Chip and Joanna Gaines Go Gay in New TV Show

In entertainment news this week is a beloved couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, and their new show featuring 3 families competing for the chance to win—- oh wait, they don’t win anything! Well, that’s lame. The purpose of “Back to the Frontier” is to help participants gain an experience that might improve their resilience, increase their appreciation for the simpler things, and grow closer together by way of living without modern conveniences. In other words, get off your phones and live in the moment, you addicted sons of— Oh wow, sorry I got carried away there. OK, no phones. But also, no toilet paper, makeup, electricity, or grocery stores. Are the women going to have hairy armpits? Will the men wash their undies? This oughta be interesting.

Also, there’s no prize money. Don’t forget that. I guess The Gaines’ are the only ones walking away with fatter wallets. But none of the aforementioned stuff is why there’s controversy surrounding the show. Here’s the gay news: Some folks are upset that there’s a homosexual couple (with their 2 kids) included in the casting. The reason this is bubbling up on social media is because Chip and Joanna are Christians and I guess that means they can’t speak to, be friends with, look at, get within 6 feet of, any gay person anywhere at any time. But they better heck be wearing their WWJD bracelets!

Everyone who’s upset about the casting of a reality TV show– emphasis on reality and TV and show– needs to just…

It’s a TV show, not applications to become the next pope. Get a grip people! I’m not going to watch the show for a few reasons, but who is or isn’t appearing in the show isn’t one of them. More closer to the truth is that I don’t have cable and I pretty much detest all reality shows. Plus, did I mention there’s no prize!? So let me get this straight (pun intended): they want us to sit down weekly to watch people grow emotionally and become better versions of themselves? Booooooooring! No thanks. That’s the gayest thing I’ve heard this year.

-Out of the Wilderness

To get a dog or not to get a dog, that is the question

I remember sitting in the humane society for nearly 3 hours with a beagle puppy on my lap. I was told she couldn’t be set down onto the floor because we were in the cat room so she couldn’t touch the floor (but why??) so we sat there, Piper on my lap while I spent the entire time petting her belly and overthinking the idea of having a dog. Am I making a terrible mistake? Am I too young? Am I really a cat guy?

The twist to the story is that I’m allergic to cats… and Piper wasn’t my first dog. Many years earlier I thought getting a dog was the coolest thing I could do. I was in my early 20s, living with my parents, and working part time. What could go wrong? Welp, me and that dog lasted all of one week.

Little did I know that my life would take twists and turns after that. I travelled some and it wasn’t long before I landed in Nashville, Tennessee, footloose and fancy-free. I worked a lot, made new friends, and if I had a dog, it would have been hard for me and so unfair to the dog. Early in my video production work, there were many 12 hour days so if I had a dog, they’d have to go to a kennel… a lot. That’s no life for a dog! The decision to get that first dog seemed right in the moment. Now that I can look back, I was such a goofball to think the timing was right. But hey, I was 23 and knew everything!

Fast forward about 7 years and Piper came into my life. A year later, Asia. They were the perfect fit at the perfect time. That was over 15 years ago and I bring all this up because some  young people I know (who shall not be named) are thinking of getting a dog of their own. My story is an example of having to learn the hard way and it looks as though these people are super happy to put themselves in the same situation, one they’ll look back on with regret. Doesn’t that sound like big fun?

If I could, I’d tell my younger self to stop it. Thinking about getting a dog? Stop it. You have no idea what you’re doing. Stop it. Also, wash your clothes more. But the road ain’t no place to start a family! Oh goodness, I had no idea Journey lyrics would make it into this post but here we are. The lyrics kind of fit though, the people I mentioned earlier are on the road all the time: traveling on vacations or to and from work. The dog just chilling in a crate for 8 hours every day. What a blast.

I think the problem is (and this was true for me, too) younger people think having a dog is joy and fun and playing and snuggling and laughing and everything’s sunflowers and moonbeam ice cream. Well, it’s not. Plus, that isn’t even a real flavor of ice cream (is it Benson Boone??). Hardly anyone mentioned anything to me about the responsible side of feeding, caring for, sacrificing time and money, missing things, and all the stuff that goes into having another whole entity in my life. When you’re young and basically have no responsibilities, why would you tie yourself down on purpose? Don’t be a goofball, you goofball!

Plus, one of these people I’m vaguely describing doesn’t even like dogs. And here they are about to adopt… A DOG. Kind of like me going on a date with an atheist. What exactly am I hoping to get out of this, is what I should ask, right? Side note, I DID go out with an atheist once. Cool woman. She helped resurrect my dating life, so she was an angel for saying ‘yes’… just don’t tell her I sprinkled her with Sprite so now she’s baptized. She’d anoint my head with her fist if she ever finds out she’s going to Heaven one day.

But seriously, why do some people (me included) have to learn the hard way when it’s very possible to learn from other people’s mistakes?

If you’re not yet, take a second and subscribe to my blog so you get notified when I post more awesome AI-assisted drawings like this dog.

-Out of the Wilderness

To Date or Not To Date, That Is The Question

I’ve decided to split 2025 in half as a way to distance myself from the first 6 months. Admittedly, it hasn’t been a great year overall up to this point. That’s not to say I’m unhappy or moping around everywhere I go. There have been really great moments with family, friends, triathlon training, trips, and more. But the few lows have kind of stolen the spotlight for the first half of the year. I’m thinking of the gigantic goofball mistake I made back in April. Want to feel good about yourself? Read about my blunder here. I’m also recalling the seven date-rejections in a row. And they weren’t just women politely declining to go on a date with me, or even just a missed friendly get together. Let’s just say the worst that it got was a few months ago: I was on the way to coffee with a woman when she messaged me that she had to back out. I WAS ON THE WAY!!!!! Who does that 30 minutes before? To clarify it more, nothing catastrophic popped up in her life. She didn’t just find out her mom died or that she won the lottery. She just simply cancelled on me and said she wasn’t mentally in the right place. What’s worse, this was the 2nd time she said yes then said no. I guess I’m a sucker for punishment, aren’t I? Want to hear something even worse? A couple of days ago I saw her on a dating app. Still waiting on that text where she’ll tell me she’s in the right headspace now.

No need to dwell on the negative things, though. The second half of this year is going to be great. In fact, I’ve already gone on a date and it was just what I needed. We got pizza and talked for nearly 2 hours. She’s kind, sweet, funny and completely separate from whether it turns into a second date, I’m very happy that even a first date happened at all. I’ll admit I expected her to cancel sometime on the day of the date but I think she was as excited as I was. How refreshing when someone does what they say they’re going to do! So old-fashioned, so mature.

I’m determined to make the next 6 months better than the last 6. I can’t do it on my own and obviously things will happen that are out of my control but by the grace of God I won’t make any dumb mistakes and maybe, just maybe I’ll have a second dinner date sometime soon.

-Out of the Wilderness

Boycotting Sin

Two honks and a negro came together for their *second* album (no, “Nu Thang” was not DCTalk’s first album!!) and the other day I was on a road trip which gave me time to listen to the entire thing all the way through. It came out in 1990 and features songs I liked called “Walls” and “He Works” and “I Luv Rap Music.”

It’s interesting to listen to this album after the stuff about Michael Tait came to light recently. The three guys were so young at this time in their career. They had huge success just on the horizon, I wonder if they knew how big they’d get in the music industry? Success, pitfalls, so much ahead for the guys.

Listening to the album, it has all the signature sounds of late 80s rock/rap. “Cold kicking it,” sampled music, electronic instruments and voices. I’ll admit this isn’t my favorite DCTalk album, that would probably have to be “Jesus Freak,” or the album that will forever be special as it introduced me to the band– the self-titled album with the song, “Heavenbound.” I was a trumpet player growing up so I loved that song the most.

“Nu Thang” was fun to listen to from beginning to end. The title of this post is a line from the song “No More,” in which Kevin digs deep for a gritty, soulful, church choir type delivery of the chorus. Side note: Is there a voice from the 90s more unique and incredible as Kevin Max? Nope.

I don’t remember that song from my childhood in the 90s but, while the sound and style is dated, it still made me smile with its simplicity, Biblical truths, and innocence. I’m still clinging to a thread of hope that the band will get back together again but I know it’s highly unlikely. Until then, I guess I’ll just “take it to the Lord.”

-Out of the Wilderness

I Just Moved Here

When I moved to Nashville, I don’t even think Google Maps existed. I remember going to AAA to print out maps when I would go on trips. My first job in Nashville was driving a van of guests to and from a local restaurant (which doesn’t exist anymore, by the way… RIP Stockyars Restaurant!). Without navigation, getting around Nashville was not easy! But that whole time was one of the best experiences because it gave me an opportunity to learn the roads pretty well. And when I didn’t know where I was going or made a wrong turn, I would say…

Sorry, I just moved here.

Fast forward to this week, over 20 years later, and I was doing some work when the client asked me a question I didn’t know the answer to. Long story short, I ultimately just said “I don’t know.”

It’s funny. I thought I’d have everything figured out by 46 years old. It might be true that I know less than ever, or at the very least I’m becoming more aware every day about how much I don’t know.

-Out of the Wilderness