A Conversation on Open Doors

This is a sestina I wrote in creative writing. It's written from the perspective of a visitor at a church with two stanzas as the church's response to her intrusion. I thought it took an interesting form. Let me know your thoughts!   A Conversation on Open Doors They say we are called-- drawn together to break

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tweet.

"in my professional opinion, as an old, straight, bald guy, who has served 35 years in the military, is that #DADT actually takes away from military readiness." -Col Dennis Laich "Today America is a little more free. Thanks for all who helped get this done and thank you Mr. President for your leadership." #DADT @UnvirtuousAbbey: For those who

Forgive is a verb

I think sometimes we get forgiveness wrong. When someone hurts us, we initially get angry or upset. We hate and fume and hurt and besmirch and whisper and yell and we just DO a lot of things to let everyone else know that we have been treated poorly. We SAY things that are hurtful. We DO things

Bigger Shoes to Fill

ACU refused students who wanted to start a Gay-Straight Alliance on campus earlier this year, making them part of a larger problem in many Christian schools. A lot of writers have accused TOMS and Mycosckie of being Anti-Gay and hiding a political agenda under canvas, vegan wraps, because of speaking engagements at different venues with extreme beliefs or policies regarding homosexuality. I just ordered some new TOMS. A sweatshirt, too, even. Here's why I'm still on the one-for-one boat.

May we not be of one heart?

"At present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me.” —from a letter in the Works of John Wesley Maybe this is why the UMC is so inclined toward indecisiveness and agreeableness. While doing a study on the Social Principles with my youth group, Jim (my awesome youth director's awesome husband) would

Jesus works at the Metro Desk

I've been a lame internet presence the past three weeks, because I just started my internship at The Dallas Morning News.  I'm having a whole lot of fun and learning a whole lot of stuff about how I write too much and not conversationally enough. But more than anything, I've been spending the days with

The Holy Macarena-VBS adventures

Vacation Bible School is an extremely special thing. I still sing a VBS song every time I spell "Christian." And I couldn't even read when I learned it. I used to think I was helping with VBS to give back to the world all the effort that was spent on my C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N education growing up.

Play nice.

Today I was listening to This American Life. It was a segment on politics in Wisconsin. Funding of public education has completely changed the face of the Wisconsin. May of this year, two women sat outside a doctor's office collecting signatures to recall Julie Lassa, a congresswoman, forcing her to rerun for her seat in

“These people are not drunk…It’s only 9 in the morning!”

"Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: 'Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you

Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them

    34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I