MARCH 26, 2026

 “Do one thing every day that scares you.” 

~ Elinor Roosevelt

JOSHUA 16-18

3So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? (18:3)

LUKE 5:1-16

8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

JOURNAL

God’s command is clear throughout Scripture. It is to go and to act. From the Israelites stepping into land already promised to them, to Peter dropping his nets and following Jesus, the pattern is the same. Faith is not passive. It is expressed through movement. Peter encounters the power of Jesus and his immediate response is shame and fear. He sees who Jesus is and, in contrast, feels the weight of who he is not. Yet Jesus meets that moment directly and tells him not to be afraid, then calls him forward into purpose.

Yesterday on the golf course I saw something in myself that connects deeply to this. It was almost startling how quickly my mind moved. One bad shot and my thoughts immediately jumped ahead. I began projecting failure into the next swing, the next hole, even the rest of the round. It was not logical. It was automatic. It was as if my mind was trying to protect me by predicting more disappointment before it could happen.

Even when I hit a good shot, there was still tension. Instead of simply receiving it, my mind questioned it. Can I do that again? Was that a fluke? The projection did not stop, it just shifted forms. Whether negative or positive, it was still rooted in doubt and control.

What struck me most is that this was happening in a place where everything was good. I was outside, enjoying the game, with nothing truly at stake. Yet my mind still searched for ways to protect itself through fear and shame. That realization was revealing. These responses are not situational. They are deeply wired. They come from that primitive part of the brain designed for survival. But when left unchecked, those same instincts do not protect me, they sabotage me. They pull me out of the present moment and rob me of both joy and effectiveness.

So during the round I tried something different. Instead of projecting forward, I focused only on the shot in front of me. I approached each one with the intention of making it the best shot of my life. I chose to be composed, focused, and confident. Not because I knew the outcome, but because I could fully give myself to that moment.

The difference was immediate. The game became more enjoyable. There was a freedom in it. I was no longer playing against imagined futures. I was simply present.

This ties directly to what I see in Scripture today. Peter did not have time to project every possible outcome of leaving his nets. He was confronted with a moment. A choice. Stay in what he understood or step into something unknown. Jesus did not remove the uncertainty. He simply said do not be afraid and follow me.

God does not ask me to control outcomes. He asks for obedience in the present moment. He asks me to give my best right now and trust Him with everything else. As simple as that sounds, my mind constantly tries to complicate it by projecting into the future or replaying the past.

Fear and shame have been the two most consistent forces I have battled in life. They are powerful because they feel protective, but in reality they keep me from stepping fully into what I am called to do. The command to not fear is repeated over and over, not because fear will not come, but because it must not be allowed to lead.

The answer is not avoidance or suppression. It is obedience. It is choosing to move forward anyway. It is trusting that God meets me in each step, not in the imagined outcomes my mind creates.

There is a discipline to this. My mind will drift. My emotions will rise. There will be moments where everything in me wants to retreat or control. But those moments are opportunities. They are invitations to return to faith, to return to the present, and to act.

Even when walking through darkness, the promise remains the same. God is with me. My responsibility is not to map the entire path, but to take the next step with courage, focus, and trust.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,^a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me. 

Psalm 23:4

MARCH 25, 2026

 

“Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.” 

 ~ Gustave Flaubert

JOSHUA 14, 15

10“Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.

LUKE 4:33-44

42At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

JOURNAL

This is such a beautiful picture into the life of Christ. He was the Son of God, the Messiah and yet he never rested in that title, he was disciplined and never content to sit and be worshiped. He had important work to do and he diligently saw to do it.

Work is one of the great blessings of life.  Yet there are so many things in culture that play up the allure of retirement. As if one day when you are no longer "working" life will then be full of joy.  The here and now is where God has me and it is where the opportunity for love, generosity, kindness and passion exist. The reality is that I am where I am. I can either consider it a blessing from God and look at every moment as an opportunity to learn, to serve, to give or to teach.  Or I can long for something I may never get all the while wasting the gift of today.

I believe the key is balance...there should be times of rest. There are also going to be moments of sadness, frustration and heartache. But that is just part of the beauty of life. We can't avoid it and if we extend extreme effort to do so...then we risk numbing our lives in ways that can harm us and those around us. I am where I am this moment today.

 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 

COLOSSIANS 3:23-24

MARCH 24, 2026

   “Most people take the limits of their vision to be the limits of the world. A few do not. Join them.” 

- Arthur Schopenhauer

JOSHUA 11-13

18Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long period of time. 19No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle. 20For it was of the LORD to hardend their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.(11:18-20)

LUKE 4:1-32

14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”^f

20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

JOURNAL 

Joshua’s mission is clear and unwavering. He does not negotiate with what stands opposed to God. He removes it completely. There is a decisiveness there that speaks to me, not just outwardly, but inwardly. What kingdoms exist within me that do not belong. What habits, thoughts, or patterns stand in quiet opposition to the life God has called me to live. If my body is truly the dwelling place of His Spirit, then I cannot casually coexist with what diminishes that reality. There is a call to clear it out, to make room for something greater.

Then I see Jesus in Luke, led by the Spirit into the wilderness, fasting, resisting, aligned. And when He returns, He comes back in the power of the Spirit. Not weakened, but refined. Focused. Anchored. And He declares something profound. Today this scripture is fulfilled. Not someday. Not eventually. Today.

Today is where God’s Spirit dwells in me. Today is where obedience matters. Today is where the miracle of my body, my breath, my awareness is actively sustaining me. And today is where I choose how I will respond. Just like Jesus, being filled with the Spirit does not mean the world will respond with constant praise. One moment He is admired, the next He is rejected. That same instability exists in my life. Circumstances shift. Reactions change. But none of that alters what is true. What is true is that God’s Spirit is in me now.

That means this body is not random. It is intentional. It is capable. It is designed to carry out something meaningful. So how I treat it today matters. What I fuel it with, how I move it, how I rest it, how I discipline my thoughts and actions. These are not small details. They are acts of honoring the Spirit within me. They are ways of aligning my life with what God is doing in me right now.

Joshua removed what stood in opposition. Jesus walked in obedience regardless of response. Both point to the same truth. My life is not measured by comfort or approval. It is measured by alignment.

So today becomes sacred. Every interaction is an opportunity to reflect the Spirit’s fruit. Love in how I respond. Peace in how I carry myself. Discipline in what I choose. Kindness, patience, self-control. Not as ideas, but as lived expressions flowing from within. This is what it means to live from the Spirit, not just believe in it.

Today is not ordinary. It is a living moment where God’s presence is active in me. My body is the vessel. My choices are the reflection. And my awareness of this changes how I walk through every second of it.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.       

GALATIANS 5:22-26

MARCH 23, 2026

 

“A great man is always willing to be little.” 

 Ralph Waldo Emerson

JOSHUA 9-10

40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills,f and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon.

42And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign. 43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

LUKE 3

9The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

11John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

13“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

JOURNAL

Joshua’s conquest is hard for me to process. Entire cities wiped out, men, women, and children. It feels brutal and unsettling. Then I read John’s words calling people to generosity, honesty, and fairness, and I wonder how both of these can exist under the command of the same God. It has always been something I wrestle with, and I think that is okay. My understanding is not complete, but my trust in God remains. I still believe He is good, that He is love, and that His ways are right even when I cannot fully reconcile them.

I keep coming back to the idea of relationship and perspective. A parent does not interact with a two-year-old the same way they do with a twelve-year-old or an adult child. The parent has not changed, but the relationship has, and the needs of the child are different in each stage. Maybe that helps explain some of what we see. God meets people where they are, within specific moments in history, culture, and maturity. It does not make everything simple, but it gives me a framework to keep trusting even when I do not fully understand.

There is something deeply humbling about the fact that God chose to step into humanity, to meet us in our mess, and to relate to us in a way we can begin to grasp. The image of a father is only a glimpse, but it reminds me that His actions are rooted in something far deeper than what I can see on the surface.

What stands out most to me is Jesus. He did not spend His time promoting Himself. His focus was on others, on their needs, on serving and loving. When He did speak about Himself, He spoke truthfully and without excuse. That is such a clear example for me. Live with a quiet humility. Do not make life about drawing attention to myself. If I have to speak, let it be honest and without justification. Use the moments I have to love people well, to serve, and to bring something good and eternal into the world around me.

It really comes down to this. Be willing to be small. Be honest. Love others. And trust that God is who He says He is, even when I do not have every answer.

6Who, being in very nature^a God,did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature^b of a servant,being made in human likeness.8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!  

Philippians 2:6-8  

MARCH 22, 2026

  “The monster is only scary while it is in the closet.Once in the light,you can see its many flaws and weaknesses.And often,we end up laughing,at what we shield our eyes from no more.” - Tom Althouse

JOSHUA 7-8

 5And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarriesd and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.7“O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! 8O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies? 9When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”(7:5-9)

LUKE 2:25-52

 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

49“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^f 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

JOURNAL 

Six years ago, during COVID, fear seemed to grip the entire world. It just showed up in different forms depending on where you stood. Some were convinced the virus itself would devastate humanity, collapsing healthcare systems and wiping out lives at an unimaginable scale. Others were just as certain that the response to the virus, the shutdowns, the isolation, the economic disruption, would lead to financial ruin, societal breakdown, and long-term damage we might never recover from. Either way, doom and gloom felt constant, loud, and inescapable.

Looking back now, what stands out is not the fear itself, but how easy it was for everyone, including me, to get pulled into it. The uncertainty made everything feel fragile. Every headline, every statistic, every opinion seemed to point toward worst-case scenarios. It did not matter which side someone leaned toward. Underneath it all was the same root, fear of what might happen.

And yet, in the middle of that, there was something else available. When I look back through what I wrote and what I leaned on during that time, I see how often God was reminding me of truth. Not in some abstract way, but through Scripture and through the steady reminder of history, both personal and human.

Because when fear takes over, it narrows your vision. It makes you forget everything that has already been carried, sustained, and redeemed. It is exactly what we see with Joshua and the Israelites. One setback and suddenly everything feels lost. They forget the Red Sea, the provision in the wilderness, the victories that came before. Fear rewrites the story in real time.

And that same tendency was alive in me during COVID. It was easy to project outcomes that felt certain in the moment but were ultimately rooted in assumption, not truth. But Scripture kept pulling me back. It reminded me that this was not new. Humanity has faced collapse, pandemics, wars, and uncertainty over and over again. And every time, God has remained steady.

What is humbling is that when I look back now, I do not primarily remember the fear. I remember the time together, the slowing down, the unexpected moments of connection and even joy. The very season that felt like it might unravel everything did not define us the way it once seemed like it would.

That is the lesson that sticks. Fear feels powerful in the moment, but it is often built on projections that never fully materialize. Truth, on the other hand, is grounded. It reminds us not just of what could happen, but of what has already happened, and how God has been present through all of it.

He was faithful then. He had been faithful long before that. And He will be faithful again.

  6Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”b

Deuteronomy 31:6