All in Life Abundant

When Things Don't Go As Planned

When Things Don't Go As Planned

Nathan Westwick
Fighting for What's Good, Life Abundant, The Journey

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 the Little Things That Matter Most

Nathan Westwick
Business, Family, Life Abundant, Relationships, The Stuff That Matters

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.

The Legacy of a Champion

The Legacy of a Champion

Nathan Westwick
Faith, Life Abundant, The Journey, The Stuff That Matters

I have to admit when I heard the news, I was a bit shocked.

I was sitting in church. Our pastor had mentioned a fascinating interview he had heard with an Israeli political figure who was quoted as saying America’s biggest threat to Israel was its ignorance when it came to knowledge of the Bible. He went on to explain why, but the text message that came in completely distracted me…

“Kobe is dead.”

Death is Not Normal

Death is Not Normal

Nathan Westwick
Faith, Life Abundant, Loving God, The Stuff That Matters

A few months ago, I attended a funeral celebrating the life of my aunt who died way too soon. Cancer took her life, leaving my uncle devastated in its wake.

Earlier this week, I attended a funeral celebrating the life of a friend who died way too soon. Aggressive brain cancer took her life, leaving her husband and children feeling the depths of her absence. 

25 years ago, I attended a funeral celebrating the life of my best friend who died way too soon. Congenital heart disease took his life overnight, leaving friends and family confused and disoriented. 

You could fill in your own stories of experiencing loss, of dealing with the death of a loved one, of mourning someone who left the land of the living earlier than expected.

There is something inside each and every one of us that knows, deep inside, that this isn’t the way things ought to be.

When We Come Alive

When We Come Alive

Nathan Westwick
Fighting for What's Good, Life Abundant, Relationships

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. 

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

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

Nathan Westwick
Faith, Family, Life Abundant, Overcoming Fears, The Journey

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.

A Blessed Mess

A Blessed Mess

Nathan Westwick
Faith, Fighting for What's Good, Good vs. Evil, Life Abundant, The Stuff That Matters

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.

Why We Shouldn’t Take Shortcuts for Lent

Why We Shouldn’t Take Shortcuts for Lent

Nathan Westwick
Fighting for What's Good, Life Abundant, Loving God, Real Change, The Journey

With today marking not only Valentine’s Day, but also the start of Lent, it seemed like a good time to talk all things chocolate, love, and surrender.  (OK, maybe not the cleanest of introductory sentences, but every blog must start somewhere, right?)

Now that the awkward intro is out of the way, let’s talk about Lent for a moment. 

It’s a relatively new thing for me, as most evangelical churches don’t do a whole lot about the 40 days prior to Easter, so here’s a quick crash course in case your early experience with people practicing Lent was a bit like mine:  Looking with strange glances at the girls in my class who were giving up sweets, like chocolate, carbs or some other silly thing, quite likely for weight loss, all under the guise of piety, or as we call it, Lent.

The Best Gift You Can Give This Christmas

The Best Gift You Can Give This Christmas

Nathan Westwick
Faith, Family, Life Abundant, The Stuff That Matters

This Christmas season has completely snuck up on me.  Maybe it’s the spring-like weather we have here in SoCal, maybe it’s something else, but I’ve been having a “holy crap” moment right about now—hoping, pleading, and praying that Amazon can deliver on their promise to have gifts in hand before Christmas Day.

But this panic I’m feeling is more than just meeting deadlines and having gifts to offer my loved ones in a few days.

The panic I’m feeling runs deeper.  At its core is the desire not just to give gifts, but to give good gifts.

You know, those ones that strike a chord in peoples’ hearts, the ones that say I see you; the ones my family will cherish, and remember.

Maybe that’s too much pressure, but the truth is we all want to give good gifts.  But I’ve noticed a deeper question surfacing inside of me these past few months...

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