Two truths carry me as I get older: knowing that (only in Christ, of course) I’m good enough for God, and secondly, that God is good enough for me. Divine affirmation is an essential component for someone who wants to serve God. We will be mocked, challenged and ignored, but divine affirmation lifts us to a place of courageous service and sweet peace. The second part, that God is good enough for me, is essential to avoid the allure of sin, the idolatry of family, the need for recognition, and concerns about daily provision.
I hope to combine these two into a book someday, but perhaps you all will think this isn’t really a book. At any rate, can I try some of it out on you? Please let me know, does this resonate with you? Is it just me? I’d love to get your feedback here. I won’t run potential chapters back to back to back; rather, I’m planning on posting maybe one a month. If you enjoy this approach, there’s more to come. If you don’t, hopefully you’ll connect with other posts around it.
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“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”
Psalm 63:3
Dan Carroll grew up in an abusive home with an alcoholic mom who cycled him through eight elementary schools in a desperate but vain attempt to straighten him out. When he turned eight, she dropped him off at a strict military school.
To be fair, Dan’s mom was a deeply troubled woman who tried to commit suicide twice: once with her head in the oven and once by slitting her wrists. Dan’s dad was a believer, but given his troubled wife, he thought military school might be the best option to get Dan out of a dysfunctional house.
Dan hated the military school and soon fled into the surrounding foothills of California. He called his mom, begging her to let him come home. She promised Dan that if he returned home she wouldn’t take him back to the military school but that was a lie. As soon as Dan returned, she drove him back to the school.
Continue reading this post on Substack HERE.

