Hey brothers! Just a heads up, this whole next week i will be gone in the jungle with no tech, minimal cell service, and a heart filled with gratitude on my first Missions Trip. I would love to see this group continue the daily gems, sharing, praying for, and encouraging each other. I will see you when I get back. -David

How (and Why) we stopped blocking the Sun, and haven’t burned or peeled in 5+ years. Yes, this makes us “black sheep”… For years I did what everyone says you’re supposed to do. Sunscreen, long sleeves, hats, hiding from the sun, staying covered. I lived in Florida and still burned constantly. Like legit burn and peel cycle. And what’s crazy is I wasn’t even getting “more sun” than other people. I was just reacting worse. Fast forward to the last five plus years. I stopped wearing sunscreen, I stopped being scared of the sun, and I have not had a single real burn or peel. I’m tan year round. That sounds backwards on paper, so I had to figure out what changed. What is UV Damage? Getting a sunburn isn’t just from “getting too much sun” and it’s not just UV damage. Sunburn is your own body’s inflammatory response to UV. UV is the response trigger, but inflammation decides how bad it gets. Two people can be under the same sun and have totally different outcomes. One turns pink and peels, the other gets darker. Same sun, different internal environment. When you burn, what’s happening is UV creates oxidative stress in your skin cells. That stress creates unstable molecules called free radicals. Then your immune system basically overreacts, sends a bunch of inflammatory signals, blood rushes to the area, you get heat and redness, and then you peel because the skin is repairing itself. So the real question is not just “how much sun did you get” but “how inflamed is your body when the sun hits you, and how prepared is your system to deal with that oxidative stress.” That’s where grounding, morning sunlight, and food come in. Grounding Grounding is a huge one, and it’s the easiest to miss because people assume it’s just some spiritual woo-woo thing. It’s actually simple physics and biology. Your body runs on electrical charge. Cells use electrical gradients. Mitochondria literally move electrons around to make energy. UV exposure creates free radicals, and free radicals are basically molecules missing electrons. They cause damage by stealing electrons from your tissues.

What an incredible opportunity, to fellowship with other "black sheep" entrepreneurs and dreamers. Thank you David for being inspired to start a special group like this. I hope to contribute and invest in this community. As it says in Isaiah 41:10 "I am with you... for I am your God" so we are in good company! 🙏 For those of you I haven't met, I'm a fellow Believer in Austin, TX and founder of FjORD cold plunge. Passionate about faith, wellness and genuine relationships. Hope to meet you all soon!

Hi, I’m from Southern California. I definitely feel like a black sheep where i live. I struggle to find “people like me” with majority of pillars and values aligned. In a season of realignment, surrender and reconfiguration.

A revelation I had yesterday. Nothing new, but a deeper reminder that I feel called to share here: Faith requires you to believe in something you cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” On the surface it sounds straight forward, but if we are honest it can also be unsettling. It’s scary to think about stepping forward into the unknown. Moving before we have clarity or certainty. But, something we often miss or overlook: fear operates the exact same way. Fear also asks you to believe in something you cannot see. It paints pictures of outcomes that haven’t happened, losses that aren’t guaranteed, and failures that exist only in imagination. On 1 hand Faith says “I cannot see what is ahead of me, but I choose to step forward in Faith anyway and trust in God that it will work out.” On the other hand fear says “I cannot see what is ahead of me, so I choose to stay here where at the very least I recognize my surroundings.” Often even if you’re unhappy with those surroundings. Both require belief. Both involve uncertainty. One keeps you moving forward while the other keeps you stagnant - frozen in comfort until it becomes a cage. The game changer is when you realize WHO you’re putting your trust in. Is it yourself? People around you? Or is it God? You don’t get to choose whether or not you’ll believe. Those thoughts arise all on their own. Belief is already there. However, you do get to choose which voice you’ll follow! Today, identify an area where fear has kept you standing still. Then take one intentional step, no matter how small or big, toward what God has placed on your heart. Share that step here if you feel up to it! Let’s choose faith together and move forward, even when we can’t see the whole path yet. I’ll go first. I’m saying yes to being on a small, relatively new, faith-based podcast I’ve been invited to as an opportunity to share my testimony. I don’t feel ready, nor do I feel worthy, but I do feel called.