COME ALIVE

B R A V E (defined) adj: ready to face and endure danger or pain; to show courage. verb: to endure, to bear, to withstand unpleasant conditions or behavior. noun: people who are ready to face and endure danger or pain; a warrior. I decided I wanted to write this not because I exude bravery, although I wish I did, but because I live a life frequently consumed with fear. And while it probably seems counter intuitive that a person afraid of everything has anything meaningful to say about bravery, I think the world benefits more from a voice of genuine struggle than unrealistic expectation. That is, I think far too often the majority of people encouraging us to be brave or courageous fail to acknowledge its precursor -- fear. To most people, including myself, fear is an ugly word. It is weakness, and shame. Fear is something we try to hide, or that we attempt to bury. We expend precious energy trying to convince ourselves that we're fearless, and ot

Port Hueneme, the final resting place of the 88 souls who perished on Alaska Airlines Flight 261. Last year I traveled to Port Hueneme to visit this beautiful and bittersweet memorial. Its somber reminder stands in stark contrast to the liveliness that surrounds it; children play on a swing set nearby, families frolic in the ocean just beyond it's walls, and bikers speed by on the pathway that runs beside it. I can hardly imagine what it must have been like here on that January day eighteen years ago, when a MD-83 carrying almost one hundred people plummeted from the sky and disintegrated into the ocean below. Over the last sixty years, there have been around 1,500 passenger jet airline crashes that have resulted in over 30,000 fatalities. As someone who is fascinated by aviation, I was drawn to these parts of our history while watching documentary shows such as 'Air Crash Investigation' or 'Air Disasters.' At the end of each episode, following the oversee

The last few weeks have been saturated with memorials to historical giants who have changed our world. We have reflected on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., looked back on heroes like Louis Zamperini and Bessie Coleman, and over this next week we will remember the shuttle crews of Challenger and Columbia. They came from different times and places, and faced different challenges, but I can't help but be drawn to what makes them all so similar -- their courage to serve, and to give of themselves. As January comes to a close, and we look to the remainder of 2018, I think it's important to take pause and consider this lesson. I am an avid fan of  Simon Sinek . In one of his older talks, Simon offers that we are most successful (in public speaking, business, relationships, professional endeavors, life) when we show up to give .  If you're curious, the actual footage of the crab fisherman rescue can be found here . And what a fantastic question to consider

When I moved to Tennessee almost four months ago, there were many things I was worried about. In no particular order: confederate soldiers, snakes, tornadoes, chiggers, floods, snakes in the tornadoes -- you get the idea. No one warned me about the snow and ice though, which literally brings life to a complete stop here in Nashville. It was quite the experience for this California native. Don't get me wrong, I've spent a fair amount of time on weekend retreats in the Sierra Nevada's, I've gone snowshoeing through Tahoe and hit the slopes at Mountain High, but this was no vacation. This was real life...in slow motion. The sidewalks and streets literally disappear, making it very difficult to do much of anything. Which gave me lots of time to contemplate what I think are some valuable life lessons. 1. Slow Down Winter road conditions can be treacherous -- cars flip, cars slide, cars spin. To prevent this, drivers are encouraged to slow down. This transl

New Year's was truly a party here in Nashville, that left me with a numbing hangover for the days that followed. Not the literal drunken kind, but the figurative lost and hurting kind. The kind that leaves you clinging to life while flattened on the floor and google searching 'feel better remedies.' Not exactly the ideal start to a new year. I enter 2018 with so many things to be thankful for and so much to look forward to. Just three months ago, I sold the majority of my belongings and packed my bags for a new adventure. It was honestly one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life -- it felt very adult, but also so wild. I've had incredible friends who have supported me every step of the way, and provision for literally everything I have needed along the way. It even included an invite to a New Year's Eve party with the most epic view of the Nashville skyline, followed by a trip downtown to celebrate the countdown with Keith Urban. Then came t

Almost five years ago, I moved to this vibrant lil' community in the heart of LA's coastline. At the time, I was fairly uncertain what the hell I was doing in Los Angeles, but extremely excited to live walking distance from the beach and to begin working in a faith-based, grass-roots environment. A lot has changed over the last few years -- a season filled with success and struggle, exploration and rooting, growth and brokenness -- including my sense of certainty. Many people move to LA to find themselves, and discover what they are made of; now I'm as far from industry material as possible, but in a funny way that's exactly what I am taking away from my time here. In a few short weeks, I will pack up my things and move them 500 miles back up the state to begin a new chapter of my journey in Northern California. I am both excited, and terrified. I feel both freedom, and burden. I have both confidence, and uncertainty. "I have learned to kiss