The Woodlands: A Place for Exploring the Spiritual Life

As Lent gives way to Holy Week, we arrive at the cross. In Jesus’ Passion we see the fullest picture of a reordered heart—one open to God and willing to love to the end. The cross reveals what a life shaped by holy desire looks like in the real world.

As Lent gives way to Holy Week, we arrive at the cross. In Jesus’ Passion we see the fullest picture of a reordered heart—one open to God and willing to love to the end. The cross reveals what a life shaped by holy desire looks like in the real world.

A Spiritual Practice for Holy Week

Holy Week invites us to walk with Jesus, not merely to remember what happened to him. These daily practices are an invitation to slow down, pray with Scripture, and accompany Christ as the story of his Passion unfolds.

Each day this week:

* Read the passage aloud slowly.

* Read it again silently.

* Sit quietly for a few moments. Notice the word, image, or feeling that draws your attention. Remain there with God.

* Close with the prayer for the day.

Do not rush. Let the Scripture keep company with you.

Palm Sunday

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)

Lord Jesus, form your mind within me. Where I grasp for control, give me trust. Where I seek glory, teach me humility. Make my life a reflection of yours. Amen.

Monday of Holy Week

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany… Mary took a pound of costly perfume… and anointed Jesus’ feet… and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:1–3)

Gracious God, receive what I offer you today—my love, my attention, my whole self. Free me from holding back, and let my life bear the fragrance of devotion. Amen.

Tuesday of Holy Week

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

God of surprising wisdom, when I seek strength on my own terms, slow me down. Teach me the power hidden in self-giving love. Help me trust the way of the cross. Amen.

Wednesday of Holy Week

Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely… looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1–2)

Faithful God, help me release what weighs upon my heart. Give me perseverance for the path before me, and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads me into life. Amen.

Maundy Thursday

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread… “This is my body that is for you.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25)

Lord Jesus, you give yourself for the life of the world. Feed me with your grace, and shape my life into a gift for others. Teach me to love as you love. Amen.

Good Friday

Jesus said, “I am thirsty”… “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28–30)

Crucified Savior, you entered the depths of human suffering and did not turn away. Help me rest in the mercy accomplished on the cross and trust the love poured out for the world. Amen.

Holy Saturday

Since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention… to live no longer by human desires but by the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1–2)

Hidden God, teach me the holiness of waiting. In silence and uncertainty, hold me fast. Shape my desires toward your life until hope rises in your time. Amen.

In the final episode of Reordering the Heart, I reflect on the raising of Lazarus and what it means to follow Jesus. Discipleship leads us not away from suffering but into the places where Christ is already present, trusting that the way of the cross leads to resurrection hope.

In this episode, I reflect on Jesus’ healing of the man born blind in John 9 and the deeper question beneath the miracle: how we learn to see. Like cataracts that slowly cloud our vision, the stories we inherit about success, suffering, and worth can shape how we perceive God, ourselves, and others without our realizing it. Jesus challenges a way of seeing that blames and measures, and invites us instead into a vision shaped by mercy and healing.

In Part 3 of Reordering the Heart, I reflect on the turning point of the spiritual life: moving from a self we try to achieve to a self we learn to receive. Real change begins when identity is no longer something we secure for ourselves but something we discover as gift.

When the Heart Races

Why does trying to “be true to yourself” so often leave us anxious and exhausted? I explore how the pressure to construct and prove our identity keeps the heart racing—and how Jesus offers a different path grounded in receiving our lives as a gift rather than achieving them.

Part of my Lenten reflections on how Jesus reshapes our desires and teaches us to live more freely and truthfully.

What are you really longing for? In this first installment of Reordering the Heart, we explore how our desires are shaped by the culture around us—and how Lent invites us to let Christ reorder what we love.

In this episode, I reflect on what it means for hope to become a way of life. Christian hope is not passive or wishful thinking. It is a pattern of living shaped by trust in God’s presence and promise — a hope that clarifies our actions, steadies us in uncertainty, and draws us toward love in the world as it is.

This Lent, I’m beginning a five-part series called Reordering the Heart. Each Friday, beginning February 20, we’ll explore what it means to follow Jesus more intentionally in a culture that shapes our desires in subtle but powerful ways.

In this episode, I reflect on finding hope when the odds are against you. Hope is not wishful thinking, but a way of living shaped by God’s abiding presence — even in seasons of uncertainty and loss.

In a time when power is often mistaken for strength, Jesus speaks a different word: “Blessed are the meek.”In this episode, I reflect on what meekness truly means — not passivity or withdrawal, but a form of power shaped by humility, love, and trust in God. As the world grows more captivated by control and dominance, the way of Jesus invites us to live otherwise — faithful, courageous, and grounded in mercy.