The complete collection

Writing for the
road home.

One hundred reflections on faith, memory, teaching, ordinary grace, and the moments that make us laugh.

A writer sits quietly before a blank screen in a dim home office at dawn

Living Faith · February 7, 2026

Not Running on Empty

I was sitting in a Sunday service recently listening to my pastor talk about the importance of staying close to God, and my mind started comparing my spiritual walk lately to a car that just won’t start. The picture came so clearly I had to pull out my iPad right there and jot down the scenario before I lost it.

Dorothea Lange's famous migrant mother series of photos from the Great Depression

Uncategorized · February 6, 2026

When the Manna Stopped

In the classic Depression-era film The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family piled everything they owned onto a flatbed truck and headed west with nothing but hope and some dubious flyers promising work in California. They were characters on a screen, but for my family, those rickety trucks and dusty roads were real life.

A massive and strong tree anchored in the storms

Living Faith · February 5, 2026

Drinking Deeply

When God created the earth, He didn’t make a single thing to stand on its own two feet forever. Not an insect, not a bird, not a beast of the field, or a plant was designed to be self-sufficient. Every living thing has a hunger that must be satisfied, a need to be made new and whole again day after day.

A man seen from behind looking through a window at widely scattered leaves drifting over an open plain

Living Faith · January 20, 2026

Observing the Wind

Whether you are building a business, raising a family, or just trying to get through a Tuesday, the human mind often feels like a chaotic laundry room. A look at the paralysis of perfectionism and the ancient wisdom that helps us finally break the cycle.

A pile of confiscated kazoos beside a teacher's cold coffee and gradebook in an empty classroom

Humor · January 18, 2026

Buzzed: The Great Kazoo Crisis

I thought twenty-seven years in the classroom had prepared me for anything, but I was wrong. It wasn’t a rebellion or a riot that broke the faculty—it was the synchronized, nasal drone of a thousand plastic tubes. You know, every profession has its breaking point.

An opened canned ham sits before a vintage photograph of an idealized glazed ham with pineapple rings

Giving Thanks · January 17, 2026

Fool’s Gold and Canned Ham

We’ve all been fooled by the picture on the box. Whether it’s a gelatinous dinner or a shiny casino, the world is great at selling us a wrapper that looks better than the gift. When I was a kid, the idea of a ham in a can (from an exotic, faraway land like Denmark, no less) was fascinating.

a grandfather talking to his grandson about two wolves

Overcoming Anxiety & Fear · January 12, 2026

Breaking the Anxiety Loop (Again)

The virus faded from the front page, but anxiety just found new targets to latch onto. The headlines change, but the cure remains the same: stop running on your own power and start feeding the right wolf. I ran across something I wrote during the dark, early days of the Covid outbreak.

Grace Has No Outdated Addresses

Grace & Forgiveness · January 2, 2026

Grace Has No Outdated Addresses

I can still picture the faces of students weighed down by guilt that wasn’t theirs. What I didn’t notice at the time was how it was also shaping me. Only years later did I begin to connect the dots. And the truth of it still works on me.

A vintage brass balance scale with one side weighed down by papers labeled sin and failure, and the other holding a wooden cross labeled paid in full.

Grace & Forgiveness · January 2, 2026

The Economics of Grace

We spend our lives trying to keep the ledger in the black, hoping our good deeds will eventually tip the scales in our favor. But the math of heaven is different than the math of earth, and the debt was never ours to settle.

A metaphorical recreation of Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart" in a modern professional setting. A glowing, realistic human heart pulses beneath a gap in weathered floorboards. A man in a dark suit stands over the hole with a cane, while two other men in suits sit comfortably in the background, smiling oblivious to the secret beneath them.

Overcoming Anxiety & Fear · December 29, 2025

Tear Up The Planks

We all have something thumping beneath the floorboards of our lives while the world sits calmly above. The internal noise can be maddening, but there is a way to finally silence the drum. In Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, a man is driven to madness by an old man’s pale, filmy “vulture” eye.

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Uncategorized · December 28, 2025

The Things That Survive

They blew up the first Pasadena State Bank building today. Yes, I know today we call it an implosion. But this was a building of the 1960s, and in my youth, turning a 12-story steel and concrete tower into dust meant you blew it up.

A man sits at a dimly lit desk holding a phone, looking at a document stamped "PAID IN FULL" while a business card for "B.L. Zebub Senior Collector" rests on the table.

Grace & Forgiveness · December 28, 2025

The Debt is Dead

Alex: (picking up the phone) Hello? Zebub: (A voice like grinding stones) Alex. I’ve got the ledger open. You’re in the hole for a fortune, and your time just ran out. I’m filing the fraud warrant as we speak. You pay this massive debt now, or you can rot in a very dark prison until you pay every last cent in full, plus interest.

An older man with glasses sits at a cluttered desk at night, illuminated by computer screens and a single candle, typing on a laptop with an open Bible beside him.

Christmas · December 26, 2025

The Myth of the Finish Line

We are told we can have it all, but economics and the soul agree: everything has a price. When the holidays feel like a placeholder and work becomes a hiding place, the hardest thing to do is simply close your eyes. Traditions are falling away like dry needles.

Elderly shepherd gazing at starry night sky with staff in hand, other shepherds and sheep near Bethlehem stable in background

Christmas · December 25, 2025

Going Back Changed

They couldn’t linger at the manger forever. After beholding the King in a cow’s trough, the shepherds returned to cold fields and smelly sheep—but forever altered. Mary’s quiet pondering reminds us: Christmas’ true miracle unfolds in silent transformation.

A group of shepherds in heavy cloaks gathered around a small campfire with their sheep under a dark, dramatic sky as a bright beam of light breaks through the clouds.

Christmas · December 24, 2025

The Glory of the Night Shift

A Lonely Business If you’ve ever worked the night shift, you know it’s a lonely business. That was certainly true for shepherds watching over their flocks. You’re out there watching for wolves, smelling damp wool and cinching your jacket tight to keep out the frigid night air.

A side-by-side comparison showing the blue Earth rising over the moon's horizon next to a classic nativity scene with shepherds and the Star of Bethlehem.

Christmas · December 22, 2025

Glory on a Grainy Screen

The world was unraveling in 1968, but I was mostly concerned with cartoons and the taste of garden hose water. It took a grainy broadcast from the dark side of the moon to show me a wholeness I didn’t have a name for yet.

A rustic wooden manger filled with hay inside a dimly lit barn, with a pair of worn leather work gloves and a chipped coffee mug sitting on a wooden table in the foreground.

Christmas · December 20, 2025

The Manger for My Anger

I’m a child of God not because I’ve decorated a rooftop, but because a Father saw my empty pockets and invited me into the stable anyway. Grace is a gift that arrived in a feed trough, and I’m just the guy holding the empty wrapping paper.

A box of Queen Anne Cordial Cherries, a worn leather coin purse with loose change, a vintage toy tractor, and an engraved stainless steel tumbler on a wooden table with a Christmas tree in the background.

Christmas · December 19, 2025

The Twenty-Nine Cent Legacy

A box of drugstore chocolates might look cheap to the modern eye, but to a child in the 1960s, it was a symbol of quiet dignity. Sometimes the most valuable inheritance isn’t money, but the memory of a grandfather’s weathered hand offering a coin for ice cream.

A split scene showing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on the left and Zechariah in the temple on the right, overlaid with a hand casting dice to symbolize providence.

Looking Back · December 18, 2025

The Divine Wrong Turn

History often looks like a series of random accidents—a stalled car, a wrong turn, a name pulled from a hat. But behind the chaos of chance events, a deliberate hand is always moving the pieces. In 1914, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was sent down to Sarajevo to inspect the troops.

A stressed man surrounded by Christmas gifts with a George Costanza thought bubble next to an open Bible and Nativity scene.

Christmas · December 17, 2025

The High Cost of the “Big Slipper”

We often trade the wonder of the Incarnation for the mental exhaustion of the gift aisle. When analysis paralysis steals your joy, it’s time to trade Martha’s "spinning" for Mary’s seat at the Master’s feet. Every year during the stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I find myself in a reflective state of mind.

hand scrolling through social media comments on a phone next to an open Bible and a cross.

Living Faith · December 16, 2025

Losing the Grace to Grieve

We’ve traded the weight of human grief for the cheap thrill of a digital punchline. In an age that revels in the fall of its enemies, the most radical act a Christian can perform is choosing to mourn. “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and be displeased.”

A man sitting at a dealership table surrounded by shadowy figures with clocks and papers, while a glowing spiritual warrior stands behind him.

Living Faith · December 15, 2025

The Devil Works Like a Car Dealer

Sometimes the most profound spiritual truths arrive in the most mundane settings. A car dealership taught me more about the devil’s tactics than a dozen sermons ever could. The schemes are ancient. The battlefield is everyday life.

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Christmas · December 14, 2025

The Gifts Money Can’t Buy

The world will always try to sell parents a miracle in a box—especially at Christmas. But the older the memory gets, the clearer it becomes: what children treasure most can’t be wrapped, priced, or fought over. In 1996, America lost its mind over a $30 toy.

Man sits at a kitchen table staring at his phone beside a laptop and bills, looking stressed, with a glowing nativity silhouette in the background.

Christmas · December 14, 2025

The Worst News Isn’t on TV

The headlines can keep you in a permanent crouch—bracing for the next hit. But Christmas interrupts the noise with news you can live on: grace, no fine print. In 2025, bad news hit from all directions. It wasn’t just a slow trickle; it was a deluge.

A man standing on a dark, rocky cliff overlooking a futuristic, foggy city filled with floating digital billboards displaying happy families and luxury cars.

Living Faith · December 12, 2025

The Lie We Buy

We accept that movies are fake and magic shows are tricks. Yet every day, we mortgage our peace for a "good life" that turns out to be nothing more than a painted backdrop. Growing up in the 60s and early 70s, we lived in a little crackerbox house—three tiny bedrooms and one bath, bought for under $11,000 in the early 1950s.

An empty classroom viewed from a teacher's desk, with an open notebook, pen, and coffee mug in the foreground.

Living Faith · December 10, 2025

The Day I Turned Pro

Standing in the middle of a chaotic sixth-grade classroom, I realized I didn’t belong there anymore. I’m no longer a teacher who writes. I’m a writer who occasionally teaches. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

A smiling older teacher holding a clipboard stands in a classroom as a group of energetic students enters the room.

Living Faith · December 9, 2025

The Tsunami of Sixth Grade

I recently faced a classroom of sixth graders and discovered they come in three distinct species. Their energy reminded me that while God wants us to be childlike in our wonder, He commands us not to be childish in our faith.

An older man holding a small journal looks out a frosty window at a city street adorned with Christmas lights, with a calendar on the wall displaying December.

Christmas · December 8, 2025

Wrapping Paper and Mist

I used to stare at the Christmas tree and think time stood still. Now, watching a former student run her own classroom, I realize life is a mist—and I need to wrap my chapters well. As I look at the calendar this morning, I see it’s December 8, just a little over two weeks until Christmas.

A split image showing a man overwhelmed by angry social media notifications on the left, contrasting with a hand gently holding a bruised reed in a peaceful setting on the right.

Living Faith · December 7, 2025

Verbal Grenades & the Bruised Reed

My latest post drew a lecture on atheism and a string of profanity. But instead of fighting back, I was reminded of a specific promise about how Jesus handles those who disagree. Yesterday handed me two milestones in this little 40–day writing experiment of mine, one welcome and one…less so.

A close-up of a man's hands holding a needle next to a crumpled test paper with an "F" grade and a medical ID bracelet, while a family embraces in the background.

Living Faith · December 6, 2025

The Betrayal of the Needle

Some of the most crushing disappointments in my adult life have turned out to be great gifts from God. In those moments, I felt as if my dreams were falling apart, but looking back, I realize I was mistaken.

Pirate Large

Living Faith · December 5, 2025

Overcoming Herculean Challenges

I once thought pirates were fictional, just like the Tooth Fairy. It turns out many people view God the same way. But when you face a Herculean task, you learn that one plus God is always a majority.

A weathered oak tree rooted beside a quiet stream beneath a stormy sky, reflected in the water.

Living Faith · December 4, 2025

The Tumbleweed and the Tree

For a long time, I felt less like a sturdy oak and more like a tumbleweed rolling through life. It took the scars of a hurricane to teach me that true strength is about where your roots are planted. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly .

Two men engaged in a serious, supportive conversation with an open Bible on a small table between them, illustrating the concept of biblical friendship.

Living Faith · December 3, 2025

The Real You Is Not Employable

I once told a student that the “real him” wasn’t very employable. It sounds harsh, but true friendship—like Nathan confronting King David—means loving someone enough to tell them the unvarnished truth. If you have had a serious job interview in the last 30 years, you have likely been asked the dreaded question: "What is your greatest weakness?"

A man with a backpack stands in a grassy field looking at a winding path ahead, next to an easel displaying a painting of the same landscape.

Living Faith · December 2, 2025

Love God and Do What You Will

Every day I write, I’m sharing what’s on my mind that day. Some days the topic is not just something I want to explain; some days I’m trying to get a better grip on myself. On those days, I let my guard down a bit and write from my personal struggles.

A pair of workman's gloved hands holding a piece of smoothed glass at a workbench cluttered with broken shards, a Bible, and a young plant, symbolizing restoration.

Living Faith · December 1, 2025

The God Who Wastes Nothing

I used to teach students that thought walnut shells were trash, until I showed them the ingredient label on a bottle of face scrub. It turns out, God operates the same way—He never wastes a single scrap of our lives. Catching up on this website this morning felt like cleaning out a forgotten closet.

An older couple and family sharing a holiday meal with a basket of rolls and a tin of cookies, looking at a framed photo of their parents on the table.

Living Faith · November 30, 2025

The Dollar-Thirty-Nine Tribute

We have real butter now, but the rolls are still the cheap ones in the plastic bag. I don’t buy them for the taste; I buy them because they are the best way to invite my parents back to the table. I looked at the table this year.

An older man walking alone across a stone bridge over a river toward a village with a church steeple during late autumn.

Christmas · November 29, 2025

The Long Walk Between Holidays

We’ve survived the Norman Rockwell turkey dinner and are staring down the barrel of a Currier and Ives Christmas. But right now? We’re just trying to catch our breath on the quiet span in between. The Bible tells us that this is the day the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it.

A multi-generational family—grandparents, parents, and grandsons—sharing a photo album by a fireplace and Christmas tree.

Christmas · November 28, 2025

The Cost of a Manufactured Winter

There is a certain kind of madness in cranking down the A/C just to justify a fire in the hearth. But we don’t do it for the warmth; we do it because we are one generation away from losing the thread. It’s that time of year in Houston when logic gives way to an idealized version of the Christmas season.

A large, diverse community gathering outdoors at long wooden tables, holding hands and bowing heads in prayer during a sunset meal.

Giving Thanks · November 27, 2025

The Grace of the Levelheaded

It is easy to be grateful when the world is at peace, but our national holiday was forged in the fires of a Civil War. Today, the challenge isn’t just surviving the turkey—it’s maintaining a ’seasoned’ heart in a caustic world.

A grandfather sitting on a sofa with his family and grandsons, looking through an old photo album during the Christmas season.

Giving Thanks · November 26, 2025

Now, Wait Just a Minute

I walked into my pastor’s office convinced I had nothing to be thankful for. I walked out realizing that if you only count what you lack, you’ll always come up empty. Nearly thirty-five years ago, I walked into Thanksgiving carrying a heaviness that seemed impossible to shake.

A person with a backpack stands at a fork in a misty road at sunrise, looking out toward the horizon with an open book and compass on the ground.

Living Faith · November 25, 2025

The Ghost in the Blind Spot

I am the man who reads every European forum review before buying a camera and checks the street view of a hotel before booking. For those of us who live by the triple-check, walking by faith can feel like a steep, misty climb.

A dropped chocolate-covered ice cream bar melting on a neighborhood sidewalk as a boy stands on the grass and an ice cream truck drives away.

Giving Thanks · November 24, 2025

The Eight-Cent Tragedy

It starts with a dropped ice cream bar and graduates to a shiny red car. We think we grow out of envy, but mostly, the price tag just gets higher. A long time ago, in the old neighborhood I grew up in, the ice cream man’s bell rang out.

A collage featuring a wire coat hanger on Jacintoport Road, a grocery list on a kitchen counter, and a woman praying beside a Bible.

Giving Thanks · November 23, 2025

All Our Needs

It was a lonely stretch of road history had forgotten, the perfect place for a disaster. But sometimes, help arrives before you even know you need it. In the 1980s, Jacintoport Road situated along the Houston Ship Channel felt like a road history had forgotten—overgrown, deserted, and bordered by silent WWII concrete bunkers, their edges disappearing into wild brush.

A large, multi-generational family laughing and eating together outdoors under a tree, contrasted with a somber portrait of a young businessman in a suit.

Giving Thanks · November 22, 2025

The Millionaire I Never Was

I was seventeen when a man in a suit told me I could be a millionaire by thirty. I believed him. Years later, I realized that missing that goal was the best thing that could have happened. When I was about 17, I met a man I thought was the very picture of success.

A contemplative man sits at a dining table with an open Bible and a cup of coffee, looking out a large window at a rainy, overcast day.

Overcoming Anxiety & Fear · November 20, 2025

The Interest Rate on Worry

My mentor used to say that worry is just interest paid on trouble before it’s due. We spend our days fighting imaginary wars in our heads, only to find out the battlefield was empty all along. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

A pensive middle-aged woman seated in a leather chair, surrounded by standing, transparent figures representing younger versions of herself in a library setting.

Living Faith · November 19, 2025

The Ghost of “If Only”

Regret loves to replay the scenes that are gone forever, whispering that you missed your window. But staring in the rearview mirror is no way to drive a life—especially when the road ahead is still being paved. What do you long for that you know you’ll never have because it’s too late?

Several pairs of wire-rimmed reading glasses resting on a wooden table next to an open Bible, a brochure, and a cup of tea.

Living Faith · November 18, 2025

The Great Spectacle Hunt

I’m at the age where the search for reading glasses is a competitive sport played against myself. But somewhere between the nightstand and the dashboard, I realized: 20/20 vision doesn’t matter much if you’re looking the wrong way.

A rustic dining hall scene showing a man walking across the room to sit with a lonely figure, while others chat in groups nearby.

Living Faith · November 17, 2025

The Longest Walk

We often mistake comfort for fellowship, gravitating toward the faces we know and the conversations that come easy. But sometimes, the most profound act of faith isn’t a sermon—it’s the decision to pull out a chair for the person sitting alone.

A ghostly wooden shipwreck resting on the dark ocean floor, illustrating the concept of things buried deep.

Grace & Forgiveness · November 16, 2025

Beyond the Deepest Seas

There are many days when I wish I could go back and unsay a word, undo a deed, or erase a moment that plays again and again in my memory. Maybe you know that feeling—that sharp pang of regret when one of your wrongs surfaces out of nowhere to trouble you.

A narrative collage showing a distressed man in a hospital waiting room, a figure standing in a coastal storm, and an older couple walking hand-in-hand down a peaceful wooded path.

Overcoming Anxiety & Fear · November 15, 2025

When the Doctor Closed the Door

We were just kids when the word "malignant" shattered our world in a sterile waiting room. It takes a long time to learn that courage isn’t about the absence of fear, but about finding solid ground when the mud is rising.

An elderly man smiling in an armchair next to a framed sepia photo of a young boy, symbolizing reflection on childhood memories.

Living Faith · November 14, 2025

Finding Joy in Thin Slices

We built our early lives on see-through ham and store-brand soda, assuming happiness was waiting in the upgrade. It turns out, satisfaction has less to do with the menu and more to do with the heart. Growing up, my family lived in a simple wood frame house in a working class neighborhood, nestled in the shadow of refineries and petrochemical plants.

A pensive man sitting alone at a wooden picnic table in a foggy park, holding a coffee cup with a Bible resting nearby.

Living Faith · November 13, 2025

When the Fog Won’t Lift

I spent a career teaching students to fail forward, yet I still wake up trying to troubleshoot my own moods like a buggy computer. It turns out the hardest person to offer grace to is often the one staring back in the mirror.

A diverse group of smiling professionals at a gathering, wearing red and white name tags that display barcodes instead of names.

Living Faith · November 12, 2025

From Barcode to Belonging

One day I was a number in a jury pool; the next, I was a friend in a hallway. It takes a moment of stark anonymity to remind us that we weren’t created to be scanned—we were created to be known. Have you ever felt like you didn’t exist?

glamorous young woman in a sparkling gown stepping out of a limousine onto a red carpet, surrounded by a swarm of paparazzi and flashing lights.

Living Faith · November 11, 2025

The Glittering Landmine

I still remember a freshman from my 1999 class: a friendly, determined young lady with binders covered in Britney Spears pictures. I was nearing 40, just old enough to have a passing familiarity with her from the media. She sat in the front of the class, and one day I asked, "Are you a big fan of Britney Spears?"

A solitary man sitting in a wooden church pew with his head bowed in prayer, while sunlight streams through a window forming a cross shape on the stone floor.

Living Faith · November 9, 2025

The Theology of Tarzan

We often feel the need to dress up our words for God, indistinguishable from putting on a Sunday suit. But sometimes, the most desperate cries—blunt and unrefined—are the ones that reach Heaven fastest.

Man sitting in a car at night reading a book, with glowing golden text and a refresh icon swirling above his head.

Living Faith · November 8, 2025

The Disappearing Act

Those long stretches of highway taught me that silence isn’t always golden; sometimes it’s just empty. Like a library download that vanishes at midnight, truth has a way of slipping through our fingers if we don’t intentionally click renew.

A shocked male teacher sitting at a desk, looking with disgust at a steaming mug that says "World's Best Teacher" after accidentally drinking vinegar.

Living Faith · November 7, 2025

The Vinegar Wake-Up Call

It was the first day of school, and my tank was empty. But when I reached for a dark roast and got a mouthful of hot cleaning vinegar instead, I got a jolt that had nothing to do with caffeine—and a lesson on bitterness that stuck.

Elderly man sitting at a desk holding a bag of half-dollar coins near an open Bible, with a portrait of a grieving Abraham Lincoln on the wall behind him.

Living Faith · November 6, 2025

What We Can’t Put Down

Lincoln lingered in a crypt; I hold onto a bag of old coins. Whether it’s grief, nostalgia, or regret, we all carry heavy things—but learning when to set them down is the only way to move forward. Abraham Lincoln’s beloved son Willie died at age eleven in the White House.

A weary man walking down a suburban street at twilight, trailed by a large, shadowy wolf representing discouragement, with words like "failure" and "give up" floating in the storm clouds above.

Living Faith · November 5, 2025

When Discouragement Stalks

It hunts us all—that heavy feeling that whispers “give up.” But sometimes the spiritual battle isn’t about fighting harder; it’s about eating a sandwich, taking a nap, and letting God handle the rest. Yesterday, discouragement seemed to stalk me around every corner—I couldn’t shake it.

A middle-aged couple wearing straw hats leans against a cruise ship railing, looking out over a gray, choppy ocean.

Living Faith · November 3, 2025

The Unavoidable Traveler

When we set sail to escape our troubles, we usually forget that we’re the ones who packed the suitcases. It turns out the "good life" isn’t found at the end of a buffet line, but in the heart of the One who built the ocean.

A scenic lighthouse beaming light at twilight on a rocky coast, with a small lit oil lantern sitting on a wooden pier in the foreground.

Living Faith · November 1, 2025

The Lower Lights

The wind was biting and the rocks were slick on that rugged New England coast. But looking up at the lighthouse, I realized the main beam isn’t enough—sometimes ships need the smaller lights to find their way home. Spring break in Manchester, New Hampshire wasn’t part of our plan—but sometimes the best journeys aren’t.

A vintage plastic vampire mask rests on a weathered porch as two children walk toward neighborhood lights at dusk

Living Faith · October 31, 2025

Beyond the Plastic Mask

Those fifty-nine cent masks from the Ben Franklin store never really scared anyone. But as I grew older, I learned that real fear doesn’t come from a costume—and real peace doesn’t come until you look back and see how far God has carried you.

A teacher with toner-smudged hands pulls crumpled paper from a jammed copier before class

Humor · October 31, 2025

Toner-Fueled Armageddon

What do a doomed starship and the teachers’ lounge copier have in common? A thirty-second countdown and a desperate need for a miracle. Here is how I channel my inner Scotty to survive the morning paper jam. In the heart-stopping finale of the Star Trek episode “The Doomsday Machine,” Captain Kirk is stranded on a ship timed to explode.

A lone figure walking away down a paved path through a dark, foggy park, illuminated by the glow of streetlights in the distance.

Living Faith · October 30, 2025

The Giant in the Ditch

In the quiet dark of 5 a.m., a massive shadow loomed near the drainage culvert, looking for all the world like a monster. But when I realized what was actually casting it, I learned that God can make even the most ordinary vessels leave a mark.

A classroom projector screen displaying a black-and-white image of a Dust Bowl family, with the silhouette of a teacher standing in the foreground.

Living Faith · October 29, 2025

When Statistics Find a Face

We scroll past tragedies every day, turning suffering into mere data points. But just as an old black-and-white movie can wake up a sleepy classroom, seeing the individual human face in the crowd changes indifference into compassion.

Embracing the True Father

Living Faith · October 28, 2025

Embracing the True Father

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. A Christian writer named A.W. Tozer wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

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Living Faith · October 27, 2025

A Worthless Religion

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. When I was in my twenties, I worked at a metal supply company. The people I worked with were friendly, but like most folks, they lived according to what was right in their own eyes.

A woman with red bobbed hair stands in a field of dry grass with trees in the background, looking off into the distance under a cloudy, overcast sky.

Giving Thanks · October 26, 2025

Faith in the Forecast

In Houston, autumn is often just a rumor we discuss while the air conditioner hums in November. But the annual ritual of scanning the horizon for a cold front teaches us that God’s faithfulness creates its own timeline, regardless of what the calendar says.

High-angle aerial view of the Hoover Dam and the Colorado River, showing the massive curved concrete wall and electrical towers against the canyon rocks.

Living Faith · October 25, 2025

The Dam That Built Itself

Standing before a marvel of engineering, only a lunatic would claim it appeared by random chance. Yet, when we look at the precision of the universe, we often accept the very logic we would laugh out of the room. Many people grow up with skewed notions of God.

A middle-aged man with earbuds sits in a dimly lit living room at night, looking intently at his smartphone while a large television screen in the background displays "BREAKING NEWS." An open laptop is also visible on the coffee table, conveying a sense of information overload.

Living Faith · October 24, 2025

The 5 A.M. Tug-of-War

The modern world doesn’t ask for your attention; it demands it with a bullhorn before your feet hit the floor. Reclaiming your peace means engaging in a daily battle to let God speak before the algorithm does.

A middle-aged man sitting on the edge of a bed in soft morning light, reading a Bible with a cup of coffee on the nightstand.

Grace & Forgiveness · October 23, 2025

Fresh Grace Daily

I’d love to tell you I run on pure willpower and spiritual maturity, but the truth is I still wander off like a toddler in a department store. Thankfully, God’s mercy isn’t a one-time transaction—it’s a daily delivery. I am a child of God, but don’t go thinking that’s because of my sparkling resume.

A golden retriever running in a blur of motion with digital icons floating nearby, while a woman reads an open book in a cozy, wood-paneled library.

Living Faith · September 11, 2025

The Snuffle Mat for the Soul

My dog Max settles his hyperactivity by hunting for treats in a fabric mat. It turns out my brain needed the exact same mechanism to find quiet in a noisy world. I wake up most mornings around 5:00 AM. If you were to ask me how my mind feels at that hour, I wouldn’t say "clear and open."

the spinach can

Looking Back · August 17, 2025

The Spinach Can

For a teenager wanting to fit in, a father’s refusal to buy a color TV feels like a punishment. But years later, a simple pantry discovery revealed that his frugality wasn’t stubbornness—it was a survival tactic born of the Great Depression and a silent act of love.

A teacher pauses with a coffee mug in a quiet classroom at the end of the day

Living Faith · August 5, 2025

Finding Joy in the Now

I spent years chasing the next season—summer break, holidays, even retirement—as if joy was always waiting just around the corner. Too often, those moments fell short of the anticipation. With time, I’ve learned the best days aren’t out ahead.

Living Faith · August 5, 2025

A Brunch of Thoughts

My wife and I lead what we consider to be simple, unassuming lives. We still live in the same modest house we bought over 30 years ago when we were in our mid-20s. That’s a time in life when many couples buy their “starter” homes.

Looking Back · August 5, 2025

Unbonded

I remember the teachers who acted more like prison guards than guides—brash, strict, and distant. I never felt a connection with them; trying would have been like grabbing a live wire. And after a long career in teaching, I know how quickly the work turns to drudgery when the relationship is missing.

Looking Back · August 5, 2025

One Teacher’s Journey

I walked into the classroom for the first time with nothing but nerves and walked out three decades later with a lifetime of stories. That shaky beginning grew into something far bigger than I could have imagined. The best part wasn’t the lessons or the grades—it was the friendships that lasted, including one from that very first class.

Uncategorized · August 5, 2025

Teaching Through the Pandemic (Part 2)

In 1979, I was caught in a flood that forced me to abandon my car and wade through the dark toward safety. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the confusion and fear of that night would echo decades later in the classroom.

Uncategorized · August 5, 2025

Teaching Through the Pandemic (Part 1)

I taught through the biggest disruption most of us have ever seen. What finally made sense wasn’t the screen time or the tech—we were just trying to be present with kids who needed something steady. Now I know it wasn’t about keeping up with the chaos—it was about holding on to whatever sense of classroom felt human.

Uncategorized · August 5, 2025

Teaching: A Most Unusual Rollercoaster

Teaching was never a smooth ride. Some days climbed with promise, others dropped without warning, and the turns came faster than I could prepare for. Looking back now, it wasn’t the chaos that defined the journey—it was how much I carried away from it.

Exhausted man in a shirt and tie holding a phone receiver at a desk covered in paperwork and pill bottles, looking defeated under a digital clock reading 3:00 AM.

Humor · August 5, 2025

The Annual Menu of Bad Options

Selecting health insurance feels like ordering dinner at a restaurant where every dish causes indigestion. But the real heartburn begins when you pick up the phone to claim your benefits. Imagine a friend badgered you into going to lunch at a popular, but expensive restaurant.

Looking Back · August 5, 2025

What Faith Looks Like in a Pandemic

In the fall of 2020, I wrote this while schools were trying to reopen on shaky ground. Rules kept changing, rumors spread, and the anxiety was thick. What stood out to me wasn’t just the uncertainty—it was how fear and faith kept showing up at the same time.

Uncategorized · August 5, 2025

Carry On Like Normal

I started as a rookie teacher floating between classrooms—nine, ten, maybe more rooms in twelve years. Each room had its quirks—ancient boards, blinds from the Eisenhower era, and air conditioners that rattled like they were auditioning for a haunted house.

Uncategorized · August 5, 2025

Big Assumptions, Big Risks

The decision to reopen schools came with a sense of urgency, as if the only way forward was to return to “normal.” But it was normal with masks, daily health checks, and a lot of uncertainty. Parents and teachers were left to balance the promises of stability with the real risks of exposure.

Living Faith · August 5, 2025

The Challenge of Not Being Foolish

I am a person who likes a good challenge. Sometimes the challenges are serious and difficult like finishing college later in life, but other times they are more trivial like trying to find something at Walmart. Admitting to myself that I can’t figure diabetes out is tough, but to avoid asking for help with something so serious is arrogant and just plain foolhardy.

Living Faith · August 5, 2025

20 Years of Self Delusion

Last week in a post I shared a favorite quote, the gist of which is that people will only act rationally once they’ve tried all the irrational options. About a week ago I found myself having to admit that I’d been acting irrationally for many years.

Living Faith · August 3, 2025

A Little Bit of the Griswolds in Us All

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” – 1 Timothy 6:6–8 I tend to spend a great deal of time thinking about the future, and I doubt that I’m in the minority.

Two plastic-wrapped bouquets of tulips and daisies on a wooden table next to reading glasses and a handwritten note on a yellow legal pad that reads "For Becky & Kelsey - Love you, Dad."

Overcoming Anxiety & Fear · August 3, 2025

Sticker Shock & Flowers

A three-digit receipt at the pharmacy counter has a way of ruining an afternoon. But when the cost of staying healthy threatens to bankrupt your peace of mind, the best remedy isn’t found in a pill bottle—it’s found in a shift of perspective and a detour to the floral department.

Looking Back · August 3, 2025

Faithfulness in Small Things: The Parable of the Talents Revisited

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.

Living Faith · August 3, 2025

What Faith Looks Like in an Unraveling World

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2 Four years ago, I stepped back into my school building alongside my fellow teachers, returning for the first time since we’d left for spring break in March 2020.

Living Faith · August 3, 2025

A Con in a Can: The Relentless Chase for More

How often have you found yourself chasing something that seemed perfect, only to end up feeling disappointed and empty?” When I was a kid, the idea of a ham in a can (from an exotic, faraway land like Denmark, no less) was fascinating.

Elegant dining table with white linens and crystal glasses next to a large window overlooking the blue ocean on a cruise ship.

Living Faith · August 3, 2025

Breakfast Appetizers and Cheap Syrup

Cruising introduces you to the absurd luxury of "breakfast appetizers" and soup poured with theatrical flair. But staring at a filet mignon served on a throne only makes the memory of cheap pancake syrup and young love taste that much sweeter.

Living Faith · August 3, 2025

The Surprising Power of Small Gestures

Once, I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen or spoken to in several months. I was heading into the grocery store just as he was coming out, and we stopped to catch up. He was a very successful businessman, worlds apart from me economically as a public school teacher.

Panoramic view of a packed Kyle Field at Texas A&M at night with the Jumbotron displaying "12TH MAN" and the crowd standing.

Giving Thanks · August 3, 2025

Called Out of the Stands

A view from a hotel window captures a silent stadium and a world holding its breath. But the true spirit of the "12th Man" isn’t found in the cheering crowds—it is found in the quiet, unglamorous work of suiting up when your name is called.

Living Faith · May 24, 2025

One Last Lesson Before You Go

Like almost every senior, teachers are looking forward to the last day of school with great anticipation. Yes, it is graduation day for the senior class, but for most teachers, it is also their last full work day of the year.

A woman in a yellow raincoat grips a railing, looking out at a dark, turbulent ocean with a massive hurricane spiral in the sky.

Living Faith · May 21, 2025

The Quiet Work of Rebuilding

The winds died down, but the silence that followed was heavier than the storm. In the aftermath of Harvey, we learned that the real heavy lifting happens when we hold each other up. In 2017, a week after Hurricane Harvey hit the coastal communities near Galveston Bay, our school doors reopened to a changed world.

Uncategorized · August 5, 2023

Reclaiming the Classroom from Cell Phones

As I near the end of my 27th year in teaching, I have observed a recurring trend in the past several years of my career: Every April for the past 7 or 8 years, I have experienced an inner tug urging me to explore career opportunities beyond the realm of teaching.

Humor · June 3, 2023

A Traitor in the Cereal Aisle

Imagine entering a room full of old friends, only to find they’ve turned into a pack of snarling enemies. For a man trying to watch his waistline, the local supermarket has transformed from a place of convenience into a high-stakes gauntlet of judgment and betrayal.

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Uncategorized · January 30, 2019

Liars, Cowards, Quitters & Me

Allen’s New Book Liars, Cowards, Quitters & Me The people in these pages are not stained-glass figures. They are not monuments to be admired from a careful distance. Many of them are liars. Some are cowards. A few simply quit.

The Carnival Dream cruise ship docked in Galveston, viewed through a rain-streaked window under dark, heavy storm clouds.

Humor · March 2, 2016

The Deluge and the Dream

Sometimes the water finds you before the ship even leaves the dock. A soggy sprint through a Galveston downpour proves that while you can’t control the weather, you can at least try to wring a little humor out of the situation.