Get Ready With God

You know how you can't go from walking around the block to running a marathon overnight?  I'm talking about how building spiritual capacity works exactly the same way - you need a comfortable "base pace" (for me it's prayer on hikes) and then you slowly add harder things instead of jumping from atheist to following every religious rule. If you're trying to figure out where you're at with faith, give yourself permission to start whe...

Okay but like... does everything actually happen for a reason or are we just trying to make ourselves feel better when life gets messy? I'm diving into this big question because honestly, I don't think everything happens for a reason BUT I do think we can assign our own meaning to things (especially the painful stuff) and that's actually pretty powerful. My mantra is "it's more fun to believe" and sometimes choosing to find purpose...

When someone's life choices make you angry or judgmental, that's actually about YOU, not them! Our triggers reveal our insecurities and shifting values—recently someone close to me left religion and it tormented me because I was using them to validate my own path. When living differently than those around us, we need God-guided confidence in our values, not validation from others. Use your triggers as soul-searching invitations—the...

There's a difference between being an actual victim and victim mentality. Real harm (abuse, loss, institutional failures) isn't your fault, but staying trapped in blame keeps you miserable. An atheist once told me to own my choices after leaving religion—life-changing! Jesus makes accountability less scary because His partnership heals us even when we're wrong. Ask God: "Where's my accountability?" Freedom comes through taking resp...

My 3-year-old Sophie is snuggling with me today (perfect timing for this topic!). My friend shared something profound: relief often doesn't come in our darkest closet-floor moments—it comes after we somehow get back up and keep trying. When I look back at my lowest points, I couldn't feel God then, but now I see He was carrying me through pain so deep that even divine help felt absent. Gather evidence from your own life of when rel...

With endless spiritual resources, I sometimes replace my own investment in God with other people's content! While podcasts are great, nothing replaces YOUR relationship with the divine. Living differently than those around you requires personal divine guidance. After a year in AA with people of all belief systems, the common thread was: personal relationship with a higher power matters most. Pick something simple and sustainable—on...

Let's talk about stopping the gatekeeping of God! We make up rules about where He can be found and what makes us "worthy," but I find God at Chili's over Diet Coke and chips—those booth conversations are sacred! The only requirement for finding Him is seeking Him. You might study your Bible and feel nothing, then feel divinity during an Eminem song (don't ask). Stop putting restrictions on access to God. Be surprised by where He sh...

You've been asking, so here's my honest answer: I choose organized religion right now because it helps me prioritize service and Christ in ways I otherwise wouldn't. I'm not saying it's essential for faith or being good—I've been both in and out of religion twice! But with full-time work and kids in high-demand stages, I don't have extra capacity. Religion gives me built-in community, service opportunities, and worship practices wi...

Sometimes you don't know what you believe until you say it out loud! Sharing beliefs—even before we're sure—can confirm or shift what we think. Whether it's faith, money, or relationships, saying things out loud releases shame and clarifies truth. I know I just said you don't owe declarations, but safe conversations with trusted friends are the experimental lab for building beliefs. Call someone today and practice saying what you t...