Genesis 4141 & Elegant Yard Sale

10/12/2026

Watching a powwow, I felt grief for what had been lost and admiration for the cultures people continue to carry forward.

In this Wednesday in America reflection, I consider the history of conquest, the consequences of forced assimilation, and what it means to honor Indigenous peoples today. I also ask what might become possible when we approach one another with greater humility and a willingness to learn.

I’ve prepared a companion workbook and discussion guide for subscribers: Indigenous History Where We Live. It invites you to investigate local Indigenous history, compare accounts, learn about living communities, and share your discoveries.

What do you know about the Indigenous peoples connected to the place where you live? What would they have their neighbors understand?

Read the reflection on Substack:
[https://tomsims.substack.com/p/a-white-guy-celebrates-indigenous](https://tomsims.substack.com/p/a-white-guy-celebrates-indigenous)

10/10/2026

Read about it:

https://medium.com//it-goes-without-saying-or-does-it-70c1380aec36?sk=f7c29483c97f9c09fee2e032861e9c1c

10/08/2026

I’m discovering that I’m living the life I once dreamed about. What parts of your dream are already taking shape?

Read “Livin’ the Life” and watch the companion video on Tom’s Front Porch on Patreon. A workbook is coming for members to help you take stock, wake up to dream, and chart a course.

Come pull up a chair.

https://www.patreon.com/tomsims/posts/livin-life-171813555?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

10/05/2026

When discouragement takes the wind out of our sails, where do we find courage to keep going?

In this Bible Chat, we reflect on Ezra 4:4 and Isaiah 54:4. Ezra describes people discouraged and made afraid to build. Isaiah brings God’s encouragement into the fear of shame and disgrace.

Read the full study: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/when-discrouagement-takes-the-wind

Opposition, stalled progress, and disappointment can leave us ready to quit. Sometimes we also fear hearing someone say, “I told you you couldn’t do it.”

A setback does not define you. God’s encouragement can reach us through Scripture, prayer, a friend’s presence, and people willing to walk with us.

What is discouraging you today? What has helped you keep going? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Continue the reflection on Substack, where the subscriber section offers a group conversation guide on encouragement, prayer, and doing life together:
https://tomsims.substack.com

Explore Tom’s Front Porch on Patreon and other ways to connect:
https://linktr.ee/tomsims

More Bible Chat:
https://biblechatonline.com

Subscribe for more Bible reflections and conversations about faith and everyday life.

10/04/2026

You can miss fellowship without being ready to return to church.

Andrea and I have been talking about disillusionment, faith, and what people miss after leaving a religious community. I pastor online, and I miss singing and spending time with people in the same room. What do you miss? What do you never want to repeat? What would you build if you could help shape the gathering?

I am beginning this conversation at Tom’s Front Porch on Patreon. The welcome and first conversation are free; optional paid membership supports additional reflections and tools.

Read the community agreements before participating. You do not need to share a painful history.

Tom’s Front Porch:
https://www.patreon.com/tomsims/posts/i-miss-171433792?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

A Quiet Door Into Care:
https://tomsims.substack.com/p/a-quiet-door-into-care

Beyond Woe: The Heart of Jesus for a Wounded Church:
https://tomsims.substack.com/p/beyond-woe-the-heart-of-jesus-for

Pastoral Excellence on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsims

More from Tom:
https://linktr.ee/tomsims

What is one good thing you would carry forward from a religious community you left?

Please keep public comments to what you are comfortable sharing publicly.

09/26/2026

Read Humor for the Masses here:
https://medium.com//humor-for-the-masses-54077ce7ddea?sk=ed40c5e94f5dd0577511fac6a4d0091e

09/13/2026

Radio and television remain valuable, but digital platforms have placed broadcasting, publishing, and conversation within reach of almost every leader. Here is a practical framework for turning one useful message into a sustainable, interactive communication strategy.



https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beyond-radio-land-tom-sims-tvpnc

09/11/2026

Twenty-five years after 9/11, we remember the lives lost, the first responders who ran toward danger, and those who served in the long wars that followed.

But remembrance also calls us to reflection—on the courage we witnessed, the mistakes we made in fear and anger, and the lessons we must not forget.

May remembering lead us not toward greater suspicion, but toward justice, peace, mutual understanding, courage, and compassion.

https://medium.com//twenty-five-years-after-9-11-cee505c712f4?sk=12350624f6dcc6236dc37ccaad08647c

09/08/2026

09/02/2026

As the crow flies, the eastern side of the Sierra is right over the mountain from where I live.

But life is not usually lived as the crow flies.

There are mountains to cross, long roads to travel, weight to carry, and terrain that cannot be ignored. We may move more like a snail than a crow—but slow, deliberate progress is still progress.

There is wisdom in perspective, but often greater wisdom in persistence.

Well, I have to go. I have some crawling to do.

Read More: https://medium.com//as-the-snail-crawls-26a94d5a8a3a?sk=1d53093ea54ad7ecc4a7ff94591c547e