Achilles is more than just a Greek warrior

I’ve found I have two gods: Comfort and Productivity.

Comfort often takes the form of fun and pleasure, while Productivity is often masked as efficiency.

A few days ago, those gods were exposed in a single, painful act: while playing basketball with some friends, I felt something hit the back of my leg, just below the calf. Simultaneously, a loud sound, similar to that of a softball hitting a wooden wall, emitted from the same spot on my leg.

In mid-crumpling action, I glanced behind me to see what hit me, and when I realized nobody and nothing, was there, I immediately knew: the Achilles tendon had just ruptured.

The Only Way Out is Through

Do you feel stuck in an impossible situation? Does it seem like God has left you high and dry? Hang in there - things may feel out of control, but hope is available, even if it seems hard to see from where you are…

True North (How to Find Perfect Peace)

“You shall have no other Gods before me.”

When I hear this first commandment, something in me is stirred; a stirring that speaks of something magnificent and weighty in its simplicity.

Something that says that if we could get that first commandment right, we might not need the other nine.

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

The Waiting is the Hardest Part (or The Fear is in the Anticipation)

We recently had the opportunity to join some beloved family members at Six Flags for the day. Given that we have three boys who jump at any whiff of adventure, we trekked over to what used to be called Magic Mountain (now Six Flags California) for a day of fun.

One ride, in particular, caught my attention:

It’s the new version of Freefall – redone from the days of my youth to be four times taller, and a million times more thrilling.

Faith, Family, Life Abundant, Overcoming Fears, The JourneyNathan WestwickFebruary 25, 2019Anxiety, Overcoming Fears, Crazy Life, Adventure, Leap of FaithComment

Are you lonely? Try this…

I came across an interesting quote about Mother Teresa and her observation that loneliness is the leprosy of the Western world.

Wow.

As devastating and alienating as leprosy was in the ancient world, apparently loneliness is what we get to deal with in our culture instead.

Loneliness is an interesting phenomenon. In my experience, I’ve felt lonely when there’s no one in the room, but often times even lonelier when in a room crowded full of people.

Why is that?

How on earth could it be that we can find ourselves lonely in the midst of the company of others?

Because I’m guessing I’m not the only one who has ever felt this way.

My guess is, you can relate.

Sometimes you have to feel small in order to realize your own importance

If you’re anything like me, you have your good days and your bad days. Days when you feel like things are going well, and others when no matter what you do, nothing seems to quite work out.

And if you’re like me, when all you’ve been doing is GO, GO, GO, emotions can run a bit fragile.

Reflections on 2018

Rather than try to craft a brilliant essay, one that moves mountains, I decided to embrace my limitations (possibly a first) and figured I’d simply share some of the lessons I’ve learned, as well as some observations and reflections from this past year. I hope they bless, encourage and inspire…

Nathan WestwickDecember 31, 2018Comment

The Importance of Being Yourself

My oldest is in 8th grade, stuck right in the midst of the awkward middle school years. We all remember those times when we were convinced every single eye was on us every time we walked across a room, scrutinizing our gait, our hair, our clothes? (The irony here, of course, is that in actuality all attention is much more focused on themselves than on anyone else.)

But a core truth is still exposed in middle school; that the heart’s desire of every person is to find community, to fit in, and this is none more apparent than in those teenage years.

The Stuff That Matters, Real Change, Overcoming Fears, BusinessNathan WestwickSeptember 25, 2018Identity, Being RealComment

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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