It happened at midnight on Halloween more than four decades ago. I was fifteen, attending a party at the home of a high school senior whose parents were away. The story goes downhill from there. It almost led to my last night on earth.  

Last week, a friend remarked that Halloween is her favorite day of the year. Every September, she fills the outside and inside of her home with skeletons, zombies, and ghosts. She hosts an annual party where she always dresses as a witch. And…she’s a Christian. 

Your desert is made up of the things that derail or defeat you. It is in this stripped away place that our identity either disintegrates or is forged anew.  

When God gives you a dream, it’s important not to begin the process upside down by assuming the best case scenario. Scripture actually says it’s wise to do the opposite…by considering the downside upfront. Here’s how.

A man recently shared how much of his life had been wasted pursuing “the best of both worlds.” By that, he meant he loved God, but he also loved the pleasures of this world far too much. 

What is the lure of a balanced life? Everything isn’t equal. Nor is true success ever measured by how many plates you can keep spinning. 

When we refuse to take risks with God because we don’t fully trust him, we may think we’re playing it safe. We’re actually just trusting our fears and doubts more than we trust God.  

While recently walking through a college town, the message on a student’s t-shirt caught my eye. It said: THE WORLD IS YOURS. 

Political opponents are masters at using disinformation campaigns to confuse and ultimately control others. It’s nothing new. The world has been under a disinformation campaign since the deception in Eden. 

Our first glimpse of God in Genesis is as Creator. From nothing, he spoke oceans, mountains, forests, whales, hummingbirds, and humans into existence. He isn’t just the most creative being ever. He created creativity. 

The very ideas we are waiting on are often already right in front of us. We miss them because we’re too preoccupied wondering when they’ll show up. 

Social media experts tell us we must maximize our platform if we want to succeed. I’d like to offer a better option for those pursuing their creativity with God. 

Somewhere deep within us, we believe there’s not enough time for our hopes and dreams to be fully realized. That’s not true. 

We have an enemy of our creativity—and it isn’t the usual suspects of either too many distractions or too little time.

Every year, I ask God if he has a unique word or scripture to help me navigate the next twelve months.  

When it comes to artificial intelligence and Chat GPT, I’m astonished at how many people are overeager to embrace the technology, unaware of the dangers, and overconfident in their ability to use it for good. 

Keep creating.
Even if no one is asking for it.
Even if the applause never comes.
Even if most don’t understand why.
Do it anyway. 

Who would you be if the world didn’t tell you who you are? 

In this life, we encounter speed bumps and dead-ends. But only one is inevitable.  

The world indoctrinates us from childhood to believe we can be and do whatever we want. We’re at the center of our story and self-doubt is bad—because it stands in the way of self realization.