Few endeavors are as maddeningly precise, as whimsically delicate, as the French macaron. These ethereal confections, with their glossy shells and frilly feet, are less a pastry and more a minor miracle—a fleeting triumph of human ingenuity over the chaos of egg whites and sugar. They are the culinary equivalent of catching starlight in a…
The Elusive Art of French Macarons
Thoughts On the Death of Pope Francis
Most of you know that I grew up Protestant — Southern Baptist, in fact — and I held, as many Protestants do, a certain cautious distance toward the Catholic Church. When I first began considering conversion, I faced one obstacle more than any other: the Pope. From the outside, it seemed the Church taught that…
Slower Mornings & More Cups of Tea
Life lately has felt like a long, slow exhale. I recently made a big move—both professionally and personally. Last Thursday marked the start of onboarding at my new job, and while tomorrow kicks off my first official full week, I already feel like I’m settling into something that fits. Something that feels more aligned with…
Five Books of Fiction That Changed My Life
The Lord of the Rings Nothing quite like it has ever been written before. With its own theology, myths, history, languages, and geography, Middle Earth is a world of beauty of which no other prose has captured. There was sorrow then, too, and gathering dark, but great valour, and great deeds that were not wholly…
The Road Less Traveled: A Marriage of Two Faith Traditions
*This article was first published in Radiant Magazine. I remember the evening was cool, a gift for a midsummer night in the south. Sitting on a dock by a pretty lake at dusk, I was still stunned that I had scored a date with Stephen Apple. Part of me remained astonished; I, the quiet wallflower,…
Finding Peace in Prayer, Home, and the Unknown
February has arrived, and I find myself caught between astonishment at time’s relentless march and gratitude for January’s departure. The first month of the year often feels like an extended echo of December—everyone “circling back,” resuming what was left unfinished, grasping at rhythms disrupted by the holiday season. It can be overwhelming, the weight of…