Notes From the Road — 12 Feb 2025
Wandering updates from my travels in Van Gogh, trails I'm exploring, photos I've taken, and more
WANDERING UPDATE
Hello Friends and Fellow Seekers of the Good True Beautiful!
I came to the desert southwest for the winter; Arizona, to be specific, to areas I have never been before. I came to avoid the snow, but also, more so, to encounter God. They say the desert is the place you go when you need to clear your head and heart, and clarify the path you’re meant to follow. Well, whoever they are, they’re on to something. These long weeks here, with endless stretches of desert roads, with nothing in sight but flatlands of parched earth and too-blue skies, have brought my body and spirit into alignment in a way I honestly don’t believe I’ve ever experienced before. I came here to get clarity, and by God (and I mean, literally, by God) did I get it. I know what matters for me in the year ahead. What I’m meant to do. What I need to say. How I’m meant to say it. The only bit left is to summon the courage to follow through.
And I will. Awkwardly, maybe. Unskillfully, certainly. But I will follow through. Like all of us, I must follow the track of my own life. After all, what else, in the end, do we have?
Here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to, and what I’ll be up to next:
I’ve got all four novels edited now, and handed off to an amazing interior book designer I have had the privilege of working with before. VERY soon, I’ll be announcing the release dates of all four books! It’s gettin’ real up in here. I don’t know how to feel. It’s like my kids are going off to college. I’m both excited and terrified. But mostly excited! I can’t wait for the world to read this story!
I officially launched my personal YouTube channel, where I’ll soon be posting some fun vids about the novels — geeky stuff, and writer stuff, and other stuff I just want to share — as well as Personal Journal vids where I’ll try my hand at making an idiot of myself by baring my soul and sharing my thoughts on some of the deeper ideas and questions about Christian mysticism, wholeness, and what it means to be or become your True Self. I’ll also post the Sojournist Profiles there that I feature here on substack.
I also launched a second YouTube channel dedicated to sharing all the best tools, practices and insights I’ve learned over the last 20+ years of coaching hundreds of leaders and teams across the world. I’ve been thinking about doing this for years, and the timing is finally right! Here’s the first vid. It even comes with a downloadable PDF. :)
In the middle of all this virtual stuff, I have finally gotten my hikers back out on the trail several times these last few weeks. Sedona is a dream, for sure, and the photos below I hope reflect some of that. But there is a beauty to even the most barren desert landscapes that is arresting to my soul. It often hits me like a gut punch, though I find it nearly impossible to name what “it” is.
TRAILS I’VE BEEN EXPLORING
Here are 5 trails I’ve been exploring recently:
READING: Martin Shaw is a recent discovery of mine, and a delightful one. A master of story and storytelling, he is a bit of modern-day wizard, weaving ancient tales with the complex struggles of modern life to inspire those who listen toward new ways of thinking, of being, and of navigating the madness of the world. In Courting the Wild Twin, Shaw invited me to reconnect to the wilder parts of my truest self, to re-engage the less-civilized but perhaps wiser aspects of my own intelligence, and discover what that wisdom, now unlocked, could offer me in my unending quest for authentic meaning and connection in my life. I definitely recommend the audio version of the book, as you’ll love to hear this storyteller’s mastery at work.
LISTENING: The Rise of Bonhoeffer — A friend turned me on to this documentary podcast series on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and I have so many incredibly positive things to say about it. First of all, this is a scholarly work, rigorously researched, and expertly presented. Theologians Tripp Fuller and Jeffrey Pugh head up a full panel of scholars in multiple disciplines, all of them experts on Bonhoeffer’s life. This is really good stuff, beautifully presented. Second, with the blight of Christian nationalism once again on the rise in American culture, there is no better time than now to examine Bonhoeffer’s journey and learn from his struggle with the similar brand of religious nationalism that plagued his nation in the early 20th Century. I have found his example deeply instructive. (Oh, and to be clear, Bonhoeffer was very much against any form of Christian nationalism, despite what some voices within the Christian nationalist camp might claim. His family spoke out and openly condemned these bogus claims.)
WATCHING: “We Live in Time.” I confess, I’m a bit of a fanboy for both Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, so when I saw they were to be the duo in this film on love, relationship, presence, and loss, I knew I would find time to watch (which is saying something, because I really don’t watch many movies these days). Let me just say this up front: This is a visceral film. I mean, you get right up in there. So, know that going in. But, man is it beautiful! And beautifully done. The beauty of what it means to simply be a human person, and to love another human person, is a mystery none of us will ever fully fathom, even though we live at the center of that mystery. We are that mystery. This film reveals that mystery in all of its astonishing grit and glory without apology or explanation. Such a great reminder of what always matters most in our lives: Who are you loving right now? Are you loving them well?
SEEING: For those who don’t know, my drug of choice for relaxing after a day of writing or coaching happens to be astronomy and/or quantum physics videos on YouTube. I know, that’s weird. But whatever. Sue me. So, knowing that, it will not surprise you to learn that I thought these three recent shots from BepiColombo’s sixth (and closest) Mercury flyby were, in fact, super kewl.
PONDERING: “Once you domesticate Jesus, he isn’t there anymore. The domestic Jesus may be an interesting fellow, a good friend, a loyal companion, a helpful business associate, a guarantor of the justice of your wars. But one thing he certainly is not: the Jesus of the New Testament.” — Andrew Greeley
PHOTOS I’VE TAKEN
YOUR TURN
What new trails have you been exploring lately that you would love other people to know about? Share them in the comments.
Until next time!
Michael
p.s. The Sojournist is an entirely reader-supported project I create on the go as I live on the road. Your support makes my writing possible and keeps it growing. Every time you hit “like,” it tells the algorithm to share the post more widely. Every time you share a post with someone, it spreads the word even more. Every new free subscription expands our growing tribe. Every new paid subscription keeps food on the table and fuel in Van Gogh. Whatever way you can help is hugely appreciated. Thank you.
