I just finished watching And So It Goes, the HBO documentary on Billy Joel. I expected to enjoy the music—I’ve been a fan for years—but what surprised me was the honesty of his story. It wasn’t just entertainment. It was a window into struggle, relationships, and man’s search for joy.

Three things stood out to me. 

First, struggles have to be faced.

Joel’s story is filled with them. Some self-inflicted—like his battles with alcohol and depression. Others were dealt to him, like a father who left when he was young, or a manager who quietly drained his bank account. Add to that a string of marriages that began strong but didn’t last. What I was reminded of is this: struggles don’t just go away. If we don’t face them, they turn into strongholds. Joel didn’t escape the scars, but he put the pain into song—and that was his way through.

Second, relationships matter. People matter. Trust matters.

What gripped me most was the story about his father. After Joel had already found success, he so...

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We’ve all been there—watching someone we love go through something hard, wanting to make it right, say the perfect thing, or pull them back. But sometimes, the answer isn’t solving— it’s one less letter...

It’s loving.

Not fixing them.
Not judging them.
Not rescuing them.

Just loving them.

That doesn’t mean staying silent.
It doesn’t mean pretending to agree.
And it doesn’t mean tossing out a passive-aggressive one-liner.

It means showing up—again and again—with a heart that says:
“You matter more than your choices or your circumstances. I’m here. I’m listening. I’m not going anywhere.”
Or this: “There’s nothing you can say or do that will make me love you any less.”

Jesus told a story about a shepherd who left the ninety-nine to find the one.
The one who wandered.
The one who got lost.
The one who chose their own path.

The shepherd didn’t bring punishment.
He brought presence.

That’s a different kind of love.
It doesn’t keep score.
It doesn’t retreat when ...

A few years ago I watched a movie that left me speechless. And I just watched it again with the same results. The movie is about the true story that inspired the hit song I Can Only Imagine.

If you are not familiar with it, the song paints a picture about our next life. You know, the one we hope to experience one day, but few of us are in a rush to get there.

Surprisingly the movie is NOT about heaven. It’s about life in the here and now. It’s about the struggle, the perseverance it takes to endure, and the relationships that often times require our attention.

To be candid with you, I was expecting the movie to be predictable fiction faith with fake fears and tears an overly dramatic ending. Honestly, when I sat down to watch it, I just wanted to be distracted by something that would at least be entertaining. However, in the next 90 minutes, it captivated my attention, and by the end, it exposed for me an area in need of awakening, and an image of a new-found belief.

Awakening

Ins...