QUESTIONS OF CALLING
unearthing beauty, mining meaning, and seeking truth
This is a place for anyone who wants more, who is not content to be comfortable, who seeks a life of truth and meaning, not just happiness.
Here, we ask hard questions, tell true stories, and turn life inside out to unearth the ragged beauty within.
I’m honored to have you to join me.
Good Thoughts on Feeling Bad: What If We Stop Chasing Happiness?
What if feeling bad sometimes is just part of the human experience rather than something to avoid, fix, or berate oneself about?
As an Enneagram 4, I’m pretty adept at embracing negative emotions (rather than denying, distracting, or quick-fixing). But I am realizing that I’ve nevertheless picked up the habit of feeling guilty or disappointed in myself for having those bad feelings—seeing them as a sign that either I’m doing something wrong with my life or, worse, I’m somehow broken . . .
Learning to Doubt Without Fear
When I started teaching teens at a Christian school a decade ago, I was baffled by how classroom discussion of controversial topics seemed to provoke panic among many parents.
What surprised me was not simply that parents objected to my choice of material but rather the terror that seemed to underlie their objections. It wasn’t rational. It wasn’t even theological. It was emotional: a nameless, faceless, gaping fear.
I’m still not sure what those parents were so afraid of, but I know it had something to do with their children learning to question their faith, to honestly consider other options and opinions . . .
Passion, Purpose, and the Painful Journey of Becoming: Thoughts on Calling
One theme underlies every meaningful decision we make in this world: what is the purpose of my life? What is it that I have been uniquely designed to do?
I’ve been searching for answers to these questions for most of my life . . .