Blogs

I’d love to blog more regularly, and I love answering questions. So the “WeblogPoMo AMA” challenge caught my eye! For this challenge I want to foster writer interaction: write a blog post starting with a question—the AMA—and then answer the question yourself in the blog post. Others will likewise write AMA/question posts, but also answer the AMA/questions from other bloggers, linking to their initial post. I brainstormed a bit on this idea when I first thought about creating WeblogPoMo Challenges. ...

In God’s economy, the most important people are not the billionaire, the business owner, or even the blue-collar worker. Instead, in God’s economy, the most important people are the widow, the orphan, and the immigrant. Which is to say, the poor and the powerless. I’ve previously gone into depth on what the book of Proverbs has to say about poverty and wealth, as well as how Christians should think about wealth. Here are some more biblical passages relevant to the topic. All quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV): ...

Today should have been my cousin Eric’s 32nd birthday. Instead, having lost him earlier this year to some serious health complications after a devastating motorcycle accident, we gathered to remember him and celebrate his life. Another member of our family gone too soon. Two passages of Scripture came to mind as I thought about Eric today. First, this one from Ecclesiastes (which I previously wrote a bit about after the untimely death of my Uncle Tim). ...

Lest my previous parenting post suggest that things are all doom-and-gloom at the Steele-haus, here are 10 things I love about my kids. I got to baptize all 3 of them as babies, a poignant reminder that they are beloved children of God. They all love books, which warms my nerdy heart. The way Eleanor (1yo) greets me. It used to be a very excited squeal. Now it’s “Ah! Daddy!” Andrew (4yo) has a great memory for stories, especially Bible stories. I was redoing our fire pit, and spraying it with a hose to cut down on dust as I re-leveled the ground. Andrew: “Elijah put water on the fire, too!” (see 1 Kings 18). Eva (6yo) is smart as a whip. She asks great questions, and I’m looking forward to (re-)learning with her as she gets older. Eleanor’s recently learned how to do an overly-exaggerated “angry eyebrows” face, and I find it absolutely hilarious. She now does it to get a laugh. Andrew loves Spiderman, and he goes back-and-forth on whether or not he thinks superheroes are real. Listening to him as he narrates Spiderman scenarios while running around in his Spiderman costume is always entertaining. Eva will sometimes read books to Andrew and Eleanor. They will then imitate her–Andrew, by reciting stories from memory as he turns through the books, and Eleanor, by babbling to herself as she flips the pages. I can get them all to watch things with me like This Old House, DIY videos, tool reviews, etc. Partially because they’re all curious and enjoy learning about tools. Partially (OK, mostly) because they’re thankful they’re watching *something* on the TV. They’re all still young enough that they frequently want hugs and snuggles.

I love my kids, but I sometimes regret having them. Pardon the clickbait-y title and opening sentence. But are we parents allowed to say that? Are we allowed to feel both of those things at once? We’ve got a 6-year-old, a 4-year-old, and an almost-2-year-old. And, no, I don’t actually begrudge them their existence! I want what’s best for their lives and futures. And don’t get me wrong; there are moments of laughter, poignancy, joy, etc. ...

I don’t know what it is about mini toolkits, but I love them. Actually, scratch that. I know why. It’s the same reason I love buying tools and books, more generally: the illusion of control. I like how having tools (and a great personal library) makes me feel like I’m ready for whatever life throws at me (ha!). It’s why I liked carrying around a pocketknife as a kid, and it’s why I’m into EDC (everyday carry) and tools as an adult. ...

You can’t follow Jesus and hate immigrants. Of course, this does NOT settle every question of immigration policy! But, if you’re a follower of Jesus, consider your overall posture toward immigrants. If you call yourself a Christian, I want you to think about this seriously. What comes into your head and your heart when you think of immigrants and refugees? Fear? Anger? Disgust? What if the immigrants are in your country legally? What if they’re your brothers and sisters in Christ? Does that make any difference in what you think and feel about them? Or are they still primarily “illegals” who are “ruining this country”? ...

The relationship between Church and State, particularly the intersection of Christianity and politics, has been on my mind since I first started paying attention during the lead-up to the 2008 USA presidential election. Back then, I was just a high school student, but these themes have stuck with me ever since. (For those curious, here’s a quick timeline: In 2012, I was studying biblical studies in college. By 2016, I was a seminarian, and in 2020, I was working on my Ph.D. in theology. Now, in 2024, I’m a software engineer! Yet political theology continues to weigh on my mind.) ...

Sweater weather Losing weight with some help from Zepbound Football season (pulling for the Detroit Lions and the University of Michigan Wolverines) Harbor Freight coming out with version 2.0 of its “meme tool” – now with sockets! Hopefully out before the end of the year Reading The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story by Christopher and Richard Hays when it comes out next week Learning auto repair by working on my dad’s 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 (next up: replacing the governor pressure solenoid and sensor in the transmission, which will hopefully help with the truck getting stuck in low gear!) What are you excited about these days? ...

We bought our first house in late 2023 and, since moving-in in January 2024, I’ve been chipping away at home improvement projects. Since I’m a software engineer and spend my day in front of a screen, I enjoy working with tools as a change of pace. Now, some upcoming projects will clearly outstrip my capabilities and I plan to hire professionals: – Replace roof and gutters – Replace furnace and central air conditioning ...