The Tension journal / Essays by Tim Sweetman
Good questions.
Worth sitting with.
Field notes from the intersection of work, faith, hospitality, and being human. For the things a sound bite can’t hold.
Read slowly.Leave with a better question.
9 essays to spend some time with
meaning / 5 min read
I Am Not My Scorecard
When achievement becomes identity, a difficult season can silence us. Finding a voice beyond the numbers.
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meaning / 14 min read
On Planning, Surrender, and Baptized Anxiety
When diligence becomes a disguise for fear, learning to hold a plan with open hands.
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leadership / 8 min read
Intentional Inefficiency
The surprising power of stopping the line—and what a factory floor can teach us about a life that never slows down.
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meaning / 7 min read
Ideaphoria
A thousand ideas can feel like a gift. The harder work is deciding which ones to tend.
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meaning / 6 min read
Spiritual Visions of Waffle Fries
An unhappy guest, a defensive response, and the humble waffle fry that helped me see the other side.
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work / 6 min read
Content Creator vs. Value Creator
A prank at my restaurant forced a bigger question: am I making something useful, or just asking to be seen?
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work / 9 min read
Stop Reading, Start Shipping
Another book wasn’t going to solve my fear of making things. A conversation in a bookstore helped me see what would.
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leadership / 5 min read
Fight for Unreasonable Hospitality
When a difficult encounter makes us want to withdraw, hospitality asks us to keep seeing the person in front of us.
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work / 3 min read
Real Work vs. Fake Work
Planning without producing. Producing without a plan. Meaningful work asks us to hold the two together.
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