Ian Pratt

So often, we go through our lives in a hurry. Frustrated, distracted, holding onto resentment or expectations. If this is you today, pull up! Open your eyes, open your heart to the beauty and wonder and joy and magic of life. Today is a gift my friends.

The first Hero Journey Wilderness Retreat in the books! The type of trip every guy needs. Time to disconnect from the world, reconnect with our souls, get a little wild back into us, and talk deep about the things that matter with people who have our backs. The theme was Dominion, and each night we explore the theme in different domains: starting with self, then family, the community/world. This trip is life changing formation in the best way. If you missed this one, keep an eye out for more to come.

What if your family had pillars to stand on?
Not just rules, but guiding truths that shape your identity, call you higher, and anchor you in what matters most. They give our kids a story to live into, a compass when the world pulls in every direction, and a legacy that outlives us. Here are ours 👇 Pratt Family Pillars: By grace we live and move and have our being.
All that we are and all that we become is gift. Logos (King/Queen) * Truth: We live by the Logos, the Word at the heart of all things. * Order: We reflect His order, bringing justice and clarity to the world. * Blessing: We bless with our strength, giving life, protection, and flourishing. Ethos (Warrior) * Discipline: We take up the cross, mastering ourselves for the Way. * Courage: We face hardship with bold joy, for joy is stronger than fear. * Honor: We walk with honor, treating life as a quest worthy of greatness. Pathos (Lover) * Passion: We live with our hearts awake, burning with love. * Adventure: We embrace life as a wild and perilous gift, finding life within the struggle. * Play: We laugh, we dance, we delight—because joy is a weapon and a gift. Kairos (Magician) * Presence: We show up fully, alive to the sacred in the ordinary. * Transformation: We welcome renewal, trusting God to make all things new. * Creativity: We create boldly, reflecting the beauty of the Creator. All of life is a gift. All of this is grace. Share this with your partner and comment below with your pillars. I wanna hear them!

Kids don’t rise to data. They rise to stories. What myths shaped you growing up? And what are you handing down?

God isn’t after your performance. He’s after your heart—fully awake and alive to the Story you were made for.

What would you add? Try these out and let me know what shifts in your kids, in you, and in your relationship.

The Eternal Romance is always available to you. It’s in the way you hold your child’s hand, wash the dishes, speak truth, stay present. You don’t have to chase it—you just have to see it. Every moment is an invitation to re-enter. The Secret Music is always there for those who have ears to hear. From a conversation with @swordandpencil about his new book Room for Good Things to Run Wild. Go grab a copy.

What you do today will echo far beyond you. You inherited a story that you had no say in — but it’s yours now. And what you do with it is the big question of your life. You are shaping the story your great grandchildren will inherit. You are writing their backstory with the way you live today. Live it well. Leave the story better than you found it.

They will remember how you made them feel. If your eyes lit up when they entered the room. If their ideas were taken seriously. If home felt like safety, not performance. If you played. If you listened. If you entered their world with wonder, not just correction. The nervous system remembers what the mind forgets. Your presence becomes their inner voice. Your delight becomes their self-worth.

I know a lot of Christians who steer clear of anything modern psychology. It’s never made sense to me — it would be like a Formula One racer who refused to learn anything about his car. God made the human machine to run on him and that’s been distorted — our invitation is to partner with the Spirit in bringing our whole selves back into the Light so we can be more whole, more integrated, and more ready for the fight to bring Heaven to earth. Have you heard of the Shadow before?

Joy is not a break from the battle.
It is the battle.

Life will wear you down if you let it.
There are dragons to fight. Deadlines to meet. Graves to dig. And if you’re not careful, you start to think this is all there is.

That life is something to endure.
That grit is godliness. Or 
That being happy means you don’t care enough about the brokenness around you. 
 But that’s not the Christian story. The world was sung into being.
Christ’s first miracle was a party.
And the heartbeat of heaven is joy. Joy is more serious than sorrow.
More true. More eternal. Joy is not the absence of pain.
It’s the recognition of goodness. Gratitude rewires the brain. Laughter breaks fear’s grip. Play builds strength. Joy makes you resilient. I don’t mean ignorant optimism. I mean deep, defiant joy that is an act of rebellion against a world that wants to smother your soul. When joy is what defines you—
you are most yourself.
Most alive.
Most like your Father. 
Life will always wound you. 
Loving it anyway is how you stay human.

Sometimes the same words mean wildly different things. Sometimes apparently similar situations call for decidedly different responses. Parenting might not be easy, but if you’re paying attention it’s the most fun (and rewarding) challenge you’ll face.