A Year of Open Doors, Microphones, and Grace
If someone had told me a few years ago that I would spend the next year and a half speaking across North America, publishing another book, delivering a TEDx talk, joining professional speaker organizations, and building a website dedicated to faith, reason, and meaning, I probably would have smiled politely and said, ‘wishful thinking.’ And yet, here we are. This past year has honestly felt like one long, unexpected adventure, the kind where you spend half the time feeling deeply grateful and the other half wondering how you got here.
One of the great honours of the year was becoming a member of the Speaker's Bureau of Canada as well as the Catholic Speakers Organization in the United States. As someone who genuinely loves speaking, storytelling, teaching, and engaging audiences, this felt like a meaningful affirmation of the work I have been trying to do for many years, helping people think more deeply about life, faith, science, suffering, beauty, purpose, and hope.
This year also saw the publication of my second book, The 7 Essential Questions of Life. My first book, How Science Has Discovered God: Physics, Metaphysics and Beyond, explored the intersection of science, philosophy, and faith in a more academic and analytical way. The second book felt very different, more personal, inspirational, and motivational, driven by a desire to encourage people to wrestle with life’s deepest questions and live with greater purpose, wonder, and hope. I loved the process. Every book, every talk, and every conversation has reminded me that people are not merely looking for information, they are searching for meaning. Beneath all the noise of modern life, people still wrestle with the great human questions:
Why does anything exist at all?
Why are we here?
What makes life meaningful?
Why is there suffering?
What is the power of beauty?
What lasts?
What is my destiny?
These questions never really go away.
Another major highlight was delivering my TEDx talk, TEDx Grandview Heights 2025, on “Transforming Pain Into Purpose: The What Now Approach”. Standing on that stage was both exhilarating and surreal. TEDx talks look very calm and polished online. What viewers do not see is the backstage pacing, rehearsing lines one last time, trying to remember whether their hands are moving too much, whether they are speaking too quickly, and whether anyone can hear their heartbeat through the microphone. Still, it was an incredible experience and one I will always treasure.
This past year also brought opportunities to speak in some truly meaningful settings. I had the privilege of serving as keynote speaker for a three-night Lenten Mission at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hays, Kansas. Those evenings were deeply memorable: thoughtful conversations, warm hospitality, and people genuinely seeking to grow spiritually during Lent. I was also honoured to speak at a Catholic Family Camp organized by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson. There is something beautiful about families intentionally setting aside time for faith, community, laughter, prayer, and reflection.
Somewhere in the middle of all this, I also launched my website: www.darrellhall.ca. Creating the site was both exciting and humbling. It gave me a place to bring together speaking topics, writing, books, videos, and future projects. More importantly, it reminded me how much I genuinely love this work. I love speaking. I love writing. I love engaging difficult questions, watching students and audiences lean forward when an idea suddenly connects, and having conversations about science and faith. I love seeing students and adults realize that Christianity is not anti-reason, anti-science, or anti-intellectual. And I especially love seeing people rediscover wonder.
Looking back, this year has been full of blessings, surprises, challenges, growth, and many moments where I simply stood back and thought, “Thank you, Lord.” Looking ahead, I’m excited for what comes next. Hopefully, more speaking, more writing, more schools, more conferences, more opportunities to encourage people to seek truth, beauty, goodness, courage, and ultimately, God. And perhaps, if all goes well, slightly fewer last-minute PowerPoint revisions at midnight. For all of it, I remain deeply grateful. Looking forward to the next chapter.