Back when I launched this blog in 2011, I blogged all the time. I was like a kid on Christmas, every day, waking up so jazzed to have his own fancy domain with pages and pictures and posts aplenty. I probably blogged 5-6 times a week for those first few weeks. And they felt like […]
Read More Make November TolerableA man recently approached me at a gas station. This doesn’t happen often; in fact, I only remember one such other occasion, and it wasn’t particularly pleasant. My initial reaction when anyone approaches me while I’m busy doing something goes something like this: I’M UNDER ATTACK. WAIT, NO I’M NOT. AT LEAST, I DON’T THINK. WAIT, WHAT […]
Read More We Are Not Forgotten or Wasted“I know you’re asking for $6500, but would you consider going down to $6000?” my grandfather says considerately. He has always been a good talker. The middle-aged woman from the ad, Karen, looks back at him, then down at me, then nods her head. “The brakes do need replacing. I can settle for 6.” My grandfather […]
Read More Goodbye, MitsyHillsong United released Empires last week, debuting at #5 on the Billboard 200. “Christian worship band” notwithstanding, it’s an impressive showing. Though Empires doesn’t resonate with me as much as last year’s Zion, it’s still a solid offering. If nothing else, Hillsong United keeps reinventing itself with every album. It’s crazy hearing the Hillsong United of today compared with Hillsong of the 90’s. […]
Read More When Hillsong United’s New Song “Hurts Like Hell”I’ve been burdened by this post for a while. I’ve used a mammoth road trip and a new start in Charlotte as excuses not to write it. Not to talk about it. All of it. I’m going to try today with the first of a two-part’er. The news is usually depressing, and thus I usually don’t comment […]
Read More Racism & Homophobia & the Rise of Angsty Christians, Part 1The first time I heard of Enneagram, I thought it was spelled “Anyogram.” I thought it was a board game. I figured the objective was to make up “any” word you could along with a faux-definition for it. Alas, Enneagram is quite different from Anyogram, the board game currently not sweeping the nation. Enneagram is […]
Read More I’m an Enneagram Type 4: An IntroductionI have few influences greater than Donald Miller, both inside my “real life” and out. His works have certainly impacted me as a writer; you could’ve played a drinking game with all my Donald Miller references in Struggle Central (drinking milk, of course). Beyond the mere sphere of writing, though, Donald Miller has impacted my very […]
Read More Donald Miller Hates Going to Church and I Do TooI’m 26, soon to be 27, and I have never dated. This fact used to elicit great shame; at times, it still does. Looking back, however, I don’t believe I’ve ever been “ready.” Somebody in an online group recently posed a question that awakened me as to why: “How do you know you want to […]
Read More The Real Reason Why I’ve Never DatedEver since I posted a revamped Hillsong United countdown, some of the most popular Google searches leading to my blog go like this: who sings oceans hillsong what girl sings oceans hillsong united who is the lady singer oceans hillsong So, to answer the question that myriads have been asking the Internet: her name is […]
Read More The Girl Who Sings “Oceans” by Hillsong UnitedI’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 […]
Read More Why I Want an Older BrotherTom 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 […]
Read More As Tom Daley Comes OutToday is National Coming Out Day. It would have been easy to let this day escape my attention, blogging or otherwise. Alas, I cannot let this day pass without some attention paid it from my unique perspective. It’s been a landmark year of “coming out” on many levels, but this post starts nearly seven years ago […]
Read More “National Coming Out Day” ThoughtsA couple weeks ago, I took one of those repetitive personality test things. Only this test was different. This one was Strengths Finder. You heard? My church uses Strengths Finder in its leadership, and it’s frequented our many life groups over the years. I joined my current life group about a year after they took the […]
Read More “Strengths Finder”: The IntroI recently published a book. My first. You might have heard. It’s all about struggle and redemption, and I titled it Struggle Central: Quarter-Life Confessions of a Messed Up Christian.
But that’s almost not what it was called.
Read More Quarter-Life Confessions of a Gay ChristianDear Camp Ridgecrest: For seven months, the surface of my laptop has worn a sticker of your name; coffee shop sojourners 2,500 miles west of your borders see it everyday. For seven months of routine mornings, I slipped on a blue bracelet etched with the Indian name you gave me. A name nobody but you […]
Read More Goodbye, Camp RidgecrestOne of my first big “hits” on this blog was an innocent little top-11 countdown I posted in 2011. The countdown featured my very favorite Hillsong United songs, and to say it was difficult paring down Hillsong United’s million offerings of awesome to just 11 is a total understatement. To date, that post is far […]
Read More Hillsong United Songs: TMZ’s Top-11 Favorites, Part 2I am not a vile person. I’m a sensitive guy. One of those guys who has restrained his burps for 25 years because I know it’s gross when someone next to you burps like a blow-horn. I basically just don’t burp. Like, ever. Not even when I’m alone. Call it a gift. Or a really […]
Read More Cursing Christians: Finding the LineI’ve experienced some bad days in 25 years. Moving from Pennsylvania to Georgia as an innocent 12-year-old kid was pretty sucky. My dog’s sudden death left me in pools of undying tears. Now, add this past Monday to the Worst Day of My Life list. Monday was horrific. I took my car to the mechanic […]
Read More The Second Worst Day of My LifeI was baptized last week. It was more “unconventional” in the sense that the event did not occur within the traditional confines of a Sunday morning service of a standard church building. I kinda like that. But though occurring on a non-churchy Tuesday night at a non-churchy water park, my baptism most certainly occurred in […]
Read More A Birthday Baptism by Buccaneer BaySeveral years ago I watched my younger siblings do it. I’ve often wondered whether I would ever follow in their footsteps. Been questioned about it plenty of times. But I already have Jesus in my heart. I love Him dearly. He is everything; He’s the only thing. For nearly 25 years God’s will has superseded […]
Read More Why I’ve Never Been BaptizedBy now it’s an almost certainty that you’ve seen this controversial “religion vs. relationship” video. But on the off-chance that you’ve been fasting from the Internet (then how are you reading this?) or have stubbornly refused to update to the newest version of Flash these last 7 years, here it is for your viewing pleasure. […]
Read More On Religion vs. Relationship