Isn't it dogmatic to oppose dogma? Philosopher Karl Popper has an enlightening insight that has helped me understand why resisting the current push toward Christian Nationalism is not the same thing as being dogmatic. He also helps...

I'm a slow learner! I'm just starting to recognize one of the most damaging effects of evangelical Christianity: a toxic view of myself. There is a better way!

Everyone feels joy when things go their way. But what happens when things go wrong?Here are some thoughts from the trail along with the wisdom of three exceptional women.

When we assert our story as Truth we produce dogma, tribalism, and war. Our superpower is that we tell stories. Our Achilles heel is that we believe them. Stories are an essential expression of our existence but they are a lousy foundation....

Will the good guys finally wipe out the bad guys so we can live happily ever after?  The world Katniss lives in is not so simple. Neither is ours.

Facing Up is not an escape. It is a way to embrace being human on every level: desire, story, and being. Today, I  woke to the news that the United States has invaded Venezuela. This is how I am processing this through the lens of Facing U...

In 2025 I put myself on the hook to share my life with you each week. In 2026 I'm putting myself on the hook to help you make the shift from beliefs and circumstances to the triumph of pure being. Want to be a beta tes...

Sometimes I give a conditional "yes" to life, based on circumstances. The existential shift is to START with "yes" and go from there. The story of my life is no longer the foundation of my life. It becomes an expression of it. The difference ma...

This is how I experience God even though I no longer know what "God" even means.

It is much harder to be sad without faith. In fact, a feeling of comfort might just be the #1 reason people cling to faith even when they stop believing in it. In this episode I explain  how I discovered happiness without God or Christian ...

I do not understand why the world is set up so that everything lives by munching on everything else. I don't understand it but I think I know what to do about it. Here are some thoughts I had while dodging cars on the way to Los Gatos for Thank...

I'm pretty sure no one knows the meaning OF life. Our perception is too limited. The meaning IN life? That's a different story.

If you want to try something NEW, you gotta let go of the OLD. For years, I have made my backpacking more difficult than it needed to be. All because I stubbornly clung to "the way I used to do it." Maybe you need to let go of something to in o...

In my day job, I direct a Senior Center. I love the job. It gives me the opportunity to think deeply about life's greatest chapter. I also have the privilege of seeing some great examples. Here is a reflection I wrote for the St. Helena Star, t...

There's no escaping the fact that we CAN'T get along. Conflict is our only option. But there's a bright side for those with the courage to face it.

Carol and I served churches in Yuba City during the 90's and 00's.In this episode Carol tells how she overcame the challenges of ministry and personal tragedy to arrive at a wider, more joyful way of being.  I hope her story will i...

I haven't given up on Faith, Hope, and Love. I just don't use the words anymore. Here's why.

Gratitude is not about looking at the glass half full or ignoring the fact that it is half empty. Gratitude is embracing the dynamic tension between the two.

A hunger zombie is a human being reduced to pure desire. A dogma zombie is a human being reduced to pure story. We were not meant to be zombies!

I spend a lot of time explaining things but sometimes the best way to experience something is to try it.I start every day with the three breaths. It only takes 5 minutes and gets me off on the right foot. It's a simple way to face the w...

TODAY IS A BIG DAY! The Club is now open for members. There's a monthly live session and a social space to share among other things. Check it out at https://facingup.club/club/. Hope to meet you soon!

Einstein said if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it. Here is my latest attempt.This one is much better when you can see the map.  https://facingup.club/facing-up-the-essence/A huge thank-you to...

It took me WAY too long to look with my own eyes. I thought what everyone else said was more important. I hope you won't make same mistake and fail to value your own perceptions and ideas.

In this episode I will tell you why Jesus meant so much to me and why it was impossible for me to imagine life without him. I'll go on to explain why I no longer focus on Jesus, even though there will alway be a part of me that loves him. ...

John Muir is famous for his love of nature, and especially the Sierras. If you have never read any of his writings, start with "The Wild Muir." It's a collection of most hair-raising tales. Annie Dillard's book, "Pilgrim at Tinker ...