Yesterday, I wrote a blog post that upset people. I got a community guideline violation on Nextdoor for my post, ‘Stop Being So Judgey.’ The violation? “No racism, hateful language, or discrimination of any kind is tolerated on Nextdoor.” I would like to apologize to those who found the post hateful or discriminatory. That post…

This question was posed to a group of college athletes who follow Jesus: If your church was a professional team and the senior pastor was the coach, would you be a starter? Would you be on the second string? Or would you be a benchwarmer? As an ultrarunner, I am familiar with sports analogies in…

I don’t get it. Chances are, as a middle-aged white guy, I never will. But that hasn’t stopped me from asking. And I’ve asked women of all ages and races, those willing to talk with me and listen to my ignorance, why they do this. What is the deal with women judging another woman when…

“How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.”1 Corinthians 12:19-20 NLT Every person lives their story. Sometimes, it’s a story filled with anxiety, pain, and suffering interwoven between tales of love, romance, and the gushy stuff of romantic comedies. But no matter…

“You do not have what it takes to lead.” In my lifetime, I’ve heard this statement uttered from the mouths of those not fit to lead. I’m not talking about people promoted into positions unbefitting them. No. This sentiment is reserved for those unwilling or unable to learn from their mistakes, including this one. I…

For months, Short Stories, Anecdotes, and Real Life’s focus is story and storytelling. The heart of the blog is that storytelling can and does change the world, and this creative writer hopes the reader will see creativeness and inventiveness in each narrative. Masterful storytellers like Asimov, Tolkien, and King build connections into their worlds, a…

Stories make life fun and entertaining, one of many reasons I continue writing, and listening to other tell theirs. And to those of you who read them and are entertained by the magical, fantastic journey’s I have the chance to take you on, I thank you, dear reader. Thank you for returning, some of you…

For a brief moment I wanted to lash out, to overreact and attack a friend, all because I didn’t have enough information to make a solid decision. It took me a few days to digest what happened, not because I needed space but a break. I needed to step away and come back with fresh…

Living in southeast Portland gives you unique experiences, particularly when you are thrust into environments with people you don’t know. In these environments, you discover who you can trust, whom you can’t, and pitfalls to avoid, namely living in large apartment complexes or rundown four-plex homes, like the one, my girlfriend, and our three kids,…

“Did you know she worked here?” “No. What did she do?” I’m not sure if the conversation went something like this or if it was glossed over. What I do know is the mental health organization she worked for wasn’t healthy, even though they claimed that mental health was the top priority and of major…