Even though it sounds a bit sensationalized, it is not. Retreating to the balcony has dramatically changed my walk with Christ. Transformed my life. And, yes, saved it in many respects. The story is built around a balcony metaphor and pivots off God’s instruction to examine ourselves to “search me and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23).    The goal is to get perspective on my life’s bigger picture...

There is a good reason REGRET is one of the most powerful words on the planet—IT HURTS! The most common definition tells the story:    “A painful experience and/or memory from the past.”    Most of us have regrets from the past that we carry around with us like carpenters tote their tools. That’s unavoidable. But we can work hard to keep them from ruling our life in the present....

The Fight-or-Flight response is our body and mind’s physiological response to a perceived or real threat to our safety or survival. And it’s REAL! Consider this… You are snorkeling above a majestic coral platform, suspended in the safe confines of a cozy cove in the Caribbean’s shimmering cobalt ink. The coral attracts you like a magnet and, in an instant, one of its knife-like fingers awakens a surprised...

Why are so many Christians afraid to activate their faith? Afraid to discover their life purpose? Afraid of their own shadow? What can we do about that sad reality? Let’s start with what will not work—POSITIVE THINKING. Not a chance. The antidote is SPIRITUAL CONFIDENCE.    Trying to reach 100% Spiritual Confidence through positive thinking is like wearing new socks in bad shoes.    Spiritual...

Our media-driven and comparison-crazy world wants us to chase everything. Have everything. Be everything. We all hear and see the pounding pitch every day on screens that seem to show up everywhere, even in our own pocket or purse.    These pitches serenade our soul in search of a crack of vulnerability that would have us succumb to the lie that we should—no, must—have everything.    With...

When we are teeming with anger, we know it. When we are trembling in fear, we know it. And when we are trapped by envy, we know it. But when we are SELFISH, well…not so much. That’s how sneaky and insidious selfishness can be in the life of a Christian.    In many cases, this blind-spot is created by our hubris and a sense—conscious or unconscious—of spiritual elitism. Another opening for...

The world has always been roiling in CHAOS. And then it was rocked by a social media maelstrom that has taken it to a much deeper and dangerous level.    The chaos cyclone cannot be stopped but we still yearn for order; fight for peace; and pray for relief.    We do not want chaos in the movie theater, at the supermarket, or on the beach. And we certainly don’t want chaos in our...

If you have ever tried to throw a boomerang, you know that throwing it is actually easy. The hard part is getting it to return. Developed and perfected by the indigenous Aborigines in Australia, the v-shaped wonder is still popular today. In 1998, the world champion thrower tossed his boomerang nearly 1300 feet.    But the boomerang is not just something we throw around. It is often used...

When I lived a fast-paced and stressful existence on life’s roller coaster as a CEO in the marketplace, I was consumed by angst and anger. With each new wave of anxiety my mind locked onto the wrong things and I drifted away from God and his truth. Living on this head-jerking roller coaster produced a wave of guilt that stopped me from going to God. If I ever did get around to seeking him, the lift...

If you have ever been to the Grand Canyon, you have witnessed its majestic grandeur and gazed down the cavernous openings that dive deep into the arms of a golden-brown net. It’s an awesome wonder to be sure, but where is the connection with hopelessness?    The answer to that question traces back to the early stages of my journey into God’s wonderland, many years ago now, when the chasm...