If, like me, you are a creator of things, I want to know how you deal with criticism. What strategies do you employ? Read my thoughts below, and offer your own insights. I am most curious about your insights. Anyone who knows me well knows I am awful at accepting criticism. If I could genetically...
I grew up in the Southern Baptist church, where traditions such as Lent are wholly absent. As a child (and perhaps as an adult, too), whenever I heard Catholics mention Lent, I immediately thought of bellybutton lint or dryer lint. It certainly did not prompt much in the way of spiritual contemplation. When I was...
Not long ago, I asked my friend and former neighbor Clint Bland to write about how he wishes Christians would act in light of their professed faith. Clint is a self-proclaimed “hard agnostic.” As a Christian, I am painfully aware of things that have been done in the name of Christ. As a Kansan who...
BEFORE I SHARE MY STORY, PLEASE BE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMEN/WOMEN TODAY IN PROTEST OF SOPA AND PIPA. Wikipedia has made contacting your representatives easy. Click here. I have no idea how I forgot this story. But the other day, it surfaced in my mind like Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing from the bog on Dagobah....
Every time a dog makes a “deposit,” if you will, another copy of Jennifer Luitwieler’s book Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of the Poo is sold on Amazon.com. This week Run With Me became the third best-selling sports biography on the site, following a favorable review from The Pioneer Woman blog, which...
I plan to release an eBook in the not-too-terribly distant future, and it will be a compilation of all of my blog entries from my Nightmarriage and Preggersville serials, as well as any other entries that seem to fit the familial blogging bill. I have hired Jennifer Harris-Dault to edit and help me compile things in a seamless way, and I...
From CTJ: I found Caleb Wilde on Twitter a few months ago and was immediately fascinated. My dad had given me a copy of Thomas Lynch’s excellent The Undertaking a few years ago for Christmas – a funereal present at a festive time – and it left an indelible mark on my soul. “What do...
Dante forgot to mention something about Hell in his immortal Inferno. Namely, that in the iciest circle of Hell, Satan clutched a Cherry Limeade from Sonic whilst chewing Judas, Cassius, and Brutus like three different flavors of gum all at once in his foul mouth. Don’t get me wrong, my readers (I assume a plural...
My cousin Mark Van Dyk is releasing a virtual 7″ on my site today, although he does not know it. I am just releasing it for him, stealing it out from underneath him like a true record company mogul. It’s called “My Stupid Heart,” and it’s a lovely, wintry song. The best thing I have...
I wanted to give a shout-out to my Twitter friends simply because we are all involved in an ongoing effort to take over the world, to connect with infinite others, to write endlessly, to broadcast (or podcast), and to sharpen one another like so many infomercial knives that can cut through shoes. In light of...
Wheat three kings set out from Kansas, following a great glowing scythe in the sky. When they arrived at Bethlehem and beheld the Christ-child, they bowed down in worship. But they were dismissed by Mary when they presented their gifts. “Wheat germ? What kind of gift is that for a child?” she said, tears welling up in...
This is a 3D ultrasound photo taken a week before Evie was born. She looked just like this when she came out, much to our amazement. I just remember thinking, “I’m so glad she’s actually cute. People won’t have to lie and say ‘Oh, what a pretty baby!’ when they really mean, “Start the car,...
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