Here are my most-read articles on Medium (as of 1/8/23) — Hey Everyone! Welcome to my little corner here on Medium. I’ve been writing on this platform since 2018. I write on a variety of topics, including faith, politics, history, personal development, communication skills, leadership, artificial intelligence, and more. I even write fiction. Most of my articles (or “stories” as Medium…

You shouldn’t be — No matter who you are… No matter your race, color, religion, age, sex, identity, background, or any other such consideration… You should strive to be emotionally resilient and not easily offended. You’ll be better off — and so will all the people in your life. And the more people who…

A free society must respect the difference — Comedian Ricky Gervais has famously said: Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right. One could also say… Just because you’re offended (or emotionally hurt) doesn’t mean you’re the victim of verbal violence (or abuse). It’s commendable that more of the world’s societies, particularly in the West, have become more…

A principle we should all live by — There are over 8 billion people in the world, making up thousands of cultures and just under 200 recognized nation-states. And these people all have different personalities, backgrounds, and lived experiences. There are going to be misunderstandings and conflicts. Even though some of us may live in more populous or…

There will come a day when you can’t — It was a cold early morning in March when my dad dropped me off at the bus station on his way to work. It was the last time I would see him alive. The year was 1992. I was taking a semester off from George Mason University and working full-time…

…if you practice it — Two thousand years ago, a prominent first-century religious figure penned a letter that included perhaps the best relationship advice ever offered. The man’s name was James. Scholars debate whether he was the brother of Jesus (technically half-brother), cousin of Jesus, or another James entirely. For what it’s worth, this author…

Remembering America’s First Spy Martyr — On September 22, 1776, Nathan Hale was executed by the British army. It’s an episode in history that American schoolchildren used to know. Hale was a 21-year-old schoolteacher who volunteered to go on an intelligence-gathering mission in and around New York City for the Continental Army during the autumn of…

#4: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” -Stephen King — I love quotes. And I love writing. So… Here are ten (10) quotes about writing that can benefit any writer. Obviously, these nuggets of wisdom don’t constitute all that can be known about writing, but if you can master these principles, it will set you apart from most of your…

A Fantasy Fiction Short Story — It was time for me to die. Leaning heavily on my gnarled wizard’s staff, my hunched-over frame carried the weight of my, what was it, seventy-four years? My tattered robe, once vibrant like me, was now frayed. And worth very little. Like me. My eyes scanned my modest dwelling. The…