When was the last time you spent fifteen minutes in Solitude with the LORD? For me, that has been a steady part of my Sabbath rhythm—but this week, it was difficult. The stillness was crowded. Thoughts about all that needed to be done before our trip kept bubbling up, one after another.

And it wasn’t just logistics; I also felt the weight of others—people walking through pain, uncertainty, or loss. Their stories, their struggles, were heavy on my heart.

In the midst of all this noise, a prayer rose within me:

Jesus, we don’t need religion—we need You.
We don’t need to just know You—we need to experience You, more.

Solitude is not always peaceful. Sometimes, it exposes what’s restless within us. But even in that struggle, Jesus meets us. He waits—not demanding perfection, but offering presence. He reminds us that the goal of our spiritual formation is not to perform religious habits, but to encounter Him personally, deeply, and daily.

May we find time this week, even fifteen quiet minutes, to set everything else aside and simply be with Him.”

Faith That Grows Through Every Season

One of the highlights of my week has been Monday Pau Hanas with Tammi. We started this rhythm a few weeks ago—she makes the effort to leave work a little earlier so we can catch a pau hana menu somewhere nearby. It’s become a sacred space in its own way—time to connect, unwind, and share life together. It feels a bit like a “date night,” but if I’m honest, sometimes she’s also a patient listening ear for all that’s bubbling up in me on a Monday leading into Sabbath. Thank you, Tam.

In the spirit of reflection, I spent time revisiting and researching some of my favorite Scripture passages—verses that strengthen my faith, especially in seasons of trial. I’ve decided to commit these to memory and share them with you as encouragement:

• James 1:2–4 (NIV): “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
• Romans 5:3–5 (NIV): “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (NIV): “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
• 1 Peter 1:6–7 (NIV): “Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials… these have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith… may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
• Deuteronomy 8:3 (NIV): “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
• Psalm 23:4 (NIV): “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
• Habakkuk 3:17–18 (NIV): “Though the fig tree does not bud… yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Each of these verses reminds me that faith deepens not in the absence of hardship but through it. God shapes our perseverance into character, our weakness into strength, and our challenges into testimonies of His faithfulness.

May these words encourage you this week—whatever season you find yourself in—to remember that your faith grows strongest when it leans hardest on Him.

Seeing with New Eyes:  Spiritual Consolation & Desolation (St. Ignatius)

As I continued reading In Search of God’s Will by Trevor Hudson this week for the Renovaré Book Club, one section in particular stayed with me. Hudson draws from St. Ignatius’ 16th-century Spiritual Exercises—specifically the discernment practices that help us recognize what he calls “spiritual consolation” and “spiritual desolation.”

• Spiritual consolation are the inner movements of our heart that lead us toward God—those moments that strengthen our faith, increase our hope, and grow our love for God and others.
• Spiritual desolation, on the other hand, are the inner movements that pull us away from God—times of confusion, apathy, fear, or self-centeredness.

Hudson connects these ideas beautifully with 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV):

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

It struck me like a light bulb moment—how this Pauline vision of the virtuous life aligns perfectly with Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 16:24 (NIV) that is central to Formation Church:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

At Formation Church, we describe this as Denying Self. Surrendering Fully. Following Daily. These are not abstract spiritual ideals—they are postures of the heart that move us toward spiritual consolation, forming us more and more into the likeness of Jesus.

I truly believe this framework from St. Ignatius offers a practical lens for spiritual formation today: one that helps us discern whether our thoughts, emotions, and actions are leading us toward or away from Christlikeness.

I can’t wait to share more about how this will shape our next steps together at Formation Church. Stay tuned—there’s so much depth and application ahead.