Blog stories

At dinner last night, my son and I started talking about history. I asked him what schools are teaching today about our past. His answer made me pause, because it stirred a memory of my own. I remember my 10th-grade history teacher. She was a small woman with a quiet voice, but there were moments when she nearly couldn’t continue teaching because the weight of the stories overwhelmed her. I don’t remember all the dates. I don’t remember every name. But I remember how she made

In my search for the perfect swing — the one that might finally lead to my perfect game — I came across a phrase that stopped me cold. It summed up something I’ve felt for a long time but couldn’t quite name: sometimes the way we’re working feels right… but it’s still wrong. In life, like golf, we wake up with good intentions. We take aim at projects, conversations, and responsibilities hoping they’ll go smoothly. Sometimes we take a few practice swings — a conversation

This one was an easy one to write. I’m sure we’ve all tried and failed. We’ve all wanted to be better at something we’re working on — stronger, calmer, more consistent, more disciplined. And sometimes, after days… weeks… even months of effort, we find ourselves asking the quiet question no one likes to admit out loud: Is this work even worth it if I can’t see the results yet? That’s the moment where most people stop. But it’s also the moment where something deeper is being

Model or destination — what’s the difference? I came across this comparison recently while working on my golf game, and it stuck with me. I’ve played for years. I’ve watched thousands of videos on swing mechanics, game improvement, mental approaches, and equipment. If you play golf long enough, you can’t help but wonder: Would this work for me? Would that be the missing piece? That question hit home while watching Peter Finch. He’s not one of the young bucks coming up on tour

Back in elementary school, we had talent shows — the high-stakes arena where future stars were forged. Or at least that’s what it felt like at the time. Parents and grandparents packed the auditorium like it was Hollywood on premiere night. Kids sang, played piano, danced… turns out a lot of people in my grade had hidden talents I did not  know about. But none of that mattered, because I  had something no one else possessed: raw, unfiltered, untrained star power. I had playe

God must have really known what He was doing when He made life visibly change. One day you’re walking outside in shorts, and the next morning you need a coat just to get the mail. The air shifts. The sky shifts. We  shift. I’ve always thought that was His way of reminding us that nothing stays the same forever — not the weather, not our circumstances, not even the people around us. If fifty years of living has taught me anything, it’s to dress in layers . Not just for winter…

After a long weekend of work, play, and prayer, I needed to take some time for reflection and direction. Whether you’re a golfer or not, maybe this lands where you need it to. Golf is a powerful reflection of life. In life, we all carry dreams. We all understand what it means to practice, to rehearse, to prepare for a performance. And hopefully, at some point, we all get close enough to those dreams to finally pull the trigger toward them. We’re often told that if we have a d

Life doesn’t just move in straight lines — it bends, loops, drifts, and sometimes doubles back on itself. We like to pretend we’re choosing between “right” and “wrong” turns, but truthfully? Most of the time we’re just choosing the next chapter , not the final one. Every door you walk through teaches you something — even the ones you close behind you with relief. Every turn you take adds a new angle to who you are — even the detours. Every moment you sit still, breathing on a

Act I — The Victory Lap Begins You’re 16, hormones tuned to radioactive , and your whole world is orbiting around girls with curves that could end civilizations. You finally meet her  — the blonde wild one with the short frame and the earth-shifting legs. The girl every teenage boy dreams about but only a few ever get close to. School events, flirting, build-up — and then that late-night invitation: “Nobody will be home.” The four deadliest words in teenage boy language. You

How do you know what you’re capable of? Do you have any idea what it would take for you to tap out, throw in the towel, or finally say stop ? We’ve all been there. This week, that thought crossed my mind more than once — house repairs, family issues, money stress. The usual chaos. I’ve been watching documentaries that show how close people can come to losing it all — one step short of making it, one wrong place, one bad day away from the street. It’s sobering. On the other si

Who in your world needs partnership  more than advice  this week? In nursing — and really, in life — progress happens when we stop trying to fix people and start walking with  them. Imagine being handed a diagnosis you barely understand. Where did it come from? How did I get it? Will I be on medication forever? Take something like thyroid disease.  I tell patients all the time: if that goes sideways, the effects can be limitless — both good and bad. Medication management seem

There’s a difference between being led  and being guided. When I picture being led, I see God out in front — the path already cleared, the wind at my back, and my job simply to follow. But guidance can look different. Sometimes it feels like He’s giving me space to walk ahead, to make choices, to move freely — knowing He’ll nudge me if I drift too far off course. Some days it’s a gentle push. Other days, it’s a lesson I don’t want but clearly need. Positive reinforcement or d

I was wrapped in my thoughts earlier, wondering about the ways that evil quietly works its way into our lives — affecting us, shaping us, even controlling us. I started to ask myself: Could technology be that evil we can’t quite see, but constantly encounter? It’s arrived in our lives dressed as a gift — a tool, a luxury. A source of knowledge, entertainment, and instant connection. But like any tool, it reflects the hand that wields it. Today, I see the phone as that tool. A

You’ve probably heard the story — how Colonel Harland Sanders crafted a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices that turned a gas station chicken recipe into one of the most famous meals in the world. Unique. Studied. Refined. Trademarked. But here’s the thing: Even KFC isn’t for everyone. Some like it, some don’t. Some crave it. Some pass it by. And maybe… that’s the message today. Because I think Christians — real, imperfect, gospel-driven people — have their own 11 spices too.

Wow. This is a tough one. I don’t know how to break the ice here, so I’ll start small and simple: We all experience loss in life. Even in infancy, we lose things — toys, blankets — and it might spark some tears and tantrums. But as we grow, we become more attached. To objects. To people. To routines. And with attachment comes the unavoidable lesson: loss . Something I wish someone had told me is just how long it takes  for that loss to evolve into gratitude . There aren’t man

Burnout  — the word not spoken, but seen, heard, and felt by everyone in healthcare. It’s become so common that it’s either overused or never said at all. I’ve seen it in veteran nurses, new graduates, and even within myself. Burnout isn’t just exhaustion; it’s emotional detachment — the slow fading of pride in our work. For me, it was 3 a.m. in the ER, when another “cough and sneeze” patient signed in, and I caught myself asking why I was even here.  That’s when you know som

In nursing, we talk a lot about compassion, but not always about how  we give it. Everyone who steps into this field carries their own...

If you’re in nursing school right now, I don’t have to tell you how stressful it feels. The constant studying, the skills check-offs, the...

What If Nursing Were a Stage? What if nursing were a stage? Imagine stepping up to the mic as the spotlight hits you: “My name is Allen,...

Nursing — and life — is heavy enough on its own. The charts, the shifts, the emergencies. If you don’t break the tension once in a while,...