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becominghuman

Day 04: Figuring My Life Out

I had an existential crisis before I got out of bed this morning. This isn’t particularly unusual, although the source was slightly unexpected: Mindy Kaling. I was reading Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? (as you do on Sunday mornings) and I came to this essay about men and boys: Until I was 30, I…

becominghuman

Day 03: Accomplishing Nothing

I accomplished literally nothing today. Outside my windows, shades of dusk are telling me that Saturday evening is here and that I have nothing to show for it. I haven’t bought a couch, built a website, or written anything good. I haven’t even made my bed, cleaned my kitchen, or paid my rent. Sometime after…

becominghuman

Day 02: Writing Scared

Immediately after publishing yesterday’s post, I confessed to my fellow Clumsy Bloggers: can i tell you a secret? i am so insecure about this whole damn project. i’m like, “everybody is going to hate every word i write. nobody is going to share this on fb. i am done. time to quit and go be a bartender.”…

becominghuman

Day 01: Becoming Human

A few days ago my friend Mikayla asked how I’m doing. “Ya know, it is what it is,” I replied. Because apparently I am a curmedgeonly old man from Kansas, in an angsty low-budget film. But then I elaborated: “Grief is a long road. Healing is a slow process. Fall is beautiful. Winter is scary.…

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Why I'd Rather Be a Happy Blogger Than a Successful One

Amber Salhus is one of my favorite Clumsy Bloggers. In addition to writing great words, she’s always cracking us up in the Clumsy Bloggers’ Facebook Group with her cussing and her GIFs. When she showed me her list of blog topics she’s working on, I saw this one and said, “I want that for a…

Blogging

Three Things I Learned about Blogging (by Not Blogging)

I met Aaron Smith a few years ago at a blogging conference in Portland. We’ve been reading each other’s stuff for a few years now, and I’m continually impressed with the raw honesty that Aaron brings to the page. He’s also part of the Clumsy Bloggers’ Workshop, and today he’s telling us what he learned about…

missit

Do You Ever Miss It?

A few nights ago the following message popped up on my screen, from a friend who’s walked a few of the same paths I have. I read these words quickly, and found in them a voice that sounds unmistakably familiar. Sometimes I don’t know whether or not I’m losing my mind, but at least it’s…

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I Will Be Afraid

“When I walk through the Valley of Shadows, I will not be afraid.” That’s what the Psalmist said, but me? I’m not that bold. I have a confession: When I walk through the Valley of Shadows, I will be afraid.  When I walk through the Valley of Shadows, I will wake up screaming in the…

valley

A Prayer from the Valley

“He guides me along right paths,     bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk     through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid,     for you are close beside me.” – Psalm 23   but surely there must be some mistake. don’t you see? I trusted you to guide me along right paths, god you…

GodsWill

How Not to Discover God’s Will For Your Life

I came across some bullshit today. And by “bullshit”, I mean a few pages from the “Wisdom Booklets” that were the core part of Bill Gothard’s  homeschooling curriculum. I had three thoughts when I read this bullshit: “I remember this. Exactly. I remember reading this. I remember believing this.” and then “Oh. No wonder I…

<strong>How to Find Time to Write When Your Kids Are on Summer Break</strong>
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<em>Here are five ways to find time to write when you have kids on summer break.</em><br/><br/>

How to Find Time to Write When Your Kids Are on Summer Break

Today in the Clumsy Bloggers’ Workshop, I was soliciting ideas for my next “How to” post… hoping for something reasonable and simple like “How to Make Links Look Good on Facebook” or “How to Find Pictures for Your Blog“. But then Jaime was all like: “You should write about how to find time to write when you…

whiksey

We're Going to Have a Problem

We’re going to have a problem. I say this with some amount of certainty. In a few years or a few decades, some of us are going to be in rehab or Alcoholics Anonymous or something. And if we’re not, we should be. It starts innocently enough. Trust me, I know. Liberated from our legalistic teetotaling, we…

Writing

How I Wrote 17,231 Words in 30 Days

I met Laura Beth Martin at a writers’ conference in Portland this spring. She had already been in the Clumsy Bloggers’ Workshop for a few weeks, and told me about the 30 Days of Writing it had inspired. I made her promise to tell me how it turned out for her, when she had finished. Here’s…

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Until You Bless Me

“Do y’all do blessings and shit?” I asked it shyly, unsure of the proper etiquette (even though the sign in front of the white tent advertised all manner of blessings available). I hoped the casual and shit would mask how badly I wanted to be blessed, how I’d felt my heart pull me toward this corner…

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Believe With All Your Heart, Mind, and Strength

This is a guest post from Rev. Jennifer Crumpton, author of the new devotional book Femmevangelical: The Modern Girl’s Guide to the Good News. I’ll let her introduce herself: I am a progressive, liberal Christian minister in New York City who was raised a fundamentalist evangelical Southern Baptist in Birmingham, AL. It’s been a long road,…