This morning I was sitting at our campsite at Chain O’ Lakes, coffee in hand, watching the fire crackle, and just taking in the quiet of nature with my son Keagan. There’s something about mornings like this; no rush, no noise, just the fire and the woods, that makes it easier to slow down and hear from God.

As I was reading, I came across this verse:

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”
Isaiah 42:16

That hit me right where I’m at. Honestly, I’ve felt a bit blind lately, like I’m walking down a path I don’t fully recognize. You know those trails you take at a state park, some wide and familiar, and others where you’re not quite sure what’s around the bend? That’s how life feels at times.

But the promise in this verse is what stopped me. God doesn’t just leave us wandering. He says He will guide us, He will light the way, He will smooth out the rough spots. That doesn’t mean the path isn’t unfamiliar or even a little scary. It just means we don’t walk it alone.

This morning was a good reminder for me: even when I can’t see what’s ahead, He already knows the way. And I suppose that’s what faith really is, trusting that the God who made the trail is the same God who’s walking it beside me.

If you’re facing something unfamiliar right now, I hope this verse reminds you of the same thing it reminded me of today: you’re not forsaken. He’s guiding you, step by step

Where in your life do you feel like you’re walking down an unfamiliar path right now?

How might God be bringing light to that situation, even if it feels uncertain?

What “rough places” in your journey can you trust Him to smooth out?

“Lord, thank You for promising to guide me even when I feel blind or unsure of the path ahead. Help me to trust You with each step, believing that You will bring light to my darkness and smooth out the rough places. Remind me that I am never forsaken, because You are always with me. Amen.”

The post Unfamiliar Paths and God’s Promise appeared first on The Buca Blog.

This morning during my devotional time, I was drawn to 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, a passage that stopped me in my tracks and made me reflect not only on my personal struggles, but also on how I’ve viewed weakness for much of my life.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”.   2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

Paul’s words are raw and honest. He doesn’t cover up his pain or his problems. In fact, he leans into them. And not just that, he boasts about them.

Why?

Because he’s learned that it’s in those very moments, those moments of hardship, insult, difficulty, and inadequacy—that Christ’s power is most visible, most alive, most at work.

That message hit home for me.

Like Paul, I’ve experienced times where I didn’t feel strong. Times I didn’t feel good enough. Times when meeting goals seemed out of reach, or when criticism stung more than I let on. But Paul reminds us that these are not the moments we should be ashamed of or try to hide. These are the moments when we are most dependent on Christ, and in that dependence, we are most empowered by Him.

Earlier in this chapter, Paul writes about a mysterious “thorn in the flesh”, a burden he pleaded with God to take away. But instead of removing it, God gave him something even greater: grace.

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

It’s a reminder that we’re not called to be perfect, self-reliant, or always in control. We’re called to trust. To allow Christ’s strength to show up where our own ends. That’s where confidence is born—not from striving harder, but from surrendering deeper.

This doesn’t mean we stop trying or stop caring. It means we stop measuring our worth by our weakness. We stop letting our struggles define us. Instead, we let them become the very platform for God’s power to shine through.

—

Reflect:

What weakness have you been trying to hide or fix in your own strength?

Where might Christ be inviting you to lean on Him more fully?

How can your struggle become your story of strength?

—

Today, I’m choosing to see my weaknesses in a new light.
Not as liabilities, but as opportunities.
Not as something to cover up, but as places where Christ is working in me, refining me, strengthening me.
When I let go of trying to be enough in my own power, I create space for His power to take over.

And that, I believe, is the true source of confidence—not what I can do, but what He can do in me.

The post When Weakness Becomes Strength: Learning to Lean on Christ appeared first on The Buca Blog.

“A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4

This morning, my devotional centered around one simple but powerful idea: letting go. The verse it pointed me to was Ecclesiastes 3:4, and it hit home for me. As I kept reading through the rest of the chapter, something became very clear; God really has made a time for everything. That includes feeling.

Now, I’ll be honest; emotions aren’t the easiest thing for me! If you know me, you know I’m more of a thinker than a feeler. Somewhere along the way, I’d say it started on my childhood, I started treating emotions like something to manage or control rather than something to accept. After all, it was something I saw growing up, not just from my family and friends but from the community I was raised in.  But today, I was reminded that feelings are a part of God’s design. They’re not a problem to fix, they’re a gift to embrace. That concept has often been difficult for me to understand.

Ecclesiastes tells us there’s a time for all of it: the joy and the sorrow, the laughter and the tears. There’s even a time to dance,  something I never do but should do more of, metaphorically or literally. Maybe you can relate. If you’re like me and in that middle stretch of life, emotions can start to feel a little more complicated. We carry responsibilities, regrets, memories, and hopes and sometimes all at once.

But what if part of maturity and faith is learning to let go of the idea that we always need to keep it together?

What if tears don’t mean we’re weak, but honest?
What if laughter isn’t an escape, but healing?
What if mourning is a path to deeper peace?
And what if dancing even just in our spirit is how we step into the joy God designed for us?

Although it’s been a difficult journey to understand my emotions and the emotions of the people I love and live with, I’m learning that it’s okay to let my emotions show up without judgment. I don’t have to hide them or push them away. God isn’t thrown off by my sadness or discomfort. And I don’t have to be either.

So today, I’m choosing to lean into Ecclesiastes 3:4. I’m asking God to help me be present in whatever season I’m in, to laugh without guilt, to cry without shame, to mourn with hope, and maybe even dance a little more freely.

Wherever you are today, whatever you’re feeling, let it be. God made time for this too.

—

A Simple Prayer for You and I

Father, thank You for reminding me that You created time for every season — even the ones I struggle with. Help me stop resisting the emotions You placed in me. Teach me how to feel without fear, to let go without shame, and to trust You with what I don’t fully understand. Whether I’m weeping or laughing, mourning or dancing, help me know You’re with me through it all. Amen.

The post Letting Go: Making Peace with Our God-Given Emotions appeared first on The Buca Blog.

“We have become his poetry, a recreated people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it.”
— Ephesians 2:10 (TPT)

Sometimes I find myself wondering:
Why do I let fear or laziness hold me back?
Why do I stay sitting when I know God is calling me to stand and move?
Why, even knowing God is with me, do I still hesitate to fully embrace my role as a husband, father, and leader?

Maybe you’ve asked yourself similar questions.

Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are God’s masterpiece; His “poetry” in motion. We weren’t made to drift through life aimlessly or to let comfort and fear paralyze us. We were designed for good works, planned for a destiny filled with adventure, challenge, and meaning.

You were created for passion.
You were created for action.
You were created to feel deeply and live purposefully.

Yet so often, life tries to lull us into a false sense of security; the easy chair, the comfortable routine, the endless distractions that require nothing from us. And little by little, we lose touch with the fire God placed inside us. We stop pursuing, and we start coasting.

But here’s the good news: God hasn’t changed His mind about you.
He still calls you His masterpiece.
He still believes in the destiny He dreamed up for you before you were even born.
He still offers you His strength, His courage, and His Spirit to lead you into the life you were meant to live.

Whether you’re a man called to lead your family with courage or a woman called to shine your light in a weary world, God designed you for more than just surviving; He designed you to thrive.

Today, we don’t have to be perfect.
We don’t have to have it all figured out.
We simply need to say, “God, I’m willing. I want to move. I want to feel again. I want to live with passion and purpose.”

It’s time to get out of the easy chair.

It’s time to face our responsibilities, not as burdens, but as adventures God has invited us into.

It’s time to be men and women of action, courage, and deep feeling; because the world desperately needs to see the poetry of God written in our lives.

So let’s stop asking, “Why don’t I try harder?”
And start declaring, “Today, I choose to rise.”

You were created for this.
You were made for more.
And God is with you every step of the way.

The post Created for More: Stepping Into Passion, Action, and Feeling appeared first on The Buca Blog.