Grace is Messy
Being interviewed is such a fun gig! I love when people like Fiona allow me the honor of speaking candidly on issues I am passionate about. And there's not much I'm more passionate about than the church and suicide. Read more
Being interviewed is such a fun gig! I love when people like Fiona allow me the honor of speaking candidly on issues I am passionate about. And there's not much I'm more passionate about than the church and suicide. Read more
The year had grown harder, week-by-week and month-by-month. There were days I couldn’t scrape together the energy to get out of bed. I’d dropped most of my college classes spring term to avoid failing – I, the straight A student to whom school came so easily. Anxiety made it impossible to eat, and I lost enough weight that people asked if I was anorexic. I didn’t know it wasn’t my fault. Read more
In my own experience, the cruelness of life tried to insert a period, but grace replaced it with a semicolon. A modern Selah. A pause. A moment to say, my story isn’t over. Light eventually came rushing in, right when I least expected it. The folks at Project Semicolon are doing their part to share the Light. Project Semicolon began in the spring of 2013, when founder Amy Bleuel wanted to honor her father whom she lost to suicide. Through... Read more
Often, I get asked what the one thing is that saved my life, following my suicide attempt. It’s laughable to think there’s some magic pill, but I understand people are looking for something, anything to give them the hope that things will get better. What saved me? Jesus. Now before you close this page, thinking “here’s another religious nut, telling me Jesus fixes everything,” just hear me out. I’m not talking about the shirt and tie Jesus, who shudders when... Read more
I will never forget how cold the tile floor was on that hot September afternoon, as I slid down the wall of ICU room number six. The statement that made my knees buckle, as I stood at the end of that hospital bed, was, "No, I did not mix up my medicine. I wanted to die. I do not want to be here any more." My clearest thought was how I was not enough. But if not me, how was our beautiful baby boy not enough to make my husband want to stay? I wondered how I could possibly face family and friends at our son's first birthday party the next day, alone. I wondered if I would spend the rest of my life the very same way. Read more
“A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don’t function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.” -Brene Brown Do you get uncomfortable when someone tells you kind things about your self-worth? Do you cringe, like me, when... Read more
The day my son tried to catch an airplane encouraged me to never stop dreaming. It took me back to all the things I have had the opportunity to do because I was willing to dream big. Dreamers are more vital today than ever and my desire is to encourage young men to dream big. I am so excited about today’s post with the Be Brave Campaign. Just click here to read the story. Read more
Life doesn't come with a user manual. Unfortunately, neither do children. You don't get a copy of "Raising Kids for Idiots" before you leave Labor and Delivery. It's a free-for-all at times, but just like life, we push through. Because we cherish our lives and our children, we do our best not to completely screw up on either front. Good Men Project is doing a series of interviews, "Portraits of Fatherhood". This week, I am honored to share my story. We'll talk about my best and worst parenting moments and how my wife and I balance the craziness of raising our family. Read more
Now that the story of my suicide attempt is becoming more public, people are asking about my recovery. The most recent question I received is, “What is the one thing that made you want to start living again.” Since everyone has a different recovery story and I am not a professional, here are seven things that did not make me want to start living again. Read more
“Where did this dog come from? Is she coming home with us? Can she sit in my lap? What’s her name?” I adjusted the rearview mirror, not wanting to miss a single detail of his excitement. “Yea buddy, she’s your new dog. Merry Christmas.” For the moment, I was his hero. But that wasn't always the case. Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In