Joy does not come in the absence of pain. It is not something we earn when we have finally smoothed out all the rough edges. No, joy is born in the very center of it all—when we allow discomfort to exist without resistance, when we find within ourselves…

Here’s the latest letter in my own current practice of courage. From my unfiltered and messy heart to yours…

And here you are, standing at the threshold between who you were and who you long to be. It’s not an easy place to stand, is it? One foot planted in the familiar—the routines, the roles, the relationships that once made you feel safe—and the other, hesitant and trembling, reaching toward the unknown…

You have felt the whisper of another life for so long now—like your favorite song on repeat just beneath the surface. And yet, the fear lingers. It is not a gentle thing. It is heavy, like stone in the pockets of your courage, like a tide pulling you back each time you step forward…

You have survived so much already, and yet here you are —standing in the middle of another storm that threatens to take all that remains. Or perhaps has already taken everything…

November is here. The US election week is here too. The leaves outside continue to fall. The temperature is chilly — and hopeful too. But first, before we head into this full and illuminating week, it’s time to fill our cup this Sunday morning.