This post is specifically about celebrating the 40 days of Lent also it also introduces the Melon Cave podcast, which goes to the heart of why I work on something called Transformative Discipleship Technology (TDT), which is about cognitive awareness, applied neuroscience and Christian mindfulness.

If you want to follow this, subscribe via the RSS feed for MelonCave podcast into your favorite podcast app.

The whole point of TDT is improved discipleship … but in order to get the discipline and better habits we need to get there, TDT helps us reach into transformative areas like neurohacking, music to glorify our Creator, pain management, time management, developing one’s meta-cognition skills, become a more proficient human-in-the-loop (HITL) of H-I-T-L machine learning and AI systems, thinking about the algorithms of large-language learning models (LLM) of AI think, using AI as a cognitive-support technology.

TDT is about using ALL of our blessings, that includes our neuroplastic brains, it includes HITL technologies, it includes AI. My perspective is that AI came into existence specifically for me in order to ASSIST ME in better programming myself to ditch the bad habits of being myself. Yes, we are indeed richly blessed to be alive in these times. God is great, ALL THE TIME!

40 Days of Lenten Reflection for Christian Recovery

The 40 Days of Lent offer a particularly important time for reflection, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and contemplation of the Resurrection.

Lent is a good time for challenging or pushing oneself a bit to think about improving the ability to be more compassionate, be more available to help others … thus, the Melon Cave podcast is the RESULT of thinking harder about getting my act together better, so that I can do more for others.

1. Acknowledging Wilderness Moments – March 5

As Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted, Lent invites us to confront our own wilderness experiences. Self-compassion during these times teaches us to extend grace to others battling their own demons.

Scripture Foundation: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:1)

  1. How does Christ’s forty days in the wilderness help you relate to your own feelings of isolation, temptation, and hunger in recovery?

  2. When have you experienced God’s presence most clearly in your own “wilderness moments” of addiction, and how might this understanding help you extend compassion to others in similar struggles?

  3. How might viewing your recovery journey as a “wilderness time” —difficult but purposeful— change your approach to setbacks and challenges?

2. Spiritual Hunger and Fasting – March 6

During Lent, we practice intentional sacrifice through fasting, revealing our deeper spiritual hungers. Learning to sit with discomfort rather than numbing it builds compassion for ourselves and others who suffer.

Scripture Foundation: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

  1. How has your addiction represented a “false fast”—denying yourself authentic connection with God while indulging dependencies that don’t truly satisfy?

  2. In what ways might the discipline of fasting during Lent help you understand the difference between physical craving and deeper spiritual hunger?

  3. How can the experience of healthy self-denial in Lent build compassion for those struggling with the seemingly impossible self-denial required in early recovery?

3. Identity and Temptation – March 7

Lent reminds us of how Jesus faced temptation by standing firm in His identity. Self-compassion during temptation helps us remember our true identity in Christ, enabling us to help others recognize theirs.

Scripture Foundation: “If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3,6) — Satan’s repeated attack on Jesus’s identity.

  1. How have your addictions or dependencies challenged your understanding of being “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14)?

  2. When temptation is strongest, how might claiming your identity as “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10) help you resist?

  3. How can recognizing your own struggles with identity and worth help you extend grace to others whose behaviors may stem from similar wounds?

4. The Vulnerability of Hunger – March 8

Christ’s fasting made Him physically vulnerable to temptation. Lent teaches us that acknowledging our vulnerabilities—rather than hiding them—creates space for authentic healing and compassion.

Scripture Foundation: “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came…” (Matthew 4:2-3)

  1. How has physical or emotional “hunger” made you more vulnerable to your addiction?

  2. When have you been able to acknowledge your vulnerability as a strength rather than a weakness, as modeled by Christ?

  3. How might honestly admitting your hungers and vulnerabilities help you connect more authentically with others in recovery?

5. Surrender and Control – March 10

Lent’s call to surrender mirrors recovery’s first step of acknowledging powerlessness. Self-compassion during surrender builds capacity to walk alongside others as they learn to let go.

Scripture Foundation: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

  1. How do you distinguish between things you can change and things you must surrender to God, as in “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22)?

  2. What areas of control are hardest for you to release to God’s care, and how might practicing surrender during Lent help your recovery journey?

  3. How has learning to surrender with self-compassion rather than self-judgment equipped you to guide others through their own processes of letting go?

6. Humility and Pride – March 11

Christ’s wilderness experience demonstrated perfect humility in the face of temptation. Lent invites us to practice humility, opening space for self-compassion where pride once demanded perfection.

Scripture Foundation: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10)

  1. How has pride manifested in your addiction and recovery, considering that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18)?

  2. In what ways have you resisted “humbling yourself under the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5:6) during your recovery journey?

  3. How might practicing humility during Lent help you extend patience and understanding to others who struggle with admitting their need for help?

7. The Rhythm of Confession – March 12

Lent’s practice of reflection and confession establishes a healing rhythm. Learning self-compassion through confession teaches us to create safe spaces for others to acknowledge their failures.

Scripture Foundation: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

  1. How has regular confession practice helped you embrace the principle that “whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13)?

  2. When has confession with self-compassion rather than self-condemnation led to deeper healing in your recovery?

  3. How might your experience with confession equip you to listen without judgment when others share their struggles and failures?

8. The Desert of Isolation – March 13

Christ withdrew into solitude, but never into isolation. During Lent, we learn the difference between sacred solitude and destructive isolation, building self-compassion that recognizes our need for community.

Scripture Foundation: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18)

  1. How has isolation contributed to your addiction, contrary to the wisdom that “whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (Proverbs 18:1)?

  2. What forms of healthy solitude might you practice during Lent to deepen recovery, while avoiding harmful isolation?

  3. How might your experience with the pain of isolation help you notice and include others who may be suffering alone?

9. Simplicity and Attachment – March 14

Lent calls us to simplicity and detachment from worldly comforts. Self-compassion during this process helps us understand our attachments without shame, building compassion for others’ struggles to let go.

Scripture Foundation: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy…” (Matthew 6:19)

  1. What comforts or conveniences have become unhealthy attachments in your life, functioning as “treasures on earth” that distract from spiritual growth?

  2. How might practicing intentional simplicity during Lent help reveal which comforts you’ve allowed to become necessities or addictions?

  3. How can understanding your own attachments with compassion rather than condemnation help you walk patiently with others who struggle to release their dependencies?

10. The Challenge of Waiting – March 15

Lent embodies holy waiting, mirroring recovery’s call to patient transformation. Self-compassion during waiting seasons builds capacity to accompany others through their slow processes of change.

Scripture Foundation: “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” (Isaiah 40:31)

  1. How has impatience affected your recovery, contrary to the fruit of the Spirit which includes “patience” (Galatians 5:22)?

  2. What practices might help you embrace waiting as a sacred discipline during Lent rather than rushing toward immediate relief?

  3. How can your own struggles with impatience help you extend grace to others who want instant results in their recovery journeys?

11. Temptation’s Reality – March 17

Christ’s wilderness temptations were real, not symbolic. Lent acknowledges the reality of our temptations, fostering self-compassion that recognizes struggle without shame, enabling us to normalize others’ battles.

Scripture Foundation: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

  1. How does understanding that “no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13) affect your perspective on your struggles?

  2. When have you experienced the promise that God “will with the temptation also provide the way of escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13)?

  3. How might your openness about temptation create safe space for others to acknowledge their struggles without shame?

12. The Purpose of Testing – March 18

Lent reminds us that spiritual testing serves divine purposes. Self-compassion during testing builds resilience that allows us to support others through their times of trial.

Scripture Foundation: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3)

  1. How have the tests and trials of recovery produced character growth that wouldn’t have come through easier paths?

  2. When have you experienced testing as an opportunity for growth rather than punishment, and how did this perspective shift affect your recovery?

  3. How might viewing challenges with self-compassion rather than self-criticism equip you to help others find meaning in their struggles?

13. The Wilderness of Loss – March 19

Lent acknowledges necessary losses on the path to resurrection. Self-compassion during loss helps us grieve what addiction has taken without despair, enabling us to sit with others in their losses.

Scripture Foundation: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

  1. What losses have you experienced on your recovery journey that were necessary for new life to emerge?

  2. How has embracing necessary losses with self-compassion rather than resentment changed your recovery journey?

  3. How might your experience with loss equip you to comfort others “with the comfort you yourself have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:4)?

14. The Voice of the Enemy – March 20

During Lent, we remember how Jesus recognized and resisted the enemy’s voice. Self-compassion helps us distinguish between conviction and condemnation, allowing us to guide others toward truth with gentleness.

Scripture Foundation: “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written…’” (Matthew 4:10)

  1. How do you distinguish between God’s convicting voice and Satan’s condemning voice in your recovery journey?

  2. What Scripture passages have been most helpful in combating lies that fuel your addictive behaviors?

  3. How has learning to respond to yourself with compassion rather than condemnation equipped you to speak truth in love to others?

15. Counterfeit Nourishment – March 21

Lent reveals our hunger for counterfeit nourishment. Self-compassion acknowledges these misdirected hungers without shame, building understanding for others seeking fulfillment in harmful ways.

Scripture Foundation: “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2)

  1. How has your addiction been a counterfeit solution to Jesus’s offer: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)?

  2. What forms of “bread that does not satisfy” have you pursued, and how is Lent revealing healthier sources of nourishment?

  3. How might understanding your own misguided hungers with compassion help you respond gently to others seeking fulfillment in destructive ways?

16. The Power of Memory – March 22

Lent invites us to remember God’s faithfulness in past wildernesses. Self-compassion allows us to revisit difficult memories for healing, equipping us to help others integrate their stories with grace.

Scripture Foundation: “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

  1. How has remembering God’s faithfulness in past struggles strengthened your recovery journey?

  2. What painful memories still need healing through compassionate revisiting rather than avoidance or numbing?

  3. How might your practice of redemptive remembering help others find meaning and hope in their own difficult histories?

17. True and False Comfort – March 24

  1. How has the comfort of the Holy Spirit, described as “the Comforter” (John 14:16 KJV), proved more lasting than the temporary relief of addiction?

  2. How has learning to comfort yourself appropriately equipped you to offer genuine comfort to others in pain?

18. Hunger as Teacher – March 25

Lent reveals hunger as a spiritual teacher. Self-compassion during hunger builds wisdom about our true needs, helping us guide others to distinguish between cravings and authentic desires.

Scripture Foundation: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

  1. What has physical hunger during fasting taught you about distinguishing between wants and needs in recovery?

  2. How might intentionally experiencing hunger during Lent help redirect your appetite toward “hunger and thirst for righteousness”?

  3. How can your experience with various forms of hunger help you respond with compassion rather than judgment to others’ cravings and dependencies?

19. The Courage to Face – March 26

Lent calls us to face what we’ve been avoiding. Self-compassion during this confrontation builds courage that empowers us to accompany others as they face their denied realities.

Scripture Foundation: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23)

  1. What truths about yourself or your addiction have been most difficult to face with honesty?

  2. How has practicing courage with self-compassion rather than shame helped you confront these difficult realities?

  3. How might your journey of courageous self-confrontation equip you to support others taking their first steps toward honest self-examination?

20. The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency – March 27

Lent exposes our illusion of self-sufficiency. Self-compassion during this realization helps us embrace healthy dependence on God and others, modeling this vulnerability for those afraid to need help.

Scripture Foundation: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

  1. How has addiction revealed the limitations of self-sufficiency and the necessity of acknowledging that “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)?

  2. When has surrendering self-sufficiency with self-compassion rather than self-criticism opened you to receiving help?

  3. How might your journey from independence to healthy interdependence help you encourage others who resist admitting their need for support?

21. The Pattern of Death and Resurrection – March 28

Lent follows Jesus toward death that precedes resurrection. Self-compassion during recovery’s “deaths” nurtures hope for “resurrection,” enabling us to assure others that new life awaits.

Scripture Foundation: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

  1. What aspects of your old life and identity have needed to “die” for recovery to take root?

  2. How has embracing necessary “deaths” with self-compassion opened you to experience “resurrection” in unexpected areas?

  3. How might your experience of renewal after surrender help you offer hope to others facing painful but necessary endings?

22. From Ashes to Beauty – March 29

Lent begins with ashes, symbolizing both mortality and repentance. Self-compassion amid our brokenness opens us to God’s transforming work, enabling us to see beauty emerging in others’ ashes.

Scripture Foundation: “To provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.” (Isaiah 61:3)

  1. How has God brought beauty from the ashes of your addiction and brokenness?

  2. When have you experienced God “making all things new” (Revelation 21:5) in areas that seemed beyond redemption?

  3. How might your story of transformation help others believe that their ashes too can become beauty?

23. The Cost of Discipleship – March 31

Lent counts the cost of following Christ. Self-compassion during sacrifice acknowledges the real pain of letting go, helping us walk gently with others making difficult choices.

Scripture Foundation: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

  1. How might your addiction be an attempt to bypass Jesus’s invitation to “take up your cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23)?

  2. What costs of discipleship have been most challenging in your recovery journey?

  3. How has learning to count these costs with self-compassion rather than resentment equipped you to support others making painful sacrifices for their healing?

24. The Wilderness of Doubt – April 1

Christ faced temptations that targeted doubt. Lent allows space for honest questions. Self-compassion during doubt creates safety for authentic faith, helping us make space for others’ questions without defensiveness.

Scripture Foundation: “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24)

  1. What doubts about God’s goodness or power have surfaced during your recovery journey?

  2. How has bringing your doubts to God with honesty and self-compassion rather than fear strengthened rather than weakened your faith?

  3. How might your experience with doubt help you create safe space for others to express their questions without shame?

25. Perseverance Through Trial – April 2

Lent’s 40 days mirror Israel’s 40 years of wilderness wandering. Self-compassion during extended trials builds perseverance that enables us to encourage others for the long journey.

Scripture Foundation: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3)

  1. How has experiencing setbacks in recovery helped you understand Paul’s exhortation to “not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9)?

  2. What practices sustain your perseverance when recovery feels like 40 years in the wilderness rather than 40 days?

  3. How might your own perseverance through difficulties inspire hope in others facing seemingly endless struggles?

26. From Isolation to Community – April 3

Lent reminds us we journey together as the Body of Christ. Self-compassion acknowledges our need for others, helping us create inclusive community for those who feel they don’t belong.

Scripture Foundation: “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:4-5)

  1. How has recovery taught you the truth that we are “members one of another” (Romans 12:5)?

  2. When has vulnerability with others fulfilled the command to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2)?

  3. How might your journey from isolation to community help you extend belonging to others who feel they must recover alone?

27. The Pain of Pruning – April 4

Lent involves spiritual pruning for greater fruitfulness. Self-compassion during painful cutting acknowledges genuine loss while trusting future growth, helping us reassure others during their pruning seasons.

Scripture Foundation: “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:2)

  1. What relationships, habits, or comforts has God needed to prune from your life to make recovery possible?

  2. How has embracing necessary pruning with self-compassion rather than resistance led to unexpected fruitfulness?

  3. How might your experience with painful but productive pruning help you support others facing necessary losses?

28. Honesty and Self-Examination – April 5

Lent calls for rigorous self-examination. Self-compassion during this process prevents shame from derailing necessary honesty, modeling for others how to face truth with courage.

Scripture Foundation: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

  1. What areas of self-deception might still exist in your recovery, knowing that “the heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9)?

  2. How has practicing rigorous honesty aligned with Jesus’s teaching that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32)?

  3. How has learning to examine yourself with compassion rather than condemnation equipped you to help others face their truths without being crushed by shame?

29. The Grace of Beginning Again – April 7

Lent allows fresh starts through repentance. Self-compassion during new beginnings builds resilience after failures, helping us offer others grace to try again after relapse.

Scripture Foundation: “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

  1. When has getting back up after a relapse reflected the truth that “the righteous falls seven times and rises again” (Proverbs 24:16)?

  2. How has experiencing God’s “mercies new every morning” changed your approach to failures in recovery?

  3. How might your story of multiple beginnings give hope to others who have experienced relapse and believe they’ve exhausted their chances?

30. Idolatry and False Worship – April 8

Lent exposes our modern idols. Self-compassion during this revelation acknowledges our misplaced devotion without condemnation, helping us gently reveal others’ idolatries.

Scripture Foundation: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21)

  1. How has your addiction functioned as an idol, something you’ve placed before God, contrary to the commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3)?

  2. In what ways have you “worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25) through your addiction?

  3. How might understanding your own idolatries with compassion help you speak truth in love to others about their misplaced worship?

31. Forgiveness as Liberation – April 9

Lent emphasizes forgiveness at the cross. Self-compassion in extending and receiving forgiveness liberates us from resentment, equipping us to guide others toward freedom from bitterness.

Scripture Foundation: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)

  1. How have resentments fueled your addiction, contrary to the instruction to “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31)?

  2. When has letting go of resentment brought you freedom, aligning with Jesus’s teaching that “if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14)?

  3. How has learning to forgive yourself with the compassion God extends to you equipped you to help others release grudges against themselves and others?

32. The Desert of Scarcity – April 10

Lent teaches contentment amid perceived scarcity. Self-compassion during limitation acknowledges real hunger while discovering sufficiency in Christ, helping us show others abundance within constraints.

Scripture Foundation: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

  1. How has your addiction reflected a “scarcity mentality”—a belief that God’s provision isn’t enough?

  2. How might Lenten disciplines help you experience Paul’s testimony: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12)?

  3. How can your growing contentment within limitations inspire others who believe they can never have “enough”?

33. The Power of Ritual – April 11

Lent’s rituals anchor spiritual intentions. Self-compassion while establishing new patterns acknowledges difficulty while celebrating progress, helping us encourage others building recovery rituals.

Scripture Foundation: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

  1. What recovery rituals have been most powerful in replacing addictive patterns?

  2. How has establishing new spiritual disciplines with patience and self-compassion rather than rigidity helped these practices take root?

  3. How might your experience with helpful rituals guide others in establishing sustainable recovery practices?

34. The Ministry of Weakness – April 12

  1. When you feel weak in your recovery, how can you draw strength from the truth that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9)?

  2. How has viewing your weaknesses with self-compassion rather than shame opened you to experience God’s power working through them?

  3. How might your “ministry of weakness” create permission for others to acknowledge their limitations without self-condemnation?

35. From Shame to Honor – April 14

Lent moves from the shame of sin to the honor of redemption. Self-compassion during shame acknowledges pain while receiving God’s honor, helping us restore dignity to others trapped in shame.

Scripture Foundation: “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” (Psalm 34:5)

  1. How has shame influenced your addiction and recovery journey?

  2. When have you experienced the truth that in Christ, you are moving “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV) rather than remaining defined by shame?

  3. How might your journey from shame to honor help you restore dignity to others who believe their worth has been permanently compromised?

36. Gratitude in Scarcity – April 15

Lent cultivates gratitude amid voluntary limitation. Self-compassion while practicing thankfulness acknowledges difficulty while celebrating sufficiency, helping us model contentment for others.

Scripture Foundation: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

  1. How has cultivating gratitude affected your recovery, in line with the instruction to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)?

  2. What practices help you maintain thankfulness even during challenging seasons of recovery?

  3. How might your example of gratitude amid difficulty inspire others who see only lack in their circumstances?

37. The Journey Toward Wholeness – April 16

Lent acknowledges brokenness while moving toward Easter wholeness. Self-compassion during incomplete healing honors progress without demanding perfection, helping us celebrate others’ gradual restoration.

Scripture Foundation: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

  1. How has understanding recovery as a process rather than an event helped you experience God who “began a good work in you will bring it to completion” (Philippians 1:6)?

  2. What areas still await complete healing, and how are you practicing self-compassion while waiting?

  3. How might your acceptance of gradual healing help others embrace progress rather than demanding immediate perfection?

38. From Victim to Victor – April 17

Lent transforms Christ’s victimhood into victory. Self-compassion while reclaiming agency acknowledges real victimization while embracing new power, helping us empower others beyond victim identities.

Scripture Foundation: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

  1. In what ways has your addiction kept you in a victim mentality?

  2. How has embracing that you are “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37) shifted your recovery journey?

  3. How might your movement from victim to victor inspire others who feel permanently defined by what has happened to them?

39. The Companionship of Angels – April 18

After Christ’s wilderness testing, angels ministered to Him. Lent reminds us of divine support in trials. Self-compassion acknowledges need for assistance, helping us become “angels” who minister to others in recovery.

Scripture Foundation: “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” (Matthew 4:11)

  1. Who has been as “ministering angels” to you during the darkest moments of your recovery journey?

  2. How has receiving help with self-compassion rather than self-sufficiency equipped you to help others?

  3. How might your willingness to be both recipient and provider of support create healing community for others in recovery?

40. The Promise of Resurrection – April 19

Lent always ends in Easter. Self-compassion during suffering anchors hope in coming resurrection, enabling us to assure others that death is never the final word.

Scripture Foundation: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” (John 11:25)

  1. How has the resurrection of Jesus provided hope that even your deepest struggles can be transformed, as “death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54)?

  2. When have you glimpsed “resurrection power” in areas of your life that seemed beyond redemption?

  3. How might your testimony of new life emerging from death inspire others to persevere through their darkest Friday toward the promise of Sunday?

The Result

The Melon Cave podcast is about me and my struggles to CAVE IN the MELONS of the personal demons that I am battling … because those personal demons stop me from ditching the bad habits of being myself … and it is those bad personal habits stop me from achieving my most important personal Objectives. It’s on me to rectify the situation.

Yes, OF COURSE … this kind of material is terribly self-absorbed, terribly autobiographical … that’s just too effing bad – it’s basically stuff that I should listen to myself … I don’t really and can’t care if other people listen or don’t listen … I put it into the podcast format for me to listen to – so, I guess that’s just that’s how things work … so I’m not really apologizing for the personal or self-absorbed nature of this Melon Cave podcast … … programming myself is what [Transformative Discipleship Technology (TDT)] (https://markbruns.github.io/objectives/2024/12/22/Z.html) is about, ie trying to benefit others in exactly the same way that I would want to benefit from content myself … thus, we have the Melon Cave podcast.

Hopefully other humans, who might face similar struggles, can benefit from hearing me talk about how impossible these demons have been for me to battle … but I really do not care if people listen or not. I just want to talk about my demons, and my spiritual battle against them … it is absolutely a spiritual sort of battle.

I fully believe that one of the hardest battles any human can ever fight is to battle against the bad habits of being ourselves … overcoming fear or worry or doubt or laziness or some other deeply, deeply personal flaw or shortcoming … it’s about developing the little disciplines, in order to have the discipline muscle to be able to fight larger battles is what I am talking about.

Other people will have different struggles, different obstacles that they overcame … but they overcame their personal demons by ruthlessly caving in the melons of those demons … and Melon Cave is not special … it’s just one guy’s story about CAVING IN the MELONS of his personal demons.

Lent offers a particularly COMPELLING time for thinking about giving up old comforts and views that have hung around just because it’s oh so convenient to avoid taking on the PAIN that comes from battling the demons that lead one astray. Those demons have power over us precisely because they are so familiar, so COMFORTABLE, so CONVENIENT – those demons have the bags of candy that we can’t say no to, so we keep our personal demons around … but Lent is for giving up comfort, giving up convenience and think seriously about what is stopping us from being more effective at helping people.

We could say that the self-compassion of this nature, or battling one’s own demons, is really a big part of the the basis for compassion for others … but it can’t even be about us, or about some nebulous bullshit that falls under the heading of Personal Growth. Battling our personal demons is MOSTLY about being the warriors that God created, even though we’re long overdue in stepping up. We cave in our personal melonsso that we can move forward and actually finally achieve what our Creator created us to achieve. Sure, almsgiving and trying to really help others is a big part of what Lent is for … any moron can do checkbook charity or whip out the credit card and send $ … however, this is much more PERSONAL and raw.

And this cannot aimed at someone else … my Melon Cave podcast is entirely about MY personal demons. I say that because I know that it’s really, really, REALLY important to avoid ever judging someone else – and of course, I subconsciously do it … but if I ever realize that I have started thinking that I could help pick the mote out of someone else’s eye, then I KNOW that it’s a strong signal that I need to focus on dealing with the BEAM of ROUGH-HEWN TIMBER sticking out of my own eyesocket.

During this season of Lent AND I intend to make an annual tradition of this, I am trying harder to renounce my demons … because it’s not about Personal Growth … it’s because as a Christian, I am obligated to spend this season counting THE COST per Luke 14:28. The fact of the matter is that allow I have accepted Jesus Christ as my savior long ago there are old demons who have gotten in the way of me FULLY appreciating the cost that was paid. It’s time for those demons to have their melons caved in, and those demons are:

1. Lack of Discipline: I grapple with inconsistency, which is somewhat driven by my aptitude for easily acquiring skills.

My inconsistency is MOSTLY driven by my laziness in continously improving self-discipline in all facets of my life. Being blessed with an aptitude to pick up things is no excuse for laziness. This laziness has resulted in a deficiency in honing and mastering skillsets. Doing hard, frustrating things is necessary for sustainably improving my levels discipline for complex projects and ventures requiring more prolonged effort. My tendency towards mercurial, agile, rapidly-adaptive behavior is not exactly something I want to lose, but relying upon it hinders or sabotages my ability to maintain steadfastness.

Scriptural Basis For The Larger Strategy of Caving In The Melon Of This Demon

  • “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

  • “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

  • “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be sober-minded; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:13)

2. Absence of Humility: While I intellectually understand humility, I often operate from a perspective of high self-efficacy.

I exert a lot of effort to quietly be a high-agency person. I vehemently reject any perception of victimhood and resist assistance, asserting my self-sufficiency. I am offended when someone tries to help me. This inclination, I suspect, is viewed by God as amusing, lamentable and probably even pathetic and WEAK.

Scriptural Basis For The Larger Strategy of Caving In The Melon Of This Demon

  • “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

  • “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

  • “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, and before honor is humility.” (Proverbs 18:12)

3. Egotism: Particularly in situations that evoke insecurity, such as professional interactions or familial scrutiny.

I tend to dominate conversations, especially in situations where I feel that I have something to prove. Instead of fostering dialogue by doing more to encourage others to share. Pauses tend to intimidate me even when I am not conscious that I am feeling intimdated. As a result, I often fill silences with my own perspectives. Part of this tendency stems from a perceived obligation to entertain, to lead, to carry the interaction; I am under no such obligation, but when I am tired, depressed or not thinking clearly I am subject to this faulty perception.

Scriptural Basis For The Larger Strategy of Caving In The Melon Of This Demon

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:6)

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” (Proverbs 18:2)

  • “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (Proverbs 17:28)

4. Negativity and Judgment: I can be negative or rush to judgement in viewing situations that are beyond my direct responsibility.

This manifests as a harshly critical and reproachful attitude, marked by uncharitably low expectations of others and a tendency to aim low or underestimate of their efforts. I am particularly prone to judging others’ struggles with their stupid self-defeating behaviors, a reflection of my own past and potential present challenges – the answer is rooted in a lack of faith and spiritual discipline.

Scriptural Basis For The Larger Strategy of Caving In The Melon Of This Demon

  • “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

  • “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the beam that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

  • “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)

5. Inappropriate Humor: I have a strong tendency to find humor in others’ struggles, particularly when those struggles are related to material concerns.

It’s one thing to worry about how we will manage the immediate day, but worrying excessively or obsessing about material wealth, particularly when it is seen as indicator or status or value of a person actually IS INSANELY STUPID. I have learned over time that I will find a way to adapt, adjust, improvise, overcome … and even without my own efforts … it is CERTAINLY true that people of faith should understand why, by the grace of our Creator, we are directly admonished by Jesus Christ not to worry about such things. Since worrying about material well-being is a sign of stupidity for me, I often dismiss anxieties about financial comfort as trivially hilarious, believing that affluence contributes to dissatisfaction. Of course, this inclination reflects an unkindness towards those who express financial worries; I should not find humor in their struggles but I do.

Scriptural Basis For The Larger Strategy of Caving In The Melon Of This Demon

  • “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22) However, this does not give us permission to make fun of others struggles.

  • “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)

  • “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)

Conclusion

I have attempted to examines five major spiritual challenges: lack of discipline despite natural aptitude, absence of true humility while maintaining high self-efficacy, egotism in conversation particularly when insecure, negativity in judging others’ struggles, and inappropriate humor toward others’ material concerns. These weaknesses require spiritual transformation through contemplative implementation of biblical principles of self-control (Galatians 5:23), humility (James 4:10), thoughtful speech (Proverbs 15:1), loving judgment (John 7:24), and compassion (Colossians 3:12). I framed each challenge as a “demon” to be overcome through scriptural guidance, and the choice of vivid language about “caving in the melon” is necessary [for me to think about wrestling with these demons] to overcome these spiritual obstacles. I recognize that transformation requires both divine grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) and personal responsibility (Philippians 2:12), while I am seek to develop Christ-like character (Romans 8:29) through continual, daily renewal (Romans 12:2) and reliance on God’s strength (Isaiah 40:31).

What’s NEXT

It will, of course, be a longer haul than just 40 days of Lent … my personal objectives represent a continual, year-round commitment to achieving things that are personally vitally important to me … but during Lent, I need to work a bit harder, thinking about what comforts and conveniences that I need to give up … there are excuses and psychological comforts in these these particular faults that I need to do without.

By acknowledging these weaknesses and grounding my efforts in scripture, I HOPE to cultivate greater self-awareness and spiritual growth. I would ask people to pray for me, but I suppose I will egotistically say something like “These are my crosses to bear.” I guess I would rather have them make jokes about what an idiot I can be … but I realize that people might be intimidated by the judgemental asshole I can be.

In the final, most concluding of concluding remarks, these five things are what I believe:

1) I DO have all the answers; just ask me … I actually am joking, can’t resist it, the assertion that I know the answers is the kind of thing that’s supposed to be funny – the HARD truth is that caving in the melons of my personal demons will be a much longer haul than just 40 days; if I have 40 years left to live, even that amount of time will be insufficient.

2) Being NICE is closely aligned with PURE evil … basically a MATCH for it. The most wicked demons have big bags of sweet candy of exactly the kind that we dream about … the mostly evil demons are FULL of platitudes about kindness, compassion and NICE WORDS … caving in the melons of personal demons requires ACTUAL action … and repentance and begging for forgiveness when the backsliding happens … but it’s like any recovery plan that has a PRAYER of actually working – it requires acknowledging a Higher Power AND that means telling those who are merely NICE to fuck off.

3) I am not a nice guy or a reasonable; I have not intentions of becoming a nice or reasonable guy. I am RAW and brutally FRANK, because I trying to be as HONEST with myself and others as is possible … and my intention is to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ … that doesn’t mean being a nice guy like someone’s IMAGINARY sunday school Jesus – it means being a RAW, brutally FRANK, HONEST … as close to Jesus as possible … Jesus who was never exhibited any fear of either embarrassment, demons, the baddest of bad ass centurions, or even groups of people in dominant governmental empires or sanctimonious religious bodies. If Christians were actually more like Jesus, there would not be any problems evangelizing the One Way to God.

4) I actually realize that I am quite vulnerable, but also still mean as fuck … so don’t get any ideas … once again, that’s a joke, it’s supposed to be funny, even though it isn’t – the point I am attempting to make is that I’m vulnerable and I don’t care. My soul is more important.

5) We are all spiritual beings. We have souls, unless we believe and go out of our way to CHOOSE to act as if we are soulless. We get to choose. Our spiritual essence transcends all time … which means that when we pray to be WITH God, to have his Will be done – that means that we ask that God be with our SOULS, not our egos and not our psychological personnas … we ask God to give our souls the grace of being filled with the Holy Spirit and we try to ditch our egos and try to ditch the VERY TEMPORARY notions of personal growth. This is about becoming the spiritual being that God created us to be.

Hopefully, this explains WHY this lenten season before Easter offers a particularly COMPELLING time for kicking off this Melon Cave podcast … now is the time to CAVE IN the MELONS of my personal demons.