest. He is the most welcoming, accepting, kind man I know. He is the...
October 27, 2024
Position Piece: A statement that outlines a position on a debatable issue. Persuasive Piece: A work written that tries to convince the reader of the writer’s opinion. Instructions to the reader: The following is a position piece. The reader is encouraged to consider the position as a way to understand better and appreciate the writer. To fully appreciate the piece, it is suggested that the reader refrain from attempts to argue the position presented. First: what I believe, my creed....
July 7, 2024
It seems like hardly a day goes by that I don’t find myself shocked and saddened by yet another story on Christian Nationalism, a Supreme Court ruling, or the antics of Donald Trump. Through my (self-admitted) steady diet of social media, podcasts, and liberal-leaning news, I am always consuming another story about threats to democracy and the scary arc toward fascism. All too often, I find myself anxious and defensive. Just as so many do, I frequently want to respond...
June 4, 2024
Are you tired? Cause I’m tired. Downright exhausted. A few minutes on social media is a wild ride of vitriol. A few minutes on the news provides enough horror and sadness to leave anyone depressed for days. And all of politics leaves me feeling nauseated. I’m not only exhausted by the overall content and tone of all of the attacks and comments, I am so deeply sad. Sad because the faith that I grew up with has been co-opted into...
May 16, 2024
I sat on the small sofa across from my therapist, a former pastor who left the church to become a counselor, and explained my heartache with organized religion and my experience with the church. The church we left had disappointed me with their response during COVID (holding large gatherings at the peak of the second wave and declining to encourage mask use); their refusal to allow women in leadership/pastoral roles; and their viewpoint on LGBTQ issues. Broader than that was...
September 24, 2023
As a very young child, my dad would lie next to me as I was falling asleep, and I would say to him, “Daddy, tell me a story.” It was in those twilight moments when I learned about my dad’s childhood, my grandfather’s bakery, and my aunts and uncles. I believe most of those stories were true, but from time to time, I am sure there were embellishments or made-up stories to intrigue yet soothe me as I found peaceful...
July 2, 2023
This week, The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) handed down two decisions that synergistically amount to a blank check to legalize discrimination and embolden divisiveness and hatred in the name of religion. In 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis the court ruled in favor of a Christian woman who claimed her religious convictions would be violated if she had to develop a website for a gay couple. Of note, this case was based on a hypothetical gay couple. This...
June 28, 2023
Seven days ago, we said goodbye to our very sweet 12-year-old Goldendoodle, Einstein. A few weeks ago we noticed that he was having trouble maintaining his balance, his back legs sliding out from under him. A week after that, he had a seizure. It was traumatic for all of us. We took him to the emergency vet who offered admission, sedation, MRIs, and continuous IV anti-seizure medications. I sat in the sterile confines of the vet ER office with my...
May 27, 2023
Alright y’all, welcome back to my crazy little brain. Yesterday, my dad sent me a podcast about the Four Stages of Faith. It’s worth a listen. If you don’t have time, check out this great summary chart. The Four Stages of Faith are simplicity, complexity, perplexity, and harmony. Author Brian McLaren obviously knows there are a lot of us doing this deconstruction/detangle thing. And it’s bewildering. His framework helps me see that I am normal, this is a process, and...