I never expected that the loose change in my pocket would lead to the change I didn't know I needed. But that's exactly what happened when I encountered Jesus. His transformative power continues to reach into the depths of my soul, mending the broken pieces and reshaping my life in ways I never could have imagined. As I walk through this journey of faith, I can sometimes see the ripple effects of my own transformation. My relationships, my priorities, and my perspective on the world around me shift. In this, something remarkable happens: others take notice. They see something in me. Slowly but surely, my life begins to inspire those around me, igniting a spark of hope and curiosity in their own hearts. I received this kind note at the end of last year from a friend:

Knowing ourselves and nurturing our identity gives us an inner compass to navigate life's twists and turns. When we lack self-awareness, we grasp for things to fill the void - chasing possessions, status, and accolades trying to find value. But real meaning stems from within (more on this later).

Exploring our core values, passions, strengths allows us to build conviction and self-trust. Understanding our weaknesses and shadows grounds us in humility and compassion. By becoming intimate with all facets of ourselves, we cultivate authenticity.

This self-knowledge lights an inner fire of purpose. We gain the courage to live by our truths, instead of passively absorbing society's scripts. Every storm, challenge, and loss holds less power to shake us when our roots grow deep into our soul's soil.

This has also been called, “Knowing your why”. Self-awareness means tuning into our unique “why”. Knowing what makes you come alive and drives you to action gives you a compass to navigate life's twists and turns. As we nurture self-knowledge, we get clarity on our individual why which serves as an anchor in stormy seas. Understanding what gives your life meaning separates you from drifting through others' expectations.

When facing an unexpected cancer diagnosis, my seminary professor responded with uncommon poise and perspective. Rather than panic or despair, he shared hard-won wisdom for how to anchor your soul when storms assail...

As we walked with him through the journey of uncertainty, this consummate teacher turned crisis into a leadership lesson for all his students. I'm going to pass on the invaluable principles he learned about navigating life's inevitable trials:

What are you placing your worth in? This is a series of blog posts on transition. Transition is one of the few constants in life; it will always happen. We experience transition in our families as we go through various relationships (single, married, divorced, widowed), and when we have children. Children start off completely dependent on us and gradually become less dependent as the years go by, until they leave home for the world (school, workforce, living on their own). We experience transition in the loss of loved ones as they pass away. We experience it in our jobs - starting new jobs, getting promoted, getting demoted, getting fired, downsizing, needing to be re-educated because over time, there are certain jobs that just become obsolete .

In all of this transition, the things we tend to quantify as success or failure are really just distractions.