From Your Soul

There’s a difference between doing something… and doing it from your soul. One is surface-level. The other is sacred. We live in a world that rewards performance.

Show up. Get it done. Check the box. Move on.

But God has always been after something deeper than that. He’s not just looking at what we do… He’s looking at where it comes from.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” (Colossians 3:23)

That word heart isn’t just emotion. It’s your inner life. Your soul. Your motives. Your why.

You can do the right thing… with the wrong spirit.

You can serve… and still be empty.

You can lead… and still be disconnected.

But when something flows from your soul, it carries life with it.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Everything flows from there. Not just some things. Everything.

That means your conversations, your leadership, your generosity, your worship… it all traces back to the condition of your soul.

And here’s the truth most people miss:

God is not impressed with what is done for Him if it isn’t flowing from Him.

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)

That’s the danger. Looking right on the outside, but being distant on the inside.

Doing things from your soul means you’re connected.

It means you’re not just going through motions, you’re living with meaning.

It means your actions are aligned with what God is doing in you, not just what’s expected of you.

And when that alignment happens, something shifts.

Even the smallest act becomes significant.

Even unseen faithfulness becomes powerful.

Even ordinary moments become sacred.

Because now… it’s not just effort.

It’s overflow.

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart…” (Luke 6:45)

What’s in you will eventually come out of you.

So today, don’t just focus on what’s in front of you.

Pay attention to what’s within you. Slow down long enough to reconnect with God. Let Him shape your motives. Let Him renew your heart.

Then go live, lead, serve, give…

Not from pressure.

Not from performance.

But from your soul.

That’s where the difference is made.

Waiting Well

When I wrote this blog I searched for a meaningful title.

Waiting Well: When God is Working in the Silence

I imagine that we all may need to learn the art of doing that better. Waiting is one of the hardest assignments God gives us. And if we were honest, we would say that we still don’t wait that well.

We don’t struggle with vision.

We don’t struggle with desire.

We struggle with delay.

We want answers now.

We want movement now.

We want clarity now.

But God rarely works on our timeline. And if we’re honest, that’s where the tension lives. Because waiting can feel like nothing is happening. But that’s not true.

Waiting isn’t wasted when God is in the middle of it.

It’s not empty. It’s not meaningless. It’s not punishment.

It’s preparation.

God uses the waiting room to do a deeper work than what we can see on the surface. While we’re focused on the door that hasn’t opened yet, He’s focused on the heart that will walk through it.

Waiting builds trust.

Not surface-level trust, but the kind that holds steady when emotions don’t.

Waiting deepens faith.

It stretches us beyond what we can control and pulls us into dependence on who God is.

Waiting produces peace.

Not because everything makes sense, but because we begin to believe that God is good even when life feels uncertain.

And maybe that’s the point.

Because if everything happened instantly, we might celebrate the outcome but miss the transformation.

God isn’t just interested in getting you to the promise.

He’s invested in who you become along the way.

So when the timeline doesn’t match your expectations, don’t assume God has forgotten you.

When the answer feels delayed, don’t interpret it as denial.

Sometimes God is doing His best work in the unseen places.

He’s strengthening your patience.

Refining your motives.

Building a foundation that can actually sustain what you’ve been praying for.

Because what comes too early can collapse just as quickly.

But what God builds over time carries weight, stability, and purpose.

So don’t despise the delay.

Lean into it.

Let the waiting shape you instead of shaking you.

Let it anchor you instead of agitating you.

Hold steady.

Hope fiercely.

And trust this: the One you’re waiting on hasn’t stopped working.

Not for a second.

And when the moment comes, when the door opens, when the answer arrives, you won’t just step into something new…

You’ll step into it ready.

Because He was preparing you the whole time.

Like a Palm Tree

Palm Sunday is here, and many folks will become acquainted with the “triumphant entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem as they waved palm branches and sang, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. It’s the beginning of the churches Holy Week and if you are unfamiliar with the ministry of Jesus, you should really check it out. (Gospel of John 12:12-19)

I wanted to share a encouraging thought that we can remember every time we see a palm tree. Scripture says in Psalms,

Psalm 92:12 "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing."

Besides the incredible news that we can still be productive in old age and the reminder that being older sometimes means being “rounder”, it says we “flourish like the palm tree.” To flourish is to grow, thrive, or prosper in a healthy and vigorous way. Flourishing is to be successful, fruitful and productive. People that flourish are healthy and purposeful.

The comparison to the palm tree is interesting. Here are a few facts about the palm tree:

1) They bend but they don’t break

2) They thrive in harsh environments

3) When they are grouped together, they provide an oasis of refreshing

We were made to live our lives producing fruit and bringing hope and healing to those around us. The good news is that as we provide and oasis of refreshing to others, we too find ourselves refreshed. Not just when we are young and energetic. All through the various stages of our lives we should see this “flourishing” result.

So, this Palm Sunday, remember, you were designed to flourish. God has something special planned for your life. You should ask Him what that is!