Transformation Church

04/05/2026

The Possibility of Renewal

Day 94 of 365

Today is often associated with renewal—new life, second chances, and hope after loss. For some, this is deeply spiritual. For others, it is symbolic. Either way, the idea remains powerful: what feels finished may not be the end. Faith may call this resurrection. Reason may call it renewal. Both point to the possibility that something new can begin again.

Carry this with you today: New beginnings are possible.

04/05/2026

That rock we carry… it’s not just weight—it’s everything we’ve used to cope: fear, addiction, control, old patterns, and the distance we feel inside.

But here’s the truth—new beginnings are possible.

We do not have to carry it alone. We need honesty, open-mindedness, willingness, and the courage to walk shoulder to shoulder with others who are headed toward the light, and to trust enough to let it go. This journey is not just a process. It is a promise.

There is so much talk about trying to get to heaven when we die. But what if Easter is also about heaven getting into us while we are still alive, so we can experience the life we were always created to live?

To be reborn, we have to come to the end of ourselves. We have to die to self-interest so we can live for God’s purposes.

This, my friends, is the story of Easter. It is not just good news. It is the best news ever.

04/04/2026

Holy Saturday is the part nobody talks about.

Good Friday gets the sorrow.
Easter gets the celebration.

But today?

Today just sits in the middle.

Quiet.
Unresolved.
Uncomfortable.

And honestly… that’s where most of life happens.

Not in the breakthroughs.
Not in the big moments.

In the waiting.
In the in-between.

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If you’re in recovery—you know this space.
If you have faith—you’ve felt this silence.
If you’re not sure what you believe—you’ve lived this tension.

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And right now, here in St. Louis, you can feel a different kind of anticipation.

Illinois is in the Final Four.
They play UConn later.

Everyone’s talking. Everyone has a take.
And if we’re honest… most of us are already imagining how it ends.

(We do that with life too.)

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But today is a reminder:

You don’t get the ending yet.

You’re still in the middle.

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And just because nothing looks like it’s happening…

doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

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I wrote something honest about that today.

👉 https://open.substack.com/pub/haroldelong/p/holy-saturday-and-the-hard-part-nobody?r=60i3o1&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=post-publish

Curious—where does this land with you?

04/04/2026

The Strength of Letting Others In

Day 93 of 365

It can feel safer to keep things to yourself. Letting others in requires vulnerability, and vulnerability can feel risky. Yet connection often begins where honesty does. Faith may call this fellowship. Reason may call it relational trust. Both remind us that being known is part of being human.

Carry this with you today: Let yourself be known.

04/03/2026

Good Friday wasn’t “good” when it happened.

It was loss.
Confusion.
The end of something people believed in.

Today?

It’s a long weekend.
Plans.
Distractions.

And if we’re honest…
for a lot of us, it’s just another Friday.

But here’s the question that still matters:

What do you do with pain that doesn’t make sense?

Not the kind you can fix.
Not the kind you can explain away.
The kind you just have to sit in.

If you’re in recovery—you know this space.
If you’re skeptical—you’ve felt this tension.
If you have faith—you know Sunday doesn’t mean much without Friday.

Maybe “good” doesn’t mean easy.

Maybe it means we stop pretending…
and actually face what’s real.

I wrote something honest about that today.

👉 Read it here: https://open.substack.com/pub/haroldelong/p/good-friday-even-if-you-dont-believe?r=60i3o1&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=post-publish

Curious—where does this land with you?

04/03/2026

The Value of Asking for Help

Day 92 of 2026

It can feel easier to carry everything alone. Asking for help can feel like weakness, but it often takes more strength than going without. Faith may see this as trust in others. Reason may see it as wise interdependence. Both remind us that we are not meant to do everything on our own.

Carry this with you today: It is okay to ask for help.

04/02/2026

The Strength of Taking Responsibility

Day 91 of 2026

It can be tempting to explain, justify, or shift blame when things go wrong. Yet real strength often shows up in taking responsibility. Faith may call this accountability. Reason may call it ownership. Both point to the same truth—growth begins when we own our part.

Carry this with you today: Own what is yours.

04/02/2026

Most of us live somewhere between Friday and Sunday.

Something has ended… or at least it feels like it has.
A relationship. A version of ourselves. A sense of certainty.

And we’re left in that strange in-between space where nothing makes sense yet.

We don’t talk enough about that space.

We want answers fast.
Healing quickly.
Meaning immediately.

But real life doesn’t work like that.

Sometimes growth looks like confusion.
Sometimes hope looks like waiting.
Sometimes “nothing is happening” is actually something unfolding.

This week—whether you’re a person of faith, reason, or just trying to get through the day—consider this:

What if the story isn’t over?

Not everything that feels like an ending is one.

Some things are just… in between.

Full piece here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/haroldelong/p/the-weekend-that-changed-everything?r=60i3o1&utm_medium=ios

There’s something strange about this week.

03/26/2026

🚨 OPENING DAY IN ST. LOUIS 🚨

The Rally Squirrel showed up early… already in uniform… already locked in… probably been tailgating since Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay sent a whole eagle like, “We heard this was serious.”

Look, I don’t know how to explain Opening Day in St. Louis to people from other cities… but it’s the only place where:
• A squirrel has playoff experience
• People call in sick… but dress nicer than Easter
• And grown adults schedule their entire year around a 1:15 first pitch

This isn’t just baseball…
This is a city-wide holiday with peanuts, hope, and just enough delusion to believe “this is our year” again 😂

And somewhere in the middle of all this…
that squirrel is judging all of us like:
“You prepared your snacks… but did you prepare your heart?”

Let’s go Cardinals 🔥

03/25/2026

The Courage to Start Before You Feel Ready

Day 84 of 2026

Waiting until you feel completely ready can keep you from beginning at all. Readiness is often built through action, not before it. Faith steps forward with trust. Reason moves forward with what is known. Both remind us that starting is often the hardest—and most important—part.

Carry this with you today: Start before you feel ready.

03/24/2026

03/24/2026

Day 83 — 2026

365 Days. One Story. Zero Burnout.

Read the Bible daily without feeling guilty, confused, or spiritually behind.

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Read: Exodus 29 • John 13 • Psalm 83

Exodus 29 is about consecration—setting people apart for a purpose. It’s detailed, intentional, and a little intense. The message is clear: serving God isn’t casual. It’s meaningful. It requires preparation, focus, and a willingness to be set apart.

John 13 shifts the picture in a surprising way. Jesus, the Teacher and Lord, kneels down and washes His disciples’ feet. No spotlight. No announcement. Just quiet service. Then He says, “Now do this for each other.” Greatness in God’s kingdom looks a lot like humility.

Psalm 83 is a cry for God to act in the face of opposition. It’s a reminder that God sees what’s happening and is not indifferent to it.

Serving others doesn’t always feel important in the moment. Like doing dishes that will just get dirty again or helping someone in a way no one notices. But Jesus takes the lowest place and calls it leadership.

God measures greatness differently than we do.

Live It:
Look for one opportunity today to serve someone quietly and without recognition.

Prayer:
Jesus, please give me a humble heart that reflects Yours. Teach me to serve others with love and without needing recognition, in Your holy name, Amen.