LostThenFoundry: Instagram Daily 12-Step Recovery Art
@LostThenFoundry is my ongoing passion project—an Instagram archive of AI-driven art and poetry that translates each daily lesson of the 12-step re:generation recovery journey into bold, confessional visuals. Forged one day at a time, it will conclude at the completion of Step 12, forming a complete body of work that chronicles brokenness, surrender, and the freedom found only in Christ.
Your scream won’t heal you—your surrender will.
When sin hides in the dark, it grows heavier. But when you bring it into the light, chains break and healing begins. Confession isn’t about shame—it’s about freedom. Strike the match, expose the lie, and let God’s mercy set you free.
My temptation begins with a whisper: “something wicked this way comes.” The sky bruises dark, clouds gather like unspoken lies, thunder rolls like a warning drum, wind cuts sharp as doubt. I tell myself the storm will miss me. But weakness pulls like undertow. The devil paints obedience as a mountain, and sin as a shortcut through the valley. Confession is lightning— splitting the sky, revealing what hides in shadow. It stitches me back to God, teaching me to see the patterns in the rain. Still, temptation moves like muscle memory— a ghost hand turning the same door handle, a river carving the same channel. The enemy hides his ruin in plain sight, making rubble look ordinary. Yet mercy is an anchor. Grace is a lighthouse. And God is the calm that stills the storm. This is not about worth— it is about allegiance. To live in His love as daily bread. To be shaped by His Spirit until new rivers carve through stone. To be unashamed to declare: I am still here.
From death’s grip, beauty blooms— the world’s bouquets wither, but the Spirit sows a garden eternal. One seed of righteousness outlasts a thousand flowers that fade. Trade fading treasures for the bloom that never dies.
O Lord, life has taught me— no part-time crooks, you’re either in or you’re out. So teach me Your way: no part-time disciple, no halfway cross. I cannot play with idols by night and praise You by day. Burn the fence I’ve sat on. Kill the double-life I’ve lived. Make me whole, all-in, yours alone. For the world takes my soul in pieces, but You give me life entire. Better one day carrying Your cross than a lifetime chasing lies.
Walk His way— not the echo of idols, not the noise of the crowd. The narrow road burns bright, a flame against the dark, calling the weary home. Surrender is the song, repentance the rhythm, and grace the stage light that never fades. Walk His way, and find life that cannot be stolen.
Confession admits the leak. Repentance patches it with God’s grace.
I know what it’s like to chase sin that looks sweet but leaves scars. I’ve burned myself on idols, addiction, and lies that promised freedom but chained me tighter. Repentance is my U-turn—it’s where God met me, not just to forgive me but to free me. I’m choosing to turn before I burn.
Step 6 is less about behavior and more about the heart. It asks: What do you love most, and are you willing to let God reshape it?
A Lament. O God why—Covid now, wtf. My fucking heart clenches at the thought of my dad dying. It stalks me like a shadow in the night, pressing until I want to crawl out of my own skin. You know I’m not strong enough. Sin’s grip is at my throat, and I’d rather go numb, drown in despair, and just wait for heaven than face that kind of grief. How the hell am I supposed to keep moving when I picture my parents gone? Everyone else walks like they can take death in stride, but I can’t. It would bury me alive. All I want is for my mom and dad to know they raised a good son—that their love wasn’t wasted, that I stopped chasing the dragon. But I’ve wasted days being wasted, days I could have spent with them. And You fucking know how much I hate that “Cats in the Cradle” song. I feel fragile. As much as I chase You, God, I know I’d rage against You if You ripped him from me right now. Thank You for the strength You’ve given—I’ve felt it—but I need more. Crack these chains before shame buries me alive, before they choke out the talent You planted in me. One day, I believe I’ll stand stronger. But today? Today I’m still so fucking scared my time with him is already gone. And if it is—then thank You for making him my dad, and for the love we shared.
FOUR YEARS SOBER 🙌 One day at a time. Step 5 reminds us: healing comes when we confess, not conceal. What was once hidden nearly destroyed me—today, I shout freedom. Recovery is possible. We DO recover.
Beneath the mask of legend, the cracks of confession wait to set the soul free — for though the soul finds freedom, the flesh still belongs to dust, already counted as dead.
I chased fantasy, but I found reality in grace. I chased idols, but I found freedom in the living God. One day at a time, my life is being rewritten. This is no longer the story of my chains — it is the story of my release.
From Brokenness to Freedom In the silence of addiction recovery, I whispered my shame to the night. Alcoholism had chained my spirit, but Jesus brought me into the light. Faith-based sobriety is not a program, it’s a promise written in grace. Through Christian recovery I find healing, as I surrender at the cross, face to face. God’s love restores the broken life, freedom from addiction begins to bloom. No more hiding in fear or resentment, His forgiveness clears the room. Overcome guilt, overcome despair, hope through Christ is strong and true. Transformation comes in surrender, a new life in Him, made brand new. So to the lost and weary soul, hear this: you’re not alone. Healing through Jesus is waiting, faith makes your heart His home.
The calling grows stronger; the only step forward is the one God sets before me.
I am still here, Lord—still chasing the dragon, still broken in my weakness. The fire consumes, the lie entangles, yet You do not turn away. Though I stumble in the shadows, Your mercy waits in the morning. Do not forsake me while I wander; hold me until I can stand in Your truth
Your secrets can’t save you.
Confession unlocks freedom.
Blame is a torch— easy to pass, quick to burn another’s name. Excuses are chains painted gold, fooling the wrist they bind. But revolt begins when the mirror is faced, when the mask of pride is torn in two. The fire is not to consume you, but to cauterize the wound. Truth is not a weapon— it is the key. Confession is not defeat— it is revolt. And in the blaze of honesty, where shame once ruled, you will find freedom.
The Lie and the Light Sin is a liar— it wears a mask of wisdom, polished, persuasive, a counterfeit crown. But hidden rot grows roots. Shame cannot save— it only strangles in the dark. Pride digs the grave, while false modesty calls it honor. Yet the Spirit is relentless. He rips away disguises, sets every lie on fire, and drags the bones into daylight. For every shadow exposed, mercy replies. Every confession is an earthquake that shatters chains. The cross is never ashamed of your ruin— it is proof the price is already paid. Where your lies are buried, God’s truth begins to breathe.
Pride is the illusion of balance—the lie that good and evil weigh the same. But in God’s reality, light is not half of a circle, it is the whole. Pride splits what was never meant to divide, inventing its own physics: equal and opposite reactions to justify rebellion. Yet grace is not reaction, it is interruption—God collapsing the false symmetry and remaking the universe around the cross.
Agree with God.
Still on the crazy train — grinding through inventory, carrying the weight, not fully healed yet. But I’m still here, still moving, still pushing forward on the tracks God laid out.
The desert grave holds my sinful patterns. The wind may stir the dust, but they rise no more. You, O Lord, have buried them deep, and in You I walk free.
Don’t keep digging up your sinful nature. Let it stay buried.
Gratitude grows as you recognize the greatness of your sin and the greater gift of forgiveness.
What you cling to crowns you. The patterns are born from shadows, idols whispering in the marrow of a sinful heart.
The danger isn’t out there — it’s already inside. Old sins return dressed as harmless habits. Stay awake. Guard the gates. Let your mind be renewed like the eagle’s before the patterns of the world reclaim you.
In the ache of honest tears, God meets us—not to erase the pain, but to fill it with His presence until sorrow turns to rest.
The reckoning came, not to destroy me, but to strip away what could never save me.
I have let too many kings in— ambition draped in gold, comfort whispering like a friend, fear wearing the crown of caution. They sat where Love should reign, each demanding their tribute: my hours, my silence, my worship dressed as worry. But their scepters are hollow, their reign brittle as ash. The room grows still when the rightful King arrives. One step, and the pretenders fall. One word, and the seat is His. There is only One whose rule brings peace, and He will not share the throne.
Don’t leave the last 2% to rot. The grime you hide festers in silence. God wants it gone—not to shame you, but to make you whole. Complete the inventory. Let Him clean it all.
I scanned the code and named what I never had words for. Wounds I worked around. Patterns I couldn’t see. This inventory isn’t new—it’s ancient. But now it’s spoken. And in the secret heart, God is writing truth where lies used to live.
All I need is some brutal truth, the Spirit’s light, and I’m free.
God didn’t save you so you could keep living the same broken way. He called you to be different, to be set apart, and to live in a way that reflects His purity, His love, and His purpose.
No graceful entry—just full surrender.
Nailed lies. Peeling pride. Shame won’t stick where grace walks bold.
Behold—when God turns on the light, it’s not to humiliate, but to heal. We cover ourselves in layers: image, control, fantasy, sin. But He strips away what we thought we needed… …to speak truth into what we’ve been hiding. This isn’t punishment. It’s preparation.
I didn’t chase women—I chased what I thought they could give me: meaning. I thought lust would satisfy longing, but it only deepened it. I envied the idol—then realized I’d become enslaved to it. I need God to rewire my desire—to pull the dream down and build something true.
There was once a shoemaker’s son from a soot‑black town who loved two things: noise and night. He forged both into songs so loud they rattled the cathedral glass. Crowds crowned him Prince of Darkness, and he wore the title like armor—yet under the leather he kept a small silver cross his mother had given him. As years roared by, the prince traded sleep for spirits and applause for powders; each bargain left a bruise on his soul. One dusk, stumbling backstage, he met a quiet Stranger holding a blank, heavy ledger. “Write,” said the Stranger. “Write every broken promise, every whispered regret. Ink it in truth; I have paid for the paper with blood.” The prince laughed—until he tried. The first confession felt like tearing bone from skin, the second like thunder in an empty hall. But page after page, the weight on his chest eased, while the book itself grew heavier—so heavy he could no longer lift it. Exhausted, he dropped the ledger at the Stranger’s feet. “Now what, holy man? The book will bury me.” The Stranger knelt, snapped the spine of the ledger, and from its center drew out the silver cross. The pages—blotted black—turned white as fresh snow. “Your noise was never too loud for My mercy,” the Stranger whispered. “You are free to leave the stage— or sing a new song.” The prince wept, rose, and walked into dawn, humming the melody of a crazy train redeemed. Moral: When we inventory our wreckage and place it in the hands of Christ, even the loudest life finds silence—then resurrection—in grace.
She had my eyes— but lust held the lens. Now I see clearer. Now I let go.
Every face has a story. And behind their eyes is the echo of what I did. Words I said. Love I withheld. Trust I shattered. Some I wounded with silence. Some with pride. Some never even knew. But God did. I bit my tongue, but it didn’t stop the bleeding. Didn’t undo the harm. Didn’t make it right. This is the wreckage. Step 4 is staring it in the face—and not looking away.
The moment sin entered. It’s the rupture— the first gaze that lingers too long, the first ache that wraps itself around the soul and doesn’t let go. It’s the movement from innocence to awareness, from boyhood wonder to a weight you don’t understand yet—but carry anyway.
We cast them out— our shattered hearts, sealed in silence. Each bottle holds a wound we never named, a story we never told, a truth too heavy to carry so we buried it beneath waves of distraction and time. But inventory is not the storm— it’s the still water where Jesus reaches in, pulls us from the wreckage, and whispers: “This one is mine.”
Even in the storm, He speaks peace. You’re not failing—you’re feeling. You’re not lost—you’re learning. When you're stuck, lean into the One who overcame the world. You don’t have to climb out alone.
You don’t have to carry the weight of payback. You don’t have to plot, curse, or stew in silence. Every harm—seen or buried—God sees. And He promises: “I will repay.”
Who I am. Not broken, becoming. Not lost, but known. Tears counted. Glory growing. I am God’s child— and that changes everything.
Every step forward is built on the grace of today—not the fear of tomorrow.
You’ve clung to control so tightly your fingers forgot how to feel grace. But healing doesn’t happen through a stranglehold. It happens when your hands open. Let go. Of the fear that lied. Of the control that failed. Of the belief that God won’t catch you. Let go— so you can finally be held. (Romans 8:37)
What I conceal, God reveals—not to shame me, but to free me.
Until you name the sin, it names your next move. The devil pulls the strings you won’t confess. Inventory isn’t punishment—it’s how you cut the cords.
The serpent speaks where silence should dwell; its hiss wrapped in shadow, its throne upon lies. But even here, Your light breaks through— and fear cannot stand where truth survives.
You chase dust in their corner, while your house is on fire. You hold up a magnifying glass, but never dare a mirror.
A gospel of skin won’t save you.” But grace will find you where you fell.
Beneath the shattered glass, a face still burns— not with rage, but with a wound that never named itself. Anger was the mirror, but hurt was always the one staring back.
The past isn’t gone. It’s buried—and it still breathes. Step 4 is where we unearth it with God. Because what you won’t name still owns you. What you hide still haunts you. But what you confess? He heals. — Inspired by Colossians 3:8 + Gatsby’s Eyes of Judgment
Still here, on sacred ground, Lacing up where truths are found. Not to flee, but to descend— The inventory must begin.
Trust the unseen hand guiding you through your darkest depths.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
“Soft white underbelly” refers to the most vulnerable, exposed, and unprotected part of a person or system—the place where the truth is tender, uncomfortable, and often hidden. It's the fragile core beneath the surface image.
The ones he hurt. The masks he wore. The lies he believed. All of it lies scattered at his feet like broken toys—evidence of damage done and damage received. While Sid takes stock of the wreckage, the Holy Spirit leans in—not to condemn, but to whisper: “What was broken can be made new. I do that.” This isn’t just a pile of ruined parts. It’s the beginning of something sacred. Inventory isn’t shame—it’s an invitation to healing.
False Gods Speak Sweet
God isn’t after appearances. He looks past the surface, sees through the cracks. It’s in the broken, hidden places He plants truth— and from the rubble, wisdom takes root.
I’ve been caught, called, and carried— not by power, but by grace. Like a Poké Ball, I’m not holding the power… I’m being held. And even after the battles, the backslides, the breakouts— I’m still here. Because He never let go.
The serpent holds me down. Not with screams, but with silence— around my neck like hands that tighten every time I try to breathe. Temptation grows with the pressure. Eventually, I sin just to feel air again. I whisper just one more time, and call it a decision, as if I still had power. Then comes the false pride— like I’m strong for wanting to stop, even while I’m sinking. Pulled deeper. Outmatched by weaker snakes. A breath held so long, I’d break just to breathe.f
Trust is a daily rebellion.
Be known by the One who calls you to play.
Holy cravings. Served daily. His way, not your way.”
You weren’t just singing it— you were it. Bad to the bone. Bar-born. Battered. Blues in your veins and fire on your tongue. Your holy trinity? One Bourbon. One Scotch. One Beer. And maybe a prayer whispered somewhere between verses. But Jesus? He walked past the synagogue and into the smoke. Didn’t flinch at the feedback or the flask. He came down for the addict with a twitch, the cynic with a flask, the biter, the backslider, the too-loud, too-much, “don’t bring him home to mom” type. He came for the ones who swore at the stars, who lit up the night with bad decisions and cheap liquor. Not to shame them. Not to silence them. But to sit front row, place a bloodied hand on their forehead, and say, “You were always worth the noise.” You were bad to the bone— but He loved you to the core.
Jesus, the Creator of everything, didn’t wait for us to shape up. He came down—into the dirt, the chaos, the crash site. Not as a king in gold robes, but as a baby in a manger— vulnerable, poor, and fully human. He entered our mess to rescue us from it. That’s what love looks like.
The Parable of the Forgotten Shelf There once was a shelf in a quiet room where broken toys sat gathering dust. They had once been loved—fierce in battle, fast in flight, champions of joy. But time wore them down. A cracked Superman. A cowboy with a silent pullstring. A bunny with missing buttons. All sat still, covered in cobwebs, believing their story had ended. One day, a warm light broke through the shuttered window. It landed on the bunny’s sign: John 3:16. The toys stirred. Superman, though burnt and broken, raised his arm—not because he had strength left, but because he remembered who he belonged to. Not a child’s hand… but a Creator’s heart. Then, they heard it—not the sound of rescue, but a whisper in the dust: “You are still mine. I don’t love you less because you’re broken. I gave My Son to make you whole.” And in that forgotten room, trust flickered like sunrise.
I was sinking— not waving, not crying—just gone. But God. Not because I reached up, but because He reached down. Not because I earned it, but because love can’t stay still when you’re dying. Mercy didn’t knock—it broke the door. Grace didn’t ask—it gave. And when I had nothing but silence in my lungs, He gave me breath. I was dead. Now I live. Not by willpower. Not by religion. By Jesus. —by grace you have been saved.
Movin’ on up, to a deluxe apartment in the sky? Jesus paid that lease—with His life.
Jesus was born of a woman, wrapped in swaddling cloth, and laid in a manger. He grew as a child in wisdom and stature, learned to walk and speak, and lived under the care of earthly parents. He was a carpenter, working with His hands, sweating under the sun. He was hungry, thirsty, tired, and in need of sleep. He felt grief, anguish, sorrow, and deep compassion. He was tempted, misunderstood, and rejected by His own people. He wept, prayed, and groaned in the Spirit. He was betrayed by a friend, denied by a follower, mocked by crowds, and falsely accused in court. He was beaten, bruised, spit on, and whipped. He carried a cross, fell beneath its weight, and was nailed to wood. He bled, cried out, gave up His last breath, and died. He was wrapped in burial cloth, laid in a tomb, and sealed behind a stone.
Hoping for a Different Kind of Savior? Yeah, so were the Pharisees.
We cannot pay our own price. Our good can’t outweigh our bad. (Romans 3:23)
Step 3 is the magic key— The choice that sets your soul free. Not just “thinkin’ Jesus is nice,” We’re talkin’ full-send, paid-in-full price. You’ve tried your way—hit the wall. Now grace says, “Come as you are, that’s all.” 📖 Ephesians 2:5, plain and true: "By grace you’ve been saved”—not by you. So what’s the move? One word: TRUST. This step’s the start of life from dust.
$0.00. Goodwill. Eternal Life. Found in the clearance bin for the broken. Marked with blood, not glitter.
We come to believe that God is the one whose power can fully restore us.
Respawned from where I once lay slain.
Was That You, God? It didn’t feel like rage. It felt like righteousness—on a leash. A quiet yes beneath my breath. A whisper that said, “Speak.” She posted him. The new one. Fingers laced, lips pressed— while Tracy's grave still hadn’t settled. Fresh dirt doesn’t lie. So I asked You— Was that You, God? Did You hand me those words like a blade wrapped in grace? Did You speak through me to make it just? Or did I dress myself in holy and call it Yours? She asked, “How long am I supposed to wait?” And I said, “At least until Tracy’s dead.” God, You lit the truth of her adultery— I just held the lantern. I didn’t want revenge. I wanted gravity. I wanted the weight to land where it belonged. But all I got— was silence. So I ask again: Did You make it just through me? Were those Your words... or mine? Please— don’t let me mistake Your patience for Your absence.
A scream from the gut when God goes quiet. When prayers hit the floor. When pain feels like proof He left. But what if silence isn’t absence? What if the breaking is the beginning? He doesn’t stop all pain— but He never wastes it.
We dressed rebellion in gloss and glow, But lost the garden we were meant to know.
Before you were shaped by rhymes or roles, you were shaped by design—etched into a universe strung with order, beauty, and intention. The signs were always there: in spirals, in stardust, in you. He knew.
Still here… like a whisper in the echoes of my mind. Faint, but never silent. A presence that won’t let go.
The Observer’s Edge (a poetic rendering of the theistic equation) In the silence before light, nothing was fixed— only whispers of where things might be. Particles danced in a sea of maybe, waiting… for an eye to see. A gaze collapses the chaos— not by force, but by being. Reality forms around attention, like clay remembers the hands that shape it. But this world, this cradle of stars and soil, is no accident flung by chance. The dials of existence set with aching precision, as if Someone longed for life to bloom. So what are we to make of uncertainty that listens, of laws that love order, of a cosmos that waits to be witnessed? Some call it science. Some call it code. I call it a whisper— from God in the quantum fold.
Thanks a lot for staying silent when I asked you, when I needed your voice to drown out my own. I missed moments— priceless, my kids, Jimmy, his grandkids. I missed laughter and memories that won’t happen again. I chose comfort, my safe place, isolated and easy. And you let me. Thanks a lot for letting me hear only the whispers of regret. Next time, please, be louder than me.
Quantum Mechanics reveals the limitations of scientific explanations and suggests that reality may extend beyond what we can measure or fully understand.
Believing hard won’t make it true— We shape false gods from fear and pain. But truth, unbending, calls us through The heat that hammers soul from stain. Eyes wide open, not yet clear, Till fire revealed what thought could not. I met the flame, and in its sear, The lies I clung to came to rot. Face to flame—refined, remade— Not by my will, but mercy's aim. Now I trust what can't be swayed: God’s truth—unchanging, pure, untamed.
Some days I don’t feel seen by God. I have plenty—but still feel the gap. Like I have to bleed to prove belief. I want a miracle—just to know this isn’t one-sided. My son feels it too. Still, I mess up. Sin plays my rhythm like a beat it wrote. Does God just shake His head— “There he goes again”? I’m proud, broke, grateful, tired. Buzzless, sober, chasing meaning. I ache for more, but chains hold tight. George Burns isn’t God. And Gracie ain’t Grace. But maybe silence is where He builds the real me— too close to see it yet.
“Earned Grace (But Not Really)” I believed in God— like you believe in gravity. Real, but silent. There, but cold. Expected to hold me but not catch me when I fall. I kept receipts like a Pharisee. Did the work. Did the reading. Checked the box. Starred the margin. Prayed in italics and still felt unseen. You say He crowns me with mercy. I say it slips when I sin. You say He renews like the eagle. I say He clips wings if I fly too low. Still— I keep showing up. Fragile faith in a cracked cup, held in scarred hands that haven’t dropped me yet. Is it belief if it hurts to say it? If it fights my logic, my metrics, my math? Maybe. But if I’ve learned anything— it’s that God’s love isn’t earned. It’s just there. And that’s the scandal of it all.
Suit’s torn, boots worn thin— but my toes are pointed. You don’t rise by force— you rise by faith. And when God calls, your footing matters. Even when you’re down, point your toes toward the steps that lead through the narrow path to God.
With a hammer to build and a sword to defend, God equips me daily—just enough to overcome today's battles and build tomorrow's hope.
Patterns became faces. Faces became idols. Idols now stand exposed.
Just enough for today—God’s mercy, fresh and hot.
Recognize God's Voice
I spent years building altars to achievement— but none could save me. Success was loud, but the silence after was louder. I chased validation like oxygen, and found myself breathless, alone. Now I know— peace isn’t earned. It’s received. Not through effort, but surrender.
Sin no longer crouches. It lives here. It doesn’t knock—it whispers. Not outside, but beneath my skin. Not beside me, but through me. Not waiting, but steering. A serpent doesn’t stalk me from the shadows; it coils through my spine. My posture bends to it. My gaze sharpens at its suggestion. It rehearses the lies in my blood until they sound like truth. I once thought I was being hunted. But now I know—I was carrying the hunter. Inherited rebellion. Disguised as instinct. Dressed in my own voice. Each vertebrae holds a whisper I mistook as mine. But I know it now. By name. By nature. By its hiss. And still— I also know the One who crushes heads.
Born with it. Blamed others for it. Buried my brother beneath it. I was born into a broken pattern, but I fed it with pride. God warned me—sin was crouching. I let it in. But even then… He came looking for me.
I feel gifted. Truly. Like God handed me something rare. But if no one sees it… if no one hires me, if no one responds, if the doors stay shut— am I just a fool dressing wounds with pride? What is a gift if it sits unopened? Is it still a gift, or just a burden wrapped in hope? I want to believe that excellence speaks for itself. But silence is louder right now. And in that silence, I’m asking: Was I wrong to believe in this? God, if You gave me this, then show me where to carry it.
I exit before I enter—silence is safer than being seen.
I thought surviving alone made me strong. Turns out, asking for help was the bravest thing I ever did.
Surrender isn't defeat—it's the first step toward freedom.
Every day is a battle between impulse and integrity. Don’t let the loudest voice be the least true.
the thorns I wear don’t hide anymore— they shout. they pierce out. they tell the truth I used to bury. real doesn’t retreat. real leaves marks. real walks free. because silence obeys, but honesty rebels.
I didn’t see it then. But there it was—hope, tucked inside the wreckage, waiting to be noticed. The light didn’t erase the pain. It just meant I wasn’t alone in it anymore. This is the first step.
Sparks fly where edges meet. Twelve weeks ago the blade was dull; every swing since has ground away rust and ruin. Now the cut runs true. “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” (Prov 27:17)
“It’s working.” That was the moment. The shift. The grip found pavement. The heart unlocked. Forgiveness didn’t slow him down—it launched him forward. Momentum has a sound. It hums. It roars. So he hit the next turn. Not perfect, but faithful. And the voice behind him didn’t yell “faster”— It simply whispered: “Carry on.”
Blessed are the hands that seize today’s grace; the Bread of Life will drive them steadily down the field, gaining faithful yards.
Iron breaks like brittle glass when Love strikes the shackle-pin. Freedom bought in scarlet coin sets ruined hearts to roar again. Sin once held the title deed— the Cross stamped PAID and gave it back. Now every step in Spirit-wind rings louder than the clamor of the past.
Owe nothing but LOVE—a lifelong debt splashed louder than any pop-art hue.
Pendulum shadows tally wounds while a stone-gray piece of hurt hangs, unsentenced, in the sky. Across the silent flats a wing chisels the horizon— breaking that weight into peace, lifting the debt, setting the forgiven free.
Your heart may blink low fuel—but only God knows where to fill up.
Your value is rooted in wisdom, experience, and the grace that shaped you
Unshaken, Unhidden Doesn't mean I've never been broken. It means I no longer hide from what broke me.
Blessed are the tenderhearted, for they carry Christ’s kindness into a world that forgot how to feel.
Kneel beneath the weight you hide, Strength is found when tears collide. Truth confessed, the chains unbind— Healing waits where hearts align.
The Man and the Boulder. There once was a man who walked through life with a massive boulder chained to his waist. He had carried it so long that he forgot when it was first fastened. Some days, he dragged it with effort. Other days, he painted it with bright colors to distract from its weight. People noticed the limp in his walk, but he smiled and said, "It’s nothing—I’m strong." Over time, the boulder slowed him down. He missed moments with his children. He turned down invitations, not because he didn’t want to go— but because the boulder made the journey too heavy. One day, exhausted and alone, he fell beside a well and cried out, "Why, God, does this weight never lessen?" A voice replied, "Because you’ve never asked Me to cut the chain." The man trembled. "But the boulder is mine—it holds everything I’ve done wrong. If I let it go… who will I be?" The voice whispered, "Free." With shaking hands, the man lifted the chain toward heaven. The chain snapped. The boulder rolled away. And for the first time, the man stood tall— not because the burden was gone, but because he finally gave it to the One who could bear it.
Come closer. That’s the way home.
I nearly followed comfort out the door, but You whispered in the silence: “Come closer.” And I turned— not to shame, but to a love that was already near.
I sit in rooms I longed to enter and dream of the quiet I left behind. A smile on my face, a storm in my chest— the crowd pulls me in, but I anchor elsewhere. I give, and give, and disappear. I chase peace in aloneness, but it hides in the faces I avoid, the laughter I missed, the arms I gently declined. I thought I was loving well by stepping back. But love does not always mean silence. Sometimes, it means staying. So Lord— teach me to be content not in the safety of escape, but in the sacred mess of presence.
I sweep the dust of who I was, and find the shape of who I’m becoming. Purpose whispers in broken things— and in the clearing, I draw closer.
Held in the Spiral He is the still point in the spiral of stars, the whisper beneath the thunder of worlds. What we call chaos He calls becoming. What we call ruin He rebuilds in rhythm. The unseen patterns sing: All things hold in Him.
This is a day for quiet celebration and humble awareness. You’ve been doing the heart work. The hard work. And now—without forcing it—you’re starting to notice it
Blessed are the broken who rise, for their mess will become His message, and their lives will shout of glory.
I do not flee in fear, but faith— not from fire, but toward the flame that heals. God does not just let me escape— He trades my ruin for something real.
The Parable of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. There were three men—The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly—each chasing after buried treasure in a desert wasteland. The Good followed a moral code. He helped others when he could, but even he had secrets—self-righteous pride, wounds he never let anyone see. The Bad took what he wanted, left people behind, and trusted no one. He built his life on survival and control. His past was littered with betrayal, cruelty, and regret—though he’d never admit it. The Ugly was caught in between. Messy, impulsive, always just one mistake away from disaster. He wanted to change. He hated the lies he told, the shame he carried, but he didn’t believe he was worth much more than the bounty on his head. They all thought the treasure—buried gold—would be the thing to fix everything. Redemption, freedom, purpose… if only they could find it. When they finally arrived at the cemetery, where the treasure was buried, they found something unexpected. Not gold. Not weapons. Not justice. A cross. With a note that read: “While you were still lost, I died for you.” It didn’t matter who had done the most good. It didn’t matter who had done the most wrong. And it didn’t matter who was the most broken. The treasure was grace—and it was for all of them. Even the bad. Even the ugly. Even the one who didn’t think he needed it. One by one, they dropped their weapons. Not because they were perfect, but because they were finally known. Moral: There’s no showdown at the foot of the cross. Only surrender. Only mercy. And the truth that the Good died for the bad and the ugly—so we could all be made new.
Blessed are the honest listeners, for when they don’t pretend to know, they make room for real understanding to grow.
Blessed are the bold who break the loop— the ones who rip the cords, not cover them. For they will rise unknotted, unapologetic, and free.
Parable of the Basement Kings. Wayne and Garth were two basement broadcasters with a passion for music, jokes, and messing around with whatever gear they could find. Their little public access show had a cult following, but deep down, both of them carried a hidden belief: “We’re not worthy.” Not of attention. Not of success. Not of being known—truly known—and still wanted. One day, they got an invitation: A global broadcast. Prime time. A stage beyond their wildest dreams. All expenses paid. All access granted. Garth squinted at the offer. “Dude… this has to be a mistake.” Wayne panicked. “We can’t go. We’re not worthy.” So they rehearsed rejection before they even showed up. But the invitation came again. And this time, the note read: “I know exactly who you are. I’ve watched every episode. Every awkward moment, every inside joke, every weird guitar solo. And I still want you on the stage. Not because you’ve earned it. But because I’m giving it. Show up—just as you are.” So they did. Hands shaking, voices cracking, Wayne and Garth stood under the lights. And when the world saw their raw, honest selves— they didn’t hear laughter. They heard applause. Moral: God’s grace isn’t a stage you earn your way onto. It’s a gift you’re invited into. You’re not worthy—and that’s the point. Jesus is. And He’s handing you the mic anyway.
Speak soft, and still the waves with love.
This is the day you choose your next fire: The one that burns you, or the one that refines you.
Blessed are the ones who rise, for the first step upward will clear what the fall had clouded.
I refuse to dig any deeper. Today, I’m building steps instead. Small, structured choices. One breath, one step at a time. If I did it before, I can do it again.
Blessed are the surrendered, for they will not be patched, but remade— from ashes into image, from striving into grace.
This is not repair— this is resurrection.
Blessed are the renamed, for their past no longer holds their name—God calls them His own.
Too far gone? That’s where it starts. Grace breaks chains and cracks hard hearts. What we call wrecked, He calls worth. Redemption rages into birth.
So when the voice of sin grows loud, Lift your eyes above the cloud.
What hides in shadow weighs the soul, a secret wound that takes its toll. But truth, though trembling on the tongue, unlocks the healing yet unsung. Confession cracks the silent stone, and in that breach, you’re not alone. For where the honest voice is found, the grace of God flows all around.
Blessed are the weary who begin again.
The fire didn’t consume you. It clarified you.
Blessed are those who resist the world's mold, for they will be refined by the fire of God.
The Refining
Surrender to the scarred hands that already carried you home.
Heaven didn’t wait for the grave— It broke into breath, whispered through ruin, and grew roots in today.
She sings for something water can’t fix.
BLESSED are the broken who still move.
Reach out with trembling hands. There’s a light that says: you still belong.
When you’re behind and almost beaten— remember: there’s more time on the clock than you think. So throw it. Your story. Your surrender. Your heart.
I grip the wheel like it’ll change the storm. But the sky won’t listen— only God does.
I thought I had to hide it— that pain makes people turn away. But then someone stayed. And the silence broke into grace.
To serve is to vanish, not to be missed but to matter. Where love is a whisper, and sacrifice looks like flowers on 9/11.
I did what I wanted— ate the flame, fed the ache, called it freedom. But self-will is a starving king, never full, always loud. Still, a quieter voice waits. It doesn't shout— it invites. Let go. Step back. Be transformed. Not conformed. This will isn't mine— but it heals.
I hit the bottom before I bounced up.
It's the only way this works.
Stop feeding the old hunger and start craving something new.
This isn’t a shortcut. It’s a surrender. Here it is. Work the plan.
Every bruised step forward breaks more ground than standing still ever could.
Healing starts with truth and movement.
Bring it to light.
Feeling Different (Just like the rest of us)
Blessed are the consistent, for their next step will be lit by faith, not sight.
Trust God. He will restore you to who He designed you to be.
Gratitude Is Light
You’re Not Meant to Do This Alone
Raw honesty, warmth, and divine intimacy—like a whispered confession after a long silence. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. – John 15:7
By God's strength, live in faith rather than in worry.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1
Move away from comfort toward divine purpose
Turning point where isolation yields to connection, and intention becomes the path out of the dark.
The enemy wants me isolated. But God says shared is a burden divided. This week I’m learning that the call I avoid is the one I most need to make.
Bad company corrupts good character.” — 1 Corinthians 15:33 You can’t expect different results if you continue doing the same things with the same people.
Recovery reshapes us—less of me, more of Him, one surrendered day at a time.
When everything shakes, you’ll need something stronger to stand on—and the Word is rock beneath your feet.
Blessed are the restless, for they will rise from the rut and walk paths made new.
I need more from you, so I pray more to you. I expect great results.
I’m mentally unraveling the theology and clarity behind my moral compass—like peeling back assumptions and asking hard questions The truth doesn’t just set you free. It exposes the lie you were surviving with. Rigorous honesty is the first crack in the wall. I’m not proud of everything I wrote here. But I’m proud I didn’t hide it.
Peeling off a layer, revealing the raw. I’m not satisfied with my past work… My best is yet to exist.
Don’t wait for perfection—take the next right step Wisdom doesn’t always feel clear, but doing nothing isn’t the answer Faith in motion > perfection in pause
Sometimes the storm isn’t the threat— it’s the turning point.
it’s what it’s rooted in. Go deeper. That’s where healing begins.
It’s the first flicker of confidence—real, shaky, but building—like morning light brushing closed eyelids, stirred awake by a whisper: "You can overcome."
Consistency. Keep coming back
Fear of giving up, of slipping back into isolation, and the quiet cry for connection and consistency that’s threaded throughout this reflection.
Like a thought you never said out loud
Showing up even when it’s hard
You can’t mend forever—only surrender, one honest day at a time.
Even in the ruin of your silence, in the wreckage of not being enough, He doesn’t flinch—He loves you not despite the mess, but because it’s real.
