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Ones see in the world an invitation to fix its problems. And while that may be exhausting for you, just imagine what it’s like inside our heads.

Calm, content, even-tempered, and most of all, conflict avoidant, the Enneagram Nine description fit me. 

As I’ve learned more about Eights I’ve realized that they are generally self-confident, confrontational, strong, assertive, honest (sometimes brutally), and decisive people. When I read that description now I feel like it pretty accurately describes me.

What is the Enneagram? Join us at the blog over the next nine weeks to get a little taste of this helpful tool.

What exactly is Lent?

A lot of us, I’m sure, have heard how important it is to make a good first impression, which is true. But at the same time, people are complicated. It takes time to see who they really are, why they act the way they do.

I understand why many who share evangelical theological commitments are reluctant to speak or have considered abandoning the term and the identity as meaningless. But I still have hope for evangelicalism.

In a contentious and divided culture, abounding in fruit and abiding in Jesus are as important as ever. Here are four practices that can help us do both in the coming year.

As a kid, I always played it safe. When my uncle wanted to take me around the block on his motorcycle, I said no. When I was doing a report on airplanes and had the chance to take a free plane ride, I said no. And when a family from church invited me on their trip to Disney World—you guessed it—I said no.

It’s easy to sing carols and praise God for sending Jesus on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, with candles glowing and people you love around you. It is harder (at least for me) to look ahead at a brand new untouched year and praise him for what he will do in that year. To do that, we have to ask if we really believe that he can only, ever, work for the good of those he loves.