Introduction:
We’ve all faced moments that defined us, but rarely do we realize the significance of those moments as they happen. At 18, I was about to make a decision that would have altered the course of my life forever. My father, who suffered from severe mental illness, had become increasingly abusive, and I felt helpless. I thought that ending his life might be the only way to stop the pain. But thank God, it never came to that. He was admitted to a mental hospital before I reached that breaking point. What followed was a counseling session that changed everything.

The Desperation Before the Breakthrough
At the time, I thought I had no choice. My father’s mental illness had created chaos at home, and as the oldest son, I felt responsible for protecting my family. I devised a desperate plan to end the abuse if I couldn’t get him into a hospital. When he was admitted before I acted, I breathed a sigh of relief, but the emotional weight I carried didn’t disappear. At the urging of the doctors caring for my father, I began seeing a counselor.

The Counseling Session that Changed Everything
In my second session, I spilled my heart, recounting the turmoil of my family’s life and the pressure I felt to hold everything together. I was expecting sympathy or validation. Instead, after I finished talking, the counselor looked at me and said, “Dan, have you noticed I haven’t written anything down?” Then, he opened his notes to reveal a blank page and said something that would change my life: “Nothing you do or don’t do, say or don’t say, can you blame on anyone else. You hold the pen. Every day starts with a blank page, and what gets written on it is entirely up to you.”

The Hard Truth
I left that session angry. How could the counselor put the weight of my actions on me? Didn’t he understand the hardships I’d faced? But as the days passed, I realized he was right. Despite everything, I still held the pen. No one could control what I said or did; those choices were mine. The past may have shaped me, but it didn’t control my future. I had the power to decide what got written on my blank page each day.

The Lesson in Personal Responsibility
That counseling session introduced me to one of life’s greatest truths: we are all responsible for what we write on the blank pages of our lives. No matter our circumstances or hardships, we decide our actions, words, and choices each day. Blaming others doesn’t absolve us of responsibility. Instead, we must recognize the power we hold to shape our futures, one blank page at a time.

I took that lesson to heart and built a framework to help me stay intentional about how I fill my blank pages each day. This routine, which connects prayer, action items, personal growth, and tracking, has become the foundation of how I live. It’s the same system I now teach in my online course, Purpose-Driven Days, available to all members of Christian Teams Excel. If you’re looking for a way to align your daily actions with your faith and personal growth, I encourage you to check it out. 

Invitation to the Event:
If you want to learn more about how to align your daily routine with your faith, I invite you to attend God’s Voice in the Vineyard #2: What I Would Teach Today If I Were Dying Tomorrow. We’ll explore how to turn prayer into inspired action and how to live each moment with divine purpose. The event is free, with refreshments provided. Join us on Thursday, Oct. 3rd, 2024, at The Vineyard at Evergreen Farms.
👉 Learn more here

Call to Action:
Ready to take control of your days and live with intention? Learn more about my online course Purpose-Driven Days at Christian Teams Excel, where I walk you through how to create a daily routine that connects prayer with actionable steps and self-improvement. And if you’re free on Oct. 3rd, don’t miss our event at The Vineyard at Evergreen Farms—you’ll leave feeling inspired to live boldly for Christ.




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