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Picture this: a city so evil that the one in charge calls together a group of executioners to wipe out the population.

But in the midst of these men, “each with a weapon for slaughter in his hand,” is another man, one clothed in linen with a writing case at his side. This man is told to go throughout the city and mark those who mourn over the evil being done. After he walks out, the executions are told to follow him and kill everyone, “but touch no one who has the mark.”

Scary stuff. The level of violence reminds me of the Kill Bill movies. But it’s not a Hollywood script – it’s a vision straight from the Bible: Ezekiel 9. Continue reading “Why Jesus Never Spoke Without Telling Stories”

• In approximately 147 hours I will be running through tear gas and smoke bombs, participating in my first-ever Tough Mudder. Projected air temperature? 59 degrees. Projected water temperature? Don’t want to think about it. For a taste of what we’re going to be doing, check out the video below.

Continue reading “Tough Mudder Update – 147 Hours”

When the last James Bond movie came out in 2008, it brought in over $70 million during the first weekend. They started shooting the next Bond movie on Thursday.

Just beside that on CNN.com was an article handing out Thanksgiving tips: your meal should include one pound of turkey, a half pound of potatoes, one sweet potato, one cup of vegetables, and one pound of ice…per person.

Drowning somewhere on their busy home page was an article I nearly missed: “Refugees Face Organ Theft in Sinai.”

Organ theft. Continue reading “James Bond, Thanksgiving, and Having Your Kidneys Stolen”

Barry Eisler submitted his completed manuscript to 50 agents.* 50. And he received as many rejections. Throughout the process he continued revising, continued submitting, and continued receiving those rejection notices.

He persevered, but it wasn’t getting him anywhere. Continue reading “When Perseverance is a Weakness”

About a week ago I received a real, live package in the mail from someone besides a book seller. There is a particular kind of elation that one experiences while trying (unsuccessfully) to disembowel a large envelope sealed tight with indestructible tape.

I gave up trying to open it at the end of the lane, in the car, especially when I realized my keys were not doing the trick. So I drove the quarter mile stone driveway to our little house, went inside, and made the announcement.

“Hey, I got something in the mail!”

Kids, wife, imaginary friends: they all came running. Continue reading “An Envelope I Couldn’t Wait to Open”