#RunningTo Week 9 in Review: Return to California!

Last week’s #RunningTo Week in Review was an Oregonian Extravaganza. This week, it’s my long awaited return to the Sunshine State. Wait, is California the Sunshine State or is that Florida? If California isn’t officially the Sunshine State, it needs to be. I’m certainly not in the mild/cloudy Pacific Northwest anymore! I’ve already experienced multiple 100-degree days in this last week […]

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#RunningTo VLOG: Mt. Rainier, WA

Hello all! I’m so excited for today’s #RunningTo vlog. It’s from my DAY 41 hike to Mount Rainier in Washington, and it features a lovable little guy I like to call WORMIE. Actually, I’m not exactly the one who came up with that stellar name. My good friend Jana McAdams did, and guess what? She […]

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I’m Not at Camp this Summer

It didn’t fully hit me until two nights ago: I’m not at camp this summer. I remember feeling the weight of this strange reality early into last summer’s decision not to return to Camp Ridgecrest. Later in the summer, however, I remedied the restlessness of the situation by working and volunteering at not one, but two local camps. This summer is […]

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#RunningTo FAQ

Throughout my crazy #RunningTo road trip, I’ve been connecting with so many incredible people. The reaction and reception, both online and off, have been fueling me forward. I’m honestly thrilled that so many of y’all are thrilled. After living on the road for over a month now, a few commonly asked questions have arisen. So, I thought I’d take this opportunity to […]

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#RunningTo VLOG: Biking Vancouver

On July 4th, I celebrated my independence by renting a bicycle and roaming free across vibrant Vancouver. Favorite bike ride of all-time. Such a highlight of my #RunningTo journey thus far. I’d recommend a bike ride through Vancouver or most any city. Gives you a revitalizing perspective on the place. Check out this brief snippet […]

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On the “Girl Meets World” Premiere

I never got into Boy Meets World growing up. I did catch a few episodes here and there. I know all about “Fee-hee-hee-nay” and how Cory Matthews started out as a fellow Phillies fan and then just didn’t care about my Phils anymore. But Boy Meets World was more my younger sister’s show than mine. More her world than my own. I was […]

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Utahn Glory: The Point of Everything

There’s something about Utah, I thought two years ago while driving through its southeastern corner. The canyons, the chasms, the reds and oranges and browns all colliding into some of the most magnificent painting-esque scenes. While planning #RunningTo, I made it a point to spend as much time in Utah as possible. I got my money’s worth. […]

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Las Vegas Bums Me Out

Two years ago, I first ventured to Las Vegas. I’m not big into gambling or … everything else Vegas is notoriously known for, but I was stoked nonetheless to add another notch to my traveling belt. I mean, it’s Vegas. A magical city where you can walk the streets of Paris, New York, and Venice within a […]

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The Grand Canyon is Upside Down

#RunningTo DAY ONE: Seeing the Grand Canyon It didn’t seem like I was approaching the world’s most illustrious crater. I suppose I was expecting many mini-craters leading up to it. You would think that a gigantic hole in the ground would be preceded by lots of littler ones, right? Instead, what I saw for sixty […]

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#RunningTo Week 1 in Review: Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Hoover Dam

Now that I’m week-deep into a massive trip across North America, I’m going to temporarily retire my compilation tradition of The Weekend WOW. It’s time for a new weekend tradition. It’s called my #RunningTo Week in Review. Each weekend, I’ll be posting my favorite pictures from the wandering week that was. Since I can’t upload every single snapped picture to my […]

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Goodbye, California

California, Growing up on the east coast, I always wanted to visit you. To venture to a foreign exotic land and bask in your palm trees and mountains and a neighboring ocean not named Atlantic. Forget visiting; I could have never imagined one day living within your 2000 zig-zagging miles of gorgeous borders. Upon actually living here, I […]

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To All My Students I’ve Ever Tutored

Dearest students, For the last four years, you have spurred my heart to race with rage and fury. You have joked with friends at the table, uttered inappropriate words, played with phones, and otherwise misbehaved when your parents have left the room. You have often made me question why I do what I do. You’ve also blessed me in […]

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How to (Actually) Resolve Conflict

Oh man, I really had you guys going, didn’t I? Alas, that last post was entirely satirical and not, in fact, my actual advice on how to resolve conflict. Apologies to those of you who read and started spontaneously yelling at your friends, family, bank tellers, etc. That one part about my being a HARMONY MASTER was true. […]

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Life as an Enneagram Average Type 4: What Normal Tom Looks Like

I’ve been recently blogging about Enneagram — the personality model that defines humanity into nine particular “types.” I started with an Enneagram intro, then examined the life of Unhealthy Tom and Healthy Tom. Today, I conclude this Enneagram series with my life as an average Type 4 “Individualist.” It’s the life of Normal Tom. Most of life isn’t depressing. Most of life isn’t amazing. Most of […]

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My Life is Strange: On Being Between

My life is nuts right now. Some bountiful blessings, some awful rot. I’ve spoken with many others about it, and they all agree: my life be straight-up strange. And that’s not even considering my #RunningTo trek in three short weeks. I’m in a funky phase of “being between.” Between credit card debt and financial overflow. Between broken relationships and revitalized ones. Between my 4-year life in California and my multi-month […]

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when wonders wither

when did the rainbow go grey? the raindrops drip up, the sun run away? when did the tides retreat? silk-sand now stiff, laps lost at my feet? when did the breeze grow cold? inducing shivers of memories warm and old? when did the lilac lose her luster? her stature shrunken, her roots resist water? when did the robins rob us of their […]

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Life as an Enneagram Type 4: What Healthy Tom Looks Like

I’ve been recently blogging about Enneagram — the personality model that splits humanity into nine definitive “types.” What follows is the third post in a brief introspective series about my life as a Type 4: “The Individualist.” Check out my Enneagram intro if you missed it. Last time, I blogged about Unhealthy Tom. Today, I examine the lighter side of being a Type […]

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Make Life’s Moments Momentous

What is life? Philosophers and religious scholars and non-religious scholars and simpletons have been striving to answer this question for millennia. I’m no Plato, but the answer to that question seems quite simple to me: life is a string of moments, connected together by the passage of time. Most of life’s moments involve sitting in a lecture hall or […]

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I’ve Never Been a Groomsman

I’ve always hated weddings. I think my childhood proves this claim quite clearly. Comical childish outbursts aside, I was never one to get on board with this whole wedding business. Truthfully, weddings just weren’t enjoyable. How does one enjoy watching two people do something one assumes he’ll never do? Engaged and married couples have always felt so foreign and “advanced” to me. I’ve rarely […]

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Life as an Enneagram Type 4: What Unhealthy Tom Looks Like

I recently blogged about Enneagram — the personality model, not the board game. The Enneagram Institute splits humanity into nine definitive personality “types,” each interconnected with the other types. What follows is the second post in a brief introspective series about my life as a Type 4: “The Individualist.” Today, I examine the darker side of life as an unhealthy Type 4 […]

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On This Good and Not-So-Good Friday

27 years ago, I was born on Good Friday. I spent that Easter Sunday of 1987 in a blessed hospital, though the specifics are a bit fuzzy. I haven’t celebrated a “true” Good Friday birthday since I was 5 years old, and I won’t celebrate another Good Friday birthday until I turn 84. This year, my mid-April birthday fell […]

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What Makes You an Incredible Friend

You’re an incredible friend. You’ve loved me when I’ve often struggled to love myself. You’re an incredible friend. You’ve texted me and called me and otherwise checked on me when I’ve never asked you to do so. Especially when I’ve secretly needed your love but felt too ashamed or needy to ask for it. You’re […]

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What Makes Me a Horrible Friend

I’m a horrible friend. I only want your friendship for your kind words so that I can feel affirmed. I only want your friendship for your favors so that I can do less work or spend less money. I only want your friendship for those one-sided conversations that make me feel less lonely as I completely […]

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I’m Not Growing Anymore

Tonight, I sit alone. It is a night not quite unlike many prior Tuesday nights, secure within my favorite coffee shop on Earth. I am sitting by the window, the only such seat in this confined space, and the view downtown is lovely tonight. Just like every other Tuesday night. Coming to this coffee shop […]

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I Have a Son

I don’t usually remember my dreams. I awake often remembering general emotions, but details are either fuzzy or completely forgotten. When I do remember my dreams, I tend to analyze them. Perhaps too much. As an unabashed “story guy,” I love reading significant things into the seemingly insignificant. I went to bed the night of […]

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BLESS THIS MESS

Sometimes I fire up my blog and deposit 1,000 words about my messy life or the messy world or my messy life in this messy world. Other times, though, a picture speaks more fitting words than I could ever express. Today is one of those latter times. I encountered this graffiti in Chattanooga, Tennessee a […]

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Look Up and Let Go

It’s time for another round of Wandering Wednesday: Guest Post Edition! Up today is a guy named Jason Clark, singer/songwriter/author extraordinaire. His new book, Prone to Love is now available, and it’s fantastic. I am so stoked to feature him today with his humorous wandering tale to New York City. Grand Central Terminal. Spring of 1993 […]

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Why I’m Sad and Why I Might Run Away

I don’t often “vent” on this blog. I usually reserve such emotional outpourings for my journal. Or if I’m feeling courageous enough, with a trusted individual or two. To all who have personally suffered amid the snotty sniffling presence of a Tom-meltdown, I vigorously apologize. In these two-plus years of blogging, I’ve often considered the […]

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TMZ Reviews: “Camp”

“For the whole week, I couldn’t wait to go back to my real life, you know? Now I feel like my real life is fake and camp is real.” Last summer, I did not — much to my lingering chagrin — return to Camp Ridgecrest. Ridgecrest was that magical (though often daunting) land from the […]

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My OneWord365 for 2014: Hunger

If you go on The Twitter, you’ll find the nifty hashtag #OneWord365 that many twitterers across the globe have embraced in lieu of traditional, bulleted, often impossible-to-keep New Year’s resolutions. OneWord365 trains you to view your upcoming year through the lens of a single word and to simply live out each of your 365 days […]

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Why I Want an Older Brother

I’ve been blessed by a fantastic family. I love my parents, and I adore my two siblings. One has flown overseas multiple times for missions work, and the other has found a natural niche in youth ministry. They are my younger siblings, and they are my heroes. I am the oldest Zuniga kid (adult?), and […]

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As Tom Daley Comes Out

Tom Daley came out yesterday. Maybe you didn’t hear, or maybe you don’t even know who Tom Daley is. He’s an Olympic diver from Great Britain, and he won a bronze medal in London last year. He’s only 19 years old. Tom Daley is also an incredibly fit, attractive dude; needless to say, I’ve known […]

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10 Struggles I’m Thankful For

In this warm season of friends and family and frozen foul that take days to thaw, it’s difficult, often harrowing, to acknowledge life’s less-than-stellar moments and espouse even a somewhat thankful spirit. And yet impossible though the task may seem, finding the song amid the chaos has produced such release and redemption in my life. […]

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STRUGGLE CENTRAL Paperback!

I promised y’all December. The perfect Christmas gift. Or stocking-stuffer. Or paperweight. But I lied. I lied, because the long awaited STRUGGLE CENTRAL paperback is finally available TODAY! Last I checked, Daylight Savings Time notwithstanding, it’s still November. IT’S A THANKSGIVING MIRACLE. Here’s the miraculous link to my STRUGGLE CENTRAL paperback on Amazon! I’m so […]

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I Still Miss You, Annie

Friday, October 19, 2013: It is the final night of my first return to Georgia in a whole year. And for the first time since abandoning the South three years ago, I am actually sad to be flying back “home” to California tomorrow. Normally, I am not sad; normally, I am beyond ready to return […]

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Wandering Wednesday #15: Fullerton, CA

Today is a great day. I don’t care if I get stuck in Los Angeles traffic for hours or lose my favorite watch. (Oh wait, that second thing already happened.) Today is WANDERING WEDNESDAY. At long last. But it’s not just “another” Wandering Wednesday. It’s quite possibly my most pivotal Wandering Wednesday adventure yet. First […]

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Introvert Issues: Why I Weary

I’m weary. Good-weary, but weary nonetheless. Two days ago, I returned from a ten-day pilgrimage to Nashville with subsequent Tennessean stops in Franklin and Chattanooga. The journey continued onward with Georgian escapades in Watkinsville, Athens, Milledgeville, and Helen. It wasn’t so much the constant moving around that wore me out. It was the people. Good […]

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How Well Can You Read?

So, I’m currently gallivanting about the Southeast. As you read this, I’ve just had the BEST time of my life at the Storyline Conference in Nashville, and now I’m kicking it back home in Georgia for a few days. I mean, I’m sure the conference was great. I’m actually writing this post from the past […]

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This Is Who I Am

Hey guys. I have a confession to make: It’s been a rough week. I’m not sure why, exactly; God’s been so good to me. I’ve been picking up considerably more hours at my new job (did I ever mention I got a new job??), and it’s honestly been fantastic. I love the atmosphere, I love […]

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What Is A Good Story?

I’m currently re-reading Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. It is, without question, my most favorite book. The Holy Bible would have taken the top spot were it not for one, but TWO tedious books of Chronicles. Side-note: I really hope you guys “get” my sense of humor by now. ANYWAY. Just two […]

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SEEK WEEK in Review: God Isn’t Enough

Two weeks ago, my church commenced its annual autumn tradition. It’s called “Seek Week,” a week-long “festival” of fasting and, well, seeking God. Seeing ROCKHARBOR’s five Orange County campuses unite at one location for five consecutive nights was such fantastic foreshadowing for the future: people of all churches, all nations, all cultures, all ages and eras uniting […]

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Hope That Fades

Sometimes, somewhere along the way, you unknowingly develop nonsensical habits. You pop a mint every time you enter your vehicle, you tie and re-tie your shoes before walking out the door, you floss after every meal and snack and bowl of pudding. For me, among myriad other bizarre ways to operate in this life, I […]

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SEEK WEEK! A Personal Request for Prayer

It’s been a fun few weeks here. After exhaustedly publishing a book in the spring and otherwise going crazy this summer (a couple of good crazies), it’s been awesome rekindling a blogging fire with my recent Strengths Finder series. I’ve also just redesigned my blog, and personally, I’m more enthusiastic about this blogging space than I’ve ever […]

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EMPATHY: My #5 “Strengths Finder” Strength

Finally, it’s the fifth in a five-part series on Strengths Finder, a phenomenal resource from Gallup. Our culture has grown obsessed with fixing flaws, but Strengths Finder is all about emphasizing your innate strengths. I’ve already blogged about my #1 strength, INTELLECTION, my #2 strength, HARMONY, my #3 strength, INPUT, and my #4 strength, RESPONSIBILITY. Now, the final strength in my […]

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RESPONSIBILITY: My #4 “Strengths Finder” Strength

This is the fourth in a five-part series on Strengths Finder, a fantastic resource from Gallup. Our culture seems obsessed on exposing our flaws and weaknesses and how we can “improve” by altering or even reversing those traits. But Strengths Finder is all about uncovering your innate strengths and building those virtues. I’ve already blogged about my #1 strength, INTELLECTION, […]

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tell me this one thing

tonight, i am fighting. all my life i have been fighting. fighting as one fighting as One; fighting in sorrow fighting in shadows, fighting in and out of fear fighting in tears for years and years. so much fighting and fighting, unceasing, it never flees. it drains it dries it drives me w i l d . […]

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The Exodus Altar

This past weekend, I went hiking with two friends. We hit the dust at 7am, venturing to the coast of Laguna Beach, the Pacific Ocean bashfully greeting us beneath swirling molasses of white fog. It actually wasn’t my first time hitting those hilly coastal trails. Two months prior, I hiked at this very location with […]

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Next

I recently received my first sales numbers for Struggle Central: book quantities and dollar figures for the month of May. I wasn’t surprised; wasn’t too shocked one way or the other. I sold right about as many copies as I expected or “deserved.” While I’m grateful for the new influx of funds after what I put […]

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