MAY 4, 2026

  “I see a world on the edge of a blade. Without balance, it will fall.” 

― Victoria Aveyard

1 CHRONICLES 11-13

15Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 17David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 18So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the Lord. 19“God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.(11:31-33)

JOHN 9:1-23

1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

JOURNAL 

There is something powerful woven throughout Scripture that I can miss if I’m not paying attention. The moments that end up shaping everything are rarely grand on the surface. They are small, ordinary, almost forgettable scenes—a man longing for water, a blind beggar sitting on the side of the road, mud pressed into someone’s eyes followed by a simple command to go and wash. And yet those moments echo through history and shape the faith of billions. That is what stands out to me. The masterpiece is not built in the spotlight; it is built in the details of today.

David’s mighty men did not become legendary in one dramatic act. Their greatness was forged in loyalty, in presence, in choosing devotion in moments no one else would have noticed. Even the story of the water from Bethlehem is not really about water. It is about honor, sacrifice, and recognizing the weight of what others were willing to do. David saw that and refused to treat it casually. In the same way, Jesus did not bypass the blind man in search of something bigger. He stopped, engaged, and used something simple and ordinary to reveal something eternal. What looked insignificant became a moment that displayed the power and heart of God.

That is the invitation in front of me today. As I step into a new week, I do not need to chase something massive to live a meaningful life. The question is much simpler and much more challenging at the same time: what ordinary moments today can I turn into something extraordinary? The answer is not found in striving for recognition or chasing outcomes. It is found in obedience. It is found in refusing to dismiss the small things and instead giving my full attention, effort, and heart to what is right in front of me—a conversation, a responsibility, a moment to choose patience over frustration, presence over distraction. This is where the masterpiece is formed.

Balance comes into this as well because I can easily drift in either direction. I can begin to think too highly of myself and believe I need to do something great to matter, or I can go the other way and believe that what I do does not matter at all. Both are wrong. The truth is that my life matters deeply, but not because of scale. It matters because of faithfulness. The challenge is to live fully engaged in today without making it about myself.

I do that by staying close to God, not occasionally but daily, through small, consistent rhythms of Scripture, prayer, and quiet surrender. When I drift from that, I start chasing the wrong things or minimizing the right ones. David struggled when he was isolated, and the disciples struggled when they relied on their own understanding, but over and over God met them when they returned, when they surrendered, and when they chose to keep showing up. That is the pattern I want to follow.

So today my focus is simple. I want to do what is in front of me with excellence, treat the small things as sacred, choose obedience over convenience, and stay connected to God in every moment, not just the big ones. Because the truth is, the ordinary moments of today are not ordinary at all. They are the brushstrokes of the masterpiece.

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

ROMANS 12:1-2

MAY 3, 2026

 “We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work” 

― Thomas A. Edison

1 KINGS 6-7

51When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.(7:51)

LUKE 23:27-38

32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^c And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

38There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

JOURNAL 

Solomon finished the temple—a masterpiece crafted with devotion, detail, and great cost. What began with David’s vision was brought to completion by Solomon’s obedience. The temple was filled with treasures set aside for God—gold, silver, fine furnishings—all devoted, all holy. It was the culmination of sacrifice and faithfulness, a physical space where heaven and earth would meet.

But centuries later, heaven and earth would meet again—this time not in a building, but on a hill called Golgotha.

Jesus, the true temple (John 2:21), was nailed to a cross between two criminals. He was stripped, mocked, and left to die. Instead of being surrounded by gold and priests, He was surrounded by sneers and soldiers. Yet even there, Jesus did what Solomon could not: He became the offering. The temple required gifts; Jesus gave Himself.

His entire life was lived in service and love—never in selfishness. And this, I confess, is where His life confronts mine. While Jesus gave everything, I often find myself pulling back. Retreating. I avoid discomfort. I look for ways around the struggles of honesty, love, and hard work. At its core, sin is often a step backward—a refusal to press into the challenges of obedience and truth.

But Jesus doesn’t confront me to shame me. He confronts me to free me.

The cross reveals not just my sin, but His mercy. Jesus looked at those who crucified Him and said, “Father, forgive them.” That same mercy reaches me. And with it comes a promise: “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Through Christ, I’m invited to stop running and start building—just like Solomon did. Only now, the temple is my heart. I can offer the ordinary pieces of my day—my honesty, my work, my presence—as sacred acts of worship.

Joy isn’t found in escape. It’s not hidden in the next big moment. It’s here—in the now. In choosing love over selfishness, service over comfort, and truth over convenience.

Today is a new altar. Will I place my best on it?

22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 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 3:22-24

MAY 2, 2026

 “Our story is not only about exile and oppression and suffering. It is the story of thriving, of triumph, and of great faith. It is the story of a people that laughs in the face of deepest despair, that stubbornly clings to life and to joy even in the face of horror and death. We take our pain and turn it into poetry. We take our misfortune and transform it into opportunity.” 

― Daniella Levy

1 KINGS 3-5

7“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 15Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.(3:7-15)

LUKE 23:1-26

13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” [17]^a

18But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

JOURNAL 

Jesus stood before Pilate, silent and blameless—yet condemned. Pilate, though uneasy, looked for a way out. He knew Jesus was innocent (Luke 23:4), but the pressure of the crowd was louder than the whisper of truth. Public opinion—fickle, loud, and charged with fear—overpowered the still, small voice of justice. And so, the sentence was handed down. Jesus would die.

What a contrast this is to Solomon’s story. In a dream, God invites Solomon to ask for anything (1 Kings 3:5). He could have requested power, riches, or victory over enemies. But Solomon, aware of the weight of leadership, asks for wisdom. He knew that guiding a people was beyond his own ability. And because he asked for wisdom—not wealth or fame—God gave him both. Wisdom, it turns out, was the key to everything else.

This comparison stirs something in me. I wonder—how often do I, like Pilate, let fear and the opinions of others dictate my choices? How often do I, instead of asking for God’s wisdom, anxiously try to control the outcome on my own?

If I'm honest... more than I care to admit. That’s why I need time in God’s Word and in prayer. Without His voice grounding me, the world's noise grows too loud. On my own, I am swayed. But with Him? Scripture reminds me, “God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). With His Spirit, I can face anything.

Each day is a fresh canvas. I hold the brush—but what story will I paint today? One driven by fear and anxiety, or one led by the quiet, steady hand of God? Will I surrender to the crowd, or will I surrender to Christ?

May I seek Him in every question, every challenge, and every blessing. Because true wisdom—the kind that sees beyond today—can only come from Him.

 26To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.

ECCLESIATES 2:26

MAY 1, 2026

  “Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.” 

― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

1 KINGS 1-2

9Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.

11Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it?(1:9-11)...

2“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go" (2:2-3)

LUKE 22:54-71

54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

57But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

58A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

59About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

60Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.

JOURNAL 

Lately I have been face to face with something that runs deeper than I want to admit: the pull to medicate and the desire to smooth out discomfort without having to walk through it. Addiction is not just about substances; it is about the universal human longing for peace, love, and harmony. We all want that, and when we find a way to feel it instantly without relationship, without effort, and without sacrifice, it becomes incredibly hard to resist. That is where the danger lives, because when we reach for something that gives us relief without requiring anything from us, we are not just escaping pain, we are slowly disconnecting from the very things that produce real joy.

At the same time, not all pleasure is the problem. God created enjoyment, rest, laughter, and even simple pleasures as good gifts. The distinction is not pleasure itself but the role it plays in our lives. Enjoyment that flows out of a healthy life, rooted in love, discipline, and relationship, strengthens us. But pleasure used to escape life, avoid growth, or replace what is real slowly weakens us. It becomes a substitute instead of a supplement, and that is where things begin to unravel.

God did not design us for shortcuts. He designed us so that love, meaningful work, and relationships, especially when they require sacrifice, actually shape us. They change us and even affect us physically. There is a reinforcement that happens in our minds and bodies when we choose what is good instead of what is easy, and that kind of joy does not spike and disappear but steadies and deepens over time. When we chase the chemical version of that feeling, whatever form it takes, we cheat the system, and cheating any system always comes with a cost. At first it feels like freedom and relief, but over time it hollows us out and leaves us shallow, dissatisfied, and searching for more of something that can never truly satisfy.

C.S. Lewis wrote that gratitude looks to the past and love to the present, while fear and desire are always reaching ahead, and that feels especially true when I think about addiction. Addiction pulls us out of the present and promises something better, easier, and immediate, but it never actually delivers life. Real life is found in the present, even when the present is hard. When I read about Adonijah trying to take the throne, I see someone grasping for control and trying to force an outcome instead of trusting God's design. It looked right on the surface, but it was disconnected from truth. In contrast, David’s charge to Solomon was simple: walk in obedience and stay aligned with what is true, trusting that this path, even when it is slower and harder, leads to life.

Peter felt this same tension. In the courtyard, sitting by the fire, faced with fear and pressure, he chose the immediate escape and denied Jesus to avoid pain. In that moment he medicated his fear with self-preservation, and it broke him, not because he was weak but because he stepped outside of truth to find relief. I see that same pattern in myself. Every time I look for a way to feel better that avoids the work of love, the risk of relationship, or the discipline of obedience, I am choosing a shortcut over something real, and it never leads where I hope it will.

The truth is that the present moment is where everything happens. It is where God meets us and where real joy is formed, not in escape or numbing or chasing a feeling, but in staying present, engaged, and connected to what is true even when it is uncomfortable. God is not found in the shortcuts; He is found in the process. He is found in the honest conversation, in the difficult decision, in choosing love when it would be easier to withdraw, and in the discipline of doing what is right when no one is watching. That is where joy lives. It is not loud or instant, but it is real and it lasts.

So today I remind myself that I am not looking for relief that costs me my depth, and I am not chasing peace that requires me to disconnect from truth. I am choosing the kind of life that is built, not manufactured. The kind of joy that comes from God cannot be faked, rushed, or replaced. The easy path will always be there calling for my attention, but I know where it leads, so I will stay here in the present, in the tension, and in the work, trusting that this is where real life begins.

31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
MATTHEW 6:31-3

APRIL 30, 2026

 

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”  

~ Abraham Lincoln

2 SAMUEL 24

17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd,^c have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”

LUKE 22:46-53

 47While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”49When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.51But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

JOURNAL

Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

I remember sitting in a movie theater summer of my senior year in high school watching Dead Poets Society and feeling something wake up in me. It was more than a line from a movie. It was a challenge. A calling. A quiet rebellion against the fear that I was not enough and might never be. That fear of rejection runs deeper than we admit. It shapes decisions, silences courage, and keeps us performing instead of living.

In Tribe, Sebastian Junger writes about the human need to belong and the deep fear of being cast out. That fear has always driven behavior. It pushes people to conform, to prove their worth, to stay inside the lines so they are not left behind. But it also reveals something true. We were made for a tribe. We were made to belong. And more than that, we were made to contribute.

The difference is that we already have a place. We are not striving to earn our way into God’s tribe. We have been brought in. The question is not whether we belong. The question is how we will live because we do.

Seizing the day is not about reckless living or chasing moments. It is about intentional living. It is about waking up aware that this day matters. That this moment matters. That I have been given breath, strength, and opportunity for a reason.

David understood this in a hard way. When he saw the cost of his own failure, he did not deflect or protect himself. He stepped forward and owned it. He placed himself between the consequences and the people he was called to lead. That is what real leadership looks like. That is what real character looks like. Not perfection, but responsibility. Not image, but truth.

Jesus shows the fullness of it. In the moment of betrayal, chaos, and violence, He did not react out of fear. He did not grasp for control. He stood steady. He spoke truth. He healed when others struck. He chose love when darkness pressed in. That is not weakness. That is strength under complete control. That is a life fully surrendered and fully alive at the same time.

This is what it means to seize the day.

It means choosing courage when fear of rejection creeps in.
It means choosing discipline when comfort calls for less.
It means choosing love when it would be easier to protect yourself.

It means living with passion, not apathy.
It means solving problems instead of avoiding them.
It means creating, serving, sacrificing, and stepping into the moments that actually matter.

Power will test all of this. As Abraham Lincoln said, character is revealed when power is given. And power is not just position or authority. It is influence. It is opportunity. It is the ability to act. Every day we are given small forms of power. The question is what we do with them.

Do we use them to protect ourselves, or to serve others?
Do we shrink back to stay accepted, or step forward to live with purpose?

We do not have to live trapped by the fear of being rejected by others. We already belong. And because of that, we are free to live boldly.

Carpe Diem is not about squeezing everything out of life for ourselves. It is about pouring ourselves into what matters most. It is about living each day in a way that reflects who we were created to be.

To live with passion.
To live with discipline.
To live with love.

To seize the day, not for ourselves, but for something far greater.

He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. 

2 CORINTHIANS 13:3-4