Monthly Update - September 2025
Personal Updates
Section 3 MTM Round-Up Rally Recap
Our SC Youth President, Kelton Wiseman, preached an incredible message titled "Just Do It." A call to not just sit back, but to take what God has put in our hands and make the most of it for His glory. With solid attendance and a great response, it was a perfect wrap-up to our Move The Mission season!
Backing off of social media & the Charlie Kirk Assassination
I feel the need to drastically reduce my time spent on social media, especially after my algorithm has become almost exclusively political following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and it's pretty draining on a mental and emotional level. The death itself has significant weight, but the extreme responses from both sides of the political aisle are very frustrating. While one side demonizes and vilifies the man who was murdered for his words, the other side appears to deify him, with some even attempting to draw a direct comparison to Jesus' crucifixion. There's just something uncomfortable about comparing Kirk's death to Jesus. Kirk's death was likely instantaneous, but Jesus was beaten and tortured for hours. Kirk didn't have a choice, but Christ went willfully. Kirk's death was a matter of circumstance; Christ's was a matter of atonement. Kirk's death was reprehensible; Christ's death was sacrificial. Kirk's death has caused grief to wash over the world, but Christ's brings hope. Kirk's death shows the brokenness of the world, but Jesus' shows just how far he would go to restore it.
Only once has a death carried the weight of the world's sin. There is nothing that can compare to the cross.
I sincerely mourn for the Kirk family and the implications of his death. No one deserves that. However, nothing compares to what my God did for you and me.
It feels like fall - Great Weather Recently!
It's finally starting to feel like Fall, and my area is in the middle of the two weeks of beautiful weather between being too hot and too cold to enjoy. With Summer and Winter representing either end of temperature extremes, I think Spring and Fall are overlooked and underrated as "transitional seasons." Nothing beats being able to sit outside without either freezing or desperately looking for shade.
Discoveries
Orion Browser (iOS/Mac)
- A Webkit browser with more functionality than Safari. Orion features a significantly more useful vertical tab system with nested tabs, the ability to use browser plugins from both Chrome and Firefox browsers, and significant security and privacy options built-in at no additional cost. It does a great job of taking the things I love about safari and building on them instead of being just another clone.
Redeeming Productivity
- A YouTube channel focused on building and improving productive habits from a Christ-centered perspective. Rather than the purpose of productivity being to control every moment and use it for personal gain, this channel shifts the perspective to using our time to the best of our ability in order to be effective stewards of the time God has given to us.
What's New
iOS 26 & New Apple Devices Released
As much as I enjoy the Apple ecosystem, they aren't doing a great job at beating the "same thing, different package" allegations.
Hollow Knight: Silksong released after nearly 7 years of development
I have been waiting for this game to release for 6 of those 7 years, and it was definitely worth the wait. Great visuals, great soundtrack, and a real challenge. If you're interested, I'd suggest checking out Hollow Knight before giving this one a shot.
Todd Galberth released a new worship album - Greater
This is a solid worship album from arguably my favorite Christian artist currently making music. I'm surprised by how few upbeat "praise" songs there are compared to his previous album, but given how much high-energy praise music is being released right now, I can appreciate the decision to focus more on heartfelt worship.
Rabbit Holes
- Still hooked on personal knowledge management and note-taking. Obsidian is turning out to be a real game changer in regard to work, studying, and sermon prep.
- I spent a few days looking into learning to code, namely in Python.
- While AI seems to have made coding much more accessible, the learning curve is still massive. I'm not sure I have the patience or desire to make it a worthwhile investment of time.
Currently Reading
Adult-ish by Nathan Whitley:
A young adult devotional-style book with lessons for applicable everyday life.
Hyphen Habits by UPCI Youth Ministries:
Discusses the importance of developing and maintaining habits and disciplines to further your walk with God.
How To Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens:
A guide on how to take notes that are actually useful and how to use them to make writing easier. Very focused on the Zettlekasten note-taking system.