Aaron Gardner

About Aaron Gardner

Aaron Gardner is a father, husband, writer, and 14-year Army Veteran. The military instilled in him a discipline that now guides his worldview — a perspective shaped by duty, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds forged under pressure. This is the cornerstone of all his work, from his professional career to his writing.

His published works include Snapshots of War, a short story collection exploring veteran reintegration and its toll on loved ones; Virtuous, a novel following an Army veteran turned police detective in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Reflection. His poetry has appeared in Ursa Scribe, the literary magazine of Mott Community College, where he served as a founding member and editor. His writing has also been featured in IronMike Magazine, Working Tools Magazine, and Livingstones Magazine.

He is currently at work on The Last Crusade, a religious thriller. Through his Substack publication, Faithful Quill, Gardner bridges the gap between military, civilian, and spiritual life — exploring fatherhood after service, a return to faith, and the search for grace amidst the memories of war.

While his professional work is in IT, Gardner is ultimately defined by the stories he tells. He writes for veterans, parents, and anyone searching for meaning in the aftermath of life's deployments.

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"Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere."

G.K. Chesterton

Featured

Faithful Quill •

The Burning Bush I Missed

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Moses had walked away from the burning bush? Of course not. The All-Sovereign God knows all and knew Moses was the leader He wanted to lead His people out of the hands of Egyptian rule, before Moses was born. Although the scenario is implausible, I often wonder if I did walk away from my “burning bush”. Of course, God knew I would, but I didn’t. Here’s what I mean. I walked away from my Catholic faith as a teenager. It wasn’t completely in my con...
Faithful Quill •

Compline Quill: January

This month has been an amazing journey toward the goal of writing twice a month. So much so that I have met some great authors in the community who have inspired me to do other things. One thing I want to incorporate into my writing habits is a monthly roundup. I got the idea from Lauren Montgomery, who writes The Catholic Commons. First, let me say, what an amazing, devout person she is. I had a conversation with her after she shouted out my article on sin and blessing my children. That is actu...
Faithful Quill •

Chipping Away at the Wax

Every night, our house settles into a sacred rhythm. The lights dim, the world quiets, and I sit with my youngest son. We make the sign of the cross, say a select litany of prayers, and then I kiss his forehead. It is a moment that should feel holy, a moment of peace. All too often, it is clouded by a single, crushing thought that rises up from the depths of my own soul. *Who am I to bless this precious gift from God?*I am a wretched man, a sinner, saying a blessing over such a fragile soul. Tha...
Photo by Jourdan Wee on Pexels
LinkedIn •

Your Mac Users Are Costing You More Than You Think.

Congratulations. The new hire is approved, and they need a Mac. You've budgeted for the hardware, but I bet you haven't accounted for the three hidden costs that are about to drain your team's time and your security budget.

It's not the price of the laptop. It's the friction.

It's the security patch that doesn't deploy automatically. The enterprise software license that suddenly requires a costly one-off purchase. The help desk ticket from a Mac user that takes three times longer to resolve.
Aaron Gardner •

Multiple Truths: a review of “Death Letter: God, Sex and War”

This short book came to me via a recommendation from the author himself. First, let me tell you that the author and I share a special connection through our military experiences. We have talked on numerous occasions about our military connection and about the short story I wrote, “Reflection“. His words were kind and inspiring toward my story– wanting more of the story behind “Reflection”. This book he wrote, Death Letter: God, Sex and War, has inspired me to continue the story that I have strug...