This day should not be. What should be is air in lungs for eternity walking and talking with the Author of days for eternity in what should be but ceased to be when we usurped the Author to linger and listen to the Liar what could be no—what should be broken by a bite. And dusty days began. Dusty days between dusty days  leads to this day the dustiest of days. I’m one preaching prophet  telling anyone with ears to hear, “Your animated spirit will cease your animated breath wi

Every once in a while, you read a book that resonates deeply, because it names something you’ve seen in the human heart. The Courage to Be Dislike d   by Ichiro Kishimi is one of those books. Its ideas about personal responsibility, freedom from people-pleasing, and letting go of control over others’ opinions speak directly to the struggles many people carry.  Many of the people I counsel struggle deeply with feeling responsible for everyone’s emotions. They fear disappointi

How do people master a skill?  I once thought someone had to “put in 10,000 hours” to master a skill.  I once thought people primarily learn through reward reinforcement.  I once thought rote memorization and repetitive practice would produce the best results in skill improvement.  New research from the “Beyond Reward-Based Learning” study out of UC Berkeley reveals a slightly different reality. I learn something new everyday, and this may be something new for you.  Learning

There’s a chart making the rounds that shows membership trends across major U.S. denominations since 2000. It’s not a pretty picture. Most churches are shrinking, some rapidly. But three denominations stand out in green: the PCA, the ACNA, and the Assemblies of God. They’re not just surviving. They’re growing. Meanwhile, the LCMS is down roughly 34%. So the questions are obvious: What do those growing churches have in common? & What might the LCMS be missing? What the Growing