One Silent Night...

I was sitting in our Christmas Eve service today, singing the words to Silent Night when it hit me. And it hit me hard.

I was picturing this scene of utter serenity: a mom aglow with pure love for her newborn, people gathering around this swaddled child in holy reverence. Stillness. Silence. A child sleeping in heavenly peace.

And then…

The sudden interruption of images of this child’s final days. Being hit. Slapped in the face. Spit upon.

Nails through his hands. A crown of thorns on his head.

Faith, The Stuff That MattersNathan WestwickDecember 24, 2024Blessings, Death, Finding Joy, Faith, Gratitude, Heaven, Love, Offering HopeComment

Gideon Part 4: Gideon’s Ephod

The end of Gideon’s heroic life is one of the sadder stories in the Bible.

You see, Gideon had led Israel in battle against their oppressors and had restored order and prosperity to the nation. They wanted to elect him as ruler over their country, but Gideon, knowing where his victories came from, declined:

He told Israel that God would be their leader, not him.

I love Gideon’s heart here. But then something shifted: Gideon asked them men to offer up their golden earrings as payment for Gideon’s conquest. So Gideon comes off with this large haul of gold, melts it down, and makes an ephod with it.

Who cares, you might ask?

Gideon, Fighting for What's GoodNathan WestwickApril 24, 2024Blessings, Career, TemptationComment

On Practicing Gratitude

As we approach Thanksgiving 2021, how are you feeling?

Hopeful? Anxious? Excited? Sad?

Maybe some of you are seeing family members you haven’t seen in a long, long time, and so your heart is filled with a sense of fullness of finally being able to sit around the table together again.

Perhaps others of you are missing the company of loved ones this holiday – whether separated by actual death, geographical distance, or ideological disagreements.

The JourneyNathan WestwickNovember 23, 2021Anxiety, Blessings, Connection, Dealing with Pain, GratitudeComment

For Joy's Sake

This morning I decided to hop on my bike for a ride. Now, let me first say that it was raining most of last night, and it was dreadfully cold outside (albeit dry) when I woke up. 36 degrees, to be specific.

A big part of me didn’t want to ride, but at the same time, I woke up with a peculiar energy to just get out, get some variety, and go for a good old-fashioned bike ride.

Now, for some quick context:

This was, I believe, the 3rd “real ride” I’ve taken since October 3rd, 2019. That was the day I ruptured my Achilles…

Using Our Platform for Good

Last night my family and I attended a concert together.

Well, maybe that’s too generous a statement. We all know that in 2020, “attended a concert together” means we all sat on the couch watching a livestream video while being distracted by our dog’s silly antics.

But hey – in 2020, we take what we can get, right?

When Things Don't Go As Planned

We recently returned from a “one last getaway before school starts” camping trip to the eastern Sierras. If you’ve never been there before, you’re seriously missing out. It’s the sharper side of the Sierras, where jagged mountains topping 14,000 feet plunge dramatically into deep and verdant valleys.

One of our favorite places in the eastern Sierras is the Yosemite high country. It’s visited by only 10% of the crowds that the more famous Yosemite Valley hosts, but it boasts a dramatic landscape of mountain meadows, glacial lakes, and tall peaks.

It's the Little Things That Matter Most

It’s been one of those mornings. Disrupted is really the only apt descriptor.

It started with waking early, as is my custom, to go to the gym for a light workout.

(I’m in the process of rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles tendon, so my “workout” consists of walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes while being flanked by silver-haired old ladies who like to sprint. I’m not making this up. I think they derive great pleasure from watching a “young” mid-forties man struggle to sustain 3mph on the treadmill. I’m pretty sure it’s the feature story in their afternoon knitting groups.)

But the workouts help set my mindset for the day. I’m doing something to grow, to improve, and to clear the cobwebs that the morning cup of coffee was unable to do.

This morning, however, I walked into the gym to find that the blustering morning winds had knocked out the power and they were sending everyone home.

Wonderful. Disruption #1.

Reflections on the past week (or: 1 week down, 20+ more to go)

Dealing with an injury is more complicated than it might seem from the outside looking in. Little things that I took for granted just a week ago require a tremendous amount of effort. I often find myself tired and sweaty just from something as basic as getting dressed.

I’m suddenly very appreciative when people hold the door open for me.
When they do, I feel slightly ashamed because I know I’m capable of opening it for myself, and I don’t really need their help.

When We Come Alive

The hills in southern California have sprung up in vibrant greens recently – wildflowers of orange, yellow, and purple carpet the green hills, making a tapestry of color and life that I haven’t seen around here in many years.

These colors were highlighted recently on a bike ride I took at sunrise, where the sun’s long shadows cast a contrast on the hills, making them stand out all the more glorious, all the more beautiful than they already were.

Fighting for What's Good, Life Abundant, RelationshipsNathan WestwickMarch 18, 2019Bloom, Blessings, Desert, Love, Offering HopeComment

A Blessed Mess

Take a brief moment out of your day today and look around at the people in your midst, particularly if you’re in a public place.

As you glance around, make an effort to look into each person’s inner being – in a non-creepy way, of course, because people get arrested for being creepy, and we certainly don’t want that.

But take a look. What do you observe?

What I see is complex and conflicted human beings.

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