There is a vacation home in the back woods of southern Utah where my family and I have gone nearly every January for the past 8 years.

We found it at a time when our lives were in major transition and upheaval. As we drove up to the house for the first time, we were all amazed at how incredible the place was. A large mountain home on 5 acres, this place became our sanctum after the busyness of the holidays.

And last week, we found out that the house sold and is no longer listed as a vacation rental.

It's the Little Things That Matter Most

It’s been one of those mornings. Disrupted is really the only apt descriptor.

It started with waking early, as is my custom, to go to the gym for a light workout.

(I’m in the process of rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles tendon, so my “workout” consists of walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes while being flanked by silver-haired old ladies who like to sprint. I’m not making this up. I think they derive great pleasure from watching a “young” mid-forties man struggle to sustain 3mph on the treadmill. I’m pretty sure it’s the feature story in their afternoon knitting groups.)

But the workouts help set my mindset for the day. I’m doing something to grow, to improve, and to clear the cobwebs that the morning cup of coffee was unable to do.

This morning, however, I walked into the gym to find that the blustering morning winds had knocked out the power and they were sending everyone home.

Wonderful. Disruption #1.

Reflections on the past week (or: 1 week down, 20+ more to go)

Dealing with an injury is more complicated than it might seem from the outside looking in. Little things that I took for granted just a week ago require a tremendous amount of effort. I often find myself tired and sweaty just from something as basic as getting dressed.

I’m suddenly very appreciative when people hold the door open for me.
When they do, I feel slightly ashamed because I know I’m capable of opening it for myself, and I don’t really need their help.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part (or The Fear is in the Anticipation)

We recently had the opportunity to join some beloved family members at Six Flags for the day. Given that we have three boys who jump at any whiff of adventure, we trekked over to what used to be called Magic Mountain (now Six Flags California) for a day of fun.

One ride, in particular, caught my attention:

It’s the new version of Freefall – redone from the days of my youth to be four times taller, and a million times more thrilling.

Faith, Family, Life Abundant, Overcoming Fears, The JourneyNathan WestwickFebruary 25, 2019Anxiety, Overcoming Fears, Crazy Life, Adventure, Leap of FaithComment

The Best Gift You Can Give This Christmas

This Christmas season has completely snuck up on me. Maybe it’s the spring-like weather we have here in SoCal, maybe it’s something else, but I’ve been having a “holy crap” moment right about now—hoping, pleading, and praying that Amazon can deliver on their promise to have gifts in hand before Christmas Day.

But this panic I’m feeling is more than just meeting deadlines and having gifts to offer my loved ones in a few days.

The panic I’m feeling runs deeper. At its core is the desire not just to give gifts, but to give good gifts.

You know, those ones that strike a chord in peoples’ hearts, the ones that say I see you; the ones my family will cherish, and remember.

Maybe that’s too much pressure, but the truth is we all want to give good gifts. But I’ve noticed a deeper question surfacing inside of me these past few months...

Faith, Family, Life Abundant, The Stuff That MattersNathan WestwickDecember 20, 2017Christmas, Gifts, WithdrawalComment

A Worthwhile Tradeoff

I woke up an hour earlier than my alarm this morning.

It’s probably related to the workload I have on my plate right now: In addition to the day to day responsibilities of running my own business, I am flying out tomorrow morning to attend Coffee Fest Dallas (yes, if the comic book people can have their own convention, then we coffee people certainly can as well!)

The Stuff That Matters, Family, BusinessNathan WestwickJune 9, 2016Being a Dad, WorkloadComment

3 Things to Build More Margin in Your Life

Do you feel like you’re constantly on the go, rushing from one place to the next? Rushing out the door to make it to work on time; packing up from work so you can take the kids to soccer practice; running home to make a quick dinner so the kids can get to bed at a reasonable hour? Then you collapse on the couch and throw on a show so you can unwind a bit?

My life feels this way far too often.

The Best Sandwich I’ve Had in Quite a While

I recently found myself out in Orange County for work. As luck would have it, the café I had a meeting with was about 10 minutes from my grandmother’s house.

I gave her a ring the day before, and told her I had two reasons for calling. First, I was calling to say hi. Second, I phoned her to see if I could say hi in person the next day. I could hear her delight as I asked, and noticed her getting choked up as we ended our short conversation.

You see, I’m pretty sure my grandmother isn’t fully human. In fact, if I were to guess, I would put that percentage at less than 50%.

The other part of her is pure angel.

The Stuff That Matters, FamilyNathan WestwickMarch 3, 2016Family, LoveComment

An Unexplainable Change (and The Importance of Friends and Family)

My previous two posts have revealed a crack in my armor, if you will. I have expressed a vulnerability of my own fears and doubts, and openly questioned my ability to navigate through what has turned out to be a fairly difficult stretch. Toss in a dose of mistrust that God truly has my back, and we've got a pretty potent combination...

Faith, Family, RelationshipsNathan WestwickFebruary 4, 2016Trust, Friendship Comment

How My Family and I Were Nearly Robbed on Vacation

I don’t know if you’re like me at all in this, but any time we have designated time set aside for a family trip, I allow my expectations to get the better of me.

For example, before we ever leave, I set in my mind a certain agenda that needs to be followed. Not a traditional agenda, mind you, where certain appointments need to be kept, but an emotional agenda that looks something like this:

Fighting for What's Good, Family, Good vs. EvilNathan WestwickJanuary 13, 2016Vacation Comments

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