No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

There may be spelling / grammar mistakes in my articles that make it through my editing, and that’s on purpose. I’m a recovering perfectionist (who was once VERY hard on himself) and one of the ways I’m learning to be compassionate on myself is by allowing mistakes to just … be.

Friends.

Have you ever found yourself holding intense, passionate opinions about people you’ve never actually met?

In this video, I reflect a bit on how easy it is (for me, anyways!) to carry judgment - judgement that comes NOT from personal interaction or lived experience, but simply because those opinions were handed down to us by traditions, culture, politics, or religion.

The reality is that after growing up in conservative/evangelical/etc. spaces, when we shift across the theological and political spectrum to the liberal/progressive/etc. side ... the temptation to demonize "the other" often remains the same.

Amen?

In this video let's chat about how pausing to ask "Where did this opinion come from?" might just be the most liberating question we can ask in divided times.

Check it out HERE.

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

There may be spelling / grammar mistakes in my articles that make it through my editing, and that’s on purpose. I’m a recovering perfectionist (who was once VERY hard on himself) and one of the ways I’m learning to be compassionate on myself is by allowing mistakes to just … be.

Friends.

This is a good one.

What if the people we've been taught to fear have something to teach us about spirituality because what if God is way, way bigger than what our own religion tells us?

Now, THERE’S a question - am I right?!

In this episode, I'm joined by Sunshine Witchski (aka the Pink-Haired Sober Witch). She's a psychic medium, spiritual advisor, teacher, and author whose journey has taken her from a Catholic upbringing and decades of addiction to sobriety and a deeply personal spiritual practice.

Sunshine began drinking at just eight years old …

Yes, you read that right - 8 years old.

… and after 32 years of drinking, a long journey of searching, and a turning point that led her to recovery - she began building a different relationship with herself, her spirituality, and the world around her. At the time of our conversation, she was celebrating SEVEN years of sobriety.

Amazing.

Over the course of our conversation, we talk about her childhood in the Catholic Church, the questions she wasn't allowed to ask, and how exploring witchcraft and mysticism opened up new possibilities for her spiritual life. Sunshine explains what witchcraft means to her, how intention and ritual fit into her daily practice, and why she believes spiritual insight must be accompanied by real-world action.

As someone who grew up in conservative evangelical Christianity, I share some of my own journey of questioning the beliefs I inherited and discovering how much there was to learn beyond the boundaries I'd been given.

This isn't a conversation about agreeing on every belief; instead, it's about curiosity, freedom, and the possibility that listening to another person's story might deepen our own understanding of spirituality.

What if we became a little less afraid of the questions and a little more curious about the people asking them?

Listen HERE.

Watch HERE.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

There may be spelling / grammar mistakes in my articles that make it through my editing, and that’s on purpose. I’m a recovering perfectionist (who was once VERY hard on himself) and one of the ways I’m learning to be compassionate on myself is by allowing mistakes to just … be.

Friends.

I started working for Apple, Inc. in 2010 and worked there until 2021 - 11 years.

I started as a part-time specialist.

Went on to full-time.

Then was promoted to a Sales Expert.

And (later) a Business Expert.

In that time I worked at 4 different stores in 2 different states - New Jersey and North Carolina. Shifts were 9 hours (and usually 11-12 hours during holiday season and product launches) and I spent 90% of the day on my feet selling phones, tablets, computers, etc. and helping (literally) hundreds of customers a week.

Then in 2020 COVID hit and all the stores shut down.

For a while we didn’t do much from home - we had daily check-ins where the entire store team would join a call, we had weekly connections with our managers, etc. And even though we were doing substantially LESS work (not much, really), we continued to get paid our normal rate for our full 40 hours/week.

Apple really did treat us well in what proved to be a very trying time.

And then a couple of weeks into the pandemic I was told that a computer would be mailed to me so that I could work from home. For how long? No one really knew at the time, but since I was on the “business team” and spent the majority of my day at a desk in the back of the store, I was told I’d likely be home for a while because when the stores did open back up they’d only be allowed to have a certain amount of people in the building at once.

Working from home “for a while” turned into workin from home for over a year - the store closed in March 2020 and I didn’t step foot in a store until the following Summer.

And.

Honestly?

It was awesome. Not only were my “numbers” (for sales and things) HIGHER and BETTER than they were when I was working in store, but …

Man.

… I was SO. MUCH. happier. Like, my mental health was 10,000x better. Why? Not because I didn’t enjoy being in the store or with my coworkers or helping customers face-to-face, but because I was HOME with my family.

Yes:

Home.

With.

My.

Family.

And this was a REVOLUTIONARY thing for me because the store, you see, was about 45 minutes from home and my shifts were usually right around rush hour (to and from work) which made my 45 minute commute a 90 minute (+) commute.

To spell it out for you - my shifts were usually 9-6 and so I would leave home at 7-7:30 when Jordan was waking up and get home 7:30-8 when Jordan was going to bed.

AND.

On top of THAT.

I was wrapping up my Doctoral Degree and working on the podcast and so I’d walk in the door after an incredibly long day, help get Jordan to bed, eat dinner, talk to Dana for a bit, and then work from 9:30 until I couldn’t keep my eyes open and then go to bed to get up and do it all again the next day.

Oh.

And on my breaks at work? I was usually either reading and preparing interviews for the podcast or working on my disseration or some sort of paper for school.

And this? I did this for the first 3 years of Jordan’s life - I rarely saw her when I had to work and saw most of her big moments on recorded video (or live via FaceTime if I was lucky enough to be on a break when she was playing with a friend or taking her first steps).

Sigh.

But when the pandemic hit? It was a horrible time, for sure, but it was good for me in a way because I got to be home …

I could play with Jordan on my breaks,

She could sit on my lap while I worked.

I could see her on her swingset right outside the window in my office.

I was home for dinner every night, part of bedtime and playdates and so many other things that I had missed.

Yeah - I was in heaven.

But then Apple told me that it was time to come back to the store. I knew it was coming and so I had spent about 6 months prior to the announcement trying to land a permanent “at-home” role with AppleCare or Online Sales or something (anything!); but even after working there for 11 years and applying for 30+ roles that I was more than qualified for … not one single person called me back for an interview.

Time went on and eventually the phone call came from my manager telling me that working from home was no longer an option - Apple wanted every single employee back in the store, zero exceptions.

I had multiple conversations with multiple managers leading up to that phone call and they all knew where I stood and what I was trying to do. I explained that after working from home for over a year, life was different. When I started working at home, Jordan was 3 and by this time she was 5. She didn’t really remember me leaving for work before the pandemic and us all being home was “the new normal”.

AND.

The ONLY NORMAL that Jordan had any recollecton of.

I explained that my numbers were better, my mental health was better, and that I didn’t think it was fair that I applied to 30+ jobs over the previous 6 months only to land 0 interviews or even get a single phone call from someone. I felt that 11 years of service and having made (literally) millions of dollars for the company should at least earn me a shot at an interview.

But.

“There’s nothing we can do” is the only answer I got because “Apple wants everyone back in the store regardless of their situation”. The phone call ended in tears and, sure, my managers were consoling and understanding and emphathetic.

BUT.

There’s one thing that I will never forget. After a long pause one of my managers said, “maybe it would be good for you to talk to someone, like a therapist, to get some help transitioning back into normal life.”

Phew.

And that?

THAT struck a nerve, friends. I remember I stopped crying and knew exactly what I needed to do - my intuitive voice (the still, small whisper inside that often guides us in moments of difficult decisions) was speaking LOUD and CLEAR …

Long story short …

I gave Apple my 2 week’s notice.

They told me to make it 1 week.

And I went on with my life.

I tell you this story because looking back almost 5 years later, I think what happened to me is a sad picture of much of what’s wrong with our society where …

Profit is put before people.

Work is put before family.

AND.

We’re seen as “mentally unwell” if we have a desire to see more of our family, have more time to practice our gifts and talents, and spend less time making millions of dollars for a trillion dollar company.

Apple will tell you that they put people before profit and family before work - and in many, many ways THEY DO.

I had plenty of times where I had to leave work early for a family emergency or call out of work last minute. When Dana had her miscarriage, for example, my managers took me off the schedule without any questions or pressure to return the following week.

Apple was good to me for 11 years, there’s no doubt about that. This isn’t about bashing Apple or any other company.

This issue, you see, isn’t about having good benefits or managers who are flexible with you and willing to move things around so work doesn’t get in the way of taking care of your family. Any single manager or store can be flexible with family emergencies that happen randomly here and there; and If they aren’t - it’s because they aren’t trying hard enough.

The bigger issue here is that the company (Apple and others like it) struggle to help people create a life where they can contibute to the values of the company while also feeling present at home, with ample time and energy to pour into their passions, their hobbies, and the things that breathe life into their souls.

Yes.

Because it’s one thing to help a person get through an unexpected day so they can come back to work the next day or week and be present for their job; but it’s another thing to help someone build a life where they can be present and focused on work while also being present and focused (dare I say even more so present and focused) at home and with the passions they have outside of work - the things that make them come alive.

After 11 years at Apple, that’s what I was asking for and the answer I received was “no” and if I didn’t like it to seek therapy (which they would have paid for, by the way).

And isn’t that a kicker?

Companies will very often pay for you to see a therapist to help you work through the issues that the company created in the first place.

“We’ll spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars for you to see a therapist to help you work through this issue that we created so that you can come back to work, take your place as the cog in the machine, and keep things running accordingly so that more money can be made. And if you don’t? You’re replaceable, we’ll just find someone else to do your job.”

Anyways.

I say all of this to encourage you to follow your heart. Leaving Apple was the scariest thing I ever did and the weeks that followed my exit from the store were some of the scariest we’ve ever had. I ended up going right into another job (at Starbucks) but left after only 2 shifts to find myself sitting in a house we had a mortage on, a wife, a baby, and a load of bills to pay. I was scared and spent many nights feeling like I’d never sleep again.

But, I did …

I did get some sleep.

Different opportunities did come about.

Plans appeared that we never even thought of before.

… and life evolved into what it is today where I work from home, have time for my podcast, art, and other hobbies and get to spend time with Jordan and Dana every day.

Everyone’s situation is different, of course, and everyone’s might not work out like mine did; BUT - everyone does (I believe) have the same intuitive voice inside and I firmly believe that whatever that voice is whispering for you to do …

To stay.

To leave.

To expand.

To shrink.

To go.

To stop.

To push through.

To hit the brakes.

To have the hard conversation.

To say, “YES”.

To say, “NO”.

… whaever it’s whispering, whatever it’s pushing you to do … I 100% believe that it will never (ever) steer you wrong.

Much love, my friend.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

(**NOTE: these show notes contain Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission)

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

This week we’re talking to (The Holistic Psychologist) as she returns to the podcast to talk to us about her book, "Reparenting the Inner Child: The New Science of Our Oldest Wounds and How to Heal Them".

And this one? It's a GAME CHANGER.

At the heart of the conversation she shares with us how inner child work isn't just about childhood nostalgia or play (although that’s part of it!), but about understanding the survival habits, protective instincts, and implicit emotional memories that dictate our adult lives, relationships, and reactions.

Dr. Nicole opens up about her personal journey with overfunctioning and perfectionism and I share a bit about how I spent years trying to "exorcise" demons out of my life ... only to realize what I thought was a demon was really my "inner child" all along.

Yes, yes, yes.

Ready to jump in?

Here you go: LISTEN HERE or WATCH HERE.

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

There may be spelling / grammar mistakes in my articles that make it through my editing, and that’s on purpose. I’m a recovering perfectionist (who was once VERY hard on himself) and one of the ways I’m learning to be compassionate on myself is by allowing mistakes to just … be.

Friends.

I let my hair down for this one - literally (as you can see from the photo). HA! I usually have it tied back, but today I set it free.

Anyways.

I just dropped a vlog post on YouTube where I wonder about some things regarding experiences with God and spiritual growth.

Like, what if we don’t have to go somewhere special to experience God?

And.

What if no "mountaintop experiences" are necessary for deeper faith?

And.

What if by trying to escape the mundane we end up missing out on some intimitate moments with God?

For a long time, I thought encountering God meant getting away from ordinary life - going on retreats, traveling somewhere, finding solitude, or having some kind of extraordinary spiritual experience.

And those experiences mattered to me - they helped, they mattered, they had a hand in shaping me and my faith in many (really good) ways.

BUT.

As I’ve gotten older and now find myself at (almost) 45 with a 9 year old daughter and having been married for 16 years.

Well.

I’ve started to wonder if I’ve been looking for God in the wrong places.

Why?

Because, maybe God can be experienced uniquely on a Tuesday morning.

Like.

Maybe God is present when we’re packing a lunch, washing dishes, mowing the lawn, sitting with someone we love, watching the sunset ... or even when we mess up, apologize, and experience forgiveness.

Amen?

Amen.

In this vlog post I reflect a bit on how I’m learning to stop trying to escape the mundane so that I can (instead) become fully present to it because maybe the sacred isn’t somewhere else ... maybe God is already here, in the midst of it all.

You can check out the video HERE.

Much love.

Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

(**This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links to buy a book, I may earn a small commission)

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

What are the Gospels and how should we read them?

In this clip from my conversation with Amy-Jill Levine, we take a closer look at what the Gospel writers were actually doing when they told the story of Jesus as she talks to us about her book, “Signs and Wonders”.

Rather than thinking of the Gospels as four “Jesus cams” recording everything that Jesus said and did, AJ describes them as four different portraits of Jesus.

Why?

Because the Gospel writers weren't simply recording events ... they were shaping and retelling the stories in ways that communicated what they believed was important about Jesus.

And we can see this especially clearly in the stories about Jesus' miracles.

HERE’S the clip. Full episode is linked above.

Much love,

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

(**This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links to buy a book, I may earn a small commission)

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

Why were the Gnostic Gospels buried in the sands of Egypt and excluded from the New Testament?

In this excerpt (WATCH IT HERE) from our full conversation, the amazing Dr. Elaine Pagels takes us on a trip to explore the origins of orthodoxy, why early church leaders labeled personal spiritual discovery as "heresy," and what the Gnostic texts reveal about Jesus and early Christianity.

Watch the full deep dive with Dr. Elaine Pagels HERE.

AND.

Pick up Elaine’s book, “The Gnostic Gospels” HERE.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

There may be spelling / grammar mistakes in my articles that make it through my editing, and that’s on purpose. I’m a recovering perfectionist (who was once VERY hard on himself) and one of the ways I’m learning to be compassionate on myself is by allowing mistakes to just … be.

Friends.

We live in a world that tells you to do everything in your power to limit and/or completely avoid suffering.

I mean.

Have you scrolled through Instagram lately? NO ONE seems to be “suffering” there - am I right?

EVERY parent seems to have the perfect child.

EVERY wife seems to have the perfect spouse.

EVERY guy seems to have the perfect job.

EVERY artist seems to have the greatest painting.

EVERY author has just written the greatest book.

If you’re not careful, a 15 minute scroll through your feed will leave you feeling like nobody in the world is suffering or going through a hard time; and so if you are.

Well.

Then.

There MUST be something wrong with you.

And that leads to feelings like, “If I only would have …

Applied myself more at school.

Poured into my marriage more.

Didn’t marry so quickly.

Been more present with my kids.

Pursued my passions.

Ate more healthy.

… THEN I would be happy like them and I wouldn’t be ‘suffering’ like I am.”

The self-help industry (as helpful as some of it CAN be) very often markets itself by presenting us with tools and ideas that will make us more happy, more outgoing, more joyful, etc.

And SURE.

Those can be good things - sometimes we genuinely need tools that can help us in those ways. That is one of my favorite areas of the bookstore - I have LOADS of self-help books on my shelf.

BUT.

Sometimes?

Sometimes I think we can go to that aisle of the bookstore and be captivated by ideas and tools that (we think) might be able to us more like “them” - more like all of those happy people that we see on Instagram who are living their perfect lives, smiling all the time, waking up excited to go to their jobs, coming home to family movie nights where the kids never cry, the marriage is easy, the house repairs are easy, and the money seems endless.

Do you know what I mean?

But what if suffering is a … good thing? I’m not trying to make light of “suffering”, of course. Not at all. Some of you, I know, are suffering (or have suffered) in ways that I can’t even imagine …

Physically suffering.

Mentally suffering.

Emotionally suffering.

… and so I don’t mean to make light of anyone’s experience in any way, shape, or form.

In fact.

In some instances (maybe even MOST instances) the best thing you can do for yourself and your well-being is to do everything in your power to put an end to your suffering.

You might really NEED to leave that job ASAP.

You might really NEED to file for that divorce.

You might really NEED to end that friendship.

You might really NEED to start that diet.

You might really NEED to pick up some self-help books and start making a plan to get your joy back.

However, I can’t help but wonder if sometimes we run too quickly to eliminate our suffering when (in reality) the very suffering we want to rid our lives of could be the fertilizer that will help us grow.

I used the word “fertilizer” on purpose because last year I put some on my lawn for the first time. My dad used to always do it and so I figured - “why not? Let’s give it a go.”

I went to the store, bought some “organic fertilizer”, “DUMPED” it into my spreader and.

Not too be gross.

BUT.

It smelt like some giant animal “DUMPED” in the bag - HA! And that makes sense because fertilizer is made up of a lot of different things, one of which is “livestock manure”.

Which brings me back to my point.

In order to make my grass healthier, thicker, greener, longer, more mature, etc. it helps to sprinkle some dirty, smelly poop on it … similar to how in life somtimes it’s the dirty, smelly, poopy times of life that fertilize us and help us grow as human beings.

(**In fact - I would say that the seasons of life that I grew the MOST in were actually some of the most difficult and painful seasons … ones that I’d never want to go back to and would never wish upon anyone, like the one I shared about last week on my YouTube Channel HERE).

BUT.

If we spend too much time in the self-help aisle?

If we become too addicted to our glowing Instagram feed?

If we become too focused on life being better or different than it is?

Well.

Then I think we run the risk of eliminating our sufferings so much so that we may miss out on the very fertilizer that …

Although smelly.

Although stinky.

Although painful.

Although heavy.

Etc.

… will help us grow, mature, and develop a little bit more into the people we were created to be.

And so I wonder - what sufferings in your own life might you try embracing today?

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

(**NOTE: these show notes contain Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission)

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

What if technology isn't just changing what we do, but changing who we're becoming?

This week I sit down with Aaron Hanbury, author of "Wired for Wonder: Dispatches on Technology, Culture, God, and Self".

Aaron doesn't approach technology as a tech expert with all the answers. Instead, he approaches it as a human being trying to understand how decades of increasingly rapid technological change has impacted him.

NO - this is not just another convo about tech; instead, this is a convo about how living in a world that is flooded with all sorts of tech is impacting our ability to be human.

We talk about a lot and the biggest question I've been left with after chatting with him and reading his book is this:

Is it getting harder to be human in a world where technology can increasingly do the wondering, searching, choosing, and answering for us?

Aaron and I don't have all the answers. Maybe that's part of the point. Listen in on our convo and share your thoughts in the comments!

🎧 - LISTEN HERE

📺 - WATCH HERE

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

When I started brainstorming the What If Project 9 years ago (late at night in a hotel room in Nyack, NY!), I had no idea I’d still be doing it 9 years and 369 episodes later after having spoken with people like …

NT Wright.

Barabara Brown Taylor.

Rob Bell.

Bart Ehrman.

Alexander John Shaia.

Nicole LePera.

… and so many others.

The podcast continues to evolve, and I’m excited about where it’s going next - conversations are lined up through January with some returning guests AND new guests, all talking about brand new ideas.

That said.

If you enjoy these conversations, blog posts, videos, art, etc. and want to help support it all, you can become a Patreon supporter.

Patreon?

As of today we have 29 supporters who generously give to the show every month (anywhere from $7/month to $100/month), which (in all honesty) helps pay for our groceries.

There are no complicated tiers or required perks for those who give more money like you might find with some other creators who use Patreon - it’s simply a way to contribute to the project in whatever way you’re able and help make more conversations, posts, vidoes, art, etc. possible.

Some people give EVERY month.

Some people give one month, take a break, and come back.

Some have been around since the beginning.

Some have joined recently.

Whatever the case may be, though - whether you support financially, listen, share an episode, or just keep asking questions with me, I’m grateful you’re here.

Thank you!

Here’s the link to Patreon - take a look.

Much love,

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

Sometimes everything inside of us wants to run away - am I RIGHT?

Leave the job.

Leave the relationship.

Leave the church.

Leave the season of life that has become difficult and heavy and ... unbearable.

… and, yes - sometimes leaving is exactly what we need to do.

BUT.

Hear me out: what if there are other moments when leaving too soon means we might miss something?

In this vlog post, I reflect a bit on a difficult season early in my days of church ministry when I was the pastor of a small church and found myself …

Questioning what I was being asked to believe and teach.

Struggling with denominational expectations.

And growing increasingly uncomfortable with the direction things were going.

Phew.

And in the midst of that season? Oh, I desperately wanted OUT.

But I chose to stay until my commitment was finished; and looking back? I can see that those difficult months became an unexpected season of growth, healing, and questioning that ultimately helped shape the person I became and even contributed to the beginnings of the What If Project.

That doesn't mean we should stay in every difficult situation. Every person and every situation is different. If you're experiencing abuse, for example - physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual ... leaving immediately is exactly what you need to do.

BUT.

Perhaps there are other kinds of discomforts that might be inviting us into something deeper.

Hm.

And so maybe the question isn't (always) simply, “should I stay or should I leave?”, but (sometimes) “what might I miss if I leave too soon?”

Yes.

Because sometimes the very thing we're trying to escape is also the place where we're being the most deeply changed.

Here’s the video - let me know your thoughts.

Much love.

Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

(**This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links to buy a book, I may earn a small commission)

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends,

What if Easter isn't only about looking backward at what happened to Jesus?

In this clip from a longer conversation, Alexander John Shaia offers a fresh way of understanding the earliest Christian experience of Easter …

Not simply as a remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus.

BUT.

As a yearly practice of reanimating the life of Christ in the community.

For these early Christian communities, resurrection could be experienced as a renewed sense of oneness with one another and with God expressed through greater …

Vitality.

Reconciliation.

Forgiveness.

Justice.

Joy.

… and love.

Alexander John describes this as the “Great Easter”: a spiritual practice of dying to the parts of ourselves that stand in the way of deeper communion, and allowing new life to emerge within the community and then move outward into the world.

So good.

And with this, rather than simply looking back at an event in Jerusalem, Easter becomes an invitation to ask:

Where is resurrection happening in us right now and how might we carry that renewed sense of life and oneness beyond the table and into the world?

📺 - WATCH THE CLIP

📺 - WATCH THE FULL EPISODE

Much love,

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

LINKS:

ALEXANDER JOHN SHAIA: https://www.quadratos.org
HEART AND MIND: https://link.amazon/B00wwfhJE
RETURNING FROM CAMINO: https://link.amazon/B01jQxLmt

(**NOTE: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission)

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

There may be spelling / grammar mistakes in my articles that make it through my editing, and that’s on purpose. I’m a recovering perfectionist (who was once VERY hard on himself) and one of the ways I’m learning to be compassionate on myself is by allowing mistakes to just … be.

Friends.

I grew up thinking I had demons inside of me.

Like.

Literal demons. Maybe they had horns and wings and big teeth. Or maybe they were just some sort of blob of evil, cosmic goo-energy. Or maybe they were part of my own “fallen nature".

I don’t know.

But, whatever the case may be - I thought the voices I heard in my head were demons that were trying to distract me, tear me down, and keep me from making a difference in the world.

You see, I grew up in an Evangelical world that had a bit of a charasmastic twist to it - we talked a lot about angels and demons and Satan and the healing powers of God along with the ability of Jesus’ power to cast out demons and evil spirits and things like that.

And me?

I was convinced I had a demon inside of me because I grew up with a nagging, critical voice that constantly told me how stupid I was and how I have absolutely nothing to add to the world.

Self-Doubt?

Self-Condemnation?

Self-Hatred?

… call it what you will, but it was relentless. Whenever I had to “put myself out there” in a conversation or presentation or whatever, this voice would ramp up and make me feel like a shell of myself.

I would shake.

I would sweat.

My voice would tremble.

And so in school and in church I went through multiple “prayer sessions” or “deliverence sessions” or “exorcisms” or whatever you want to call them where people would anoint my head with oil, lay hands on me, and try to cast out this demon by the power of Jesus.

Sometimes the prayers were said with low, whispering voices and other times they were said loudly and firmly with a hint of anger behind them, commanding this “demon” to come out of me and go to the pit of hell where he belongs.

Inevitably, the voice would go quiet after that. “It worked!”, I’d think, as I’d go to school and church feeling free of the voice and free of the unbearable weight of self-doubt.

But.

Slowly?

Surely?

Over time?

Yup - the voice would come back, and it would come back louder and louder and louder each time.

And in the world I grew up in? When a demon was cast out it would only return if I gave it a “foothold” or an “open door” or an “invitation” to come back - if I didn’t read my Bible enough or if I didn’t go to church or if I didn’t put enough money in the offering plate or if I listened to music that wasn’t Christian or if I watched a movie that had suggestive themes in it.

I.

I.

I.

I.

In other words, the demon would come back if I let it back, which only made my self-doubt and self-condemnation worse.

“Can I do ANYTHING right?”

“All of these people prayed for me and I let it back in, I’m right back where I started.”

“I mess everything up.”

“I really am terrible at everything.”

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

This went on for 20+ years, even up to today! I joke sometimes, but it’s true - before EVERY podcast recording where I have to hop on camera with someone to engage them in a 40+ minute conversation that will be listened to by hundreds of people, I feel like I’m going to throw up and have an urge to tell the guest that I’m sick or something came up or my Internet isn’t working … any excuse to get out of the conversation so that I can go back to bed and sleep off the panic that I feel inside.

Yes.

This STILL happens to me today - all these years and all these episodes later.

BUT.

I no longer think this voice is a demon and I no longer try to get rid of it; instead - I’ve befriended it.

About 5 years ago I came across the work of The Holistic Psychologist / and had a conversation with my friend Alexander John Shaia who posed a perspective-changing question to me. He’s a spiritual teacher who brings a mystical twist to life and I’ll never forget what he said …

“What if that voice inside of you isn’t a demon? What if it’s, instead, your inner child - a small version of yourself who is full of self-doubt and self-condemnation not because he’s trying to hurt you, but because you find yourself in a situation today (as an adult) that reminds him of a time when he (as a child) was made to feel like a failure? And what if his insistence that you give up or run away is just him trying to protect you from getting hurt again? If you look at that voice as one coming from a child who is maybe your daughter’s age as opposed to a drooling demon with fangs and horns - I wonder how you might speak to him? Would you cast him out and send him to hell? Or might you sit him on your knee and speak to him the truth of who he is - how wonderful, smart, and capable he is?”

And.

Honestly?

That changed everything for me because rather than see this voice as a scary voice that wanted to discourage me, I began to see it as the voice of a frightened boy who was maybe …

7?

8?

9 years old?

… and as I looked into his eyes I felt like I was looking into the eyes of my daughter, Jordan, and I began to wonder how I might respond to her if she were to come to me with the same doubts I was feeling inside.

Would I tell her to “go away”?

Would I tell her to “go to hell”?

Would I tell her to “stop it”?

No, right? Instead, I would put her on my knee and I would look at her with tears in my own eyes and tell her what an amazing and capable human she is and how much she makes the world better and brighter simply because she exists.

And so now when that voice starts to bubble up inside of me, that’s what I do. I take some deep breaths and I speak to him in a loving, compassionate voice and remind him of who he is …

“I know this moment reminds you of a scary moment from our past. I get that. It was a hard time and you shouldn’t have had to experience that. Today, though, I’m here with you. These are different times, we are different people - we have changed, we have grown, we have learned from our past - and we’re better for it. And so we’re going to move foward in this moment. As scary as it is, we’re going to get through it. And when we do, you’ll take a deep breath of relief and we’ll celebrate that we did it. You aren’t alone, I’m here with you and I’m proud of you.”

Yes.

I don’t have a demon inside of me, I have a little boy inside and he’s just looking for a friend and for his older self to cheer him on and believe in him.

This, I think, is a layer of healing and what it looks like to begin to “reparent our inner child”.

Which.

By the way.

Reminds me - my conversation with releases next month where we talk all about her new book, “Reparenting the Inner Child”. That conversation was balm for my soul - stay tuned.

Until then - much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

(**NOTE: these show notes contain Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission)

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

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Friends.

What if our phones aren't just distracting us from our lives, but helping us avoid feeling them AND from feeling all the feelings that tend to make life feel messy?

Now THAT’S a big “what if”, right?

This week I'm talking with Shannon Algeo about his book “The Power in Your Hands: Liberate Yourself from Attachment to Technology” - a book you NEED on your shelf.

One thing to note:

Shannon's book isn't a call to throw away our phones; it's an invitation to examine our relationship with technology and reclaim our attention, our creativity, our relationships, and (ultimately) our ability to be fully present for this one wild and precious life that we get to live.

This was one of the more vulnerable conversations I've had on the podcast. I hope you'll listen with an open heart.

🎧 - LISTEN HERE.

📺 - WATCH HERE.

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much time we spend in life trying to make things easier so that we can finish the task, check the box, and move on to whatever comes next.

And. I mean. I guess productivity is good.

BUT.

What if we’re so focused on getting to the next destination that we miss the life that’s happening along the way? Because what if the process itself is where the fulfillment actually is?

Hm.

In this short solo episode I share a story about a commissioned "Garfield" painting that took me three days just to get the shape of his head right. I erased it over and over, even traced the shape at one point ... only to erase that too and start again.

Eventually, though?

I realized that getting the painting finished wasn't actually the most fulfilling part because (in reality) there was something surprisingly meaningful about the frustrating, messy, imperfect process of creating it.

That got me thinking about the other areas of life where I do the same thing — especially parenting.

Check out more HERE and let me know what you think.

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO
  
  

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

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Friends.

What if the Gospel of John isn't only telling us who Jesus is, but is inviting us to become something more ourselves?

In this clip from our longer episode (view the full episode HERE), Dr. Hugo Mendez dips our toes into some theology from John’s Gospel and explores one of its most radical ideas: that Jesus came to earth so that human beings might participate in the divine life themselves.

We talk about things like the Logos, the high view of Jesus in the Gospel of John, being "born again" and receiving the Spirit ... and much more.

What if Jesus didn't come simply to rescue us from somewhere, but to invite us into a deeper participation in the life of God?

Oh.

YES.

This conversation helped me completely reframe the question of who Jesus really IS.

Check out the clip HERE.

Watch the full episode HERE.

Get Hugo’s book HERE.

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

(**NOTE: these show notes contain Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission)

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

There may be spelling / grammar mistakes in my articles that make it through my editing, and that’s on purpose. I’m a recovering perfectionist (who was once VERY hard on himself) and one of the ways I’m learning to be compassionate on myself is by allowing mistakes to just … be.

Friends.

I’ve been thinking a lot of technology lately and, in particular, how the technologies we (as humans) have created are (re)creating us.

And this is a new thought, right? For me anyways.

Because.

I was born in 1982 and so I remember when I got my very first NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1987-ish and how cool it was to play “Duck Hunt” where you aimed a gun at the screen, pulled the trigger, and shot ducks like a hunter.

WHAT. Like, HOW did that even work?!

I remember when the Power Glove came out, which was a glove you could wear that plugged into the NES - it had buttons on it and was able to detect hand movements so you could control the character on the screen with the glove.

Again - WHAT?!

I remember getting our first computer in our home with dial-up Internet (Prodigy Internet) and installing Windows 98 (which came in a gigantic box with nothing short of 32 discs that took hours and hours and hours to install).

I remember when my parents got a fax machine and how crazy it was to think we could send a document to someone on the other side of town or even the country in a matter of minutes.

I remember when my parents got a car phone.

Beeepers/Pagers.

CDs.

DVDs.

Bluerays.

GameBoy.

Razor Phones.

When Facebook was just for colleges.

Myspace.

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

And I say I’m having this “new thought” because with the arrival of each and every one of those previous pieces of technology, my question was always …

“What can this thing do for me?”

OR.

“What sorts of cool things can I do with this?”

In other words, the focus was always on what I could do with a piece of technology to create something, make somthing, or just have a good time.

BUT.

Now, though?

As social media advances, as algorithms take over our feeds, as AI becomes a more prominent fixture in everything.

I don’t know.

But I’m no longer wondering “what can I do with this cool piece of technology"?”; instead, I’m asking, “what is this (cool) piece of technology doing to me?”

And that’s a much different question, right?

Previously, I was the one who was using the technology and the technology was assisting me in some way; now, though, it often feels like the technologies around me are using me and molding me and evolving me in ways that (if I’m being honest) make me feel a bit uneasy.

I feel uneasy, for instance, about my lack of wondering.

I used to wonder about things all the time, you know? If something broke, I would wonder about how to fix it. If I wanted to make some sort of art, I would wonder about how to do it. If I came across a Bible verse I didn’t understand or a piece of theology that was new to me, I would wonder about it.

But … now?

I open up Google and within (literally) 5 seconds I have a library of information in front of my eyes with numerous answers to my question …

Detailed videos about how to fix the thing that’s broke.

Detailed explanations of how to do that artsy thing I want to try.

Detailed articles about the Bible verse that confused me.

Now.

PLEASE.

Don’t get me wrong - this is VERY helpful, right? The other day, for instance, my dishwasher broke and so I went to Google and Google’s AI assistant (Gemini) helped me pinpoint the problem, find the parts I needed, and fix the problem once the parts arrived.

Crazy!

Seriously.

I took my dishwasher APART (it was all over the kitchen) - I took the door off, I took out wires, I took apart the back of the dishwasher, replaced a heating element … all sorts of things that I never would have figured out if it weren’t for Google. I would have had to call an appliance company that (let’s face it) would have emptied my bank account and demanded one of my limbs!

And so I’m not here to say that technology is BAD or technology is GOOD.

I think we all know that it really isn’t either of those things - technology is technology and the the burden of responsibility as to whether it’s good or bad falls upon us who use it in good or not so good ways.

Instead, I’m here to wonder about things like what having such access to immediate answers is doing to us as humans who are wired to wonder.

Wired to wonder?

I’m reading a book by Aaron Cline Hanbury by that very name - “Wired For Wonder” where he wrestles with some of his own questions regarding technology, one of them being this idea that humans are wired for things like wonder and curiosity and reflection and dreaming and how technology, frankly, makes it hard to be human in those ways.

Right?

I mean it’s hard to wonder about a Bible verse when Google can give me 32,000 different explanations for that verse.

It’s hard to sit with the mystery of how the sun works when I can ask Google how it works and be hit with a barrage of articles in a matter of seconds.

It’s hard to sit under the stars like our ancestors did and wonder what’s up there when I can ask ChatGPT and be given way more information that I can fathom.

In other words.

It’s hard to feel small when we have immediate access to such a BIG vault of information.

And so lately I’ve been trying to be intentional with my wondering. For instance, the other day I came across a Bible verse that confused me. I had no idea what it meant even though I had read it a billion times.

My first inclination? - “Let’s Google it!”

BUT.

Instead?

I sat with the verse and wondered about it. Reflected on it. Pondered it. Read it again. And again. And, yet, again. Over and over. I thought about it while I made dinner, wondered about it in the shower, and even pondered it as I fell asleep.

And today?

Weeks later?

I STILL haven’t Googled it and decided that I won’t Google it.

Why?

Not because I don’t want to know “the answer”.

Not because I don’t want to understand it better.

Not because I don’t care.

BUT.

Because there’s something holy and good about not knowing and living with that tension and the mystery of it all.

After all.

It’s OK not to know.

It’s OK not to know the answer.

It’s OK to reflect on a mystery.

It’s OK to let the mystery expand you and stretch you.

Yeah - it’s OK, it’s good, and (I think) it’s very, very human.

Again - technology isn’t good and tecnology isn’t bad. Technology just … is. As humans, though? It’s up to us to use it responsibly, something that will look different for everyone.

How is that looking for YOU these days?

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

Many of us have been told that anxiety is primarily a thinking problem, that if we could just change our thoughts.

Well.

Then?

Our anxiety would just disappear!

“Think positive!”

“Change your mindset!”

“Win the battle of your mind!”

“Pray more! Read your Bible more! Listen to more Christian music! Put good IN your brain, get good OUT of our brain!”

BUT.

What if that's only part of the story?

In this week’s conversation we talk to physician, neuroscientist, and the author of "Anxiety Rx", Dr. Russell Kennedy, who explains why anxiety often begins as a feeling in the body before it becomes a story in the mind.

Who knew?!

He shares why uncertainty fuels anxiety, why overthinking doesn't solve it, and how reconnecting with your body may be one of the most important steps toward healing.

SO. GOOD.

If you've struggled with chronic anxiety, overthinking, or feeling stuck in endless mental loops, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective.

🎧 - LISTEN HERE.

📺 - WATCH HERE.

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

There may be spelling / grammar mistakes in my articles that make it through my editing, and that’s on purpose. I’m a recovering perfectionist (who was once VERY hard on himself) and one of the ways I’m learning to be compassionate on myself is by allowing mistakes to just … be.

Friends.

What if boredom isn't something we need to escape, but something we need to make room for? Maybe even intentionally put into our days?

Like, can you SCHEDULE BOREDOM into your life?

Is that even a thing?

You’re your own person - you can do whatever you want, HA!

Seriously, though.

I've been thinking a lot lately about technology, productivity, and the strange feeling that we should always be doing something, always be producing, always be doing MORE.

Do you feel this too?

I mean, with a computer, iPad, and smartphone always within reach (not to mention portable gaming systems, podcasts, audio books, etc.), it's almost impossible to be bored anymore. And, worse, sometimes it feels like there's something wrong with us if we're not being productive … if we (God forbid!) are feeling “bored” or “lazy”.

Lately, though, I've started to wonder what kind of creativity I might be missing out on because I'm afraid to be bored and live in a culture that makes me feel ashamed when I’m not being as productive as others.

Let's wonder about it together.

Heres’ the video:

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO

No paywalls here; but if you have the means to support, it helps pay the grocery bill and keep the lights on - thank you for your encouragement and support!

Subscribe now

Friends.

What does it mean to live with Christ Consciousness?

In this clip from my convo with Chantal Morales McKinney we hear about how she came to see God's presence beyond church buildings and religious institutions.

Amen?

AMEN!

Learning into the opening of John's Gospel, she shares how Christ Consciousness is the awareness that divine love is present everywhere and how learning to notice that presence can transform ordinary moments into sacred ones.

I also share a bit about how this idea changed my own spiritual journey so that instead of seeing people through political labels or religious differences, I began asking a different question:

What if there's a divine spark in every person I meet?

Watch the clip HERE:

Watch the full episode HERE:

Much love.

• Glenn || SUPPORT / ART STUDIO