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As I reflect today, my thoughts keep returning to the relationship between a parent and a child athlete. I have watched it unfold countless times at sporting events. Tension and frustration quietly stack day after day. A parent just trying to help. A child just wanting to play for fun. Somewhere in between, division begins to grow. What touches me most is realizing I did not see it in myself at first. That changed when Bella Love looked me in the eyes and said, Dad, I do not

As I reflect today, I think back on the travel, the laughter, the fun, and the memories made with Barbi and Bella this past week. I find myself smiling at the small moments and looking forward to creating even more. Whether it is staying up late laughing and telling funny stories, long car rides taking in beautiful scenery, or waking up early to share breakfast and quiet conversation, these are the moments that matter most. Family moments have a way of grounding us. They remi

Reflection After Team USA Trials As I reflect this morning, I think about how this Team USA Trials impacted Bella Love, Barbi, and me. There were so many elite performers here. So much intention and preparation. So many goals set. Some were achieved. Some were not. And that can hurt. The mind works best when it has something clear and close to aim at. When the target is defined, focus sharpens, energy increases, and progress feels real. Momentum builds. But sometimes, even wh

Day 5 | Final Day | Team USA Trials 2026 | Gold Coast The final day was exactly what high level competition often is… demanding, humbling, and revealing. The pattern was the toughest we saw all week, and it asked questions from the very first frame. There were moments of struggle early, moments where makeable spares slipped away, and stretches where every pin felt earned. There were also moments of steadiness… clean frames, patience, nines that kept things from unraveling, an

Day 5 Reflection. Learning Without Copying. Becoming More You. As I reflect this morning going into the last day of the tournament, Day 5, I think about the ups and downs that have come through the first four days. I also think about a thought I heard on a podcast recently around the idea of copying, and how that idea shows up so clearly in bowling. When I look around the lanes, I see men and women with completely different styles. Different rhythms. Different approaches. Dif

Day 5 | Team USA Trials | Las Vegas Day 5 was one of those days that asks you to slow everything down. Six games. One long block. Plenty of chances to rush, press, or let the moment get too loud. Instead, the goal stayed simple. Be where your feet are. Make the adjustment that’s in front of you. Let the rest take care of itself. The day opened with a steady start. The ball reaction was there, and Bella settled in early. There were moments where things lined up just right and

Day 4 Reflection: Abundance vs. Scarcity As we head into Day 4 of Team USA Trials, now over halfway through the tournament, I find myself reflecting on two very different mindsets that show up clearly in competition: scarcity and abundance. I was listening to a podcast recently that talked about how we handle opportunities and how that directly affects the way we compete. That idea has stayed with me as I’ve watched these first three days unfold. I think about Bella Love, abo

Day Three Presence Over Outcome Day three wrapped today, and it felt like one of those days that teaches you more than it gives you. Six games. A full block. A long emotional arc. She started the day searching. Not lost, just searching. The kind of searching where the ball is coming off her hand well, the pocket keeps showing up, and the pins just refuse to cooperate. Ten pins everywhere. Pocket shots that should strike and don’t. The kind of bowling that tests patience more

Day 3 Reflections: The Power of Presence As I reflect this morning, I’m reminded how important it is to simply be there for people. Not just when things are going well, but especially when they’re hard. As we head into Day 3, I’m watching how quickly situations can swing. There are moments when the ball is coming off the hand beautifully, hitting the pocket, and everything feels right. And then there are moments when the same shot doesn’t get the same result, the pins don’t f

Day 2 Is in the Books Day 2 came and went, and it was one of those days that teaches you more than it rewards you. Nothing about today felt easy, but nothing about it felt wrong either. She battled from the very first frame to the very last ball. There were moments where things lined up and moments where they didn’t. She threw the ball well most of the day, hit the pocket often, and still didn’t get paid the way you hope to. That’s a strange place to live in mentally. You’re

Day Two. Reps. Iterations. Staying Inside the Bubble. Today I am reflecting on day two of Team USA Trials, grounded in reps, repetition, and trust. I listened to a podcast that kept coming back to one idea. Reps matter. Iterations matter. But not just doing reps for the sake of doing reps. There is a sequence to growth. You need data. You need feedback. You need experience. You need time doing the thing over and over so you can learn what works, what does not, and what needs

Day One | Staying Steady Inside the Swings Day one of the Team USA Trials is in the books, and if I had to sum it up in one word, it would be focus. This level has a way of exposing everything quickly. The shots that feel great and don’t strike. The ones that look perfect and leave splits. The emotional swings that come just as fast as the scoring swings. Bella experienced all of that today, sometimes within the same game. Early on, she had to work. The reaction wasn’t there

It’s Supposed to Hurt This morning, before heading out to watch the men bowl at Team USA trials and before Bella bowls this afternoon, I found myself sitting with a lesson from a podcast I listened to earlier today. The reflection came from an idea shared in Same as Ever, referencing a powerful scene from Lawrence of Arabia. In the scene, Lawrence calmly puts out a lit match with his fingers. He doesn’t flinch. Another man, watching closely, tries the same thing and immediate

Trust Over Outcome As I reflect this morning, my heart keeps returning to what’s ahead for Bella Love as she prepares for Team USA Trials in Las Vegas. A long tournament. Six games a day for five days straight. Long hours. Mental focus. Physical endurance. And for me as a dad, a daily invitation to walk by trust. I’m deeply grateful that God has given her this gift and this talent for bowling. I’m thankful for the countless hours of preparation, the discipline she’s learned,

Just Start This is my first reflection of 2026, and it feels fitting that the message I heard this morning was so simple and so grounding. The podcast I listened to talked about starting. About how powerful and exciting a brand new year can be. Three hundred sixty five days. A clean slate. A fresh start for everyone. There was a quote shared that the speaker said he did not know who to credit, but the words stuck with me immediately. Start now. Start where you are. Start with

A Final Reflection Before the New Year As my final reflection of the year, I find myself looking back at everything 2025 contained. All the stories. All the moments. The good, the bad, the joyful, and the painful. I think about my writing, the stories I tell, the way I speak, and the things I create for people. Some people connect deeply with it. Some people do not. And that is part of my identity as a creator. My work becomes a kind of resume, not on paper, but in lived expe

When “Trust the Process” Finally Means Something This morning while I was listening to a podcast, something landed in a way that made me stop and rethink a phrase we hear all the time. “Trust the process.” It gets repeated so often that for many people it has lost its edge. It sounds safe. Generic. Almost empty. People hear it and nod, but they do not really know what it means anymore. What stood out was the reminder that a process is not a feeling. A process is a system. And

Reflection on the Day Today was cold and snowy. The kind of day that starts slow and feels heavy before you even step outside. It started with sleep. Then driving around a bit. Spending time with Barbi and Bella. Staying warm. Later we went back out into the snow to run errands and eventually headed to the bowling alley. Tonight was about preparation. Getting ready to leave this week because Bella has Team USA trials coming up. Practice was tough. The lane conditions were cha

Sunday, Refined Sunday had a quiet completeness to it. The kind that does not rush you forward, but gently invites you to stay present and notice what is already good. The morning started in church. Not with answers, but with grounding. With the reminder that faith is not something we use to control outcomes, but something we practice so we can walk through whatever comes. Sitting there, listening, breathing, letting the words settle, I felt steadied. Not fixed. Just steadied

A Saturday of Serving and Growing Together As I reflect on today, I realize how quietly meaningful this Saturday has been. It was one of those days that reminds you how growth often happens in ordinary moments when family comes together with a shared heart. We had family in town and spent time at Barbi’s mom’s house, helping with projects and simply being present. Her brother was in town, and along the way we found ourselves having real conversations about life, about God, ab