give a damn?

Listening, breathing in and experiencing a person's story is one of the main reasons I became a journalist. Dan Parris' story is one of those that forces me to listen, breathe in and experience life in a new way. 

The first time Dan and I talked about his documentary project was in a house filled with people a few days before his graduation. Amidst the chatter, I sat in a chair across from Dan who had perched himself on a coffee table and he told me his idea. I had graduated a year earlier and wondered what my life would look like if I took the approach to life as he was. This past November I spoke with Dan again for more than two hours on the phone sitting states away and heard a new story. One filled with adventure, fulfillment, tragedy and hope. Again two weeks ago, I was able to hear yet again where he was at and once again hoped that I approach life with the same approach he does, seeking what God has in store for him and truly following - no matter where that takes him.

Today, Relevant Magazine's Reject Apathy site published an extended version of Dan's story that I had the honor of writing — the original shorter version was published in Biola Magazine. I must thank him for his honest, openness and vulnerability as he told me the story of Give a Damn? and where he is at today after surviving a plane crash during filming. I invite you to read his story: Planes and Perspectives.

rejecting apathy

peering in

on the home of a mushroom.


I saw them on the way to my apartment door. So I promptly set my things down, grabbed my camera, went back outside and photographed their home for a bit. They may be fungi, but they're cute fungi.

happy friday!

pink post-its

Exactly one week and one day ago, I finished my dubious Old Testament class by officially handing in my 20 page research paper on the corpus of poetic and wisdom literature in the Old Testament.

I didn't touch my books or research remnants again, except to return the books loaned to me from the library, until today. And I couldn't help, but laugh, because it seems as though I wrote my entire paper on pink post it notes as I scoured my books for bits of knowledge and wisdom to include in the paper.


Thank goodness it's all over. I gladly tossed those post-its in the trash today. However, not without a bit more knowledge and wisdom bestowed upon me of course.