This view through the slider of my Florida room continues to grow as a favorite. Certainly gave me thought this weekend.
The palm tree in the background represents how I’m tempted to think life should be. Straight up. No curves. Plenty of abundance visible to all. Healthy and alive. Pretty near perfect.
Maybe that’s why it’s barely visible by the opposing look of the foreground tree. Life represented by what’s closest.
Sudden turns, like the end of a highway with only one way to turn to keep ascending.
And that’s after a three-way option. Still proceeding skyward, just in different directions.
And closer to the base, a couple of knubs that have a story before my time. What happened there? A human? A storm? Both?
What’s close is beauty, uniqueness, character carved over time into one of a kind.
How’s that for a God whisper?
“I’m making you beautiful, unique, with character unlike any other. Welcome to my image!”
More from Mark Chironna’s “Rising With Hope” devotional
Here are three clips:
Before you pray for God to change your circumstances, ask Him to adjust your way of seeing them. (Day 22, Being and Becoming)
You are not a compartmentalized being, and God has not called you to disregard any part of yourself. (Day 23, Living in Your Body)
When He searches your heart, you can trust His gentleness. He will locate the triggers of your unrest, but His surgery is not only about removing what needs to go. It is also about resuscitating the precious parts of your heart, including the hopeful, creative places that have lain dormant under the weight of oppression and disappointment. He will awaken you to the living soul you were becoming and were created to be–the one who became hidden from sight over the course of time.. (Day 26, God in Your Depths)
I was trying to leave ahead of the crowd. Something wasn’t cooperating.
That something was a button on the bottom of my folding table. In order for the table to fold, this button has to release the lock on the leg. Leg 1, easy. Leg 2, a problem.
“Fine. I’ll walk everything else out to thecar and come back. Stupid button.”
Back at the table, button still not releasing, a lady approached.
“Is this your table?”
First thought, “She thinks I’m stealing a table.”
“Yes.”
“Good. I have a question about something you had on display.”
Her question was very personal. A family situation she needed some direction how to approach.
She seemed to walk away feeling supported and resourced.
I knelt back down to work some more on that stubborn button. Click. And Fold.
In that second frustration flipped to appreciation.
That stuck button delayed me long enough to ease someone’s mind, speak to their heart, and give a little peace.
More from Mark Chironna’s “Rising With Hope” devotional
Here are three clips:
We live in a culture where everyone wants to win all the time. That is not exactly a Jesus idea. Instead, it makes people who have lost something feel like they don’t belong. (Day 11, Not a Loser)
Anything that is left broken in a family tree will only be passed down to the next generation. (Day 15, A Healing Life)
When what you buried alive rises to the surface of your consciousness, you can move in the direction of healing and greater peace. What looks like the edge of darkness becomes the edge of hope. (Day 21, In the Mercy of God)
More from Mark Chironna’s “Rising With Hope” devotional
Here are three clips:
Whatever you do, do not surrender your praise or self-isolate. Lift your praises to God and allow someone in the faith whom you trust to remind you who you are. (Day 5, Facing the Unthinkable)
The hardest thing about being here, in the place of your pain, is the thought that you might be there alone. I can assure you that you aren’t. Wherever here is, He is. (Day 7, Being Here)
David said to God, “You have…put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?” Imagine! Your tears are so precious to God that He collects and keeps them! (Day 8, Being with Your Pain)
I’m three days into Mark Chironna’s “Rising With Hope” devotional
Here are two clips:
Sometimes you cannot see what you covered over until a crisis forces it back to the surface. Then you cannot unsee it. (Day 1, Firmly on the Edge of Hope)
Yes, you are called to live by faith rather than by sight. But faith does not ignore feelings. Faith considers feelings in the light of faith. (Day 2, Pay Attention)
I summarized an interview candidate this week saying, “He knows how to stay.”
He’s been at the same employer over 16 years and worn a couple of hats. He’s looking to leave for a couple of reasons, none of which have anything to do with his employer. Good personal reasons.
This interaction reminded me of one of Travis Bradberry’s tips for retaining employees. See this post and the image below.
I love tip #3. A board member recently made a similar suggestion regarding conducting annual reviews, but he didn’t have a name for it. Stay interviews captures it.
Some might say this appears too vulnerable, for either party. That mindset is most likely what Bradberry is saying may cost a company a top employee.
I’ve known the answer to why I’ve stayed in positions that others scratched their heads while asking, “Why do you stay?” Those “others” didn’t include my boss, of course. But my boss also didn’t take the time to be vulnerable. And guess what? I eventually left.
Your top people, for that matter all your people, desire to be seen and heard. Most likely, they would rather not leave. They would rather have the tough conversation. Chances are it won’t be near as tough as perceived and definitely not as regretful as having to find their replacement.
We’re almost six months into 2026. Time to schedule some stay interviews.
There are plenty of things that are pretty black and white for me.
All diets can include daily servings of ice cream
Baseball over hockey
“Thou shalt take naps” is the 11th Commandment
One that I wish were but it just isn’t is when to be still and when to move. We’ve all been there. The last 24 hours have reminded me that it’s not simple.
Last night a friend asked for prayer. In my efforts to pray scripture over them, Exodus 14:14 spilled out.
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Based on the need, this seemed like an honorable reply for prayer.
This morning while waiting in the green room at church between worship sets, I resumed reading this book:
In describing a lifechanging conversation with a longtime friend, Chacour acknowledged the grayness of being still.
Here was that old question that had troubled me so long: As a Christian do you speak out against the actions of your enemies-or do you allow them to crush the life out of you? So many seemed to think that submitting to humiliation was the only Christian alternative. Should you not, sometimes, be stinging and preserving like salt?
Old question. So many people have answered it in ways that we admire, question, or scratch our head. If only it were black and white.
Here’s my answering history. Sometimes I’ve been still successfully; sometimes I’ve sat still too long. Sometimes I’ve moved timely; sometimes I’ve moved too quickly.
It feels like I’m constantly learning the lesson much like engaging traffic lights.
“Good Lord (not really a prayer). When is this light ever going to turn green?”
“I’m sorry (sort of a prayer). I was looking at my phone.”
If I were in charge, the traffic light of being still would have three different colors from the traditional ones.
Black = “You’ll regret moving, so don’t.”
Gray = “Have some ice cream, and chill.”
White = “Floor it!”
Good Lord (this is a prayer), thank you for fighting for me…and forgiving me when I don’t let you.
John Gregory 