Wayward Checkpoint

Looking back on the first two months of Wayward Purpose: the rewrites, the growth, and the direction ahead.

Photo by the author: Behind the scenes in my new role as Parish Advisory Council Chair for the JBAB Catholic Community.

Wayward Purpose So Far: Rewriting the Foundations

These last few weeks have marked a turning point.

After receiving honest feedback from trusted individuals, I revised the founding Wayward Chronicles: Mind, Flame, Grief, Voice, and Betrayal. These pillars embody the core of Wayward Purpose and must represent not only our origins but also our future direction.

If you’ve been here from the start, take a moment to reread and share them.

If there's someone else we should connect with, please let us know.

They’re sharper, clearer, and truer to our mission:

To transform moral injury into moral leadership. We focus on helping individuals rebuild through faith, discipline, and direction. The goal is to ultimately shift the culture and mindset, ensuring that suicide is never considered an option.

Below are links to all the founding Wayward Chronicles:

---

Faith. Discipline. Direction.

While revising the founding essays, I kept asking myself a deeper question:

What does it truly mean to embody the three pillars of Wayward Purpose (Faith, Discipline, and Direction) in everyday life, beyond just theory, especially during the mundane, unglamorous moments?

The truth is, most of the movements we’ve made these past few months aren’t dramatic. They’re small, steady, almost invisible from the outside. But step by step, they’re quietly strengthening the foundation of what Wayward Purpose is becoming:

A welcoming space where service-minded people can face their moral injuries honestly, rebuild discipline and direction, and learn to lead again without pretending to be strong.

These pillars are not ideas we are teaching.
They’re practices we are learning.
Slowly, imperfectly, and alongside you.

Faith

I was honored to be elected as the Chair of the Parish Advisory Council for the JBAB Catholic Community, a role I never saw coming and still feel a bit unprepared for. (Please keep me in your prayers.) But I believe that faith often means saying yes even when we feel small and uncertain. This new role is inspiring me to serve with humility, listen with genuine attention, and offer more support within my military community. All rooted in connection, presence, and compassion.

Looking ahead, in January 2026, I was accepted into the AMS Reach More formation process with the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and I'll begin it. A 12-week program focused on missionary discipleship within military life. I’m excited for what it can bring to our military Catholic community. Small-group support, prayerful leadership, and practical care for those facing moral or spiritual wounds.

Discipline

I completed the Crisis Reaction Planning (CRP) training provided by the Strong Star Training Initiative and the Face the Fight initiative because I genuinely wanted better tools to support people in distress. The CRP workshop is a five-hour, evidence-based training that helps peers and providers create personalized plans for those at higher risk of suicide. It blends science, narrative assessment, and role-play so we can respond with clarity instead of panic.

I also completed the Forward Brands Sprint Challenge and the Boots to Business: Revenue Readiness course at Mississippi State University, and I’m nearing the end of the Warrior Rising Entrepreneurship Cohort. All-powerful veteran-focused programs helping us build Wayward Purpose with steadiness instead of impulse.

Direction

I’ve begun early outreach with the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Office to support a working group connected to the larger Department push for prevention and policy-level clarity. I have no idea where it will lead, but direction isn’t about certainty. It’s about alignment and moving toward the work that matters.

Both the PAC role and the Reach More formation point in the same direction: building a stronger, more connected, more compassionate support network across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area for all military-connected people, not just Catholics.

---

83 Subscribers and 400 Followers in Just a Few Weeks

This originated from my personal experience. My struggles with pain, trauma, grief, loss, moral injury, and gradual healing. I never intended it to grow beyond the original idea. Yet, within a few weeks, 83 of you subscribed, and over 400 have started following this journey.

I really appreciate your trust and thank you so much for sharing your time and attention with me, us, and Wayward Purpose. It means a lot!

---

If You Think Someone Should Be Connected to This Work…

Here's a little help we need from you.

If you know someone, whether they're a veteran, a leader, a chaplain, a counselor, or a community builder, who would be great to include in this conversation, please send them our way.

If there’s someone we should meet, just point us in the right direction.

And if there’s anyone who could use some support, prayer, or just someone who will listen and stand with them through their moral injury, we are here.

Wayward Purpose has always been about building connection, and this mission only gets stronger with the people who believe in it and are willing to walk alongside it.

Have a great week, everyone. And thank you again so much for your support.