https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.comUnderstanding we were born into a world at war is vital to our transformational journey in Christ.Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:14:04 +0000enhourly1https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/_c/themed/ebm/icon-96x96.png?_t=1772909001https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com9696https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/03/the-hidden-work-of-becoming-the-mid-week-memo-march-25-2026/Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3890 There’s a story often told about Chinese bamboo that feels almost too good to be true—yet it’s grounded in how growth actually works. For the first five years, Chinese bamboo shows virtually no visible progress above the soil. You water it. You tend it. You wait. And nothing seems to happen. But beneath the surface, an extensive root system is forming—strong, interconnected, and capable of supporting rapid growth when the time comes. Then, in a…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/03/we-will-shine-the-mid-week-memo-march-18-2026/Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3889 Jesus says something almost too beautiful to absorb if we’re not careful. “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 13:43) We spend a lot of time imagining heaven—and rightly so. Streets of gold. A throne blazing with uncreated light. A universe flooded with the glory of God, radiating from His presence like the sun on its brightest day. Scripture invites that imagination.…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/03/from-striving-to-abiding-why-intimacy-with-god-grows-in-everyday-rhythms-the-mid-week-memo-march-11-2026/Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:10:56 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3888 Most of us don’t struggle with intimacy with Jesus because we don’t care.We struggle because we approach relationship the way we approach performance. “I should pray more.”“I need to be more disciplined.”“I just have to try harder.” Those statements sound spiritual—but they often carry more pressure than peace. Psychologists use the phrase habit stacking to describe what actually helps people change: attaching a new…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/03/why-fear-based-faith-cant-rewire-the-soul-the-mid-week-memo-march-4-2026/Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3887 Fear can make us behave.But it cannot make us whole. That’s one of the hardest truths for many of us to face—especially those of us who grew up believing that fear was a legitimate tool in God’s hands. Fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of “getting it wrong.” And yet, both Scripture and science are telling us the same thing: fear is a poor architect of transformation. In the brain, sustained fear elevates stress hormones. Those hormones…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/02/living-in-two-realities-the-mid-week-memo-february-25-2026/Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3922 Two Disney enthusiasts were asked to describe their experience with the Tower of Terror at Disneyland. Their perceptions were radically different. When they were interviewed to understand how their expectations impacted their experience, some interesting things emerged. Zoe had read about Disney her whole life and had been saving for years to go someday. And someday, finally came. She was especially excited about the Tower of Terror, which had very long lines. So, on the…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/02/no-little-time-the-mid-week-memo-february-18-2026/Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3886 “And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they remained no little time with the disciples.” —Acts 14:27–28 (ESV) There’s a quiet holiness in that final line. After the journeys. After the risks, the opposition, the miracles, the open doors. After the stories had been told and God had been glorified… They stayed. Luke…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/02/a-mirror-is-not-a-companion-the-mid-week-memo-february-11-2026/Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3885 A reflection on God’s economy of relationship Psychology experts are offering a sober reminder as AI companions gain traction: these tools function more like mirrors than actual companions. They reflect back our words, our emotions, our preferences. They can sound affirming, attentive, even caring. But they do not share life with us. They do not bring themselves to the relationship—because there is no “self” to bring. And that distinction matters…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/02/when-gods-plan-feels-unfair-the-mid-week-memo-february-4-2026/Wed, 04 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3884 In Romans 9, Paul wrestles with one of the deepest questions of faith: Why does God choose some and not others? He looks back at Israel’s history—Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau—and reminds us that God’s purposes are rooted not in human merit but in His sovereign will. For some, this is a comfort. For others, it sounds like the work of a “cosmic manipulator,” pulling strings and deciding outcomes without regard for human freedom. But Paul&rsquo…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/01/when-god-roars-its-because-he-loves-the-mid-week-memo-january-28-2026/Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3882 “The lion has roared; who will not fear?The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” — Amos 3:8 Amos was not a professional prophet. He was a shepherd and a fig grower, sent from Judah into the prosperous northern kingdom of Israel with a message no one wanted. Israel was thriving—economically strong, religiously active, culturally confident. On the surface, it looked like God’s blessing was undeniable. But Amos 3 exposes a sobering truth:…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/01/the-neuroscience-of-come-and-follow-me/Sat, 24 Jan 2026 14:08:30 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3883 Jesus never said, “Get on the treadmill.”He said, “Come and follow me.” That distinction matters more than we realize—not just spiritually, but biologically. In recent years, neuroscience has been confirming something Scripture has quietly revealed all along: human transformation happens most deeply through invitation, not coercion. Growth flows from desire, not demand. From willingness, not fear. And our brains know the difference. Growth, the,…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/01/perfect-love-for-an-in-between-world-a-practical-look-at-1-john-4-the-mid-week-memo-january-21-2026/Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3870 Every now and then Scripture distills the entire gospel into a single, breathtaking sweep. 1 John 4 is one of those places. John writes with pastoral urgency—warning, comforting, instructing—all while calling us back to the center of our faith: Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the One who loves us perfectly and drives out fear. John begins by reminding us that not every voice we hear is trustworthy. “Do not believe every spirit.” In a world filled…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/01/when-giving-becomes-a-show-rediscovering-the-heart-of-generosity-the-mid-week-memo-january-14-2026/Wed, 14 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3869 “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” — Matthew 6:3 (ESV) For decades, the passing of the offering plate was as much a part of Sunday morning as hymns and handshakes. As a kid, I remember the thrill of dropping a shiny quarter in the plate—roughly ten percent of my allowance—because that’s what I was taught good Christians did. A minimum standard. A religious formula. A number tied…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2026/01/pay-attention-be-astonished-tell-about-it-the-mid-week-memo-january-7-2026/Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3868 (And Why We Can Still Learn From Mary Oliver) “Instructions for living a life:Pay attention.Be astonished.Tell about it.”— Mary Oliver Every once in a while, a line from outside the walls of the church echoes something profoundly true about the heart of God. That’s Mary Oliver. While she never claimed Christianity in a doctrinal sense, her writing carried a posture Christians would recognize instantly: wonder, reverence, stillness, gratitude, and a…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/12/a-new-year-a-new-yes-the-mid-week-memo-december-31-2025/Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3867 “Behold, I am doing a new thing;now it springs forth—do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19 (ESV) As we stand on the threshold of a new year, we find ourselves looking back with gratitude and ahead with expectancy. God has been faithful—again. Not just in the mountaintop moments, but in the quiet ones. The hidden ones. The ones you didn’t know if you’d make it through, yet here you are. Tonight isn’t about making resolutions that…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/12/when-heaven-drew-near-the-mid-week-memo-december-24-2025/Wed, 24 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3866 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory…” — John 1:14 (ESV) On this Christmas Eve, we’re reminded of a truth so staggering it’s easy to take for granted: God stepped into our story. Not from a distance. Not from the clouds. But into a manger—low, quiet, breakable, vulnerable. He came close. The world waited for a King and got a Child. Humanity longed for a throne and was given a feeding trough. We…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/12/for-you-will-still-be-here-tomorrow-the-mid-week-memo-december-17-2025/Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3865 There’s a quiet kind of wisdom tucked inside an old Cat Stevens lyric—“Take your time, think a lot. Think of everything you’ve got.For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.” There’s truth here that echoes a far older voice. Scripture reminds us that the rush of life, the urgency of our desires, the pressure to make something happen now can blind us to what God is actually doing. We live in an age of acceleration&mdash…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/12/when-the-tribes-shift-but-your-identity-doesnt-the-mid-week-memo-december-10-2025/Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3863 Most of us are familiar with the Bible's reference to the “12 tribes of Israel.” What’s surprising is that Scripture actually contains 14 tribal names—yet only 12 appear at any given time. The lists change depending on the season: land inheritance, military service, priesthood, or prophecy. Jacob’s 12 sons formed the original tribes, but when he adopts Joseph’s sons—Ephraim and Manasseh—as full heirs, the family expands.…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/12/i-built-a-life-on-achievement-god-built-something-better/Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3864 How curiosity, risk-taking, creativity, and even my failures were rewritten into a calling far bigger than myself. “God weaves every thread—strong and frayed—into a story He’s been writing since before we knew our own.” I’ve been reflecting on the strange, beautiful mix of gifts God embedded in me long before I understood who they were ultimately for. When I trace the thread back—through early days of self-taught programming at an MS…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/12/rings-of-redemption-the-mid-week-memo-december-3-2025/Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3862 This morning, I joined Tommy “Rivs” Puzey on an iFIT walk through Stephen’s Grove in the heart of the California redwoods—towering trunks reached toward heaven, some standing for centuries. Along the trail, we passed fallen giants—massive logs with hundreds of rings visible inside. Each ring marked a year of growth, each scar a season of fire or drought endured. John Muir once wrote, “As soon as a redwood is cut down or burned, it sends…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/11/he-knows-really-knows-the-mid-week-memo-november-26-2025/Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:50:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3861 “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” — Hebrews 2:18 ESV When you’re hurting, rejected, or facing temptation, there’s a deep ache that rises from somewhere words can’t quite reach. It’s the place where loneliness whispers, “No one understands what I’m feeling.” But Scripture interrupts that lie with something astonishing: God does. Not from a distance.…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/11/the-fruit-of-a-serving-community-the-mid-week-memo-november-19-2025/Wed, 19 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3860 “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” — Titus 3:14 ESV Paul’s closing words to Titus aren’t just administrative, they’re deeply relational. He reminds the early church that a life of faith must overflow into a life of service. It’s not enough to believe the gospel; we’re called to embody it together. Notice Paul says, “let our people learn.;…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/11/out-of-the-overflow-the-mid-week-memo-november-12-2025/Wed, 12 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3859 There’s a sobering truth tucked inside Jesus’ words in Luke 6:45: “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good… for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Our words are not random. They reveal something deeper — the condition of our hearts. What we say (and how we say it) exposes what we believe, what we value, and who truly rules our inner life. When grace fills our hearts, grace spills out. When,…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/11/when-god-whispers-are-you-listening-the-mid-week-memo-november-5-2025/Wed, 05 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3857 “For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it.” — Job 33:14 God is not silent. He never has been. The Creator who spoke galaxies into being still speaks into the chaos of our hearts today. His voice hasn’t grown faint—our ears have. Job reminds us that God’s communication is ongoing, though often unrecognized. Sometimes it’s a whisper through Scripture, sometimes a stirring in our spirit,…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/11/where-are-your-chips-invested-colleens-corner/Mon, 03 Nov 2025 12:46:46 -0500https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3858 Watch this little demonstration between Colleen and Steve, we see how our perspective shifts when we truly grasp eternity. It's not about neglecting our earthly responsibilities, but about aligning them with God's eternal kingdom. Key takeaways: • Our time, talents, and resources are investments • Eternal perspective changes how we live now • Even small investments in eternity have ripple effects forever • We're already living in eternity,…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/10/can-you-hear-him-now-the-mid-week-memo-october-29-2025/Wed, 29 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3856 “For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it.” — Job 33:14 (NIV) We live in a world flooded with noise. Notifications, headlines, and to-do lists fill the space where silence once was. Yet even in the chaos, God is speaking—always. He never stops communicating; the problem is that we’ve forgotten how to listen. The book of Job reminds us that God “does speak—now one way, now another.” He…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/10/a-donkey-in-heat-sniffing-the-wind-the-mid-week-memo-october-22-2025/Wed, 22 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3855 “How can you say, ‘I am not unclean, I have not gone after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley; know what you have done— a restless young camel running here and there, a wild donkey used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her. Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is hopeless, for I have…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/10/the-silent-years-the-mid-week-memo-october-15-2025/Tue, 14 Oct 2025 21:58:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3854 "Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me."— Galatians 2:1 (ESV) When Paul references this fourteen-year gap, it’s easy to read right past it. But those years—largely hidden from our view—speak volumes. Imagine what God was shaping in him during that time. This was no wasted season. Paul, once the fiery persecutor, was becoming the faithful apostle. We don’t know much about those,…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/10/maximus-knows-the-mid-week-memo-october-8-2025/Wed, 08 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3853 The movie Gladiator is one of my favorites because it’s packed with themes of loyalty, betrayal, and identity. Maximus is a Roman general and trusted leader under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. But after the emperor’s death, his son, Commodus, seized power. Insecure and threatened by Maximus’s influence, Commodus orders him executed—and even has his wife and son killed. Maximus survives, but stripped of everything, he is sold into slavery. Once a man of…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/10/warned-yet-willing-the-mid-week-memo-october-1-2025/Wed, 01 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3852 “The Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.” Acts 20:23-24 Paul’s farewell words to the Ephesian elders reveal a striking tension. He isn’t walking into Jerusalem unaware of the danger. The Spirit has already warned him—again and again—that…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/09/the-ripple-effect-of-disobedience-the-mid-week-memo-september-24-2025/Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3851 In Mark 1:40-45, we read about a man who was healed from leprosy by Jesus. With compassion, Jesus reached out, touched him, and made him clean. But then came the command: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing.” The man, overwhelmed with joy, “went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news.” Can you blame him? He had been an outcast,…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/09/forty-years-same-sandals-the-mid-week-memo-september-17-2025/Wed, 17 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3850 Imagine walking through the desert for forty years. The heat is relentless, the terrain unforgiving, and the miles unending. You’d expect your clothes to fray, your sandals to split, and your feet to ache. Yet in Nehemiah 9:21, we read: “For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.” That’s more than survival—it’s supernatural provision. God wasn&rsquo…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/09/different-by-design-the-mid-week-memo-september-10-2025/Wed, 10 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3849 When Jesus chose His twelve disciples, He didn’t pick twelve carbon copies. He called fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots, and quiet observers. Some were bold and impulsive (Peter), others relational and behind the scenes (Andrew). James and John were fiery “Sons of Thunder,” while John also became known for his deep love. Thomas was cautious, Philip was analytical, and Nathanael was a straight-talker. Matthew bridged social divides, Simon the…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/09/dont-let-the-weeds-win-the-mid-week-memo-september-3-2025/Wed, 03 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3848 “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” — James 1:21, ESV Our neighbor decided to till a patch of ground in his backyard to plant a small garden. With food prices rising, it was a practical way to grow his own supply. The soil was turned, the seeds were planted—but the weeds were never pulled. Soon, the weeds grew taller than the vegetables. In fact, he…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/09/god-is-pursuing-your-heart/Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:01:56 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3910 Are you aware that how you view God the Father is deeply affected by your family of origin? The same can be said of Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit. The relationships you grew up with, your family history and dynamics, and the quality of the bonds that you formed as a young person all contribute to the story that you tell yourself about who God is, and how He sees you. Many of us grew up and developed the notion that God is distant, aloof, and passive. Maybe we have…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/08/when-beauty-gets-stuck-the-mid-week-memo-august-27-2025/Wed, 27 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3847 Colleen loves her butterflies—swallowtails and monarchs. She nurtures them from the moment their tiny eggs hatch, through their caterpillar days, into the miraculous chrysalis stage, and finally releases them as fully formed beauties into the open air. I’ve watched the bond she forms with them. One swallowtail even returned after being set free, landing gently on her shoulder as if to say, “Thank you for caring for me.” But last week, something…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/08/pulled-from-the-tracks-the-mid-week-memo-august-20-2025/Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3845 When your past doesn't define your place in the family of God In 1863, Edwin Booth—yes, the brother of John Wilkes Booth—stood on a crowded train platform in Jersey City. The crowd accidentally shoved a young man near him and fell between the platform and the moving train. Without hesitation, Edwin reached down and pulled him to safety. That man he saved? Robert Todd Lincoln—son of President Abraham Lincoln. Two lives intersected in a moment that…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/08/the-dash-on-your-tombstone/Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:31:20 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3846 Your tombstone will have two dates—and a dash in between. That small line represents your entire life. How are you living it? In this episode of Colleen’s Corner, Colleen shares the inspiring story of a family friend whose quiet acts of service, humility, and love left a lasting legacy that pointed to Jesus. Be encouraged to reflect on your own dash and consider the kind of legacy you want to leave. https://youtu.be/-kP0HZSoPjs]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/08/surrounded-by-fire-filled-with-glory-the-mid-week-memo-august-13-2025/Wed, 13 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3844 “And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,” declares the Lord,“and I will be its glory within.” — Zechariah 2:5 Imagine your home surrounded not by a fence, a deadbolt, or a security system—but by God Himself. A wall of fire. Not a destructive flame, but a holy, purifying, impenetrable presence that guards what is sacred and welcomes His glory within. That’s exactly what God promised to His people in Zechariah 2:5. In this,…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/08/when-the-villain-preaches-the-gospel-the-mid-week-memo-august-6-2025/Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3842 I can still picture that cardboard sword in my hand. Eight years old, backyard battlefield, drawbridge made from cutout flaps—ready to conquer the world with a shield I made from a refrigerator box. Back then, the story was simple. Good guys win. Evil loses. Life felt manageable. Safe. Predictable. But dragons grow up. And the lines between good and evil? They blur. Eventually, I found myself in a place where the story I thought I was living had unraveled—and I wasn&rsquo…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/07/when-credit-isnt-the-goal-the-mid-week-memo-july-30-2025/Wed, 30 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3841 Years ago, I watched a remarkable moment unfold at a ministry conference.The event had drawn thousands, and one young man gave a powerful testimony about how he’d come to Christ. He described the moment with emotion and detail, but never once mentioned the name of the person who led him to Jesus. Later, during a break, I overheard someone ask him, “Who was it that prayed with you?”He smiled and said, “Honestly, I don’t remember his name. He…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/07/shadowlands-longing-for-the-real-thing-colleens-corner/Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:27:53 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3843 Have you ever been moved by something beautiful—only to realize it still fell short of perfection? In this episode of Colleen's Corner, Colleen reflects on "the shadowlands"—our present reality where even the best things are just glimpses of what God originally intended. Drawing from her love of music and a powerful moment watching a Whitney Houston biopic, Colleen invites us to remember that what we experience now is only a shadow of the glory to.…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/07/crisis-precedes-renewal-the-mid-week-memo-july-23-2025/Wed, 23 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3840 There’s a pattern woven throughout human history and the story of God’s people: renewal almost always follows crisis. That may seem backward to us. We crave comfort, order, predictability. But Scripture and history tell a different story. When everything stable is shaken—when the idols of culture, self-reliance, or prosperity begin to crumble—something holy begins to stir. Mark Sayers, in a recent conversation with John and Blaine Eldredge, described…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/07/but-for-the-joy-of-innocence-the-mid-week-memo-july-16-2025/Wed, 16 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3839 Do you remember what it felt like to be completely free? To live without shame, fear, or striving—when imagination ran wild and every day was full of wonder? We do. I (Steve) can still see myself at eight years old, ruling the backyard as a cardboard-armored knight, conquering invisible foes and rescuing fair maidens (usually the girl next door shaking out her mop). Life was simple then. Not perfect—but free. No performance, no pressure. Just joy. Colleen…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/07/the-whisper-before-the-words-the-mid-week-memo-july-9-2025/Wed, 09 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3838 Hearing God in the Moment That Matters "Then the king asked me, 'What is your request?' So I prayed to the God of the heavens and answered the king..."—Nehemiah 2:4-5 (CSB) Have you ever been caught in a moment that required both courage and clarity? That split second where someone asks a question, presents an opportunity—or even confronts you—and your response could change everything? That was Nehemiah's moment. Before he answered…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/07/when-waiting-feels-too-long-the-mid-week-memo-july-2-2025/Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3837 I’m reading through the Acts of the Apostles. I didn’t title it, but if I did, it would more aptly be called the Acts of Jesus. But I digress … “For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.”—Acts 4:22 Forty years. That’s how long the man in Acts had been waiting—crippled from birth, carried daily to the temple gate to beg. Year after year, he sat just outside the place of worship, close to hope but never…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/06/summer-soul-vibes-10-easy-rhythms-to-keep-god-at-the-center-the-mid-week-memo-june-25-2025/Wed, 25 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3836 Looking for a summer that’s less frantic and more faith-filled? Let this be a season where your soul breathes easy and your heart tunes in to the gentle whisper of God. These 10 simple, spirit-centered practices are your invitation to slow down, look up, and live with holy intention. 🌅 1. Mornings = Me + God TimeBefore the texts and to-do lists start rolling in, gift yourself 5 minutes of quiet. No screens. No pressure. Just you, God, and the sunrise. 🌬️ 2.…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/06/from-prison-to-purpose-my-conversation-with-david-garlock/Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3834 From Prison to Purpose: My Conversation with David Garlock There are moments in ministry when I find myself humbled by the raw power of God’s redemption. Sitting down with David Garlock for our latest Embracing Brokenness podcast was one of those moments. David’s story is not an easy one to hear—but it’s one we need to. It’s a story of unimaginable trauma, personal failure, and the relentless pursuit of grace that only Jesus can offer. As he…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/06/set-apart-living-a-fully-consecrated-life-the-mid-week-memo-june-18-2025/Wed, 18 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3835 Have you ever thought about what it means to truly give something over to God? Not just in theory—but in practice? That’s what consecration is all about. It’s choosing—intentionally—to dedicate something fully and completely to Jesus. Not to share it. Not to hold some of it back. To say, “This is yours, Lord. All of it.” The Hebrew word for this is qadash. It’s tied closely to qodesh—which simply means “holy.;…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/06/love-that-pours-out-the-mid-week-memo-june-11-2025/Wed, 11 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3832 How do you know when God is at work? Often, it’s in the moments that look ordinary—but reveal extraordinary character. Genesis 24 tells the story of Abraham’s servant sent to find a wife for Isaac. He prayed a very specific prayer: that the right woman would not only offer him water but would also offer to water his camels. That’s not just polite hospitality—that’s an enormous undertaking. Let’s break it down. A single camel can…]]>https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com/2025/06/redefining-success-lessons-from-jeanie-and-the-bible-the-mid-week-memo-june-4-2025/Wed, 04 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com?id=3830 My friend Matthew McConaughey is at it again, and I just can’t help but draw a life lesson from his reflection on success. Here we go. The first Webster’s Dictionary in 1806 described success as:“Prosperous, fortunate, happy, and kind.”Today’s dictionaries define success as:“The attainment of wealth, fame, rank, and power.” What’s your definition of success? Meet Jeanie. She’s from a small town on the Gulf Coast of.…]]> XML RSS feed generated by PostScript Web App Framework | https://embracingbrokenness.embracingtheway.com @ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:14:14 -0400