Learn how to sit with boredom without reaching for your phone.

Take your earbuds out sometimes; the world is talking.

Not every thought needs to be posted.

Private moments are allowed to stay private.

Likes are a poor measure of worth.

Attention is not the same thing as love.

Being constantly available makes you less present.

Social media lies.

Confidence isn’t loud—it’s rooted.

Stop shrinking to keep other people comfortable.

Have a little vanity. (You are worthy.)

You don’t have to perform to be valuable.

Crazy busy is not a definer of you.  Busyness is attractive because it does double duty. It feels like you’re making progress on the path you want, while at the same time distracting us from the parts of yourself you believe are unpleasant for us to see. 

“Someone else’s win is not your loss. You are not running the same race. You are not even on the same track.” (I say this but I learned this one from Dr. Nicole Thaxton, email August 15, 2025)

If you’re always exhausted, something needs to change.

Sleep. Go to bed at the same time every night.

Do not stay out past midnight or on a screen past midnight. Rarely does something good happen after midnight.

Anyone is smart to be flirting with you. But you are smarter by discerning who is best for you.

Pajamas are not your wardrobe.

Put on real shoes. Slippers are not a personality.

If you wouldn’t wear it to meet someone you respect, rethink it.

Your body is not your brand.

Learn how to do hard things before life forces you to. Your brain was made to do hard things. Lead your brain.

Take responsibility early–it gives you power later.

Discipline is a form of self-respect.

Learn how to manage money before it manages you.

Learn how to disagree without being disrespectful.

You don’t need to win every argument.

Basic kindness will take you further than sarcasm.

Don’t excuse bad behavior by contorting the truth with “love is enough.”

Make everyone around you feel bigger, not smaller.

Following Jesus affects how you treat people at Target.

Emotions, all of them, move you towards God. Staying stuck is your bad choice.

If you’re scrolling to avoid feeling, stop. Do something different.

You can trust again but only after you see a track record of change.

Try dancing in the rain, or dancing when life sucks.

Your pain is not too loud for me.  

Shame thrives in secrecy and performance. Shame lies. Let’s talk about it so we can break shame’s lies.

You are not your diagnosis. You have anxiety. You are not anxious. You are so much more than your diagnosis.

Do not self-diagnose yourself from social media. Social media lies.

In the beginning God made you in his image. It’s the only image you’re supposed to fit.

God created you with a body and called it good. Your bodily presence is good simply by the very act of your creation.

You are God’s favorite. You can be God’s favorite without taking love away from anyone else because God’s love doesn’t divide—it multiplies.

Worthiness is your birthright. You have the dignity as a child of God. This has never been in jeopardy.

God is not waiting for you to get it together to love you. The father ran to the prodigal son who still smelled of pigsty.

God does not use shame to pursue us.

Holiness isn’t about rules; it’s about wholeness.

Following Jesus will make you braver, not smaller.

Obedience isn’t punishment; it’s protection.

Forgiveness of our sins is proof of our identity. The rest of our lives is imperfect progress figuring out that we really are forgiven. Because we know that God loves you as you are but loves you too much to let you stay that way.

God cares about who you’re becoming, not just what you’re avoiding.

Spiritual maturity shows up in everyday choices of imperfect progress.

Faith should make you more human, not less.

Jesus isn’t afraid of your scary thoughts. Jesus promised to meet you there.

People are a part of your spiritual formation. Find intergenerational relationships. Choose wisely.

Don’t pray like it’s a checklist, pray like it’s a conversation.

Forgiveness is a journey. It is worth the time and vulnerability.

Your life has cosmic significance regardless of external circumstances or what you say about yourself. Mattering isn’t earned. Mattering is given. Something outside of you validates you as worthy. Choose Jesus.

God’s love leads. God’s love invites. God’s love never shoves.

You belong to God. God created the world. You didn’t choose that. God created you. You didn’t choose that.

Your identity is in the everlasting, larger story God. It is rooted in something that has no end.

You were created for more than being liked.

You are the most stunning of all of God’s creation. No wonder the world is trying so hard to break you.

You are beautiful.

You are worthy of love.

Love,

This youth pastor since 1981.