What Are You Fighting For?

Faith, Strength, Wisdom|

In every great story, someone is fighting for what they believe in. Something dear to their heart. Something that is much bigger than their own life. When we think about our favorite movies, we recognize that Frodo is fighting for the survival of Middle Earth. Wonder Woman is fighting to preserve human kind. James Bond and Ethan Hunt (from the Mission Impossible franchise) both fight for the lives of those ...

How Our Compromises Cost Us

Strength, Wisdom|

I have to travel sometimes for work, and pretty much every time I stay in a hotel, I am fascinated by my hotel room’s minibar. Why, you ask? Well, first off, I typically have just gotten off a multiple-hour airplane leg, and I’m desperate and absolutely starving. Second, I really don’t want to try to find a decent restaurant around me, because I’m exhausted from airports and lines and people ...

When You’re Trying to Protect Yourself from Pain

Strength, Wisdom|

Driving on the backroads of Ireland is very stressful and downright scary sometimes. This is no exaggeration. Americans like me are already at a bit of a disadvantage because the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, and the Irish drive on the left side of the road. Secondly, Irish roads are notoriously curvy and hilly – and the signs say you can go a lot faster ...

When Your Ministry is Taken Away From You

Strength, Wisdom|

Have you ever been humming along in one direction, and then all of a sudden life takes a sharp, quick turn? And while the effect may not be disabling or deadly, it does throw you for a loop. And leave you wondering “what now, God?” That is what has happened to me – and by no means is it crippling, nor does it induce a state of depression or rage. ...

How to Conquer Fear

Strength|

In my last entry, I talked about how sometimes we are just unstable, and it’s not a fun place to be because it makes everything seem so vague and confusing and even arbitrary.  When we are unstable, it feels like we are slowly going blind, or slowly losing our mind.  Sometimes it is just life being life, but sometimes it is really our own fault.  And I guess it stems ...

When You Realize You’re Emotionally Unstable

Strength, Wisdom|

I have been thinking a lot recently about being unstable.  What seems to cause me to be unstable?  Well, it’s going back and forth on things in my mind.  So I’m not single-minded, I’m double-minded.  And I am realizing I hate being double-minded and I hate being unstable, because it feels like nothing is right and I’ve completely lost focus from what matters.  It’s like, I really want to be ...

Living on the Edge

Courage, Strength|

I've been thinking a lot about the edge recently. And living on it. I know that sounds vague. So I'll try to explain. I've been going to yoga relatively regularly for the last few months. The goal has been to really try to increase my flexibility and balance. My hamstrings, for instance, are always tight because I've been running around on fields for decades and I guess I don't really ...

The Beauty of Being Vulnerable in Relationships

Courage, Dating, Strength|

Ive been thinking a lot about one of C.S. Lewis's most famous and most profound quotes: “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it ...

Testing our Strength

Courage, Strength|

I have this friend, Wil, who I have known since he was eight.  He will be turning sixteen in January.  I hang out with him and his siblings (they are so much fun, and such great kids!), and his parents mentor me in a variety of ways that help me through life.  It's been really neat to see Wil grow up.  I remember being able to toss him in the ...

How Are You Getting Through Life?

Faith, Strength, Wisdom|

Earlier this semester. my friend Lucas recently twisted his ankle badly while we were playing ultimate frisbee at school. I was pretty close to him when it happened, and we heard a loud pop and so we thought he had completely broken it. Thankfully, though, a visit to the ER revealed that he had a severe strain and would need to stay off of it for a few weeks. So, ...