Tag Archives: growth

Quick Thought – Thursday, September 17, 2026: What’s Stunting Your Spiritual Growth?

Posted on September 17, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Poor nourishment can stunt physical growth. Our spiritual lives can become stunted, too, when we neglect prayer, Scripture, and the forgiveness God has already given us. Continue reading →

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Yes, I’m a Lifelong Learner. No, That Wasn’t a Good Question.

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Are you a lifelong learner? Yes. Next question. But the better answer is that lifelong learning means staying teachable, humble, curious, and willing to keep growing through faith, writing, teaching, marriage, mistakes, and life itself. Continue reading →

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Unfinished Is Not Failed: One Way I’ve Grown This Year

Posted on June 17, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I think one way I’ve grown this year is that I’ve become more comfortable with unfinished things. I am learning that delay is not always denial, silence is not always rejection, and unfinished is not the same thing as failed. Continue reading →

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Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I thought I was moving toward one future. Instead, unemployment pushed me toward a completely different life than the one I had planned. Continue reading →

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The Sunday Pour: Spring Pour—Rediscovering What Was Already There

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Spring does not always bring something entirely new. Sometimes it simply helps us rediscover something good that had slipped out of sight—much like an overlooked bottle on the back shelf that suddenly reminds us why it belonged there all along. Continue reading →

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The Teachers I Didn’t Ask For

Posted on March 2, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The moments that shaped me most didn’t come with applause. They came with silence. Continue reading →

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The Budget Whisperer (In Training)

Posted on February 17, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I’d love to tell you that I operate on a color-coded spreadsheet with quarterly projections and a fully funded emergency account labeled “Unexpected Appliance Apocalypse.” The truth? My budgeting style has historically been more improvisational jazz. I’m getting better — slowly — and Future Doug is very proud of that. Continue reading →

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We’re All Lawbreakers (Even the Good Ones)

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Breaking the law isn’t as dramatic as we like to imagine. Sometimes it’s not a courtroom or handcuffs — it’s 56 in a 55, a forgotten seatbelt, or a song downloaded back in the Limewire days. When we remember how easily we’ve stepped over the line ourselves, it becomes harder to stand in judgment of others. Maybe the point isn’t perfection — maybe it’s humility. Continue reading →

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The Hobbies We Don’t Quit—They Just Quietly Let Go of Us

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I didn’t make a dramatic decision to stop playing video games—I just noticed one day that I hadn’t turned the console on in months. What replaced that time wasn’t noble at first, but eventually it became something far more lasting. Some hobbies don’t end in frustration; they simply fade as our priorities change. Continue reading →

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One More Year, A Little More Personal

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Perspective has a way of changing with time—and sometimes with loss. What once felt theoretical now feels lived-in, closer to the bone. A reflection on how enduring life’s harder moments reshapes what matters most. Continue reading →

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