Welcome to Thinking Theologically: Pondering Christian Experience! I'm excited to share with you the vision behind this blog and why I felt compelled to start this online space for my own theological reflection and growth. I am sure there’s a real chance that there may be only three people who ever come to read anything on this website, but that’s okay. This blog post is for you three people!

Who I Am

Well, I’m nobody important. But, you probably want to know something, since you’re reading this. So, here’s just a few quick hors d'oeuvres before we get into the meat of the article.

• I was originally born in Yonkers (near the Bronx), NY. I’ve lived in Florida since January 2nd, 2016.
• I attended culinary school at Johnson and Wales in Providence, RI.
• I am pursuing a Master’s Degree at Reformed Baptist Seminary.
• I am a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
• I run a consulting business called Expozeur (originally begun with a focus on digital marketing and website development) to help small business owners think, act, and build like executives).
• I have no wife and children, but I do have a wonderful dog that greets me when I get home from work—err, I mean, when I walk downstairs (I am blessed to work from home).
• I live a pretty plain and uneventful life. Travel is nice, and I’ve been to a couple continents, but there’s no place like home to me. Concerts, shows, movies, plays, and the like are all wonderful on occasion. Honestly, though, I much prefer to sit around a campfire in the middle of the woods, enjoy a cigar, sip on some bourbon, and grill some kind of animal (preferably one that is already dead—I don’t have much hunting experience).
• I enjoy simple fellowship with brothers and sisters, and the most interesting conversations I can have are surrounding theology and worldviews. Don’t ask me who plays for the New York Giants; I just learned that my man Tiki Barber isn’t there anymore (kidding… sort of). There’s nothing wrong with enjoying things like sports—I just can’t find the time for that stuff at this stage in my life.

The Power of Writing for Spiritual Growth

As a seminary student immersed in the study of God's Word for the sake of God’s people, I've discovered the profound impact that writing can have on my spiritual growth. Putting thoughts into words forces me to clarify concepts, wrestle with difficult questions, and articulate biblical truth in accessible ways.

In the words of the great C.S. Lewis,

Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills, as I have found out long ago.The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves, 30 May, 1916

And again, he writes,

What you want is practice, practice, practice. It doesn’t matter what we write (at least this is my view) at our age, so long as we write continually as well as we can. I feel that every time I write a page either of prose or of verse, with real effort, even if it’s thrown into the fire the next minute, I am so much further on.The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves, 14 June, 1916

Furthermore, writing offers the following benefits:

• Enhances Memory Retention: Writing helps to solidify information in your mind, making it easier to remember and recall later.
• Promotes Understanding: The process of writing forces you to articulate concepts clearly, which deepens your comprehension of the subject matter.
• Encourages Diligence and Discipline: Regular writing practice cultivates habits of consistency and perseverance.
• Facilitates Reflection and Review: Writing provides a tangible record of your thoughts, allowing for later reflection and analysis.
• Enhances Creativity: The act of writing can stimulate creative thinking and help generate new ideas.

This blog is an extension of a personal discipline of theological writing which isn’t necessarily tied to my academic studies, but allows me to add on to my personal studies. With that said, I do intend to repost much of the work that I’m doing for seminary, because, why let it die with just a grade, if indeed it might be helpful for one person who stumbles upon it?

Creating a Space for Deep Reflection

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to skim the surface of our faith. Thinking Theologically aims to create a space for deeper reflection, both for myself and for readers. It's an invitation to slow down and think deeply about the truths of Scripture and how they intersect with our daily lives. This will help me to bring greater clarity to my own worldview, and it would be a great blessing to me if that could bless others as well.

Serving the Church

Ultimately, Thinking Theologically is about serving the church—the universal church, that is. Well—that’s my hope, at least. I don’t have any grand aspirations for this. As I type these words, I don’t even expect them to be read. But if the Lord would find it fitting, then His Spirit will make use of this work. And if He never does, that’s okay too, because [perhaps selfishly] I am doing this for myself, first and foremost, and simply deciding to publish it. By sharing theological reflections and fostering thoughtful dialogue, my hope is to contribute to the building up of the body of Christ. As the Apostle Paul exhorts in Ephesians 4:29, may our words be "only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Future Vision

As far as what’s in store for the future, I’ve already noted twice that my aspirations are non-existent. A lot of times we launch a certain endeavor and it only ever even lasts for a couple of months, and then it vanishes into thin air. If I have any aspiration, it’s to continue on a path of writing and reflection that isn’t solely to earn a grade, or even to be read by another. If a person here or there reads the blog, then I pray that they would be blessed. And it’s not just about me, either—I’d be happy to post other authors whom I know and trust! That would be really, really cool, if you ask me… that would be the development of a community.

An Invitation to Journey Together

Thinking Theologically is not about having all the answers, but thinking through these answers to life’s hard questions, essentially embarking on a journey of continual growth in the "grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). I invite you to join me in this pursuit.

Here, you'll find theological deep-dives, practical applications, wrestlings with tough questions, and cause for self-reflection. I welcome your insights, questions, and reflections along the way. Together, may we glorify God as we seek to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Soli Deo Gloria!