Masks Make Relationships Impossible
How many masks do you wear?
Years ago, I saved an image of a person peeling away mask after mask until only a vulnerable human being remained underneath. When I recently came across it again, I realized why it had stayed with me all these years: I recognized myself in it.
In this reflection on identity, authenticity, accountability, and faith, I explore why we hide, what it costs us to keep performing, and the freedom that comes when we stop trying to manage everyone else's perception of us. Along the way, I wrestle with a difficult question: What if the goal isn't becoming someone new, but having the courage to let ourselves be fully seen?
Because maybe masks don't just hide us from one another.
Maybe masks make relationships impossible.
Unpacking Jere: A Different Kind of Growth Project
Who am I without the titles, accomplishments, responsibilities, and roles I've spent a lifetime building? That question launched a six-month journey of self-discovery, healing, and honest reflection. In this post, I share why I've begun asking harder questions, examining old patterns, and learning that growth isn't always about finding new answers—sometimes it's about becoming honest enough to face yourself.
Father’s Day Has Always Been Complicated
What does it mean to miss someone you've never known? In this Father's Day reflection, I explore the complicated grief of losing my father before I could know him, the challenge of becoming a father myself, and the ongoing journey of figuring out what it means to be a man, a parent, and a work in progress.
What’s at the Top of Your Heart?
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time struggling with the Lord in prayer—over my health, my work, my relationships, and the uncertainty that seems to follow all of us from time to time. This week, I’m reflecting on faith, Gethsemane, lost sheep, prodigal sons, and the reminder that God doesn’t wait for us to have everything figured out before He comes looking for us. Sometimes what's at the top of our heart is exactly what we need to bring to Him.
THRIVING: A Six-Month Check-In
Six months ago, I declared 2026 my Year of THRIVING. I was ready for abundance, opportunity, momentum, and a holy "watch this" moment from God. This essay explores what happened when my expectations collided with reality—and the surprising discovery that maybe God was changing me more than He was changing my circumstances.
In this six-month check-in, I'm not a millionaire, bestselling author, keynote speaker, or Broadway star. My back still hurts. The credit cards still exist. And yet... somehow, I'm thriving more than I was before. I reflect on marriage, family, teaching, faith, writing, and the surprising realization that maybe the life I've been looking for isn't somewhere else.
Maybe thriving isn't found in finally arriving. Maybe it's found in fully showing up where I already am.