One challenge of living in Abilene is the tremendous amount of religious showmanship. And a lot of it is not done with bad intentions, it is simply a lot of people, especially among the crowd I am around in the GST, who are working very hard to stand out among a lot of others trying to be noticed in a sea of religious things and people. This is why, when someone is simply authentic and straightforward, I really appreciate it. At High Impact Praise tonight, for example, there were a lot of words that were said because they sound really good and religious. But then there were some genuinely authentic words shared. That was refreshing. I felt like those gems of spiritual transparency that came from this person were what opened the door in the service that really let the Spirit do some work.

I hope that I am real in everything that I do. Sometimes I'm not sure that I am. I'm in a place where it is very tempting to try to build the image of the guy who knows what to say or has the right statement or insight at any certain point. But what that usually amounts to in the end is a lot of fakery and spiritual deception. I've found that many of the wisest and most knowledgable people in my world are the ones who stay quiet or have the least to say. And most of the most spiritually "in tune" people I've ever known are some of the least interested in theological pandering. They just want to live it.