FULL ARCHIVE

2017

Featured
Is Travel Ruined.jpg
TRAVEL’S GOTTEN EASIER. IS TRAVEL RUINED?

Tech has managed to remove many obstacles in a traveler's way. Does that also remove adventure?

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ELEVEN PLANES
ELEVEN PLANES

Seoul, Chiang Rai, Kuala Lumpur, and Phuket

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YOU REALLY CAN'T COMPARE
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THE HARD CONVERSATION
THE HARD CONVERSATION

Truth-telling, Confessing, and Dismantling after Charlottesville

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CELEBRATE AS YOU GO
CELEBRATE AS YOU GO

Originally published for The Sower.

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THE WORLD’S POOREST COMMUNITIES DISPEL A BIG MYTH ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
THE WORLD’S POOREST COMMUNITIES DISPEL A BIG MYTH ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

Originally posted at Conscious Magazine

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A SAN DIEGO SKEPTIC
A SAN DIEGO SKEPTIC

Home is a place that you can love, all while being wary of it

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WHY SLEEP IS A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE
WHY SLEEP IS A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

Originally published for Converge Magazine

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EUGENE
EUGENE

A hard goodbye is a good goodbye

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PHILIPPE FOR HIRE
PHILIPPE FOR HIRE

Putting the Oy in Unemployed

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NEW YORK, NEW EVERYTHING
NEW YORK, NEW EVERYTHING

Staring down the blank white page of tomorrow

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2016

Featured
A CHALLENGING YEAR
A CHALLENGING YEAR

Rising up to meet the challenges of the past 365 days

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DON'T BELIEVE IN KINGS
DON'T BELIEVE IN KINGS

Election Night 2016, Chance the Rapper, and the Change the Country Actually Needs

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THE BRICKS OF WRIGLEY FIELD
THE BRICKS OF WRIGLEY FIELD

The Chicago Cubs, the Writing on the Wall, and the things we pass on when we go

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TWO SCREENS, ONE NIGHT
TWO SCREENS, ONE NIGHT

José Fernandez and a non-political reminder to be human

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PLAYLIST
PLAYLIST

My life, as told in playlist form

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98
98

Remembering my Lola

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WHY MEN CLIMB MOUNTAINS
WHY MEN CLIMB MOUNTAINS

Keeping the bigger adventure in sight

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13.1 MILES I THOUGHT I WOULD HATE
13.1 MILES I THOUGHT I WOULD HATE

Running the Eugene Half Marathon

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WE GOT A BEIGNET
WE GOT A BEIGNET

Our family grew a little bit the other week. 

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WHEN THE SONGS DON'T SOUND THE SAME
WHEN THE SONGS DON'T SOUND THE SAME

Does music have the same meaning as you get older?

 

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A SIDE OF SWAZILAND
A SIDE OF SWAZILAND

If You Solve Enough Problems, You Get To Go Home

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THREE YEARS LATER
THREE YEARS LATER

A return to South Africa, three years after a life-changing visit

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2015

Featured
THE ROAD IS LIFE
THE ROAD IS LIFE

The Road Trip as a Microcosm of a Good Life

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THE GEOGRAPHY OF GRIEF
THE GEOGRAPHY OF GRIEF

Are there right and wrong ways to grieve global tragedies?

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When People Shoot People
When People Shoot People

Where do guns belong in the Kingdom of God?

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TO ENJOY THE PASSING OF TIME
TO ENJOY THE PASSING OF TIME

How I learned to be less freaked out about how quickly time passes

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A HOSPITALITY STORY
A HOSPITALITY STORY

As the world faces it's worst refugee crisis...

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WE BE JAZZIN'
WE BE JAZZIN'

Honeymooning in the City of New Orleans

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DEANNA AND PHILIPPE
DEANNA AND PHILIPPE

The Happiest Day of Our Lives

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THE SADNESS OF SUFJAN
THE SADNESS OF SUFJAN

Experiencing the Fullness of Grief

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LITTLE ROCK
LITTLE ROCK

When growing up demands looking back

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IT CANNOT BE IGNORED
IT CANNOT BE IGNORED

We need to stop dismissing racial bias

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FAITH AND THE FEELINGS
FAITH AND THE FEELINGS

Why faith is about much more than how you feel

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IN OREGON
IN OREGON

Getting the hang of our new home state

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2014

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MY GILEAD
MY GILEAD

The thoughts that fathers must have 

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EVEN MORE THOUGHTS OF A CHRONIC OVERSHARER
EVEN MORE THOUGHTS OF A CHRONIC OVERSHARER

Why I don't mind sharing large chunks of my life online

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END OF THE GAP
END OF THE GAP

Starting grad school after two years of travel, adventure, and self-discovery

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I FINALLY SAW BOYHOOD
I FINALLY SAW BOYHOOD

My reaction to a beautiful film

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LE PIER
LE PIER

The story of our engagement

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GO WHERE THE LOVE IS
GO WHERE THE LOVE IS

A Song for the Summer and a Reminder for Life

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Mae Sot
Mae Sot

Visiting a Karen Refugee Camp in Northwestern Thailand

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THE HEARTLAND NOMADS
THE HEARTLAND NOMADS

In memory of Shane, Calvin, and Karolina

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WE'RE ALIVE NOW

Almost dying on a Thursday night

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IS IT GONNA BE DENVER?
IS IT GONNA BE DENVER?

The Challenge of Picking Our Next Home

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PRE-ENGAGEMENT COUNSELING
PRE-ENGAGEMENT COUNSELING

Why we chose to get counseling before getting engaged

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BEING MR. LAZ
BEING MR. LAZ

Lessons from substitute teaching

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2013

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MANDELA
MANDELA

Exploring the legacy of reconciliation's giant – Originally written for Relevant Magazine

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SIX CIRCLES
SIX CIRCLES

A helpful focus on priorities, relationships, and changing the world

 

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A NEW SET OF EYES
A NEW SET OF EYES

Originally published on A Hobbit's Tale

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FATHERS AND NEPHEWS
FATHERS AND NEPHEWS

What being in God's Presence kinda looks like

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SECOND CHANCES
SECOND CHANCES

An Excerpt From My Upcoming Book

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NORWAY
NORWAY

Discovering a different side to Scandinavia

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Morocco
Morocco

If you solve enough problems, you get to go home

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The Myth of an Overnight Fix
The Myth of an Overnight Fix

Why drastic political changes aren't the main changes we need

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MY LAST DAYS AT 5CEES
MY LAST DAYS AT 5CEES

My hard goodbye to South Africa

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VICTORIA FALLS
VICTORIA FALLS

Why we need a sense of wonder

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CLOSER TO ME
CLOSER TO ME

How a Johannesburg orphanage became my monastery

 

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Welcome to Hillbrow
Welcome to Hillbrow

Day one in one of South Africa's most dangerous neighborhoods

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2012

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Salvation Mountain
Salvation Mountain

God is Love is a simple phrase, but an idea we struggle to accept as is.

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IN THE HEARTLAND
IN THE HEARTLAND

A snapshot of Nomad Life

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LIBERTY IN NORTH KOREA
LIBERTY IN NORTH KOREA

I'm about to take a road trip... for North Korea

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MEANWHILE IN NORTH KOREA
MEANWHILE IN NORTH KOREA
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I LOVE YOU, PHILIPPE
I LOVE YOU, PHILIPPE

The most important words I've heard

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RELAY OF HOPE
RELAY OF HOPE

Unpacking the lofty ideal of Hope

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DEANNA
DEANNA

The start of a new relationship

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THE LOVE DUNGEON
THE LOVE DUNGEON

Bidding a fond farewell to my "dream house"

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NEW ENGLAND
NEW ENGLAND

One week, two countries, four states, six hundred bucks

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A TOAST TO THEATRE 65
A TOAST TO THEATRE 65

My sendoff speech to the public speaking class I taught for a quarter.

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THIS VALENTINES DAY DIDN'T SUCK
THIS VALENTINES DAY DIDN'T SUCK

Two Valentines Days, a year and a world of freedom apart

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THIS WILL SOON BE ENDING
THIS WILL SOON BE ENDING

Savoring my last days of life in Isla Vista

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2011

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REMAINING UNBROKEN
REMAINING UNBROKEN
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NOTES FROM A GUESTBOOK
NOTES FROM A GUESTBOOK

A lesson from a teacher I never had

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OCCUPY PHILIPPE
OCCUPY PHILIPPE

In search of real change

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A BELIEF WORTH KEEPING
A BELIEF WORTH KEEPING

The unlikely way I got my unlikely job

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GRACE, JUSTICE, AND TROY DAVIS
GRACE, JUSTICE, AND TROY DAVIS

Who should have the authority over when to end a life?

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THE SUMMER I DIDN'T PLAN ON HAVING
THE SUMMER I DIDN'T PLAN ON HAVING

How I Learned That Hope Isn't So Crazy

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405 SOUTH/101 NORTH
405 SOUTH/101 NORTH

Roommates on a roadtrip at an interesting time in life

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NOCTURNAL JOURNAL
NOCTURNAL JOURNAL

A Life Worth Skipping Sleep For

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O.B.L.-IGATORY
O.B.L.-IGATORY

A mix of emotions after the death of Osama Bin Laden

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BARILOCHE
BARILOCHE

Belief, beauty, and one of the most beautiful places I've ever bee

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WITH LOVE
WITH LOVE

A love letter to Buenos Aires

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PROJECT 365
PROJECT 365

How taking a picture everyday unexpectedly changed my life

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2010

Featured
NOT SO IMPOSSIBLE
NOT SO IMPOSSIBLE
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THE COUCH SURFING CHRONICLES
THE COUCH SURFING CHRONICLES

Why turning down normal housing was one of the best decisions I've ever made

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GOD IS LOVE
GOD IS LOVE

Unpacking one very powerful phrase

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THE COFFEE SHOP CROWD
THE COFFEE SHOP CROWD

The Caffeinated Heart of Community

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GLOBAL STATE OF MIND
GLOBAL STATE OF MIND

Embracing a big world beyond my own

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ANATOMY OF A SUMMER FLING
ANATOMY OF A SUMMER FLING

The sweetness of two paths crossing, if only for a little while

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TOSCANA
TOSCANA

A portrait of life for a summer in Italy

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KICKBACK CHURCH
KICKBACK CHURCH

Meeting God in an unlikely cathedral

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THE MARBLE FAIR
THE MARBLE FAIR

The moments that we choose to remember

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SKYDIVING
SKYDIVING

One big thing crossed off my bucket list

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ECCLESIASTES
ECCLESIASTES

The time a really depressing book helped me get through depression

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SO READY
SO READY

A new life is possible

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