Sam and I went the the movies last night to see La La Land with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. It is a nostalgic and moving mashup of old Hollywood overlaid on contemporary LA at its most plastic and self-promotional.

It’s a film about art and passion and the courage it takes to keep being you in a world that rewards you for being someone else.

As I’ve said before, I don’t believe in coincidence. Yesterday was full of hard climbs for me, on steep learning curves with zero joy. La La Land fixed all that and reminded me that love, joy and freedom is the reason for this season.

Next week, this blog will retire and something brand new, completely original and sort of terrifying will take its place. Want a hint?

I quit my job to spend 2017 with Jesus. It was kind of an insane move that, on day one, he rewarded by grabbing my hand and running. So much has happened, New Year’s Day feels like six months ago.

My biggest struggle as a writer has always been the sense I had nothing to say. Yet, I’ve spent the last seven years wrestling with Jesus about who I am and what I’m supposed to do here.

 I think lot of you wonder the same thing: How do I make my life matter?

Maybe the reason for my seven-year wrestling match with that exact question, was to figure it out, so I can help you figure it out too.

What does it mean to follow him well?

How do I burn bright in sad and broken places?

How do I help others do the same?

How’s that for something to say?

And how ironic that by getting to know who created me, so I know what he created me for, I discovered my purpose is to facilitate that exact same process for you.

God is funny.

See I know depression. I know dread. I know anxiety and doubt. I know fear and loneliness like I know my own face. But I also know now, none of that is how he created me or you. Nor is it what he created us for.

I think so much human anxiety is born of the fact that we believe we are here for a purpose and we feel guilty for not living it.

Let’s do something about that.

Stay tuned.