For the Outdoor Enthusiast

In May 2026, I took a four-day solo kayak trip to the Deer Group Islands on the west coast of Vancouver Island to remember and honour Kelly. As I paddled through the islands, I found myself reflecting on our life together—from the first time we met to her final breath. Spreading her ashes along the west coast was one of her final wishes, and being there alone gave me the space to remember, grieve, and celebrate the life we shared. 

In June, my friend Chris and I managed to escape our busy schedules for a three-night trip. It was a downgrade from our traditional one-big-trip-a-year adventures, but it proved to be just as rewarding—and much needed—for both of us.  

At the end of July, I had the chance to introduce my new love to kayak camping with a two-night trip to Wallace Island. We had perfect weather, great food, and some lovely walks along the south end of the island. 

I’ve been a hockey player, pastor, and entrepreneur. I love the outdoors, good conversation, and exploring life’s big questions. My curiosity has led me into theology, philosophy, mysticism, and psychoanalytic thought. I believe every perspective is shaped by a lens—this is mine. We are driven by what we do not have and cannot fully grasp—truth, beauty, justice. For Paul Tillich, this unfulfilled striving is the heart of the religious experience.

Religion at its best does not claim final answers. It keeps us open, helping us live with longing rather than illusions of certainty. To be human is to experience lack, but in embracing it we find honesty, depth, and freedom from false promises.

These are the themes I explore in my writing—not to preserve the status quo, but to wrestle openly with what lies beyond.

In August 2025, my wife of forty-two years died after a courageous battle with ALS. Together, we raised four sons, and today I’m grateful for my two daughters-in-law and four grandsons, who carry her love and legacy forward.

A year later, I find myself in a beautiful new relationship. Life continues to surprise us, offering opportunities to grow, change, and love in ways we never anticipated. I’ve been reminded of how profoundly radical change can affect us, but also of how healthy it is to remain open, flexible, and willing to be changed. In many ways, the work of deconstructing myself parallels the work I’ve been doing around religious and cultural deconstruction.

For the past ten years, I’ve been developing a body of theoretical work exploring how our beliefs, identities, and meaning-making structures shape the way we experience ourselves and the world. Now I want to take that work to the next level. This is what I’ll be exploring in this new season of my life.