A lament, for a violent world in need of peace. “Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer) ...
I recently came across a Daniel Pink video that helped clarify and summarize some key insights about finding life’s purpose in a really actionable way. The framework was so helpful that I wanted to share it. Stop asking “What’s my passion?” Start asking better questions. Pink suggests that the classic advice to “follow your passion” often leads us nowhere. Instead, he offers seven more practical questions that can actually help you discover your life’s purpose. ...
I’m putting this out there because I’m genuinely stuck, and I’m hoping some of you have been where I am and can offer some wisdom. Here’s my situation: I’m in my 30s, married with three young kids, and I work from home in northwest Ohio. On paper, my life is full—and in many ways it is. But I’m also dealing with some significant loneliness and isolation that I can’t seem to shake. ...
Here are 14 YouTube channels that I really enjoy. Do you have any other YouTube channels you think I might enjoy? Budget Mechanic ChrisFix Essential Craftsman First Class Amateur Grand Roofing Home RenoVision DIY The Honest Carpenter Practical Engineering Project Farm Silver Cymbal Smarter Every Day Stumpy Nubs This Old House Veritasium P.S. For more lists, visit my Lists page!
In his “Letters and Papers from Prison,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer made some remarkably insightful observations about the nature of stupidity and its dangers to society. These reflections, perhaps more relevant today than ever, deserve our careful attention. Here they are in full. On Stupidity (DBWE 8:43-44) Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed—in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical—and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for when dealing with a stupid person than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous. ...
Until the past few days, our 4-year-old son, Andrew, has mainly prayed something like the following before dinner: “Dear Jesus, help us to have a good day tomorrow, and help this food to be good.” However, in the past few days, he has started to pray more spontaneously and creatively before dinner. Here are some highlights: “Give us this day our holy bread” “Help us worship you even when we are in heaven” ...
UPDATE: This now seems to work! The post made it to Micro.blog, BlueSky, and Mastodon, at least. Just not to Threads. I’m trying to troubleshoot what’s going on with my current crossposting configuration between my Hugo website, my Micro.blog account, and my accounts on BlueSky, Mastodon, and Threads. What’s supposed to happen is that this blog post, after I merge it to my GitHub repository, will end up on the JSONfeed at https://joshuapsteele.com/blog/feed.json. ...
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. ...
In the quest for personal and professional growth, understanding our unique strengths and personality traits can be incredibly enlightening. Today, I want to share my insights from various personality paradigms and how they shape my approach to work and life. CliftonStrengths: Harnessing Core Talents The CliftonStrengths assessment has been instrumental in identifying my core talents. Here are my top five strengths: Input: I have an insatiable curiosity and a constant desire to collect information. This strength fuels my drive to learn and gather knowledge from diverse sources. Intellection: My love for deep thinking and intellectual discussions is a hallmark of this strength. It allows me to explore complex ideas and engage in thoughtful analysis. Learner: The process of learning excites me. Whether it’s acquiring new skills or understanding new concepts, I thrive in environments that offer continuous growth. Ideation: Creativity and innovation are my playgrounds. I enjoy brainstorming and generating new ideas, which often leads to novel solutions and approaches. Analytical: I have a keen ability to dissect problems and examine them from different angles. This strength helps me make informed decisions based on solid data and evidence. For more on CliftonStrengths, check out Gallup’s CliftonStrengths. ...
I’ve been on a lifelong journey to find hats that will fit my big ol’ head. Now that I’m bald, and the summer months are approaching, I figured it would be good to find one or two more hats to add to my rotation. I’ve narrowed this round down to trying the following hats, in case you’re interested (Amazon affiliate links below): TOO SMALL FOR ME Carhartt Men’s Rugged Professional Series Canvas Mesh-Back Cap (Shadow, One Size) Carhartt Men’s 100289 Odessa Ball Cap (Carhartt Brown, One Size) I’m a sucker for Carhartt and Carhartt brown! This hat is comfortable I like that it looks different than my other hats, which tend to be black, gray, etc. Ankor Ultra Performance Water-Resistant UPF 50 Baseball Hat (Charcoal Gray, One Size) Charcoal gray is my favorite color (not sure what that says about me…) I really like the look and fit of this one Flexfit Men’s Delta Seamless Cap (Dark Grey, XX-Large) Love the look and color of this Very comfortable! I wonder if it’s a tad *too* big for my head, though Flexfit Mens Cool & Dry Sport (Grey, X-Large-XX-Large) This hat gets here in the mail today! I’m excited to try it out ...
I’ve often enjoyed lifting weights, but I’ve never enjoyed going to the gym. So, I’ve long wanted a nice home gym. When we lived in a basement apartment, space was very limited, but I was able to fit a Valor Fitness BD-9 squat rack/stands and an Amazon Basics flat bench in, along with a 300-lb Olympic barbell and weight set from Dicks Sporting Goods. (If you’re similarly pressed for space, I highly recommend those items above!) ...
I know I’m not alone in this, but the past few years have been pretty rough for me. I’ve gained at least 50 pounds. I had a fun part-time gig as a managing editor come to an end. I’ve come to terms with some long-term depression and anxiety. I had a job offer ripped out from under me. I hit pause on and eventually dropped out of my Ph.D. program. I’ve resigned from ordained ministry in the ACNA, my previous denomination. Sure, some things have gone well. I’ve got a loving wife (who’s a superhero) and three healthy children. I’ve got a new career (as a software developer) that I very much enjoy. We’ve got a roof over our heads. I make more money now than I ever have. ...
After a considerable period of discernment, coupled with my growing disaffection with the Anglican Church in North America, I sense God calling me to step away from ordained ministry in the ACNA and instead to focus on my family and my career as a software engineer. This also coincides with plans to move closer to family in NW Ohio (where there is not much of an ACNA presence to speak of) and to then pursue church involvement outside of the ACNA. ...