Updates from Tony Portell

Knots: How we try to untangle the issues in our lives.

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:04:57 CDT

When you are hurting and someone tells you to "just pray it away"

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 19:46:00 CDT

Meditation: To Empty or Fill?

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:43:57 CDT

For decades, popular self-help culture has promoted positive affirmations and Eastern meditation techniques designed to empty the mind, yet lasting peace remains elusive for many. Surprisingly, modern neuroscience reveals exactly why simply repeating "I am enough" or trying to clear your thoughts fails to create genuine neurological change. There is a profound difference between a meditation practice that subtracts from your life and one that fills it, and your brain was actually scientifically designed for the latter. Explore the fascinating intersection of ancient biblical wisdom and adult neuroplasticity to understand why a stressed, braced nervous system cannot embrace the spiritual truths you already know. Dive into the full article to discover how to stop white-knuckling your way through life and begin experiencing root-level, lasting transformation.

Is My Depression a Sin?

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 20:29:00 CDT

The Emotional Detective: Why Kindness Trumps Control

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 11:00:32 CDT

Do I Have Enough Faith? You’re Asking the Wrong Question

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:38:56 CDT

The Relationship Bank and Trust: The Account That Pays Dividends

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:07:00 CDT

Why Do I Still Struggle With Anxiety as a Christian?

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:58:11 CDT

Why Do I Still Struggle With Anxiety as a Christian?

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:14:57 CDT

Anxiety is not a faith failure. A pastor and crisis chaplain explains what's really happening in your brain — and what Scripture actually says about anxious believers

Why Do I Still Struggle With Anxiety as a Christian?

You prayed about it. You memorized Philippians 4:6. You may have even confessed it, wondering if the anxiety itself was the sin. And it's still there — the tight chest before you fall asleep, the mind that won't stop rehearsing tomorrow.

So you ask the quiet question a lot of believers are afraid to say out loud: If I really trusted God, would I still feel this way?

After forty years of pastoring and crisis chaplaincy — sitting with people on the worst days of their lives — I can tell you: this question is one of the most common, and one of the most misunderstood, in the church.

Why Do I Keep Waking Up at 3am? What Your Nervous System — and God — Are Saying in the Dark

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:39:00 CDT