Living in Israel, I'm reminded of biblical stories all the time. You look on a map and realize the winery you're going to is in the same place the Israelites and Philistines fought over 3,000 years ago. And more than just geography, it's a huge cultural distinction as well. There's this beautiful idea here, "Mishpocha" - which means family. You see the theme of "family" every day, from talking with the falafel guy to the mechanic. People care. They offer help freely. And yet, it's the Middle East, conflict is everywhere. This morning, I read 1 Sam. 24, where David spares Saul's life. It was so striking to me how familial they were with one another while contemplating how or if they should kill the other one. Saul had been seeking David's life for a few years, and emerging from the caves of Ein Gedi, David calls out to Saul "See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand!" and Saul responds, "Is that your voice, David my son?" Saul was hunting David, and yet they're still family. Not technically, but culturally. They knew it and the argument could be made that the idea of "mishpocha" saved both their lives. Creating a sense of family in our churches, communities, and neighborhoods is a challenge. Most of the reason the feeling of "family" exists here in Israel is because of shared adversity. There's a story at play. And the story has stakes involved. I don't think this sense of family can be reproduced outside of adversity, but I do think it can be applied to various forms of shared difficulty. What do members in your context each struggle with? What has the enemy intended for evil that could be redeemed in your community? Curious if this sparks any ideas, would love to hear your thoughts.

Hey everyone! We're getting ready to launch something soon for those navigating what's next for you in your ministry or career. If this idea intrigues you at all, could you mark what time of the day might work best for you? Stay tuned for more details soon - Jesse

I'm personally at a crossroads in my professional life. I left the faith-based NP world last August and having been working in the marketplace since. Suffice to say, I am missing vocational ministry. As of late, I've been struggling to find a genuine sense of fulfillment in my work, and I feel that although I know I am called to be in ministry, I'm unsure to what degree that should be attached to my vocation moving forward. While I was in full-time vocational ministry, I'm sadly confident that I inadvertently crafted an idol that gave me a sense of worth in my role (something I know many of us are familiar with). But it also just fit right for who I was and who I still am. My role and function provided me with a purpose to wake up and introduce who God is to someone new each day. That was purpose enough for me to feel like my life had significance and meaning. Fast forward to now. I'm in a tough season. Without getting into it too much, I've been struggling to strike the balance between doing work that is honoring to Lord, trying to be a light amongst coworkers, and realizing that my job functions aren't what I'd like to be doing for much longer. I think God has been challenging me to discern what it is that I want to do with my life, and yet my circumstances are such that ministry isn't a readily available option at the moment. I'm in a season of learning another layer of why I believe God placed me where I am at this time, and I've been ready for nearly a year now to be onto the next chunk of my story, and yet, here I am, stuck in the midst of struggle that lingers on. Likely for a reason. I'm not necessarily looking for advice here, but as Curating Good is all about this topic ― I'd love to invite any perspective from others who've navigated similar experiences or who are currently in a similar boat. Scriptures appreciated. I'd be happy to connect too :)

I love searching for and finding Native American artifacts... one of things it consistently reminds me of is that there to find what I'm looking for, I first need to know that there are indicators that show me I'm in the right location.... What indicators do you look for when it comes to making big decisions?

My early days of pastoring were in a time when Sunday’s were gametime - Everything was about Sunday. I think this is shifting towards facilitating, curating, and creating spaces where people can support each other and grow in faith collectively… from sermon-based gatherings to community and relational engagement.