When I was younger, I was obsessed with those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books! In it, were these stories - where you were either the hero, the adventurer, or the explorer. And every few pages, you had to make a choice. It was the most important decision ever because each choice influenced how the story ended. With some paths leading to glory. And others ending with alien invasions, tyrannosaurus rex attacks, or any other danger that could happen in your wildest imagination. Read the rest of this story here— via my substack. 🧡

One of the most beautiful memories I have of my mom is her singing. And I can see it right now. I can see her staring out a window, looking off into the distance. And she would sing.

Sometimes, they were happy songs. Sometimes, they were songs mixed with sorrow. But even to this day, those songs would find their way through space and time, and they would always be there when I needed them most.

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When I was a boy, I spent a lot of time on this island. And, way before screen reflections and status updates, life was filled with moments.⁣

How are you really, really feeling?

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And I've spoken to enough people over the last three years to know that a lot of us are struggling. Some of us have been extremely lucky. We were fortunate to find ourselves in the right places with the right people who see us for who we truly are. But a lot of us have also found ourselves in places where the idea of authenticity is talked about as the gold standard. But it is not actually welcomed. And it's the most heartbreaking thing ever! Living a lie day in and day out worrying about the room, instead of our heart. #TellABetterStory

 I've spoken to enough people over the last three years to know that a lot of us are struggling. Some of us have been extremely lucky. We were fortunate to find ourselves in the right places with the right people who see us for who we truly are. But a lot of us have also found ourselves in places where the idea of authenticity is talked about as the gold standard. But it is not actually welcomed. And it's the most heartbreaking thing ever! Living a lie day in and day out worrying about the room, instead of our heart. #TellABetterStory

The early Celtic Christians had a term they called ‘Thin Places.’ They believed that there were places where the layer between heaven and earth was paper-thin. They were places for God encounters. Thin places weren’t just gorgeous spots or beautiful moments. They were moments that changed the way they saw and interacted with the world around them. #thinplaces 

The idea of someone rescuing us is a big part of our psyche. We invent messiahs to do what we can't. We vote in leaders. We put our trust in companies and churches. But is it too simple? To imagine the world in the hands of magicians, fixing every problem. Maybe everything that is good in the world also needs us to be midwives to hope. 

As a boy, I grew up in a strict religious community. It was 100% old-time religion, with a side order of physical, emotional and spiritual abuse. Beyond all odds, I became a pastor. You might call it a blip! Others, Stockholm syndrome. I called it an opportunity to tell a better story. I found a lot of beautiful people. But I also found spiritual tormentors spreading prejudice, fear, and intolerance. One of the many disturbing aspects of spiritual abuse and a reason that it thrives unchecked is this. Instead of “saying something”, most people take the path of least resistance. Have we become a church of enablers? Let's tell a better STORY.