Incongruence

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Incongruence

Raising hell on Saturday night, and praising God on Sunday morning…

There is a tension a lot of people feel but rarely articulate: the dissonance between professed belief and lived behavior, especially when it intersects with expectations around gender roles. When someone invokes God or religion to define what a man “should be” “God-fearing,” “the head,” etc. and yet lives in a way that seems contradictory or even performative, it can stir up a mix of emotions: confusion, frustration, maybe even cynicism.

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Logical Calisthenics Rep Five, Change Won’t to Will

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Logical Calisthenics Rep Five, Change Won’t to Will

Willing. Becoming.

“Won’t” is fear dressed in reason. “Will” is clarity dressed in courage. 

I’ve said “won’t” a hundred ways: Not now. Maybe later. I can’t. But when I stopped negotiating with hesitation and just moved something shifted. “Will” doesn’t require certainty. It only asks for presence…

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Logical Calisthenics Rep One, Change Hate to Love

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Logical Calisthenics Rep One, Change Hate to Love

 Strength in Motion

There’s no trick in the turn just intention. 

Hate is easy. It’s reflexive, emotional shorthand for hurt, fear, confusion. But love? Love takes stamina. It’s the long route. The pause. The choice. When I feel that old heat rise, I stop and ask: what would love do here? 

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Logical Calisthenics, Intro

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Logical Calisthenics, Intro

I’ve been thinking about transformation. Not the kind that happens overnight, but the kind you train for. The internal reps. The mental stretches. The soul shifts.

Logical Calisthenics, something I’ve leaned on for what feels like a decade, offers a way to reflect on how transformation is showing up in my life right now…

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The Rituals of People Watching

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The Rituals of People Watching

Sometimes, the best view isn’t the sunset or the skyline it’s the quiet theater of people just being themselves.

There’s an art to people watching. It’s not just staring, it’s noticing. The small things. The way someone fidgets with their keys while waiting for coffee, staring at their phones on an elevator with limited reception, or how a couple leans closer when they laugh, like their bodies can’t help but remember they’re each other’s favorite person…

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Sweat as a Spiritual Practice

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Sweat as a Spiritual Practice

There’s something that happens when I walk into the gym. Not just physically but emotionally, energetically. No music yet, no reps. Just a stillness. Like I’ve entered a space that demands both effort and honesty. It’s not about punishment, not about ego. It’s about presence.

And when I’m present ( ( F U L L Y ) ) I remember that this, too, is sacred…

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The Quiet Gift of Being Asked About Your Day

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The Quiet Gift of Being Asked About Your Day

We hear a lot of questions in passing… “How are you?” “What’s up?” “Everything good?”

They roll off the tongue like greetings, not always meant to be answered. Just part of the rhythm of daily conversation, like holding the door or nodding to someone in the hallway.

But “How was your day?”…

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The Check In Text: “You Good?”

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The Check In Text: “You Good?”

Sometimes, all it takes is two words.

“You good?”

No frills. No punctuation gymnastics. Just a quick tap on the shoulder of someone’s life, asking if their world is still spinning okay. And more often than not, the reply is just as simple:

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Or maybe, “Not really, but I will be.”

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The Weightlessness of Not Explaining Yourself

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The Weightlessness of Not Explaining Yourself

There’s a kind of peace that comes from not having to explain yourself. Not because you’re avoiding anything. Not because you’ve shut down or closed off. But because the people around you already get it. You’ve built a rhythm with them intentionally or over time where your boundaries don’t need a presentation, and your choices don’t need a backstory…

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How We Talk About the Weather When We Mean Something Else

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How We Talk About the Weather When We Mean Something Else

Small talk as emotional shorthand.

When we say “Nice out today,” are we actually saying “I’m here, and I need connection”?

But I’m about to get in the shower—is such a small sentence. We say it quickly, almost out of habit especially in texts. Let me get in the shower real quick and I’ll call you after. But have you ever thought about what we’re actually saying when we say it? It’s not just about hygiene. It’s not about the water pressure or the lavender-scented soap. It’s a subtle way of saying:

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A Full Cart, A Quiet Mind

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A Full Cart, A Quiet Mind

A random observation about nothing and yet, everything—grocery shopping when you’re finally buying for pleasure instead of survival.

What changes when you’re not scraping by?

It hits me in produce, this small but steady feeling that I’m no longer in survival mode. No more calculating how long I can stretch a box of oatmeal or if I can afford the fruit this week…

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The Unspoken Agreement of the Passenger Seat

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The Unspoken Agreement of the Passenger Seat

There’s a quiet choreography that happens when someone gets in your car, especially when it’s someone you care about, or someone you’re still learning.

No words need to be exchanged, and yet, something subtle unfolds. They hop into the passenger seat, and I hand over control of the music, literally. My phone stays put, and theirs gets linked via Bluetooth…

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That First Sip of Water After a Long Walk

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That First Sip of Water After a Long Walk

One of my favorite hikes is the seven-mile loop around Salem Lake in Winston-Salem. The trail offers good elevation, but it’s more of a moderate walk; gravel paths, inclines, and beautiful views. Whether I’m on the treadmill at my home gym, running on the outdoor track at the Y, or hiking at Freedom Park, I prefer to work out fasted and only drink water after my session. The same holds true for my hike around Salem Lake. I don’t weigh myself down with a water bottle or a “fanny pack” filled with keys, phones, and other things. I simply power through, focusing on the task, until I reach the finish line…

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Wednesday Morning Sensory Inputs

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Wednesday Morning Sensory Inputs

The Feeling of Being Liked

Some things you just know. The crispness in the air before a storm, the way the sky turns that particular shade of heavy blue. The scent of rain before it arrives, petrichor rising from the earth like an offering. The sound of tires slicing through puddles, a promise of temporary chaos. The way cold water shocks the skin before settling into something familiar.

And then, there’s knowing when someone genuinely likes you.

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