One of the strangest realizations in life is discovering that some of the prayers we are most grateful for today are the ones God never answered the way we originally wanted Him to. At the time, unanswered prayers often feel painful. We pray for the relationship to work. For the opportunity to open. For the … More The Blessings of Unanswered Prayers
One of the biggest mistakes people make in life is walking into a room assuming everyone else thinks, feels, reacts, and operates the same way they do. Most people never consciously think about it, but we naturally project ourselves onto others. If we are honest, we assume honesty.If we are kind, we assume kindness.If we … More Not Everyone in the Room Is Like You
“Birds of a feather flock together.” Most people hear that phrase as a simple observation about friendship and similarity. But the older I get, the more I realize it is also a warning about influence, environment, temptation, and the slow ways people change over time. Human beings adapt to what surrounds them. That can be … More How Environments Shape Character
In a world that celebrates followers, connections, and networking, real friendship has become one of the rarest and most valuable things a person can possess. Not casual friendship. Not social media friendship. Not the people who react to your good moments but disappear during your bad ones. Real friendship. The kind where somebody answers the … More The Friends Who Show Up
Too Young. Too Old. Never the Right Time. There is something strange about the way modern culture views age. When you are young, people tell you that you lack experience. You are told to wait your turn, prove yourself, and earn credibility. Your ideas may be good, your passion may be real, but many people … More The Age We’re Told We’re Supposed to Be
Familiarity, Growth, and Human Nature *Note: This is obviously subtle.. we all know Jesus had a mission outside of Nazareth…so read it in context. One of the more fascinating moments in the ministry of Jesus happens not in Jerusalem, not among the Pharisees, and not in the presence of Rome… but in His own hometown. … More Why Jesus Left Nazareth
One of the most common accusations people throw around in relationships is this: “You’re selfish.” And usually, somewhere in the middle of the argument comes another phrase: “I want what I want.” I’ve heard it before in my own life. Not once. More than once. The interesting thing is that people often say those two … More “I Want What I Want,” The Phrase That Quietly Destroys Relationships
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Most people have heard it. A lot of people can recite it. Very few people actually live it. Because living it requires something most people avoid: honesty. We … More The Prayer Everyone Quotes… But Almost No One Lives
I believe in God. I trust Him. But I’d be lying if I said I understand why He’s not opening any doors right now. And, I’m going to be honest, this isn’t one of those blogs written from the other side of a breakthrough. This is what it looks like when you’re doing everything you … More When God Doesn’t Open the Door
There are days when your mind doesn’t stay in one place. It jumps. From hospitals to dreams to relationships to the way the world works…and sometimes doesn’t. And at first, it feels scattered. But if you sit with it long enough, you realize something: It’s all connected. I was thinking about hospitals. About how there … More When Doing Everything Right Still Isn’t Enough
Troy P Zehnder 