The Creator, the Maker, the One, the Lord, the Father, the Source...

These are just a few names we might call the One who formed everything that is. How awe-inspiring it is to consider the majesty and greatness of the one who transcends our highest thoughts and our mightiest accomplishments and yet also understands our deepest fears and longings. They can only exist because of the Lord who stitched them together, in his infinite wisdom.

Although he is infinitely wise, we are not. So we struggle, we wrestle, and we strive. We do these, because we are limited, finite, and not in full unity and relationship with the Father. But he is not hiding from us, not at all. Just as he went seeking Adam and Eve after they sinned in the garden, he seeks us. But we do not always seek him, and he understands this, too. So he makes the Way available, through Scriptures and other means. The ancient blueprint is there, awaiting us to discover it.

My community here is called One Day Wiser. I offer it to you as a small space from which to receive encouragement and support, a little sliver of what I hope feels like church to you - true church, which can simply be thought of as "God's people gathering". The free community is like the "outer courts" of the temple, where anyone is welcome to gather and consider some of the deeper things. It is a place where we agree that these things are good and important to ruminate on, to take seriously. It is different than other places in the world. In this space, we point each other to the Lord, and toward his blueprint. Sometimes this is encouraging, and sometimes it carries a challenge, such as being aware when an idea or attitude might contradict the Scriptures. This can feel good, but it can also feel restrictive, but if I discourage a certain conversation thread, it is with the good desire of returning our attention to the Scriptures.

We also touch on mental health topics, in a way that draws from my experience as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and from the context of my prior experience in volunteer and paid church ministry.

Some people wish to explore further than the free community, to receive more focus on their individual situations. They might enter our ODW Elite community - the word "elite" is not a statement about them, or about me, but simply means that it is the paid area where a smaller, more intentional, higher trust bond is built. In this area, we take some of the basic Free community concepts to a new level. Hot seats allow one person at a time to get more specific, receive focused attention and prayer from me and the group, and specific action plans are carried out as homework. This is where "church" really happens, although not in a "church service" way, perhaps. It becomes a natural part of our daily lives.

In both groups, we address how God has created our emotions, how to use them, and why we encounter pitfalls along the way. He is there with us at all stages, and we can be there for one another as well.

In the paid community, for less than the cost of one typical therapy session, life-changing healing and transformation happen weekly. Other materials get added occasionally, as a library of resources get built over time. But, for now, if you have not already done so, please explore the free One Day Wiser Community, beginning with the "ART of ASKing worksheet".

See you inside!

-Jeff