Iron Rod Press Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 11 What If? September 9, 2025 - I have a lot on my mind this week. Thoughts of "What if?" What if my life was different? What if I made choices that altered my daily routine? What if, and this is the big "if" this week, today was my last day on earth? These thoughts come because of the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 - 24 years ago this week. For anyone old enough to remember, you know exactly where you were when you first heard...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Iron Rod Press Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 10 Talking with a Taphophile September 2, 2025 - Now that we've scaled the Timpanogos Cave Trail, it's on to a new series. With this change, you can now access a free sample of my second book, "Stones to Shine in Darkness: Seeking the Light of Christ in Our Lives." Click below! Now, where were we? Oh yes! Do you have an odd hobby or strange fascination that most people wouldn't understand? Well, I do. As the title of this newsletter suggests, I am a...
14 days ago • 2 min read
Iron Rod Press Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 9 Reaching the Summit August 26, 2025 - Before I share the end of the story, I want to let you know that over the next several days, I will be posting numerous Bonus videos from my hike that didn't make it into the newsletters. Click below to see more lessons from the Timpanogos Cave Trail. Bonus Videos Let's get back to the hike. After pressing forward, in spite of fatigue, sore feet, and thousands of steps (11,198 to be exact!) I made it to the top,...
21 days ago • 1 min read
Iron Rod Press Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 8 No Last Chances August 19, 2025 - Did you know that there is a 100-mile section of I-70 in Utah where there are no gas stations? So if you see a "Last Chance to Buy Gas" sign on either end of this stretch, you best stop and fill up. But for the most part, using the phrase "Last Chance" is a clever marketing tool, implying an urgency that likely does not exist. When it comes to our relationship with our Heavenly Father, however, there are no last...
28 days ago • 1 min read
Iron Rod Press Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 7 Finding Life in Stone August 12, 2025 - Sometimes life feels heavy and we are weighed down by our challenges. As if we will metaphorically turn to stone if we don't keep pressing forward. This hike has definitely felt like that. Although there is only about 1,000 change in elevation from top to bottom, some of the inclines are close to 17 degrees! Now that is a hike. What do we do when we feel we might turn into stone if we change the pace of our daily...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Iron Rod Press Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 6 Behind the Rocks August 5, 2025 - Before I dive into this week's newsletter, I have a favor to ask. I'm working on building up my subscriber list and can use your help. If you have found inspiration in these weekly emails, would you be willing to invite two or three friends to join us by sharing the link below? Invite Your Friends to Subscribe! Now, let's get back to the trail. Along the way, I learned that one way to discover a location of a cave is...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Iron Rod Press Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 5 Working Through the Warp July 29, 2025 - The word "warp" is not just a verb to describe an action or an adjective to modify a noun. It can also be a noun itself. Among its various meanings are: "a mental twist, bias, or quirk, or a biased or twisted attitude or judgment" or "a situation or environment that seems characteristic of another era, especially in being out of touch with contemporary life or attitudes." Defined in this way, warp is all around...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Iron Rod Press Newsletter Week #4 Beauty in Imperfection July 22, 2025 - Do you ever feel like weaknesses threaten to swallow you whole? Like mountains, we all have imperfections and need to be aware of. We can then shore them up so they won't overwhelm us. These cracks may be of our own doing, the actions of others, or just life itself. But we don't need to succumb to their influence. Here are some tips on how to avoid these kind of cracks or at least minimize their negative impact in our...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Iron Rod Press Newsletter Week #4 Beauty in Imperfection July 22, 2025 - Do you ever feel like weaknesses threaten to swallow you whole? Like mountains, we all have imperfections and need to be aware of. We can then shore them up so they won't overwhelm us. These cracks may be of our own doing, the actions of others, or just life itself. But we don't need to succumb to their influence. Here are some tips on how to avoid these kind of cracks or at least minimize their negative impact in our...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read