If we take off the costumes we all wear, we're more likely to understand the myriad ways in which people express their humanity. Only then can we truly love the way Jesus calls us to.

Deconstructing racial and religious programming isn't the same as denying reality. Join my guest and I on her, over twenty year journey of deconstructing certain beliefs she's held.

We humans have a way of creating a narrative that soothes our collective conscience and makes us feel better about behaviors that are cringeworthy. 

In the inimitable words of President Francis Underwood, "Welcome to the death of the age of reason."

No matter what side of the current geo-political climate you fall on, you're going to want to hear this episode.

In life, while the destination is often exciting, the journey is really what it's all about. The cruise ship industry has figured that out and use it to their advantage. Ultimately, a cruise isn't really about where you're going or the ports you're calling at, but about the journey itself, and so the best cruise liners go out of their way to create an experience worthy of sharing and even repeating.

But I digress!

I'm not talking about cruise ships in this episode, however my guest and I are talking about the journey so far and what a day in the life of the adventure we're on might look like for her. Figured out who my guest is yet? Don't worry, you don't have to guess. Just click on the hyperlink and join us for a great experience.

How do I respond when I'm feeling unfairly beaten up by life's relentless pressures?

There are primarily two kinds of games in the gaming industry, the finite and the infinite. The goal of the finite game is simply to win! Once you win it's over. The goal of the infinite game is to keep playing. It's never ending and you simply continue to climb to higher levels with each successive conquest. Most infinite games are free to download but have in-app purchases that provide greater and greater incentives that commit you to the game. 

If we distill life down to the analogy of a video game, then life is the infinite game version. Want to understand how and why? Tune in and find out! 

In this episode we explore the ties that bind us together. We reminisce about the past, live in the present, and dream about the future. My guest isn't a stranger to our long time listeners, but the new season calls for a new outlook and a fresh perspective. No matter what obstacles life throws at you, as a Christ follower you've been uniquely equipped to face the challenges, head right into the storm, and come out the other side a stronger and better person. I love the raw and honest journey this episode will take you on. Don't listen alone, invite a friend or two, and definitely invite family. You can thank me later!

Mark Batterson, in his devotional titled, Flip The Script, suggests that:

"If your life isn't what you want it to be, it may be because you're telling yourself the wrong story."

You see, as a Christ follower I've always maintained that stories shape the ethos of any community--in other words, stories shape the characteristic spirit of a culture or community as manifested in said culture's beliefs and aspirations.

If this is true, and I'm confident that it is, then what is the ethos of the Christ-following community? What narrative are we telling ourselves and the rest of the world that makes our story valuable and worthy of pursuing? I invite you to join me on this episode as I explore the answers to these troubling questions.

This week my guest and I discover a few "hidden" secrets which we explore in some detail. Living life requires so many things of us, and the truth is that sometimes the best--or at least the most useful--part of the lessons we learn from life are actually not found in the destination but in the journey itself. Ultimately, what adds the greatest value from your journey, in helping other people navigate theirs, is your story. So what's your story? How are you using it to make the world around you better? Don't even know what that means or where to begin? Then this podcast will help give you perspective. Invite your friends and family, and you can thank me later!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, "The "heart" in the Biblical sense is not the inner life, but the whole man in relation to God. But as a man lives just as much from the "outwards" to "inwards" as from "inwards" to "outwards," the view that his essential nature can be understood only from his intimate spiritual background is wholly erroneous." 

Hollywood, on the other hand, would suggest that love is the potent emotional connection you feel with someone you're attracted to the moment you set eyes on them. Yet, more often than not, that warm fuzzy feeling is simply a misguided, unchecked emotion masquerading as love. Love has a significant cost for all who dare to truly love. Find out in this episode what that might be!

Unless you've been living under a rock or were born yesterday, you've probably heard or even used the expression "Christmas Spirit." But what is it? I bet if I asked the question in a room of ten people, there'd be eleven different definitions. Culture has redefined so much of our vocabulary and Christmas has become just another holiday in which Hallmark thrives, we give all our money to the stores, and we're nice to everyone including the people we don't really like. So how do you get the Christmas Spirit? Or better yet, how do you recognize the Christmas Spirit when you see it? Let's explore the answers together so as to ensure that the Christmas Spirit is present in all our celebrations this Christmas. Merry Christmas from our house to yours!