Purpose and Perseverance Podcast

In today's Gospel, Jesus gives His disciples a clear command: "Cure the sick." That passage has become one of the guiding principles of my own life, yet I can't help but wonder whether we have unintentionally narrowed its meaning. I share why I believe one of the greatest acts of charity today may be helping people understand and overcome the chronic diseases of lifestyle that affect the overwhelming majority of Americans. I explore the connection between purpose, intentionality, perseverance, and health, why mindless consumption is one of the greatest dangers of modern life, and what the question "What Would Jesus Do?" might teach us about stress, sleep, nutrition, and movement. Ultimately, I argue that caring for our bodies is not about vanity, but stewardship, and that "curing the sick" may be one of the great works of mercy our age is uniquely called to embrace.

Summer is supposed to be the season when life slows down (at least for people working in schools). So why does it often feel busier than ever? In this episode, I reflect on the challenge of juggling work, family, faith, health, and countless good responsibilities while discovering an important truth: the greatest struggle of adulthood is often not choosing between good and bad, but between many good things. Sometimes the path to a meaningful life is not doing everything - it is faithfully doing the next right thing.

My homily for the St. Thomas More Academy Class of 2026 Baccalaureate Mass Homily. Godspeed graduates!

What does our cultural obsession with giant metal water bottles reveal about modern life? In this episode, I use the rise of "emotional support" hydration tankards as a jumping off point to discuss consumerism, social conformity, unhealthy relationship with food, electrolyte imbalances, athlete health, intentional living, and the importance of learning to THINK rather than blindly absorb whatever trends modern culture happens to be selling. I talk about hydration myths, overconsumption, self knowledge, and wonder how my generation from the late 1900's somehow with little more than water fountains and garden hoses.

On June 11, 2024, Sam, Chantal, and I walked through the doors of Journey Martial Arts Academy in Youngsville, NC for the first time. It was a practice what you preach moment in terms of the "doorstep mile." What began simply as an opportunity to expose our son to grappling before he matriculated at Virginia Military Institute, and ultimately serves in the Army, has become almost two years of training, learning, and growth in virtue. Today, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on it all. 

When I started this podcast, I had the aspiration of eventually getting to interviews. Because this isn't my full time job, or even close to it, time for all of that has admittedly been a challenge. However, I knew that if I ever got around to it the first person I interviewed would be my wife, Chantal, who is the living embodiment of purpose and perseverance. Unfortunately, time didn't allow for proper interview prep, so we just sat down and hit record (apologies for the repeated "umms" while thinking and talking at the same time). Also, at this point in life, there is also no time for editing. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this Mother's Day conversation with my wife. 

Short one this week, because there aren't enough minutes in the day. The end of April and beginning of May are pretty crazy for me in terms of obligations and commitments. All good stuff, but just a LOT. So I didn't have time to work on an actual episode this week. Hopefully, this coming week will afford more time to prepare an actual episode. We'll see. So, until next week, God bless, know of my prayers for you, and please pray for me!