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Nine years, five months, and 9ish days ago, I got an email well before I woke up, that Melanie Cromwell (who I had never met) went into labor with her 4th child. She and baby were doing fine. This was the most unconventional HR onboarding process I’d ever been a part of. The years that…

It is plausible, for the first time in history, that within the next 3 years we will have invented a computer that is smarter in every way than a human, and can do anything that any human could do, better and more efficiently. That’s not hyperbole or science fiction. It’s a fact. Follow that thread…

This is a talk I gave at Ninety Six High School’s FCA meeting on 9/19/25, lightly edited to the best of my recollection about what I actually said. If I didn’t say it just like this, I meant to. Good morning, everyone. Two weeks ago, if I’d given a talk about evil, a lot of…

Have you ever heard 500 high schoolers sing these lines at the top of their lungs? Jesus, I my cross have taken,All to leave and follow Thee……Go, then, earthly fame and treasure,Come disaster, scorn and painIn Thy service, pain is pleasure,With Thy favor, loss is gain! I’m still processing all the takeaways for me personally…

“There are so many other places I’d rather be” “I’m so tired of the things we’re going through” “What is that smell?” These were just a few of the barrage of whiny and entitled thoughts I had as I slinked into the chair in the waiting room. As I glanced out and to my right,…

My Unforgettable Experience at Self Regional Hospital My name is Ben Meredith, Jr. I’m a 16-year-old high school athlete, almost 17, and like many others, I caught the flu. But this was no ordinary flu. It all started around Valentine’s Day. I came home from school with a fever of 104.5. Since my whole family…

As parents, our worst nightmare is seeing our child in distress and not being able to help. When that happens, we turn to medical professionals, trusting that they will provide the care our child needs. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, this is what we learned—and…

This past weekend, my two oldest kids went with their church youth group to a retirement home to play BINGO with the residents, as well as to lead a Vespers service there. I was tasked with helping lead the music. Before we went, one of my children was lamenting how awkward it was going to…

I belong to a couple of online “communities” by virtue of the things I post about: some weird diet groups (not on the bingo card this time last year, but here we are), some tech support/techie groups, and UNC athletics fandoms. For those not in the latter group, UNC played Duke (I have a hard…

My eighth grader is on the JV baseball team this year, and like many young athletes, he’s spending more time on the bench than he’d like. Our small school has enough talented players to fill three teams, and while I’m incredibly proud of him for making the JV team in 8th grade, it’s tough watching…

Last night (February 6, 2025), leaving the Middle School basketball game, I lost for the first time in a footrace with one of my children, in a typical boy-parent “I’ll race you to the car” moment. It was bound to happen: at nearly 17 years old, he’s working out every day and currently outweighs me…