My parents were extraordinary, brilliant, loving, and wise people—but they had some issues and were very self-consumed. This left me with an early void of healthy leadership that had real ramifications. At different times in my life, I have somewhat compulsively sought the counsel (or validation) of others—friends, mentors, bosses, sponsors, pastors. God says it’s wise to seek godly counsel and foolish to seek the counsel of scoffers, the proud, the wicked, the self-wise, or

My 19-year-old college freshman just went back to school after a luxurious, lingering month at home. There wasn’t much prep involved. With a little teamwork, the whirlwind of chaos that was his room was packed up and gone in a few short hours. When he first arrived a month ago, my mostly orderly small house was suddenly overrun with ginormous mounds of laundry and everything that had once fit neatly into a dorm room. His younger brother was thrilled to have him home—big-broth

Join me in praying for those who feel intense loneliness right now. 🙏🏽💖 Sometimes our wilderness is voluntary. Sometimes it's not. Either way, God invites us to reframe it as a chance to draw more deeply from Christ’s infinite well of love, joy, healing, peace, and purpose. Just like the woman at the well—who sought satisfaction through relationships—Jesus astonishes us with His mercy and can fully quench our thirst when we seek Him. In turn, we can point others to the Wel

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32 (NLT) There’s a variant in recovery circles covered in the book, “the truth will set you free, but first it will $:@$* you off.” Honest awareness is hard… but it’s the first step to freedom. It gives us room to choose. We want to be open to God‘s leading here, which may look different than we expect (see my recent post on Jesus’ Relational Realities from Matthew 10.) We may need to set better boundaries,

During the holiday season, many people wrestle with complicated feelings about relationships—absent, distant, antagonistic, or otherwise. Often, expectations (which we know can be a problem) simply don’t match reality. As always, Jesus helps. Sometimes His help comes in unexpected ways. Matthew 10 may not be very Christmassy, but it contains some of Jesus' clearest words on relationships I’ve returned to and shared again and again. Challenging our understanding of Christian l

Dig Deeper: “For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.” — Mark 4:22 (NLT) Jesus never exposes anything to shame us. He brings things into the light so He can heal them.

(+How to escape the game for good.) I’m no chess master, but I know the basics. Most people don’t realize that pawns aren’t just tiny pieces on a board. They’re: • the most abundant • the least valued • the first to take the hits • the most easily sacrificed • and the ones used to protect the power behind them They’re the frontline for a reason. Pawns absorb damage so the “king” or “queen” never risks himself and can advance. In most games, a pawn is sacrificed long before an

Something has been shifting, and I want to speak plainly about it. Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t shared Sage Sayings content in a while. It’s not because I’ve been quiet—if anything, God has had me writing more than ever. When He puts something on my heart, it pours out. There’s never a strategy behind it. It’s always Spirit-led obedience. When I first published Sage Sayings & Slogans in the spring, I created a separate page out of sensitivity to the principle o

Bearing the Burden of Seeing Discernment is one of the most beautiful—and one of the most brutal—gifts God gives. It is a gift you want, because it brings clarity, protection, wisdom, truth, and spiritual sight. And it is the gift you don’t want, because once you see something, you cannot unsee it. Heavy. Discernment is both a light and a sword. A comfort and a burden. A gift and a responsibility. And if you’ve walked with this gift—especially since childhood—you already kno

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT) There are times when it feels like the wheels have come off the bus and we’re careening down the highway with a load of screaming metaphorical children—and no brakes. Sometimes it’s global chaos—a perfect storm of crises that seem unmanageable. Other times, it’s our own little universe collapsing due to something we d

Heavenly Father, In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I come before You in humility and authority—not my own, but the authority granted through the blood of the Lamb and the word of Your testimony. Lord, You said, “Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19) I know I've posted these videos before, but I just like them. ;-) Today, I stand on that promise. I lift b

✨ TOOLS & INSIGHTS: The Four Absolutes ✨ The Four Absolutes—Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness, Love—give us a simple way to hold our lives up to the light of Christ. Don’t get stuck on the word absolute. This isn’t about perfectionism or nit-picking every tiny mistake. It’s about clarity and repentance: bringing our motives, desires, and choices into the open before God so His Spirit can transform us. Sometimes we get hung up on this sin or that. Sometimes we catalog every small

✨ Days of Awe 8 of 10: Drunkenness ✨ “You must not associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.” 1 Corinthians 5:11 (NLT) At first glance, Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 5 about drunkenness can seem random and harsh. After all, what’s so bad about “a good buzz”? But Paul is stern: a chronically drunken person should be removed

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Ephesians 4:25, ESV) Brothers and sisters, please—let’s heed what God is saying here. There’s no way to make light of this. No Isabella wit to take the edge off. Forms of Falsehood Slander and reviling both appear on Paul’s short list of sins that warrant removal from Christian fellowship. And Jesus condemns hypocrisy and false teaching not only i

✨ Days of Awe TOOLS & INSIGHTS: Shame ✨ When the Pharisees dragged a woman caught in adultery before Jesus (John 8:3–11), they were ready to stone her. In truth, they were projecting their own sin and hiding behind false righteousness. Jesus turned the tables: “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” Convicted, they slipped away, ashamed. To the woman, He offered both mercy and a charge: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” That’s the tension we al

✨Days of Awe #2 of 10 – Idolatry✨ “ They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark. They claim to be wise, but they are fools. They don't worship the glorious and eternal God. Instead, they worship idols…” Romans 1:21-23 (CEV) Speaking of sexual sin—which God often links to idolatry—Let’s be honest: as Americans, we really have a big problem. Anything we put before God is an idol, so that co

What Jesus really said about prosperity. "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and... if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." C.S. Lewis, Author & Oxford/Cambridge scholar/theologian. I’ve been sitting on this second Blessed blog installment since early June, when my internal conflict and trip to Italy stalled progress. Since then, I got busy with paying work, a handy, avoidant escape. Yet God just would not let me call

Light changes everything. St. Paul's Cathedral One of the unexpected highlights of our Italy trip happened on the way home—during an...

Exciting news! I’m honored (and thrilled!) to be the last-minute keynote speaker at this powerful recovery event next week in fun and...