• Election Day: When Everything Changes But Probably NotWhy that "most important election of our lifetimes" really doesn't matter.
  • A Birthday Baptism by Buccaneer BayThe written/filmed tale of my baptism, 25 years to the day of my birth.
  • Hillsong United Songs: TMZ's Top-11 FavoritesThe best worship songs from Hillsong's vast collection. Or so I say.
  • Ecclesiastes is MeaninglessOut of all the books of the Bible, Ecclesiastes is by far the most meaningless of them all.
  • Books I've Never Read: TMZ's Top-11 FavoritesI've read many great books in my time; here's the best ones I've never set eyes on.
  • On Meeting My First CelebritySuddenly, calling someone "brother" takes on elevated meaning.
Election Day: When Everything Changes But Probably Not1 A Birthday Baptism by Buccaneer Bay2 Hillsong United Songs: TMZ's Top-11 Favorites3 Ecclesiastes is Meaningless4 Books I've Never Read: TMZ's Top-11 Favorites5 On Meeting My First Celebrity6
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Quarter-Life Confessions of a Gay Christian

  By tmz | 17 June 2013 - 404am |
19 Comments
TMZ: Milwaukee and Me

I recently published a book. My first. You might have heard. It’s all about struggle and redemption, and I titled it Struggle Central: Quarter-Life Confessions of a Messed Up Christian.

But that’s almost not what it was called.

I spent many weeks brainstorming the perfect title. The “Struggle Central” portion emerged without much conscious effort thanks to last summer’s hearty camp experience hiding in bathroom stalls – my centralized Struggle Headquarters … Continue reading →

Wandering Wednesday #14 – Bolsa Chica, CA

  By tmz | 12 June 2013 - 404am | ,
4 Comments
TMZ: Wandering Wednesday

FELLOW WANDERERS:

This particular kind of video adventure has been a long time coming. For a while, I kinda lost the “spirit” of Wandering Wednesday. Back when this creative concept was instated in 2011, I envisioned many spontaneous drives to the coast, mountains, city, and desert alike. Seeing new sights and hearing new sounds, adding more colors to my wandering palette.

And then I started wandering places I’d already ventured.

But this is a good … Continue reading →

5 Years Behind the Rest of Humanity

  By tmz | 10 June 2013 - 144pm |
14 Comments
YouthWorks: Looking Out at Milwaukee

I’m 26 years old. Well, the beard helps me look 26; without it, my delicate mug is hardly pushing 19.

Patchy facial hair notwithstanding, I don’t feel 26. Not at all. I don’t feel like I’m in the second half of my twenties, and most of the time I really don’t know what age I feel.

18? 21? 4 1/2?

Regardless the flippant number, I do know one thing: I feel at least 5 years … Continue reading →

Opening the Door: New Challenges, One Year Later

  By tmz | 29 May 2013 - 404am | ,
6 Comments
Camp Ridgecrest sign

A month ago, I posted an excerpt from Struggle Central. It was one of my more insecurity-inducing posts, as the memoir penetrated the surface of my struggles from camp last summer — struggles I only vaguely referenced on this blog before diving into them headfirst with my book.

That particular Struggle Central excerpt featured the heart-racing, chill-inducing, gaze-gathering day when … Continue reading →

Storyline: Why I’m Flying to Nashville and Why You Should Come Too!

  By tmz | 27 May 2013 - 404am |
2 Comments

Storyline Conference

Last week, I did something I’m not usually prone to doing. I made an impulse decision. Although, to be fair, it was an impulse decision preceded by a few weeks of legitimate pontificating: Should I eventually or should I immediately register for Donald Miller’s Storyline conference in Nashville?

After dwelling for years on “eventually,” I spontaneously made the shift to “immediately” on an unsuspecting Friday afternoon.

This … Continue reading →