What has been the biggest change in your life in 2025? The biggest change has been my employment as a full-time chaplain. This has been a dream that I have been working on for several years. After two years of temporary employment as chaplain resident, I am thankful to be settled into a long-term positionContinue reading “Six Questions for the New Year: 2026”
Author Archives: joyofthejourney
My 40th Birthday: The Four State Challenge
Start: 4:12 a.m.Finish: 9:30 p.m.Stats: 46.17 miles, 7677 elevation gain, 15h49m moving time, 17h18 m elapsed timeRoute: Pen Mar Road (drop off site) to Virginia state line (sign reads “Entering Harpers National Historic Park”) and then to Chestnut Hill Road (pick up site)Method: Day hike with support I wanted to hike the Four State ChallengeContinue reading “My 40th Birthday: The Four State Challenge”
Ultra-Trail Harricana 65K: Race Report
My body vibrates with excitement and nerves. Can I run 40 miles? Matt, friend A., and I pull into Parc national des Hautes Georges in La Malbaie, Quebec. A blow-up arch marks the start line. At the car, I pull on my bulging running vest, filled with one liter of water and dozens of energyContinue reading “Ultra-Trail Harricana 65K: Race Report”
38th Birthday
The post on my 37th birthday will come soon, I hope. I want to tell you the story of my 65K ultramarathon. It is a story not just about physical resilience but about emotional resilience, and the strength I have discovered within. However, today marks my 38th birthday. I have changed my life this year.Continue reading “38th Birthday”
How Running Makes Me Feel
Do you run? If so, how does running make you feel? If you do not run, how does your movement of choice make you feel? Running makes me feel free. This December, I experienced a sudden onset of adult epilepsy, which has since been successfully treated. Because of my seizures, I could not drive forContinue reading “How Running Makes Me Feel”
Love Struck
Soft dirt cushions my feet The aroma of pine fills my nostrils Is it too soon to say: “I love you”? The birds cheer me on The wind crews for me, keeping me cool with her breeze The creek fills my water bottle The roots and rock form a labyrinth of play beneath my toesContinue reading “Love Struck”
For Good
John 10:1-10 [Watch sermon here.] Jesus declares, “I am the gate.” A literal translation reads: “I am the door.” Jesus as a door is one of my favorite images in the Bible. Doors intrigue me. I am always wondering, What lies on the other side? Doors open to surprising spaces. They transition us to aContinue reading “For Good”
Peace Party
Luke 19:28-40 [Watch video here.] It’s a celebration! Jesus comes home to the people. Jesus, the tender-hearted. Jesus, the liberator. It’s the moment everyone is waiting for. This moment of reunion. Lover and loved, liberator and liberated, together, united. How will they greet each other? The people are so happy! “Praise God!” they shout. TheyContinue reading “Peace Party”
All the Light We Cannot See
John 9:1-41 [Watch sermon here.] On the road, Jesus and the disciples walk by a man born with blindness. This man has depth and wisdom. Brilliance abounds as this man can listen to the world more thoroughly than anyone born with sight. A certain spark, and sparkle, occurs when Jesus approaches the man. In contrast,Continue reading “All the Light We Cannot See”
Journeying in Stages
Exodus 17:1-7 [Watch sermon here.] Is God with us? The question burned the Israelites’ parched souls as they lay down their packs. They had hiked in stages through the wilderness. As they trekked in the hot sun, with their belongings on their back, I imagine them wondering, Where will the wilderness take us today? ToContinue reading “Journeying in Stages”
Joy of the Journey 