Trying to achieve success by chasing the latest trend isn't wise. Because it requires you to sound like what already is rather than what could be. 

When we find something that works, the temptation is to grab hold of it. 

External validation feels good. And repeating what worked last time seems like a shortcut to more of the same. But it actually causes us to get stuck…because our God isn’t a god of formula.

A lot of things are opposed in this world.  

Good is opposed. Peace is opposed. Freedom is opposed.  

On a more personal level, your intimacy with God is opposed. As is your God-given creativity.

But mostly, Jesus is opposed.  

We seek information. God desires intimacy. 

We want results. He prioritizes relationship. 

The act of making something beautiful—whether a loving home environment or a high school musical—is a sensory experience. As the creator, we must first see, hear, and taste what could be—long before it actually is. Then, once it’s a reality, others experience the creation through their senses.

We spend way too much time staring at the shiny glass screens in our palms. Yep, I’m going there.  

We still refer to these high-tech devices as phones. But I’ve come to see them as distraction devices. We endlessly scroll. We seek validation through follows and likes. We look for something—anything—that promises more dopamine hits than our normal reality.  

When we demand instant results, impatience gets in the way of the eternal. 

I’ve often been referred to as tenacious. I take that as a high compliment. 

To me, tenacity reflects a deep fortitude to turn an unacceptable, seemingly impossible situation around to a positive outcome. Long after others have given up or lost interest, the tenacious person finds a way. 

How do you decide which project to pursue next?

The world offers all kinds of answers. Choose what you're most passionate about. Base it on market research. Stay on brand.

Paul penned around half of the New Testament books. He was a man on a mission with God. What could be more important than that?

A close friend recently went through a hard season. We live on opposite ends of the globe, so it wasn’t possible to meet in person. But I did reach out with these words:

I created The Story of With to be a fantastical allegory—part Alice in Wonderland, part Matrix, and part identity tale. My favorite memory from writing it was God’s playful invitation to increase the stakes for the protagonist named Mia.

We want the desires of our hearts. But can't start there or our desires become idols. 

The creative process doesn’t begin with doing. The first step is simply being.

We’re drawn to movies and novels where the protagonist experiences great adventure, romance, and purpose. Our story can seem insignificant compared to that.

The best art simultaneously disrupts and invites. It helps people see something in a new way so they can then experience life in a new way. 

When we don’t create margin in our lives, we inevitably fall into a schedule of scarcity. 

God doesn't give us more than we can do in a day. We give ourselves that burden by overcommitting until we’re overwhelmed. 

In 2011, at a gathering in the redwoods of California, God rocked my world by speaking these words over me: “Your new mission is going after the hearts of creatives.” 

Then God began opening the most unlikely doors. For me to speak and write books. That journey eventually led to these daily messages in a bottle about living and creating with the Creator.  

Every person and everything they create—from songs and movies to businesses and universities—operate from a specific worldview. 

Spend more time with your dreams for the future rather than your regrets of the past.