☀️ Does Your Job Pass the Vacation Test?

PROGRESSION: 2025, Volume 12

Seven years ago I wrote about the Vacation Test in my newsletter. It's this simple idea that vacations provide clarity on how you really feel about your career choices.

I've learned that returning to work after time away will leave you either more or less excited about your job. That time away provides clarity. Distance. Space. I’ve had vacations where I’m thrilled to roll up my sleeves and dive back in. I’ve had vacations where, upon returning, the idea of going back to the office creates knots in my stomach. I just want to crawl in a hole and hide.

This weekend I got back from a trip to the east coast with my 12-year-old. We watched the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies play. I visited Palmyra and the hill Cumorah, two places that are dear to my faith. But the real highlight, at least for my son, was a baseball tournament in Cooperstown. I (mostly) unplugged from work and tried to soak it all in. I tried to be fully present.

On the flight home, I thought about the challenges and opportunities that awaited me at work. I had a lot on my plate, but I was eager to tackle the work head-on. I felt renewed.

Maybe it’s just me, but if a week away from the day-to-day grind doesn’t energize you and make you feel more enthused about your work, it may be time to examine why. Are the problems at work energizing, interesting, and challenging? Do you feel like you’re using your natural gifts and talents?

If you answered no to either of these questions, maybe jumping back into work feels daunting because your job is just really hard. You may be learning at a rapid pace and developing new skills that will help your future. Or maybe you don’t love the work but need the salary to provide for your family. Or the job market is uncertain. These are all fair.

The goal of the Vacation Test isn’t to make you feel bad about work. It’s to provide space to think. It’s to provide separation from the day-to-day grind. Creating space provides clarity of thought.

No vacation? No problem.

The good news is, you don’t need a vacation to Hawaii or the Bahamas to create space. Many years ago, I was evaluating an important career decision. It was stressing me out. My job paid a good salary and I was respected by my team. But I was dying inside.

I was given an offer to take a bigger role a smaller company. Less pay. More risk. Exciting work. But I wasn’t alone. I had family and financial responsibilities. There were many factors to consider. I lost sleep over the decision.

A friend of mine came to the rescue. He invited me to take a day off from work, rent a hotel room, and spend the day thinking and journaling. He challenged me to leave behind all technology. He told me that both physical and mental separation from my day-to-day activities would provide the clarity I needed.

I accepted his invitation. And he was right. The physical change of scenery made a big difference. I carved out two hours to ponder and write. During that period I was able to see my situation clearly. I could evaluate what was right for me and my family. I accepted the job offer. It proved to be an excellent decision.

Sometimes we’re so close to our own challenges that we can’t see things clearly. When you’re in this situation, I urge you on vacation. If you can’t go on vacation, rent a hotel room for a night. If you can’t do that, go to a public library with just a notebook. If you can’t do that, find a quiet room and shut your phone off. Find a way to disconnect. See your situation from a new, clearer perspective.

Create space to think. You owe this to yourself.

What I’m Learning

• I recently finished reading Matt Fitzgerald’s book, The Other Talent: The Curiously Complex Role of Mental Health in Athletic Greatness. It’s a terrible title for what was a fascinating read.

  • Fitzgerald makes the case that to achieve greatness in sports, having physical talent isn’t enough. You must possess two mental attributes: having a screw loose and your crap together.

    • Screw Loose. This refers to a kind of obsessiveness, intensity, or irrational drive that pushes athletes to do what most people wouldn’t—or couldn’t—do. Having a screw loose is what gets you out of bed at 4:30am for a brutal workout. It’s what makes you push through pain when everything in your body says stop.

    • Crap Together. This is about having emotional control, discipline, and self-management. It's the grounding that keeps the obsessive drive from turning self-destructive. This is what keeps you from overtraining, burning out, or letting pressure ruin you. It’s the part of you that knows how to navigate setbacks and stay focused on the bigger picture.

  • You may be wondering, what does this have to do with me? Candidly, I’ve seen the same thing in top CEOs. The combo of “Screw Loose, Crap Together” is inherent in all great founders and executives. To reach the top, it’s not enough to be talented. You have to be be willing to outwork everyone and become emotionally resilient and disciplined. This path isn’t for everyone.

  • Fitzgerald wraps the book by arguing that we owe it to ourselves to maximize the talents and abilities we’ve been given.

    • I fully agree. And as I argue here, happiness in life comes from these three steps: 1) Discovering your innate talents, 2) Spending time developing them, 3) Using your talents to bless the lives of others.

• I was recently a guest on the Smashing the Plateau podcast with David Shriner-Cahn where we discussed how I’ve navigated career transitions from Finance to HR to becoming an exec coach.

  • Here’s a link to the full interview.

Gratitudes

I’ve found power in regularly expressing gratitude so I’ll continue the habit. I’m grateful for fathers. I’m grateful to have an awesome dad. He taught me to love God and love others. He taught me the importance of hard work. He showed me what it means to be a man. I’m also grateful for my father-in-law and all he’s done to support and strengthen me and my wife.

I’m grateful to have so many good examples in my life. And I’m grateful to be a dad. It hasn’t always been easy, but I can’t think of anything more rewarding. The world needs more great dads. I’m doing my best every day to live up to that.

If I can do anything to help you, please reach out. As always, thank you for reading.

All the best,

Nathan

Read my book, The Unconquerable Leader | Learn about coaching

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👨‍💻/👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Can You Be Great at Work and Home?

PROGRESSION: 2025, Volume 11

A big focus of my work as a coach is helping clients thrive at work and beyond. I’ve long believed that if we crush it as a leader, but our home, health, and other aspects of life are a complete disaster, we’ve missed the mark.

My friend John Koelliker recently posted that his top priority in life is figuring out how to be a world-class founder and a world-class dad & husband. He said, “So much of hustle-culture makes it seem like a choice. You can go all-in on your company OR you can have a family and be an active parent.”

Since that post, over 50 people reached out to John— many of whom are very successful at work—saying this exact topic is something they wrestle with constantly. Almost all my clients feel this tension of striving to be great at work and at home. But not everyone shares the same mindset. When you really look at it, there are only three paths you can choose.

Path 1: All-in on Work

Work is everything. Identity is tied to achievement, and anything outside of that—especially family—is seen as a distraction. There’s relentless drive here, but often at the expense of relationships, health, and long-term fulfillment. One quote that sums up path one: “No one who changed the world worked less than 80 hours a week.”

Path 2: All-in on Family

Work is just a paycheck. The real focus is being present at home. These folks often downplay ambition, sometimes out of conviction, sometimes out of frustration. They value presence, but can risk underutilizing their talents or impact. One quote that sums up path two: “I work to live, not live to work.”

Path 3: I Want Both

These people reject the tradeoff. They want to be excellent at work and at home. They know it’s hard. It takes discipline, sacrifice, and constant recalibration. But they believe it’s worth it—and that a meaningful life includes both.

When looking at these three paths, the immediate response for many, including me, is that the third path is the hardest. This makes sense. You have to be great at two things—work and home. Both are time intensive. Both require a high level of focus and intentionality. When you pursue path three, you’re going to have moments when you feel like you’re failing at work or home. Or both.

But I think path three is only harder if you think short term. Let’s go deeper on that.

The Challenge of Path 1

In the near term, path one can be incredibly rewarding. You see a high return on your time. All things being equal, the more you work, the more you progress and succeed. But when you stumble and have a career setback, life hits you hard. Really hard. Your entire identity is wrapped up in your career so there’s nowhere to turn. If you’re not a success at work, you feel empty. Life gets depressing real fast.

And if you are a big success, who do you share it with? If you’re still married at this point and have kids, they may not want to spend time with you. So you keep grinding to no end. Path 1 is really hard.

The Challenge of Path 2

The downside of path two is more nuanced. How can you knock someone who’s all in on family at the expense of work? On the surface, this seems like a good long-term strategy. But we need to go deeper. Here’s what one CEO shared about the long-term challenges of path two:

“I haven't seen good family outcomes from Group 2. Being in Group 2 is much more self-serving to the parent than serving the kids. In fact, the kids are being done a massive disservice by failing to model that happiness *comes from* hard work. It's an excuse to work less hiding behind the kids.

Show me the kids of the parents that excelled at their craft and dedicated their life to a cause, and I'll show you on average the best kids of the next generation.

In the same way eating candy feels good in the short term, but the harder choices of eating healthy and exercising lead to happiness. Excessive vacationing, leisure or other self-indulgence scientifically lead to depression, anxiety and lack of purpose. Only overcoming hard things and pushing yourself to the limits (both with family and professionally) lead to fulfillment and purpose. That is the great lesson of life.”

Clearly, path two has its own challenges.

Which Path Do You Choose?

My goal in writing this isn’t to tell you which path is better or worse (though I do have thoughts). It’s to call out the challenges of each. All three paths come with short-term and long-term trade-offs. I’ve seen too many people I care about head down a path without consciously deciding if that’s what they really want. Then they reach the end of that path and are left with consequences they didn’t foresee. Ouch.

My goal in writing this is to challenge your thinking. But it’s also to challenge mine. I really want your input on this. Which path are you choosing? How do you think about the trade-offs of going all in on work, family, or both?

Please take a moment to reply. I want to engage more on this topic.

Last Call for a Free Copy

As I mentioned two weeks ago, I’m celebrating the one-year anniversary of The Unconquerable Leader by giving out hundreds of free copies. Want one for yourself or a friend? Simply fill out this google form or reply to this email with your name/address.

I’ve shipped 103 books in the last week. I think the workers at my local post office hate me by now. 😂

What I’m Learning

• I’m halfway through For the Glory, a biography of Eric Liddell. Liddell was a gifted sprinter who competed for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

  • His best event was the 100 meters. However, when he discovered that his heats was scheduled on a Sunday, he refused to run—believing that competing on the Sabbath would violate his faith.

  • Despite public pressure and national disappointment, Liddell stood firm in his convictions. Instead, he ran the 400 meters, a race that wasn’t his strongest. Remarkably, he won the gold medal and set a world record.

  • After the Olympics, Liddell left competitive athletics to serve as a missionary in China, where he would later die in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

  • Liddell’s story is captured in the movie Chariots of Fire where he delivers one of my favorite quotes: “I believe God made me for a purpose - but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” I’m always impressed by those who live their values, especially when it’s inconvenient.

• “If we’re all going to eat, someone has to sell!”

  • A few newsletters back I talked about the need to sell yourself. Ken Griffin, founder of Citadel, drives home that message in this two-minute video.

• I was recently a guest on the Risely podcast with Ashish Manchada where I talked about challenges I faced when I moved into a leadership role. We also covered the hidden workload new managers aren’t prepared for, how to balance execution with leading others, and how companies can set up new managers for success.

  • Here’s a link to the full interview

Gratitudes

I’ve found power in regularly expressing gratitude so I’ll continue the habit. Yesterday was Memorial Day and I’m grateful to the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. Too often I take for granted the freedoms I have in this country. These are only possible because of the sacrifices of others. I’m grateful I get to live in America. 🙏

As I mentioned earlier, this is the last call to claim a copy of The Unconquerable Leader. Want one for yourself or a friend? Simply fill out this google form or reply to this email with your name/address.

If I can do anything to help you, please reach out. As always, thank you for reading.

All the best,

Nathan

Read my book, The Unconquerable Leader | Learn about coaching

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📖 My Gift to You, 🚴‍♂️ 4 Lessons from Ironman St George, and 🧑‍💻 How to Master AI

PROGRESSION: 2025, Volume 10

This month marks the one-year anniversary of The Unconquerable Leader. The book exceeded my expectations and I've enjoyed hearing from readers who've found it valuable.

To celebrate, I’m giving out a free signed copy to you and all my newsletter subscribers. And if you already have a copy, I’ll gift one to your friend or co-worker.

Want your copy? Simply fill out this google form or reply to this email with your name and address.

Lessons from Ironman St George

Okay, now let’s talk about maximizing potential, embracing pain, and my favorite topic—triathlon. Saturday was a special day in southern Utah. I competed in my 4th Ironman 70.3 here in St George, all with my brother. It's an annual tradition. Our Super Bowl.

• 1.2 mile swim

• 56 mile bike

• 13.1 mile run

My training was dialed in. I'd gone 110 days with no sweets. I was shooting for a PR, but my expectations were tempered when I saw the weather forecast. The heat was brutal and we saw a high of 96 degrees on Saturday.

Overall I had an incredible race, beating last year's time by 12 minutes and setting a personal best. The atmosphere was electric. The 4,000+ volunteers were incredible. My wife, kids, and parents were all there. It was a magical day.

Here are five takeaways from Ironman St George.

1) We don’t know our limits

Several years ago my stretch goal was to complete a Half Ironman in less than 6 hours. Then in Oceanside I finished in 5:55 and cried like a baby after crossing the finish line. I didn't think it was possible. I’d trained as hard as I could and was confident I couldn’t go faster. But on Saturday my time was 5:13, more than 40 minutes faster. Clearly I underestimated the power of consistent training and marginal gains.

Is there more progress to make? I don't know. But I'll keep pushing to find out. Too often our perceived limits are self-imposed. We can’t truly know our limits unless we test them. This comes from doing hard things over and over again.

2) Focus on what you control

The weather was certainly out of my control, but I was fortunate to have many things go my way. Others were less fortunate. My brother got pneumonia a few weeks before the race. His fitness wasn’t close to what he wanted, but he still showed up. One friend got a flat tire a few minutes into the bike. They both battled all day, ran their own race, and crossed the finish line.

We control very little beyond our preparation, our mindset, and our effort. Sometimes everything goes our way. But sometimes life gives us pneumonia, a flat tire, or some other setback. We can’t control those factors, but we can always choose how we respond to them.

3) Seek support from experts

Two weeks before the race, I strained my inner thigh on a training run. So I paused all training until it got better. 5 days before the race, I still felt pain while biking. Running was out of the question. I didn’t think I could race. A relay team reached out. They were looking for someone to just do the swim portion and I almost joined.

I decided to see a physical therapist instead. He worked on my thigh for 30 painful minutes. It felt a lot better the next day. It turns out I should have spent more time stretching and strengthening my leg, not less. I wish I would have seen a PT right away. He saved my race (thanks, Aaron!). Einstein is quoted as saying, “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” Sometimes we just need to get out of our own head and get help from experts.

4) Life is about maximizing our potential

When I first got into triathlon, I’d train 6-8 weeks before a race then never think about training until the next year. Now I train year round. I like creating and executing a training plan. I like competing. It’s not about a single race or event. It’s about continual growth. I've fallen in love with the process.

Bhavin Turakhia said, "It is our moral obligation to make an impact that is proportionate to our potential.” In the grand scheme of things, triathlon doesn’t really matter. But I believe we owe it to ourselves and others to maximize our potential. You must decide what that looks like for you. It can be sport, work, relationships, or any other pursuit. It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.

5) Embrace the suck

I have a few buddies who also did the Ironman. We’re super competitive and I wanted to beat them. When I saw how hot it would be on race day, I told myself, “Perfect. I know I can suffer more than them.” I meant it. These words continually ran through my head. I knew if it was painful for me, it would be worse for them.

There comes a point in every triathlon where things get unbearably hard. What you do in that moment defines your race. I’ve competed enough to know that all the pain stops the moment you cross the finish line. Then you’re left wondering, could I have pushed harder? Did I really give it my all?

Winning isn’t about who’s the most talented. It’s about who refuses to quit when it hurts. Winning is about who can suffer the most and keep going. This is true in triathlon and life. You must embrace the suck.

What I’m Learning

• I really enjoyed Shaan Puri’s post, Finding Your Thing. He argues that everyone you admire has found their ‘thing’. In his words:

  • “Michael Phelps has a weird body. Double jointed elbows, a torso 8 inches too long, and half the lactic acid production as a normal human. The dudes built like a flying fish. So he found his thing, swimming.

  • “Joe Rogan liked to have funny conversations with his friends about everything from fighting to aliens. 3 hour conversation with a stranger? I couldn’t do that. But Joe can. So he found podcasting. He found his thing.”

  • Finding your thing is the only true shortcut to life. But, how do you find your thing? Here’s a question Bun Kuhn, the CTO of Anthropic, posed: What does it seem like everyone else is mysteriously bad at?

• My friend Nolan Church recently shared this 6 Steps to Master AI video.

  • It’s an excellent resource for understanding the AI landscape and getting smart on this topic.

Gratitudes

I’ve found power in regularly expressing gratitude so I’ll continue the habit. I’m grateful for all of you who’ve read this newsletter, hired me as a coach, or read my book. Leaving the corporate world to start my own thing wasn’t without risk and my life has been blessed by your support. 🙏

As I mentioned earlier, to claim your signed copy of The Unconquerable Leader, just fill out this quick form or reply with your name and address. If you already have a copy, I’d be happy to gift one to a friend.

If I can do anything to help you, please reach out. As always, thank you for reading.

All the best,

Nathan

Read my book, The Unconquerable Leader | Learn about coaching

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🎯 What's the Goal of Your Goal? 📚 3 Fave Novels, and ❌ Desires That Drive You and Derail You

PROGRESSION: 2025, Volume 9

On Friday I spent the day in Walnut Creek, California with six coaches I deeply admire. It was our third annual meeting. Beautiful location.

A few hours into our day, we discussed the job our clients hire us to do. Not the stated reasons (“I want better executive presence”) but the unsaid reasons. These include seeking approval, checking a box, loneliness, fear of failure, etc.

Candidly, I don’t always know the real reason why someone hires me. There’s sometimes a gap between what they say they want and what they really want. I get it. It’s hard to tell someone you just started working with that you feel completely overwhelmed. It’s hard to say things are going great at work but your family is falling apart.

I’ve learned that if I don’t get to the true “job to be done” within a month or two, it’s not going to be a successful coaching partnership. It’s on me to build trust quickly and ask questions that will push them deeper. It’s on me to help them get to the heart of the matter.

When I started this essay, I planned to share three specific ways you can go from good to great. But I’m going to pivot. As I started writing this, it became clear that for many there’s a more foundational question. What do you want? What do you really want?

Of course, you say you want a promotion. Or you want a better job. Or you want to become a more effective leader. Or you want to win at work and at home. You may have a very specific goal. But what’s the goal behind that goal?

We can’t find meaningful, lasting progress until we answer the deeper questions. Here are three to get you started:

1. What is your goal? (there may be several)

2. What is the goal behind that goal?

3. Why is that important?

I invite you to take a few minutes to answer them. Pull out a notebook or start a new doc. Please don’t hesitate to send your responses to me. Having a goal is a good first step. Knowing the goal behind your goal is where the real work happens.

What I’m Learning

• Here’s one of my favorite coaching questions: What desires drive you, and what desires might derail you? It’s two questions in one, but the answers are often the same. The attributes that propel us to accomplish big things can lead to our undoing.

  • I love this post from Scott Barker. He describes his insatiable desire to win as “the sickness” because it came at such a high personal cost. He was in a constant state of alertness or fight/flight mode. The costs of “the sickness” can include:

    • Everything else in your life takes a backseat to your goal

    • More absent from loved ones (physically there, but mentally gone)

    • Obsession with accumulating material things (to fill the void)

    • Mental/physical health suffers, workaholism, lack of sleep

    • Being defined by your work

  • Barker describes the sickness as “dirty fuel.” It can push you accomplish amazing things, but it can lead to your undoing in the long term.

  • I invite you to answer these questions: What desires drive you? What desires might derail you?

• I read mostly non-fiction, but some of my favorite books are fiction. Here are three favorites:

  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I was required to read several books in high school. This was the only one I enjoyed (no offense Great Expectations). I’ve read it five times now. One of my all time faves.

  • What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg. A cautionary tale about ambition and drive. Ultimately, through deception and betrayal, Sammy gets everything he wants but is left with a shallow, empty life. I highly recommend this book, especially for the ambitious.

  • The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. The protagonist, Howard Roark, battles conventional standards and refuses to compromise. The book revolves around whether he can succeed in innovating and creating or if society and its groupthink will take him down. It’s very long but very good. Whether you agree with Rand’s philosophy or not, it’s worth the read and will challenge your thinking.

Gratitudes

I’ve found power in regularly expressing gratitude so I’ll continue the habit. I’m grateful for good health. We’re 11 days out from the St George Ironman 70.3. This is the most important triathlon on my calendar. For months my training has been dialed in. My body feels strong. I’ve gone 99 straight days without eating sweets. Everything was tracking well. Then on Friday I strained my groin during a training run. I haven’t tried running since. It’s too soon to tell if it will derail the race. I’ve found that all too often I don’t appreciate something until it’s gone. Why is that? I’m hoping it’s all healed by Saturday, May 10. I’m grateful for good health.

If I can do anything to help you, please reach out. As always, thank you for reading.

All the best,

Nathan

Read my book, The Unconquerable Leader | Learn about coaching

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How My Faith in Jesus Sustains Me (Easter Edition)

PROGRESSION: 2025, Volume 8

If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

I stumbled on this question a few years back. It made me uncomfortable. I struggled with it. I’ve since tried to discuss my faith more openly. Not throwing it in people’s faces, but not shying from it. I’d like to share an experience about how my faith in Jesus sustains me.

I’ll start with a passage from my journal. It’s an entry made on February 8, 2009. Before I do, let me share some context. I graduated from college in 2008. A few months later, I started full-time at Lehman Brothers. A month after that, Lehman imploded in what remains the largest bankruptcy in US history. I thought I lost my job. Several days later, Lehman’s US team was acquired by Barclays Capital. We were safe. But in January 2009, I was laid off from Barclays.

Long-time readers may be familiar with this story. I’ve written about it many times. Up to that point, everything in my young career had gone according to plan. Better than plan actually. Then my world came crashing down. I was unprepared to handle what felt like a devastating setback. Here’s the entry.

February 8, 2009

Today was a tough day for me. Probably the toughest since I’ve been laid off. I’ve been job searching for four weeks now and nothing seems to be working out. I am frustrated. Part of me is angry with Barclays for letting me go without giving me a fair chance to prove myself. Part of me feels foolish for getting into a career that I knew I wouldn’t excel at. I did feel spiritually prompted to go into investment banking, but I just feel abandoned that I was led this way only to fail. I feel like my hopes and dreams of a good future and career are completely falling apart.

I came home from church after Sacrament meeting (the first hour of what was three hours of church back then). I couldn’t handle being there with everyone coming up to me and asking about the job hunt. I know they mean well. I know they want to help. But no one understands what I’m going through. I couldn’t face them. I felt like I was just going to break down. I’ve been holding up well over the last few weeks, but I’m just falling apart.

I came home from church and just sat on the couch in silence. Numb. I didn’t know what to do. Finally I decided to turn on “The Testaments,” a movie depicting Jesus Christ’s ministry in the holy land and in the Americas. It was everything I needed. When I started watching, all I could think about was my own pain. I felt hopeless. I felt wronged. I felt like no one understood me. But as I watched Jesus teach, serve, and love, I felt something different. I felt hope. As I watched Jesus suffer and die for me, I felt his love.

True, no one else understands what I’m going through. But that doesn’t matter. Jesus does. I know at this moment that everything will be alright. I know at this moment that he loves me. He understands what I’m going through because he suffered everything I’m now suffering. I know many people suffer more than I do. My problems pale in comparison. But this is something very difficult for me. Everyone faces unique challenges that are hard for them but may be easier for others to carry.

Yes, today was tough. I’ve gotten over it and am ready to move forward. You don’t overcome problems by backing down when things get hard. You overcome them by picking yourself up and continuing to work and not letting down.

I recently watched a commercial with Dwyane Wade, an NBA basketball player known for his high-flying dunks and aggressive style. The commercial showed him driving to the hoop, dunking, and crashing down to the floor. At the end, he is shown flat on his stomach, looking up at the camera. The screen flashes, “Fall seven times. Stand up eight.” I am adopting that as my motto. No matter how hard or how often I come crashing down, I am going to stand back up and keep going.

Reflecting on 2009

I wrote that journal entry more than 16 years ago. As I look back on 2009, part of me is embarrassed by how difficult this experience was for me. But that’s not being fair to the 20-something-year-old me trying to find his way in the world. I was unprepared for many of life’s challenges. I was mentally and emotionally weak. I had so much to learn.

The reality is things got much harder before they got easier. The job search continued for months. I struggled with my identity. I faced rejection after rejection. Eventually I found another job. It was years before I felt like my career was back on track.

But that February day in 2009 gave me something I desperately needed—hope. The hope that things would get better despite no tangible evidence. The hope to keep going when things looked bleak. That hope came from something deeper than myself.

My strength in 2009 came from my faith in Jesus. My strength today comes from my faith in Jesus. I’ve had moments of darkness and sadness. There have been times I felt lonely and depressed. My faith has sustained me through these periods. I’ve found truth in the words, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

Sustaining Faith

I wrote the majority of this post on Thursday. I was studying the Bible and read the passage: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). I felt compelled to share this experience. I felt a desire to share how my faith in Jesus sustains me.

But by Friday, I was having second thoughts. What might people think? Would this rub someone the wrong way? But that’s no way to operate. Whether you’re a believer or not, I hope you find something that sustains you through challenging times. We need more hope that the future will be brighter than the past. We need more people to take action based on that hope.

Going back to the initial question: If I were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?

I can’t answer that. But I hope to pile up more evidence with each passing year.

I wish you and your loved ones a happy and hopeful Easter.

He is risen,

Nathan

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