Off Course...

Two years… more than two years have passed with no writing. I’m not entirely sure why that is. Best way I can describe it is a major course change. I believe that somewhere along the way in my journey, I started doing things for myself instead of what God wanted me to do. I started to surrender to selfish feelings and thoughts. I wanted so much to be loved that I forgot to give love, to serve those around me. My mind was controlling my actions instead of my heart. I stopped listening to the still small voice. I was off traveling, working, spending time on what I considered to be important things in life all the while I was setting myself up for a fall. My family life suffered, my health, my mental and emotional well being was in a very dark and distant place from God. I couldn’t see any way out. I started feeling sorry for myself and completely forgot about all the things I had to be grateful for.

Thankfully, God never stops working on us. God never gives up on us. God never abandons us in our time of need, sorrow, and shame. He shines a light down in the darkness and once we pause, turn toward him and begin to look for it, there He is. God is there with open arms waiting to wrap us in his warmth, tenderness, compassion, healing, and love. All the things he gives us so that we can go out into the world and share it. We can’t give what we don’t have and for a long while I felt like I had nothing to offer. Nothing that would help make the world a better place. I tried to do it without His help, being selfish enough to think that it was what I had to offer people, instead of what God could offer them. I’m merely a man with countless flaws, but through the salvation and grace of God, my imperfections are the meeting place for those around me.

I pray that God will continue to work in me and through me to bring people closer to Him. To work miracles in my life so I can be salt and light in the world around me. I pray he continues to fill me with the heart of a servant so I will always know the joy of giving myself to others.

The good old days...

This past weekend I listened to a sermon that talked about the good old days. How many of us have said that to ourselves or to a friend or relative? “I wish we could go back to the good old days.” I’ve said it myself numerous times. On this occasion however it hit me different. The good old days, or at least the way we saw the good old days… are gone. We can never go back and relive the lives we had. We can’t turn back the clock and un-experience a life time. God didn’t design it that way. Our lives are the sum of those experiences we had back in the good old days. The reason that we can’t go back and the reason I think God designed it that way is to pass on our good old days to our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, and all the younger generations growing up behind us.

Just think about this for a moment…were the good old days in the past, times where you didn’t have a care in the world? Time’s that you didn’t have responsibilities? Time’s you had someone looking out for you and making sure you were having the time of your life?

I think far too many of us have spent the majority of our lives trying to live “the good old days”, instead of making sure others have theirs. In the world we live in now, it is especially important to remind ourselves that we are the ones making the good old days for those younger generations. Our responsibility is with God and making sure we leave this world in a better place than we found it…that we leave our mark on the earth and let someone know we cared, we loved, and that God loves them.

We are all the same, you and I. Underneath it all we are all just skin and bone. Let us remember we are all different, but we are all children of God. Let that be the light that drives out all the darkness in the world. Let us come together in the grace and peace of God to turn the tide of hate and wash the world clean in the waters of love.

Heart Account...

I’ve said before that it is not what is in your bank account that’s important…it’s what is in your heart account. When you help someone it adds greatly to your heart account and not only that, it adds to that persons heart account. Every positive action you take has a multiplying effect. The more kind actions you do and kind words you say, the more people around you will do the same. I believe it was Newton who said “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction”. I believe that to be wrong when dealing with positive emotions in our lives. Every positive action has a multiplying effect on the hearts and minds of everyone that witnesses it. That is one of the reasons I believe good will always triumph over evil. When we witness evil or have something done to us with evil intent, most of us would never reciprocate it to someone else. When we witness goodness and kindness doesn’t that stimulate something in us to return it or pay it forward to someone else? That is what love is…a willingness to help when it doesn’t matter what happens to us in the process.

As I write this I am reminded of the story about the grandfather and the grandson walking along the beach full of sand dollars. If you don’t know the story please let me know and I will share it with you. If you do know the story I believe you would agree that the story is just like life for most of us. We go around and say what difference can I make? What can I do? All we need to do is realize it’s not about us. Everything we do or say to help another person makes a difference. Our good gets multiplied…that is the way God designed it. You may never know how much impact you have or the difference you have made in the lives of others. You may never know how many deposits you have made in the hearts of others. I assure you that if you do for others and help them get what they want, you will certanly have a hefty balance in your own heart…and that, will make all the difference. Your own perception will change so drastically, you won’t be able to contain the excitement. So go out and discover life, love, and the goodness or should I say (godness) in yourself.

Forgiveness and the broken road...

All of us share the road of life. Many of us have experienced a broken road from time to time. The potholes of life are sometimes as numerous and deep as the potholes on a Michigan roadway. In my personal experience the potholes were put there with my own shovel. I would dig up the road of life ahead of me with negative thinking and pessimism. For many who knew me then, they would most assuredly agree. I was so sure in many cases that I was defeated. I had no way out and kept digging the holes in my life deeper and deeper. Can any of you relate? Can you recall a moment in time when your road…went off road?

A few months ago I started going to a men’s group to talk about some of the issues men face in their lives. It was good at first just to get to know them and have some good conversation. After a few weeks, we started getting into more personal stories. One week we were given a task to remember 10 of the worst moments in our lives. I never got to 10, I never got to 5, truth be told I never even made it to 2. The first moment I remembered took me back to when I was 14 years old. I remember the time, the place, and the event that changed the course of my life for the next 22 years. I think it was the span of time that I shut God out and finally let him back in. I wont get into detail here about what happened or what was said, just know that it was the day that my road went totally sideways. It has taken me almost 6 months to get a firm grip on what actually happened, and how it changed the course of my life. The person who changed it may not even know what was said or how it has affected me. For some strange reason it doesn’t seem to matter much to me. For in my search for the reason, I found that no matter what the reason, I could forgive them. Forgiveness is a powerful force that sets the one who gives it free. The one who has been forgiven has the choice then to forgive themselves or harbor the guilt.

My road came to a sudden and almost immediate change when I finally and despite my hard head, let God take over the road crew. The bumps and dips of life are still there and some still have a profound impact but they are far fewer and less severe. I guess what I am trying to relay is this….we all have a broken road and at one point in time we probably dug a hole in someone else’s road. The reason doesn’t matter much. The most important thing to remember I think is when we decide to forgive, not only do we smooth out our own road, we patch the road for so many others in return.

A Mother's Day...

Today is Mother’s Day and we share the love that our mothers shared with us. Our mothers are the first ones we know. They care and shelter us for many months before we even enter the world. Then they spend countless hours feeding, rocking, changing, loving us and all the other things that come with being a mom.

Today is special for many reasons. Each and every day we get to spend with our mothers is a great day. For some however, we can’t call them on the phone, or drive over for a visit. Some have lost that ability because their mother is gone from this world. The special thing about it is we still hold them in our hearts. We remember the good times we had with them. We remember the laughs we shared, the talks we had, and the love they gave. We remember our childhood and how it didn’t matter what happened throughout the day we had that time with them every morning and every night.

I’m still one of the lucky ones to have my mother today. I guess God knew I would need a lot of help... He was right. I was able to give her a gift today and see the look on her face. I could see the tears welling up when I told her that I was dedicating a book to her. I’ve asked her to help me come up with questions that a mom would want people to know. The questions she doesn’t get asked but are always on her mind. This book won’t just be about my mother but all the different mothers I’ve known and have a personal relationship with. Aunts, grandmothers, sisters, in-laws, wives, and friends. Then use these questions to really get to know the world from their perspective.

I’m excited for the possibilities I have to get to know all the moms in my life. The ones that have been the closest and the ones I didn’t know very well. I’m excited to try and see the world from their perspective. I’m also excited to learn all about the moms in their lives. I’m also excited to get to know all the children and grandchildren of the moms. I’m excited to get to know the women who have helped shape me, believed in me, and loved me.

To all the moms out there, past, present, and future. I say Happy Mother’s Day. To the very best one of them all (My Mother). I say I love you. Happy Mothers Day mom.

The Compass...

In today’s social climate, many people look with disfavor on the word discipline because they simply do not understand that discipline means “to instruct or educate, to inform the mind, to prepare by instructing in correct principles and habits.” “Today many people want to be free to do as they please, but consider this: If you take the train off the tracks, it’s free — but it can’t go anywhere. Take the steering wheel out of the automobile, and it’s under the control of no one, but it is useless. The reality is that until the sailor disciplines himself to be obedient to the compass, he will have to stay within sight of shore. However, once he is obedient to that compass, he can go anywhere in the world the sailboat will take him. Yes, discipline is the missing ingredient that will make the difference in your life. Discipline yourself today so you can have a better life tomorrow.”

~ Zig Ziglar

I have been a fan of Zig’s for quite a few years now. I’ve listened to his tapes and audio recordings and read some of his books. He has so much practical knowledge and motivates me every time I listen. Zig was also a man of faith who showed it in his actions. The story of discipline and the compass really struck me when I first heard it. I was lost for so long stepping away from my faith and thinking I didn’t need guidance. I could do things my own way. When I heard the story it finally dawned on me how wrong I had been. I’ve come to realize a few things related to this story. One… we are the captain of our own ship. We control our lives and the way they turn out. It is not what happens to us, it is how we respond that makes all the difference. Two… we must have a direction in our lives. We must have a destination in what we want to achieve in life and things we want to accomplish to have a sense of purpose. The goals and dreams that I have for my life are different than yours, if you have goals and dreams. I didn’t for the first 36 years of my life. No real life changing ones anyway. Finally…we need a compass to help guide us to our goals and dreams. A way to gauge if we are headed in the right direction. For many years I lived my life without a compass. Just adrift on the sea of life with my engines running and no guidance system.

Let me ask you…would you rather go on a journey with a captain who knows the way, trusts the compass, and has confidence in his abilities to plot the course, or a captain who always has to stay close to the shore so he doesn’t get lost and risks running aground or shipwrecked on rocks? I think it is clear who would give you the greater journey.

When Jesus entered our world he showed us the path to follow. He plotted the course for us and had ultimate confidence in it. He was and is the greatest captain we could ever ask for. God has provided the compass. Every direction and all the guidance we would ever need to live our lives full and happy is in his word to us. In order for us to be free, we must learn to obey God’s direction. Only when we trust in his holy word will we be free of Satan and the pain he causes. We will be free to sail the sea of life away from the shore of worldly idols…money, power, and material things that make us run our lives into the rocks. God has given us the gift of life ever after through his son Jesus. He has given us the map to heaven in our lives with the words we find written to us by the men he chose. It is only with discipline and trust of the compass that a captain can navigate the waters safely to his destination. So it is with our lives… disciplining ourselves to read his word consistently and following his direction will bring us safely through the sea of life. We will not always have calm waters and smooth sailing…but we will always have the way, the truth, and the life.

I pray…

God bring your grace upon this world and heal our afflictions. Heal our hearts and strengthen our minds to discern the wickedness of men. Bring peace to our world and a thirst for your spirit in us. Let us rejoice in another day filled with your beauty and be grateful for all our gifts from you. May we never forget these days that brought us to you.

Father I pray this in Jesus name.

~~Amen~~

Heaven or Hell...

This subject has weighed heavily on my mind for a long time. The words and thoughts that I share today are only that… my words and my thoughts. I do not propose that they are correct, only through my experiences do I believe them to be true. The teachings I’ve heard, books I’ve read, and the life I have lived have led me to these conclusions. What do you believe? What is heaven and hell to you?

The following letter is taken out of my journal as I have wrote about this subject over the last three days.

I’ve come to the conclusion that for many of my years I had the wrong impression of God, heaven, and hell. Now this may be troubling to some and this as you all know is just my opinion. My opinion is based on my own experiences in this life and many of you may disagree. That’s okay by me…I hope that if this strikes a chord in your soul that we could have a deep meaningful conversation about it. Perhaps my words here will be read by some after I am gone…If that is the case, I hope you will think on these things.

God, for a long time to me was a distant mystery. A figure that I thought I could only meet when I died. When that happened we would go to a place in the clouds and stand in front of some pearly gates and await sentencing so to speak. It would then be determined if we were worthy of heaven or hell based on our acts on earth. I believed that my actions, good or bad, would determine the fate of my soul. I no longer believe that. I do believe that my thoughts determine my actions, and my actions determine my fate, but my fate here on earth…in this life. You see, it is not the heaven or hell of the hereafter we need to be concerned with. Heaven has been bought for us with the blood of Christ Jesus. The heaven or hell that concerns me is the heaven or hell I live in this life. If we live a life without God, we are sure to live a life in hell. As we travel through this life without the power of God, we are lost. When we open our hearts, minds, and spirit to let God in, our lives become filled with purpose and passion and we begin to live without fear, or pain, or thoughts of unrelenting worthlessness. Without God I lived a life without value.

Every morning we decide to live a life with or without God. I made the decision for over 18 years to live it without him. I would wake up with thim from time to time and when it was convenient for me. I didn’t truly walk with him in my mind. He was buried deep down in my heart and it took it breaking to bring him to the surface. To make him known in my life. To help me see he had been with me along the way. Much like an egg brittle and frail, so it is as a mans heart. We wrap our hearts with “manliness” to keep it hidden and safe from others. What we don’t realize often until it is too late, is by hiding and keeping it from others, we do the ones we love a great disservice. We keep our hard exterior up so we don’t look weak, but it is because of this that we are weak. If only we would crack open our hearts to set the love that is inside us free. For it is within our hearst that God’s peace and love is stored. Men would be more beloved if they showed that love more. To show their emotions and share their feelings more freely with other men around them.

Men of God should have no fear of sharing their feelings and emotions; their struggles and faults of life. Sharing them with other men would surely bring about an awakening and hunger for God in the world. God’s peace, love, and mercy would shine on the faces of men and bring them grace. It would bring about heaven in the hell they are often living in.

Resurrection...

In the quiet whispers, the stillness of the night, and the love of a pure heart is where we find God’s presence. We find him there waiting for us. Sometimes life’s path is steered by us to him. Sometimes our life is like a vessel adrift on a huge ocean and we run aground, when life’s pain is overwhelming we find him. He is always there; watching, waiting, loving, nudging, stirring our hearts and minds for him. The spirit inside us swells up and fills the empty spaces that our mind tells us are there.

The empty spaces are love that was never given. A door that wasn’t opened, a kind word not spoken when we felt we should, a kind act in a world of selfishness. All of us have our empty spaces. All of us feel a longing to be whole.

With the presence of God we can feel that way. When we let him in our lives to fill the voids we are whole. We, as imperfect minds and bodies become perfect. Every day we walk with God is a day spent well. He is always there in the quiet of our minds.

2 Timothy 1:14

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”

This glorious day, let us remember to be still, to let God into our hearts, and let our light shine for the world around us. When we share the love of God, we multiply it in the world around us and our own cup overflows.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Today let us remember what God has given us gladly through the crucifixion of Jesus and the resurrection of the one true life giving, life restoring, savior of the world.

The river...

Most of us have heard the saying “You can never step into the same river twice.” The water that was there is no longer. It has moved on. So true is that statement. That moment that we entered the water has also changed us. Not only has the river changed but so have we. We are cleansed by the water. Even if we leave the river some of the water clings to us. The water droplets cling to our skin and to our clothes. Everyone around us can see.

And so it is with God. Even the tiniest step into his living water cleanses us and we are never the same. Those around us who know us, know we have changed. They know without a doubt that we are not the same.

They see the light of God in our eyes. Those who know us best.

I pray that all manner of men jump into the arms of Jesus; this living water for our souls.

Ignite your life...

We are blessed with the opportunity of a life time. A time to pause, to take a moment away from the insanity we all live in. The hustle and bustle of life when we are at work, school, and play. The time we spend away from family, our loved ones. We have the opportunity now to reconnect, to have those talks we’ve been meaning to have with our children. The opportunity to have dinners together around a table. The opportunity to be together, to fall in love again with our spouse.

Most of all, we have the opportunity to listen; to our spouse, our children, our friends, and God. We have at this moment the opportunity to bring God back into our lives and our hearts. He is there at our feet just below our knees. When we finally realize we need him, that’s when we will begin to heal. When we will begin to heal our hearts, our minds, our souls, our families, and our country.

We have been sick for so long without realizing it. Slowly God has been chiseled out of our lives… and replaced with so many other things. Money… success… sex… work… and selfishness.

In order to grow closer with God we need to grow closer together. To serve another with no thought of our own matters. Serving is an act of love that ignites the fire of God within us.

The ember is still hot as long as we are here on this earth. Ignite your soul with service.

What are you seeking?

For so long I’ve been a man seeking approval. It really didn’t matter who from. I was chasing after it or more so running from my past. I was seeking approval for the lack of it in my life. I know the moment that I started down that path. I remember it vividly. My world changed in that moment and for many years I put it out of my mind. I blocked it out because of the pain.

Life is either a series of adventures or a series of survivals. It’s up to you and how you think that determines it.

I believe it was Freud who said you either look at the world as mostly good or mostly evil. To me that question or rather the answer to that question shapes your whole outlook on life. Do you look at a thing and ask why, or do you look past it and ask why not, what can be?

Always look for the possibilities in life. They are all around you. All you need to do is look. From the dawn of time and man, great men have asked that question. Why not?

Plato asked “why not” educate the many, and started a university. Aristotle asked “why not” and helped shape philosophy forever.

Great philosophers, leaders, musicians, rulers, religious leaders, and remembered men have all looked at what could be and set out to do it. What great purpose does God have in store for you? Are you seeking it? Are you seeking Him?

God be with you. God’s peace wash over you. God’s grace set your mind free and God’s love enter your heart

What God intended...

If we do not clear our minds to experience whole love, then we have not really lived a full life. It is our hunger for love that keeps us going and love is the only thing that sustains us.

Clear your mind of all else but love. At every moment and whoever you come in contact. Love them all as you would a dear friend. Help them see past the fear of vulnerability to express love in such a way it fills every aching crack in their soul. Help them see the passion and stoke the flames of their own senses.

This is not a task to take lightly. It is a heavy burden to share the love of ones self. How much love does one posses? It is infinite. This does not make it any less of an undertaking.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. (WHY?)

Faith: You can have faith that someone loves you. Is it better to have faith in love, or love that someone has faith in you?

Hope: What is our greatest hope? Hope that we will have success? Hope that we will be happy? Hope that we will find love and be loved by someone?

Love: Love isn’t something you find. It’s when that one person makes you feel comfortable enough to be yourself and express the love that is already inside you. The one who awakens your soul and helps you see yourself the way God intended.

When we love, we are giving God

God is love.

1 John 4:7-21 English Standard Version (ESV)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Broken People...

Why do I write? It started out as a journal to my kids. I wanted to leave them something from me, something they would have for as long as they wanted, something to hold on to in case something happened to me. I write now because I pray that it may help someone out there in the world. I pray that God uses my writing in some way to help anther person be inspired to do great things. I want my writing to inspire a world that will.

In my younger years I never wanted to be remembered, I didn’t ever think about how people would remember me. That was before I took a good hard look on the inside to see what a man I’d really become. I realized then that we will all be remembered for a while after we are gone. It sent chills up my spine when I thought about what people would remember about me. I’m not sure I made a positive impact on the world.

My son leaving for college I think was the thing that made me take the first step in my journey toward God. Like many people I was just a wanderer, not quite sure where I was going or what I wanted to do. I never had a plan or a set of goals. I’m not sure who sold me on that plan but I bought it. Are you on that road too?

Maybe God has someone in mind that I could help. Another guy out there going through some of the same things I went through; a divorce, or a separation. Someone I could understand and relate to.

Picture this…. You’re driving down the road at night and you forget your brights are on. Someone in the other lane flashes their brights so you will realize it and turn them down. I’ve been in that situation many times. I was on my way to work one morning and it dawned on me that to many people who don’t believe or are struggling with their faith, that is what Christians are like. Many Christians approach that person that is in such a dark world with their light shining bright. The person they are trying to show the power of God to can’t see it because the light is just too bright. Those people show up like they don’t have any problems because God solved them. They don’t bring the real person with them. The christian may be afraid that if they let the person see them for who they really are, they would have nothing to offer. They often don’t realize that the more broken they are, the more of that baggage they bring with them. The more they put in front of that light, the more clearly the person they are trying to talk to about God will be able to see.

That’s why God uses broken people to carry his message. People all across the world can relate.

Let us Love!

We as a nation need to put the amazement of life back in perspective.

The things we have to be grateful for in this life.

The wonderment of people and how we react in certain situations.

People across the globe all talking about the same thing. For once in a long time we are the human race. We are a people of the world just as God has made us all human.

We are representing all our likenesses instead of our differences.

We all around the world have felt the strain of this virus.

This Corona-Virus is changing the world, it is up to all of us to change it for the better.

Let us all love one another, as we love ourselves.

For hate and evil to rule, it means good men do nothing.

Let us love.

Happiness Destination...

Inside all of us is a desire to be happy. We must first find out what happiness is to us. We all define our lives by the thoughts we think and the choices we make in the pursuit of that happiness. Lao Tzu said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. So many of us in life are like that. We begin our journey with that step, not having any idea where we are going, why we are going, and what it will look like when we get there. I believe that the greatest journey of our lives begins with a vision of who we will be when we arrive. What does your greatest journey look like?

I know that the greatest journey your life can take is walking in the path of Jesus. Not the physical path he walked, but in the symbolism his life represents. Jesus was a leader, one would argue, the greatest leader. His very existence in this world was to help others. From the very day he was born until his death, he knew exactly why he was here. To deliver a people to freedom and peace. You and I may have very different ways at looking at Jesus and that is okay. We all have different life experiences we view the world through. That is what makes the world such a wonderful place to live. We all have that one thing that we bring to the world that makes it more beautiful.

Many of us never take the time to discover what that inner beauty is. It is my prayer that what I am doing now with these writings, is my inner beauty to share with the world. I feel it in me to do, to express my thoughts and emotions to help others find a way to express themselves. Even if it is only one person that I help, they can go on to help another and them another.

God has given us all seeds to sew and soil to cultivate. The mind is the field where seeds can grow. Loving others is how you keep the soil watered. All great things in life are done with the help of others. Helping others is the happiness destination.

Always with me...

I was raised in a Christian home with Christian values. We went to church every Sunday and always sat in the same pew. I guess it meant a lot to my mother because she kept the old pew when the church got new ones. I enjoyed church in my youth, but as I grew older my desire to go to church was nonexistent. I’m not sure why I was so against it. I guess I could see the hypocrisy that was going on and it seemed no one really enjoyed the service; certainly nobody was on fire with the passion of God. It was just nice to be around the people you were close to and shared stories with.

My desire for church was nonexistent as I said, my desire for God was even less. I didn’t really know who he was to me. The Lutheran church is pretty dry, about the only thing we are really good at is having enough food to feed the entire community when it is only for around 30 or 40 people. If you go home hungry, its definitely your own fault. When someone mentioned God, I felt a sense of unknown, curiosity, and confusion. Who was God and why was I supposed to worship him? I never knew anyone who had received a miracle or at least I never knew of such a thing. I heard all the stories of Jesus and the miracles he performed but that was all so long ago, nothing like that ever happened now. Had God’s miracles ceased; or had mans sinful and selfish ways just masked the miracles? Those were questions at the time I didn’t even know to ask. It would take me over 36 years to discover for myself the miracle of God in my life. It took the story of my life up to that point to transform me. To show me the miracles God had given me, he had to humble me in a very powerful way. To show me the greatest version and vision of myself he needed me to let him in. God knows all and it is up to us to see it for ourselves. We must open the door, we must ask God to come in, and we must seek his guidance.

May God bless you on this journey. My hope and prayer is that you continue to seek God in your own life. May he bless you as he has me.

A new beginning...

July 10, 2016 was a night I will never forget. It was the night I gave my life to God. I was outside my house wondering around the yard talking to God and asking him for help. I was a wreck of a man in that moment. My life was in shambles. My family was falling apart and it was due to my own selfish ways.

In that moment I was looking up at the moon asking for Gods grace and mercy to fill my life. I asked him to help me be a better father, a better friend, a better man. I didn’t feel worthy of any of it but those who do not ask never receive. I was seeking God for the first time in a long time and for maybe the first time, really speaking with him.

As I turned to walk back inside my home, something stopped me; something inside me made me pause to receive the answer God provided. In that moment beneath the moon shining down on me, God said to me “Everything is going to be okay”, and I knew that it was. I knew it without a doubt and I cried out in thanks.

I have been walking with the Lord ever since that moment. But I know without a doubt he has always been walking with me. I had never given him the power to work in my life until that night.

This Blog will paint pictures of my life. Some bad and some good. I know that many other people share my story on some level. They have either let God in or are in the same situation I was for years. My prayer is for those who have not let God in come here to find out how and to find answers. For those of you who have let God work in your life, I pray that you share your stories as well.

Let us be salt and light in the world. With love of Jesus in our hearts and the wisdom of God in our minds.