A Need To Refocus (An Update)

So, as many of you know, I started a brand new job as a hospice chaplain almost a month ago. It has been an overwhelming, but awesome opportunity: one I am 100% grateful for and excited about. 

Well, ever since I started this new job full-time, I have let my “passions” slip by the wayside…

It’s just something that kind of happened. When I was unemployed for a year, I had all of this free time. I am convinced that one way I was able to stay sane throughout this whole time was to keep my focus on things I loved. I love to write, I love to try new things, I love things tech, I love to share my thoughts with anyone who is willing to listen.

But, now it is time for me to “refocus” my efforts squarely on my job/career…

A New Era Of Ministry For Me

Since leaving my last ministry job, I have struggled to make sense of God’s will for my life and how to make it through such a long time of unemployment. Along with my emotional state being shattered along with my faith in God; I was met with the stress of not working and the continued bills and financial responsibilities I had to maintain. These were difficult times, but these times also forced me to fix my eyes on Jesus and to seek healing and clarity that only He could give me when I totally surrendered and was open to His plan for my life. In the end, God is faithful and has opened up a new ministry opportunity for me. I couldn’t be happier and more grateful to God for His healing and blessing in my life. This is my story…

My Journey Back To Church

When you have been doing something you love and feel called to for such a long time, and then you aren’t doing it anymore; it’s natural to feel a host of emotions that can test your faith in God’s ultimate plan for your life. For me, those emotions left me with a sense of lostness and the desire to never enter back into the four walls of a church ever again.

So that’s what I did. I stop going to church. I stewed in my anger, resentment, and outright hatred toward anything and everything sacred. My soul was becoming consumed with the weight of darkness. For several months, I completely disconnected from my spirituality. I stopped praying, reading Scripture, worshipping God – all of it. I stopped caring about my relationship with Jesus and I became more and more bitter about Christianity. 

I had never felt these feelings before, even when I was going through some dark times many years ago while I was in college. I never had a moment when I stopped trusting in God, or believing that He had my best interests in mind. But I did at this moment. I was done with God…

My Apology To Evangelicals

I need to write this not because of the people I am apologizing to, but because of me. I need to write this because I feel that for far too long I’ve become bitter and angry against those whom I used to be associated with. I need to apologize to the evangelical Christian community.

The Humanness Of Politics: Why I’m Taking A Break

Why? Because I think politics affects us all on such a deep, visceral level that it brings out the best (but mostly worst) side of us. It brings up beliefs, views, and arguments that can go on and on for days until either one person calls it quits or both people break each other down. Politics is a breaking point. Politics serves us not so well. Politics, dare I say, is a necessary evil…

Moving On From Ministry Pain

It’s been almost a year since I have left and I have had ample time to go through spiritual counseling, the “five stages of grief”, a “prodigal son” period, pursuing other ventures, and coming around to seeking God’s will for my life when it comes to vocation…

Why 2016 Seemed to Suck So Much

Yes, I know that life isn’t perfect and I know that every year is good for some people and not so good for others. So, to make a blanket statement about a year as good or bad seems silly and sophomoric. But, it seemed like this past year in particular everyone was in agreement: 2016 absolutely blew. It sucked. It was simply ugly.

Why I Loathe (But Still Embrace) Turning 30

So today marks the 30th year of my existence, and I have very mixed feelings about this momentous occasion in my life. On the one hand I should be thrilled that I am departing my 20s and that the 30s have proven to be a good decade for most people. On the other hand I should be dreading turning 30 and still “not having it all together” like society expects you to when you turn that age.

Why I Believe in Love Above All Else

As we enter the new year in just a couple of weeks, I believe there is one singular message that needs to be proclaimed, especially in these dark times:

Love above all else!