Stories from the ridgeline
Reflections on fatherhood, faith, healing, leadership, adventure, and the spaces between expectation and reality.
July 27, 2025
Some hikes test your legs. Others test your lungs. But the rare ones, like the climb of Torreys Peak with my daughter, test your heart. We started late and unhurried. Trusting the forecast that promised clear skies through midday, we planned to summit and descend both Grays and Torreys before the storm rolled in. We […]
July 24, 2025
When you learn how to navigate in the wild, you learn more than just how to read a map. You are taught that a map and compass are more than just tools; they’re a kind of truth. You learn that getting from Point A to Point B isn’t just about moving. It’s about moving true. […]
July 22, 2025
In 2023 while hiking Mt. Elbert with my daughter, I learned about the cruel nature of false summits. From the trail head, we could see what looked like the peak glinting in the sun. Every muscle in our legs burned to reach it. Each switchback felt like progress toward that shining goal. We finally crested […]
July 12, 2025
Some things can’t be rushed: Healing. Forgiveness. Faith. And certainly not spiritual growth. We live in a world of microwaved moments: flashy events, fast answers, viral inspiration. Growth doesn’t happen at the speed of a scroll or in the flicker of a Sunday service. True transformation resembles a long ascent. It occurs step by step, […]
July 10, 2025
Some Storms You Don’t See Coming We had barely made it through the gates of Busch Gardens when the skies turned. The kids and I had planned for a day packed with thrill rides, laughter, and all the sugary snacks. But within 45 minutes, thunder rolled in and the rides shut down. Still hopeful, we […]
June 29, 2025
There comes a point in the journey of faith where you stop trying to fix yourself and finally admit: “I can’t feel anything anymore.” In my last post, The Anatomy of a Hard Heart, I shared the quiet signs of spiritual and emotional shutdown. What it looks like when pain piles up and the heart […]
June 26, 2025
There was a time when I didn’t know how to name what I was going through.I couldn’t explain why I felt numb, disconnected, or spiritually dry, especially while doing everything “right.” I loved God, served people, lived with integrity… and yet found myself emotionally shut down. No one prepares you for that wilderness. Even with […]
June 11, 2025
Life moves fast. The trail gets steep. The weather shifts. Fatigue sets in. And if I don’t pause to take stock, I get dangerously close to losing my footing. That’s where journaling comes in. It helps me slow down. It’s like setting up camp after a long hike; the moment when you take off the […]
June 8, 2025
Anchor Points and Empty Prayers Rock climbing is my favorite solo sport. In climbing, anchors aren’t just a piece of gear, it’s what keeps me from falling when everything else gives way. It’s what I trust when my strength runs out. And prayer has become that for me. Not a place to prove myself, but […]
June 26, 2013
I recently read an interview with Jack Johnson, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world from 1908-1915. In discussing how the sport has changed, he said something simple and profound. Some of the greatest fighters of all time didn’t last because they could punch the hardest; but because they knew how to take a punch.
It’s all about the stance Johnson said, the positioning of your feet: “Front foot pointed forward, rear foot pointed out at an angle.” This stance gave fighters perfect balance, and control. The fighters who could take a hit, and still stand, would prevail; because once you are thrown off balance, your opponent gains the upper hand.
