NOVEMBER 10, 2026

   Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

LAMENTATIONS 1-2

19Arise, cry out in the night,

as the watches of the night begin;

pour out your heart like water

in the presence of the Lord.(2:19) 

HEBREWS 7

23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely^c those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

JOURNAL 

The image of Christ interceding for me is overwhelming. To think that he knows my failures, my fears, and the things I would rather hide, yet still stands for me, is difficult to fully comprehend. I spend so much energy trying to prove myself, account for my mistakes, and secure my future. Yet here is Christ offering a security I could never create through my own accomplishments. Before I accomplish anything today, I am already loved.

Perhaps this helps me understand being born again. Before birth, I depended on a provision and protection I could not even understand. Now I am learning to trust Christ with a life I cannot fully understand or control. His Spirit gives me power, love, and discipline to step into the world with a different understanding of why I am here. My purpose is to discover and experience God through how I live, with the freedom that comes from knowing my worth is already secure in him.

This new life does not remove struggle. Lamentations reminds me that faith includes nights when all I can do is pour out my heart before God. I can be afraid, disappointed, or uncertain and still come into his presence. Surrender begins with that honesty. I can admit how desperately I want something to happen, how much I fear losing it, and how little control I actually have. Then I can trust that God is present with me as the next moment unfolds.

If my ultimate future is secure in Christ, that changes the importance I give to earthly outcomes. Whether I am rich or poor matters far less than how I treat the people around me. Winning a championship matters, and I will work hard toward it, but the pursuit gives me daily opportunities to practice discipline, courage, love, and excellence. Those opportunities are available before the scoreboard ever tells me how the season ends. I do not have to wait for a particular result to live a meaningful life.

This is where the realization becomes practical. It comes down to the next six seconds. When a student interrupts me, how will I respond? When a player makes the same mistake again, how will I teach him?  When anxiety starts building over money, the future, or whether something I am working on will succeed, can I recognize it and return to what is actually in front of me? Each moment gives me somewhere to practice the trust I say I have.

I can prepare, plan, work, and give my best. Surrender asks me to release the demand that all of that must produce the ending I have imagined. Jesus in Gethsemane shows me how honestly I can bring my desires to God and still yield my will to him. I can care deeply about what happens and remain willing to follow when the path unfolds differently than I hoped.

The next six seconds are an opportunity to do that. I can choose patience over irritation, honesty over protecting my image, curiosity over the need to already know, and love over the desire to be right. When I fail, I can acknowledge it, make what repairs I can, and begin again. Christ’s intercession gives me the courage to face my failures without allowing them to become the final word about who I am.

“Not all those who wander are lost.” I do not need to see the entire road to walk it faithfully. There is room for discovery, surprise, difficulty, and joy along the way. Deep roots can sustain me through seasons when there is little visible evidence of growth. God can be at work while I am still wondering where all of this is leading.

Today, I want to remember that my life is happening in these ordinary moments. I can discover God in a classroom, a conversation, a difficult task, or an unexpected interruption. I can bring effort, discipline, love, and attention to what he has placed before me, then leave the outcome in his hands. The next six seconds are enough to begin.

3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^a ”

4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^bgives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^c must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^d

JOHN 3:3-8

NOVEMBER 9, 2026

 “Stay hungry, stay young, stay foolish, stay curious, and above all, stay humble because just when you think you got all the answers, is the moment when some bitter twist of fate in the universe will remind you that you very much don't.” 

― Tom Hiddleston

JEREMIAH 51-52

 1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 3It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence.(53:1-3) 

HEBREWS 6

10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

JOURNAL  

I had a thought... what if the Bible had been edited to be “Facebook worthy.” Imagine if every uncomfortable truth, every sin, every failure, every act of rebellion or shame had been carefully cropped out until all that remained was a gallery of polished smiles and perfect lives. No wandering Israelites, no David’s moral collapse, no Peter’s denial, no Paul’s violent beginning, no Jesus hanging between thieves. What would we be left with? A hollow feed of filtered faith, empty of humanity, grace, and redemption.

When you look closely... the Bible is gloriously unfiltered. It is full of chaos, doubt, heartbreak, and redemption. Adam and Eve’s shame, Cain’s jealousy, Moses’ temper, Jonah’s running, David’s sin, Peter’s denial, all of it speaks to the staggering truth that God’s story was never about our perfection but His patience. It is not a museum of saints, it is a hospital for the broken. And in that imperfection, the beauty of God’s mercy takes center stage.

It reminds me of Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 1:15-16, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His immense patience as an example for those who would believe in Him and receive eternal life.” Paul knew what we often forget, that the cracks in our story are not evidence of failure but of grace seeping through.

We live in a culture obsessed with image, with curating the illusion of strength and success. But Scripture reminds us that God remembers our work and love even when others forget, as Hebrews 6:10 says. He calls us not to laziness of spirit but to perseverance, to faith and patience that inherit what He has promised.

Maybe the greatest proof of faith is not a perfect image but an honest one. The Bible invites us to show up messy, uncertain, humble, and yet hopeful... because God does not edit out our weakness, He redeems it. Like Tom Hiddleston said, “Stay hungry, stay young, stay foolish, stay curious, and above all, stay humble...” because the moment we think we have all the answers, grace reminds us we don’t. And that is the best news of all.

15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 

1 TIMOTHY 1:15-16

NOVEMBER 8, 2026

  “Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” 

― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

JEREMIAH 49-50

6“My people have been lost sheep;

their shepherds have led them astray

and caused them to roam on the mountains.

They wandered over mountain and hill

and forgot their own resting place. (50:6) 

HEBREWS 5

7During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10

JOURNAL 

One of the best lessons I learned through sports happened when I was a sophomore in High School. It was toward the end of the season and we had lost several players to injury. I was the starting QB and in this particular game...things were not going well. By halftime, I had been sacked 5 times and had thrown 2 interceptions. As I sat in the locker room I dreaded having to go back out on the field, I knew it wasn't going to get any better and I knew I was up against sure defeat along with more bruises to my body as well as my ego. It was in that moment that I realized that I was going to have to face this whether I liked it or not. So...I could either stand up and give my best or I could cower down and mail it in...regardless the hits were going to come. 

Looking back, I realize I was beginning to learn what Nick Saban teaches about focusing on the next six seconds. I couldn’t take back the interceptions or undo the sacks. I couldn’t guarantee that we would win or even that the next play would go well. But I could get up, walk back onto the field, and give my best to the next play. I didn’t have to figure out how to survive the entire second half while sitting in that locker room. I needed to do what the next moment required.

So I decided to stand up and give my best. The hits still came, and so did another interception. But something valuable shifted. I began to understand that my effort didn’t have to depend on the score or how I felt about my chances. Each snap gave me another opportunity to pay attention, make a decision, and do my job. Then, whatever happened, I had to come back and do it again.

That lesson has stayed with me, although I am still learning how to live it. How often do I make the present harder by carrying everything that has already happened into it? How often do I waste the opportunity in front of me because I am trying to predict how everything will turn out? Regret pulls me backward, and fear pulls me forward. Meanwhile, the moment where I can actually do something passes by.

The next six seconds gives me something concrete to return to. What needs my attention right now? What would giving my best look like in this conversation, this task, this problem? Sometimes it means doing something difficult. Sometimes it means listening or being patient with a student, or finishing something I would rather avoid. I can bring curiosity, effort, discipline, and love to those moments without knowing where they will lead. When my attention wanders back to yesterday or ahead to the outcome, I can bring it back again.

Reading Hebrews, I am struck by Jesus’ prayers, tears, and ultimate submission. He understood the weight of what was ahead. In Gethsemane, he asked for the cup to pass, yet surrendered himself to the Father’s will. His obedience was lived through real anguish. That makes his example deeply personal to me. He understands the dread of facing something painful, and he shows me how to remain faithful in the middle of it.

I don’t read this as a demand to suffer enough or perform well enough to earn God’s love. Jesus has already made the way. I see an invitation to trust him with what I cannot see and obey him in what is before me. Difficulty can become a place where I learn that trust, where I discover that I can be afraid and still take the next faithful step.

That is what I was beginning to learn in that locker room. I wanted reassurance that things would get better before I went back out. What I had was an opportunity to stand up and give what I could. I have that same opportunity today. I can learn from what has happened, prepare for what may come, and then give my attention to the life God has placed in front of me. The next six seconds is where I get to practice trusting him with the outcome.

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 

JEREMIAH 29:11-13

NOVEMBER 7, 2026

 “People who claim that they're evil are usually no worse than the rest of us... It's people who claim that they're good, or any way better than the rest of us, that you have to be wary of.” 

― Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

JEREMIAH 46-48

7Since you trust in your deeds and riches,

you too will be taken captive (48:7) 

HEBREWS 4

14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,^fJesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

JOURNAL 

One of the most comforting truths in Scripture is that Jesus understands. He gets it, and he gets me. He knows what it is to face suffering, to feel sorrow, to be exhausted, and to want relief from what lies ahead. Hebrews invites me to approach him with confidence because he understands our weakness. I do not have to get myself together before coming into his presence. I can bring the fear, the resistance, and the uncertainty with me.

I see this so clearly in Gethsemane. Jesus knew what was coming, and he did not pretend it was easy. He was deeply distressed. He asked his closest friends to stay with him, and he prayed that, if possible, the cup might pass from him. There is something profoundly reassuring in that honesty. He did not hide his anguish from the Father or treat the desire to escape suffering as something he could not express. He brought it all into the relationship. Then he surrendered: “Not my will, but yours be done.”

This is the supreme example of what I am beginning to understand. I can tell God what I want. I can ask for a different road. I can admit that I am afraid and that I cannot see how things will work out. Then I can entrust what comes next to him and give myself fully to the moment before me. Jesus returned to prayer, and when the time came, he rose to meet those approaching him. His surrender took the form of action. He lived the next moment in obedience to the Father.

I spend so much energy trying to settle the future in my mind. I imagine what could happen, what I might lose, and what I need to accomplish to make everything turn out right. Sometimes I am so occupied with the outcome that I miss the life God has placed directly in front of me. In Gethsemane, Jesus shows me how to bring that burden to the Father. I do not have to feel calm before I can be faithful. I can feel the weight of uncertainty and still choose the next act of love, courage, or discipline.

That changes how I understand my purpose. I am here to discover and experience God through how I live. The work matters, and I want to give it my best. But I cannot ask accomplishment to establish my worth or guarantee my peace. Jeremiah's warning about trusting in deeds and riches reaches into that tendency in me. Even good work can become something I depend on to feel secure. I want to hold my plans with an open hand, willing to learn, willing to be corrected, and willing to follow where God leads.

My curiosity and desire to solve problems belong in this way of living too. I can approach the day eager to discover what can be learned, improved, or understood. There is joy in preparing a better lesson, working through a difficult idea, writing an honest scene, or finding a way to help someone. I get to participate in making things better while leaving their ultimate reach and results with God. Surrender frees me to be fully engaged in the work itself.

Father, thank you that I can come to you as I am. Thank you for Jesus, who understands our weakness and shows us how to trust you within it. Help me recognize when I am trying to control the future or use accomplishment to prove my worth. Bring me back to the life you have given me today. Help me meet its problems with curiosity, its people with love, and its responsibilities with discipline. When I am afraid, teach me to pray honestly and then take the next faithful step. Let me discover you here, in this moment, and entrust what follows to you.

18“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 

MARK 10:18

NOVEMBER 6, 2026

  "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” 

― Blaise Pascal, Pensées 

JEREMIAH 43-45

‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the earth. 5Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’ ”(45:4-5) 

HEBREWS 3

12See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

JOURNAL 

I am beginning to understand that my purpose is not to prove myself worthy through what I accomplish, but to discover and experience God through how I live. For so long I have looked toward some future accomplishment as the place where I would finally find peace and fulfillment. Yet God keeps bringing me back to today. This moment, this person, this problem, this opportunity to love and give my best. My life is taking place here, and this is where I get to know him.

The question to Baruch, “Should you then seek great things for yourself?” gets to the heart of something I need to examine. I have dreams and things I want to build, and I find joy in the work of making something better. But what am I asking those things to give me? Am I approaching them with curiosity and love, or am I depending on their success to settle the question of my worth? I can give everything I have to the work before me while surrendering what comes of it. God's grace has already given me a foundation that accomplishment could never provide.

Even my faith can become a way of defending what I want to believe. Pascal's words remind me how easily conviction can close my mind when it should be opening my heart to truth. In Jeremiah, the people ask for God's direction and then reject it when it contradicts the direction they have already chosen. I recognize that tendency in myself. I can pray for guidance while quietly hoping God will approve the future I have scripted. A relationship with him requires a willingness to listen, be corrected, and discover that there may be a better way.

This is where I am learning to direct my curiosity. I love solving problems, discovering connections, and finding ways to improve things. Those gifts have a place in every part of my life. Preparing a lesson, coaching a player, writing a scene, exploring an idea, all become opportunities to experience God through attention and love. The ordinary becomes extraordinary through what I bring to it. Effort, discipline, patience, and presence are available to me in the next six seconds.

The anchor I am seeking is a growing trust that I can meet whatever comes with God. I will still feel uncertainty, disappointment, and fear. But I do not have to let those feelings determine how I live. I can return to the moment, do the next faithful thing, and leave the outcome with him. Today I want to seek truth, welcome correction, solve the problems in front of me, and love the people I encounter. There is joy in giving my best to the life I have been given, and peace in knowing I do not have to control where it leads.

12I will destine you for the sword,

and all of you will fall in the slaughter;

for I called but you did not answer,

I spoke but you did not listen.

You did evil in my sight

and chose what displeases me.”

ISAIAH 65:12