Shake yourself from the dust and arise. Loose the bonds from your neck.
This morning, I was talking to a friend with a son who is a senior in high school. Like every senior, he’s weighing out his options: two-year versus four-year college, military, and future career. Like many seniors, he isn’t sure what to do. “He’s got time,” I said. “I’m just now doing what I want… Continue reading Advice To My Past Self
Like driving nails through his wrists,I choose sand in place of air.I betrayed him with a kiss. Trapped in a squall’s dark abyss,Where my silver is my prayer;Like driving nails through his wrists. I stab and bleed, perfectionist,Which fades away when I compare; I betrayed him with a kiss. Unloving thorns crown innocence,Red life dripping off… Continue reading I, Judas
My first and only backpacking trip as a Boy Scout was a certified disaster. Despite weeks of planning and a pack shakedown the night before the trip, where leaders went through and removed all the unnecessary stuff from our packs, I still had too much crap in my pack. Part of that was thanks to… Continue reading The Day I Decided I Was Done With ‘Mediocre’
It was a cold night, and the pipes froze in your trailer. No coffee, no toilet. Even though you’re making 19,000-step days and working long before the sun rises and long after it sets, you still claw your way out of your bunk, walk through the sub-freezing temps, and hit the gym. Even though you… Continue reading Cowboy Up: The Rodeo Work Ethic
Anything that keeps you from pursuing the will of God is not just a distraction—it is an assault from Hell designed to derail your soul. Notice I did not say “keeps you from pursuing your dreams” or “keeps you from living your truth.” That’s because, despite our tendency to be self-absorbed and entitled, life isn’t… Continue reading The Great Work: Refuse to Come Down
Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. Taken by the author in 2013. The more I read Nehemiah, the more I am struck by his wise leadership. He knows what he is about, he knows the work that needs to get done, and ain’t nobody gonna stop him from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. And he did… Continue reading Fear the Lord, Not the Enemy: Wisdom from Nehemiah
Have you ever had a moment that seemed to transcend your current reality and circumstances and filled you up with so much weighty joy? The kind that if you try to recreate it when it's gone, like a junkie chasing a high, or that second bite of cake never as good as the first, you… Continue reading Deep Joy: Echoes of Eden
December 13 is Taylor Swift’s birthday. I hate that I know that. Last year on December 13, I noticed a disturbing trend: evangelical pastors and professors simping for Tay Tay. On the surface, that almost seems understandable. Swift has made a global impact and changed the music industry. Swift has been on the same tier… Continue reading Evangelical Feast Days
The book of Nehemiah is a manual for those living in exile to contend for the future. As God’s people, we cannot do that without his hesed. Hesed is one of those tricky Hebrew words that have no direct equivalent in English. We translate it variously as “unfailing love, loyal love, devotion, kindness, often based… Continue reading Hesed When It Doesn’t Feel Like It
I named my blog "Awake! Put on strength!" because I wanted to challenge others as I also challenged myself. For years I had been asleep, then Jesus changed my life and I started following him. The calling of my life is to know Jesus and help others know Jesus. I write to wake myself up… Continue reading The Sleeping Church
Awake! Put on strength! 