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

NOVEMBER 5, 2026

   “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” 

― Winston S. Churchill

JEREMIAH 40-42

 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 10‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. 11Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. 12I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’(42:9-12) 

HEBREWS 2

10In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.^g

JOURNAL 

I am realizing more and more that my curiosity and the joy I get from solving problems are gifts from God. I tend to think about using those gifts on the big things I want to accomplish, but how often do I overlook the chances I have to use them in the course of an ordinary day? A student is struggling to understand something, and I can get curious about what he is seeing that I am missing. A conversation at home can go a different way because I take the time to ask another question and really listen to the answer. There is a real joy in figuring out how to make something a little better, especially when it makes a difference for someone else.

So much of Scripture seems to bring me back to living this way, moment by moment. In Jeremiah, the people were afraid of what would happen if they stayed, and God told them to stay and trust that He was with them. I can spend so much of my day trying to figure out how everything is going to turn out that I miss the good I could do right where I am. And to think that Jesus is willing to call us brothers and sisters is still pretty overwhelming. If the God of all creation is my Father and nothing can separate me from His love, I can give myself fully to what is in front of me and trust Him with what comes of it.

Maybe that is where I am learning to find peace and contentment in the ordinary. I can give my best effort to the work in front of me, have the discipline to stay with it when my mind wants to move on, and love the person in front of me enough to pay attention. And I can actually enjoy the experience while it is happening. An ordinary moment can become extraordinary simply because of what I choose to give to it. I get to see what God has put in front of me, use what He has given me, and leave the outcome with Him.

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^k neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

ROMANS 8: 37-39

NOVEMBER 4, 2026

 

“The more you pray, the less you'll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You'll feel more patient and less pressured.” 
― Rick Warren, The Purpose of Christmas

JEREMIAH 38-39

15While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: 16“Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 17But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. 18I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.’ ”(33:1-3) 

HEBREWS 1

1In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

JOURNAL 

Being obedient to God is such a logical choice.  Yet time and time again people in the Bible refuse to obey. Here I sit reading the text and it seems so simple. God tells them a certain path to follow and they refuse. Yet it is much easier said than done. The reason is that when I sit and watch a movie or read a book or the Bible, I am in a calm, comfortable place. Emotionally, physically etc. It is easy to make wise logical choices when I am in this state of being. 

Scientifically it has been proven that stress and anxiety actually cause the logical, reasonable parts of our brain to shut down. Stress causes our vessels to shrink and our blood doesn't flow to certain parts of our brain thereby flooding the ones that control our physical movements. We become restless and ready to run or fight. It is not only in stressful situations that this happens, it can and does happen in the normal every day flow of life and I find that this is exactly what happens in my own mind. I also see it in my students. 

As a result we don't think well...we are in survival mode. What is amazing about this is that it actually is possible to hit a pause button. God actually gives us the ability to override this automatic response system.  When we do so...the vessels relax, blood flows back in normal amounts to our full brain and we can then think calmly and make better decisions. 

The more I engage in meditative prayer and spend time reading and understanding God...the better I get at pausing the automatic responses and seeking his wisdom. By doing so I am able to remain calm in situations that feel threatening and actually can learn to be calm and trust God. This is amazing, but so incredibly true to scripture and modern psychology.  The fact that we can actually step outside of our circumstances in our minds and calm down the body and the mind is proof that there is another dimension to our brains and bodies that is beyond the physical...it is the spiritual.

13Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the duty of all mankind.

ECCLESIASTES 12:1

NOVEMBER 3, 2026

  “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow.” 

― Thomas Paine

JEREMIAH 36-37

 31I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.’ ”(36:31) 

PHILEMON

14I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

JOURNAL 

One of the benefits of doing this over the last few years is that I get to go back and read my past devotions...many of them I repost because the words are worth repeating. They connect and re-engage me. This one is a special one because every single time it gets me and reminds me of some really important principles.  It is amazing how easy we can forget moments and bursts of inspiration. I am thankful for our ability to record these and revisit them. This post was from November 3, 2017

Last night I stayed up and watched the Cubs win the World Series. I was absolutely into it...I felt the emotion, the tension the elation after the final out. I caught myself singing "Go Cubs Go"...I felt completely a part of the win and the celebration. Why??? I'm not a big Cubs fan, I have a 12 year old Cubs shirt which I dug out of the dirty clothes to wear last night. I have never played for the team, have absolutely zero family connection or history and yet there I sat on the edge of my seat emotionally engaged. What in the world is that all about?

It seems absurd...it seems absolutely psychotic that I would be emotionally engaged...yet I was...and so were millions of other people all over the world. I read peoples comments on social media...other people who were not fans either yet were overcome with joy, celebration and emotion over a 10 inning baseball game. It seems so silly and yet it isn't. It is far deeper than anything on the surface. 

The human race is designed for relationship and to bond together to solve problems and care for each other. We are designed to want to be a part of a collective effort that overcomes heartache, difficulty and seeks the collective above the individual. It did not matter that many of those players never experienced the heartache of the past. It did not matter that several of them even played for opposing teams during this year. What mattered is that in this moment at this time they were brothers together, bonding and willing to fight to do something no other Cubs team has done in 108 years. Just as it didn't matter that many people cheering never experienced the disappointment  as fans...because regardless of our relationship with the Cubs...we all have experienced heartache and failure and dissapointment.  We all have been affected somewhere along the way by broken dreams and hard work and sacrifices that don't pay off.

It is why we connect and why we cheer and why we feel a part. It is the same reason that when I read scripture, I connect emotionally. These are words written 2000+ years ago that I have absolutely no physical connection to...yet they speak to me, they connect because we all connect to the heartache, the joys, the love, the brotherhood. We connect because we do truly have a creator that connects us all. God blesses us with this bond, this ability to connect. It is what draws us together and makes us weep and hug strangers and help our brothers and sisters regardless of race, color, nationality.  It is the beauty and the power of God within us and among us.  

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the authora and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

- Hebrews 12:1-3