Brothers, One of the realities of a season like The Crucible is that it tends to bring deeper things to the surface. When we start stripping away distractions, comforts, and coping mechanisms, many men begin to confront things they’ve been carrying silently for years — struggles in marriage, old wounds, anger, addiction, or simply the weight of life. Because of that, I want you to know about an incredible resource available to you. Forge Tribe is partnering with Dr. Dave Ruth from Touched Lives. Dangerous @Dave Ruth is a seasoned Christian counselor who has spent decades helping men, couples, pastors, and families walk through life’s challenges through biblical counseling and discipleship. He also served as chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, walking alongside men in high-pressure environments and helping them navigate the deeper issues of the heart. What makes this even more meaningful is that Dave is currently going through The Crucible with us. I’m blessed enough to have him in my Fire Team, and we’ve been walking this journey together day by day. Many years ago Dave made a promise with God that he would never charge for counseling. He only gets involved with people when he believes God has placed them on his heart to serve. Earlier this week Dave shared something with me that I want you all to hear. He told me that it is deeply on his heart to provide counseling for men who are going through The Crucible. Because of that, Dave has generously offered to make himself available to any Forge Tribe brother who may need someone to talk to during this season. If something surfaces during The Crucible — struggles in your marriage, relational conflict, unresolved pain, spiritual questions, leadership pressure, or you simply need wise counsel — I strongly encourage you to reach out. You can DM me and I will connect you with Dave, or you can reach out to him directly if you prefer. Strong men don’t carry everything alone. Wise men seek counsel.

I think he said it best. I pray we don’t freeze into ice cubes. Amen amen amen. Love you brothers

I was 47 years old when a friend told me how they constantly feel. I immediately related and thought "that's me since I was 5 years old." They described it as "Restless, Irritable, and Discontent." Their description struck me between they eyes and sticks with me to this day. I hadn't been able to put a label on the way I'd constantly felt for decades and the only reprieve was when I distracted myself with work, relationships, or extra-curricular activities. I distracted myself A LOT and to the point it became a massive blind spot. With most of those distractions cleared out over the past few years, I had still been left with these unresolved feelings of always wanting to be in motion, anxious about the world around me, and wanting it to be changed in my direction. Now though, with the ability to recognize those feelings, I can sit with them and sort it out with patience and God's view on the subjects. Working through the lessons in "Prayer" I set out to find God's hot take on these things that I wrestle with, meditate on the scripture, and progress towards peace. The verses below are what I found and how I've been thinking about them during my prayers this week and have been asking for one simple thing over and over "Lord, guard my mind with your peace." Philippians 4:6–7 “Do not be anxious about anything… and the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Meditating On: When my mind won’t settle, God offers guarding peace, not more pressure. Philippians 4:11–13 “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content… I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Meditating On: Contentment is learned dependence, strength for the moment I’m in, not the one I wish I had. Proverbs 14:29 “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” Meditating On: Irritability isn’t “just my personality”. Scripture treats it as a spiritual wisdom issue. Psalm 131:1–2 “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother…”