Some people are passionate about Pokemon Go. For some it’s Starbucks or Fair Trade Coffee. For others, it’s the environment or finding the latest, greatest indie band.

Everyone has a passion.

Mine is helping people live out their faith in practical ways… Today.

That’s why I started writing the “Up!” daily devo(tional) 19 months ago. It comes out 5 days a week and you can read it in a minute or less. The goal is pretty simple: To help you get up, look up, and be up.

There’s a lot of junk out there that weighs you down. So why not inject some helium to make it a fair fight?

I’m having a great time writing it, and by today’s count there are 500 daily subscribers.

I just find that there’s often a disconnect between the faith in our head and what happens in our day-to-day lives.

• Do you believe in forgiveness? Then how does that play out around the dinner table?
• Do you believe God is in control? Then how does that intersect with your stress?
• Do you believe Jesus teaches you to love? Then how does that take shape at work or with your frustrating neighbour?

I truly believe that if you have a life-changing faith, your faith should be changing your life.

"If you have a life-changing faith, your faith should be changing your life." @MatthewRuttan

— Westminster Church (@WestminsterPC) November 1, 2016

So today I’m excited to introduce www.TheUpDevo.com. Most people receive “Up!” by email, and some on social media. But there wasn’t a place to easily access back issues, sign-up, and navigate and share content quickly. So now, TheUpDevo.com provides that functionality. Plus, you can access the picture quotes on the Groovy Pics page because hey, pictures are groovy.

As I’ve embarked on this journey I’ve learned…

• That God uses things like daily devos to breathe hope and help into the ups and downs of your life (often when you least expect it).
• That your phone or computer can be a portal to a new, God-honouring perspective.
• That the castle of your character is built one brick at a time.
• That you were made on purpose and for a purpose, and “Up!” can help you connect with what it is.

But who am I?

Well, I’m a dad to three little kids. I’m a husband to the best wife in the world (seriously). And I’m the pastor at a vibrant church called Westminster in Barrie, Canada. Basically, I’m just trying to live an ordinary extraordinary life following Jesus. I guess you could say I’m doing my best—in my own broken way—to be a teacher of the Teacher I serve.

Oh, and my pet peeves are TVs in restaurants, wet socks, out-of-date websites, mosquitoes, hangnails, and DVDs that won’t play because they have too many scratches.

Let me leave you with this thought:

You’ve never lived a yesterday in your life. And you’ll never live a tomorrow. There’s only Today. Every time you wake up it’s Today. And every breath and decision you ever take and make occurs in a Today. So the “Up!” devo is designed to be a daily partner that will help you live your Today in a more abundant way.

Thanks so much for sharing the journey with me. Enjoy and be lifted up!

Get your daily dose of helium at www.TheUpDevo.com.

-Matthew Ruttan