When you know too much
I’m fascinated by the moment when you learn something new and it changes how you see everything. One second you don’t know. The next second you do. And once you know, you can’t go back. That tiny space between “before” and “after” is what interests me most.
Sometimes there’s even a warning. “This will change how you see things.” And it does. Even if you try to ignore it, the knowing is still there.
Here’s a small example.
Lots of people say they love autumn. They love the red, orange, and yellow leaves swirling through the air. It feels cozy and beautiful.
Ready for your tiny life‑shift? Here’s your warning.
We don’t actually love “fall.” We love watching things die and calling it beautiful. Those bright leaves are dying leaves. And we admire them.
Now that you know that, you’ll never see autumn the exact same way again.
That moment, when the unknown becomes known, is what inspired my J logo.
At first glance, the J looks messy, splattered, and a little crooked. It just looks like a weird typewriter J. But then comes the moment of recognition. Inside the J, on both sides, is the outline of a queen chess piece.
Look again. Now you can’t unsee it.
This is the difference between understanding and wisdom.
Understanding is knowing a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is knowing not to put it in fruit salad.
(I saw that on a grocery store magnet once and it never left me.)
Here’s the wisdom behind the queen in the J
The Christian metaphors between chess and Jesus seem endless; but here are the ones that strike me the most…
Mary Magdalene first mistakes the risen Jesus for a gardener.
At first, you mistake the J for a messy letter.
Then Mary hears her name, and instantly knows it’s Jesus.
My logo honors that moment of recognition. And I look forward to the day Jesus calls me by name too.
Then there’s Queen Esther, her private story becomes a public calling, she is full of risk and courage, authority, access to power, and uses strategic wisdom, timing, patience, and influence exercised quietly. She used her position to save her people. She is the definition of a badass.
The queen in chess reminds me of her, strong, steady, able to move in every direction.
The queen is the most powerful piece on the board, but not because she’s the queen. She’s powerful because she serves the king’s purpose.
Fun fact: the queen wasn’t always powerful in chess. Historians think she became strong around the 15th century because of Queen Isabella I of Castile, believed her rule was part of a religious mission to strengthen Christianity in Spain. Her faith strongly influenced her political decisions and policies. She even funded Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage.
In chess, a “queen sacrifice” is one of the boldest moves and often confuses beginners because they focus on the immediate loss instead of the future position. You give up the strongest piece to win the whole game. It looks like losing, but it’s actually the turning point.
Similarly, Jesus often spoke about people seeing only the present moment. "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" - Gospel of Mark 8:36
The queen sacrifice metaphor highlights:
Sacrifice - giving up something valuable
Strategy - God working through unexpected ways
Reversal - Loss becoming victory
And, you see this repeatedly in the Bible (i.e. Joseph, David, Esther, and Jesus.)
The logo J reminds me that we live in a world that distracts us into playing checkers… when we’re actually playing chess.