Devotionals and spiritual reflections that wrestle with doubt, divine timing, and the mystery of God’s presence—even in silence.
There’s a kind of pain that doesn’t show up in the pulpit. It’s not in the sermon notes, not in the budget meetings, not in the prayer circles. It’s the quiet hemorrhage behind the collar — the slow bleed of a shepherd who’s been tending to everyone else’s healing while silently losing his own. "The …
Continue reading When the Shepherd Is Wounded: Leading While Bleeding
Nolan Ryan, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Pete Weber are four sports legends who reached the pinnacle of their fields through relentless dedication. Nolan Ryan’s 27-year MLB career, marked by 5,714 strikeouts, places him among the greatest pitchers ever. Michael Jordan, celebrated as one of the best in basketball history, dominated the NBA during his …
If you perceive me to be a friend, then I am. If you perceive me to be smarter than you, then I am If you perceive me to be a better leader than you, then I am If you perceive me to be a threat, then I am. Why might these be true? Because you …
What is your idol? The word "idol" comes from the Greek word eidolon, meaning “appearance, reflection in water or in a mirror.” An idol is simply the reflection in stone, wood, or metal of the person who hand-made that idol. The Bible consistently condemns the making or worshipping of idols, starting with the second of …
Recently, I had the privilege of participating in a Zoom call with various church leaders, including Senior Pastors, Executive Pastors, and their leadership teams. The topic of discussion was “What Are We Missing?” As a coach and leader, I found this call incredibly insightful. The churches represented ranged in size from 55 to 6,500 attendees …
When the phrase “wilderness stories” is mentioned, what images does it conjure in your mind? Perhaps you envision hikers losing their way in dense forests, or campers having a startling encounter with a bear in the dead of night. Maybe your thoughts veer towards the extreme, like the harrowing tale of a rock climber who, …
What comes to mind when you hear the word “wilderness?” Do you think of desert, forest, backwoods? One of the meanings I found describes wilderness as: Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural) are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity, or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. You might be an avid hiker and have experienced this environment firsthand. But …
Have you ever thought about why some people seem to have the all the opportunities to lead and there you sit, “waiting.” Waiting for your turn, your role, the right job, or opportunity and yet it just never seems to come? What if I told you that if you are feeling this right now, your …
"Stop Playing..." House, life, marriage, friends, church! That last one, church - "stop playing church" has a lot of meaning for me. My first pastor, Tim Ritzel, would say this Sunday mornings. I remember hearing it the first few times and thinking what is he getting at? He would explain it, but I was new …
Quick question: would you rather be in the wilderness or the desert? What if you didn't have a choice and life itself; the stresses, work, people, health, hurdles and more, leads you straight to one of them? What if you have been "wandering" for weeks now and you realize that something is really wrong, but …
Fire Side Therapy 