No one was screaming or dashing into traffic this time. An increasingly likely yet still unusual scenario for us when loading into our 2001 Astro Van. As I walked around the van to pile in, this guy with a red hat, you could tell he was a veteran, stopped me to shake my hand. I expected him to congratulate me on a job well done as a dad, not many people have more than 2 kids these days and older folks enjoy seeing larger families that dare to go out together in public. If not that then it’s usually that they are compelled to make a reminder to cherish these days because they go quickly, a sentiment I’m actually appreciating more as the years go by but that wasn’t why he stopped me either. 

A lot of people like to think parenting works like this magical machine, or black box, that as long as you have the right ingredients you will put a child into this process and they will come out the other side with a desirable result. 

If you’ve known me for a while or read a number of my posts here on substack you may know that playing hockey is one of my absolute favorite things to do with my time. I love every part of it. The camaraderie with other guys. The chance to put my phone down and focus 100% of my attention on something without distraction. It’s also far better to get exercise in a way that lets you not realize you’re doing it. It’s great to chase a ball around or skate to where the pick is theoretically going to be than to simply go for a run. Running is terrible. Mentally I feel great when I’m done, that’s probably just the cardio talking but for me it’s become a spiritual practice. Recently I feel like I can hear God more loudly in this process than just about anywhere else in my current rhythms.

Finding meaningful friendships is certainly in the upper echelon of the most difficult and most worthwhile efforts an adult can set their mind to. God crafted us human people for relationship with himself and for relationship with other human people. God in His very essence IS a relationship between the Father, Spirit, and Son. Why then is friendship so difficult? Also what should I even be looking for in a friend. About 5 years ago when I moved to New Hampshire I made some personal discoveries on this front. 

Bonus Episode: A sermon from 6/14/24 at Mountain Ministry Church Service in Lincoln, New Hampshire. This sermon continues the church's teaching series on Luke chapter 6 and talks about bearing good fruit, and the two foundations. Two teachings of Jesus.

One rhythm in our marriage that began almost accidentally but I believe has been one of the most important rhythms of our life has been going to bed at the same time. It’s a launch pad for a daily debrief when days are full, it’s a moment of physical connection and don’t miss the symbolic significance of this simple act. Only recently have I realized that I believe it’s one healthy habit that would be a game changer for most marriages. 

I’ve been asking myself this question recently: why are you taking the time to write these posts? They actually take quite a bit of time and my schedule feels maxed out. Although I often wonder how busy I truly am in comparison to everyone else who also feels busy, I struggle to think of an objective way to measure that. The most basic reason I’ve been writing is because I’m really enjoying it.

Someone asked me recently how I made the transition from Snowboarders & Skiers for Christ to farming in New Hampshire, and whether farming is how we are making a living for our family. The simple answer is no. It would be extremely difficult to make a living doing what we’re doing and it’s actually not our goal. In this post I aim to share a better picture of how our family spends our time and energy. I’ll also briefly explore the state of farming in America and why very few people are making a living growing food on small farms, though I understand it is possible.

One of the last summer’s that we were living in Colorado I repaired and sold over 80 lawn mowers. The business was simple. I posted ads online that I would pick up lawn mowers in any condition for free, the farthest I would drive for them is about 10 minutes. Then I would fix them and sell them for $80-$200 on craigslist and facebook marketplace. It wasn’t about the money, it was mostly fun to take something broken and make it work.

One of my most up-front goals when I moved to New Hampshire was to slow down. Cities are great at many things, fostering a lifestyle of high productivity is certainly one of them. After living almost 15 years in the suburbs of Denver I would occasionally drive by someone who broke down on the side of the road and think “gee, I wish I had the time to help them.” I’ve realized that this is a lifestyle choice. One that has not come automatically.