A View From Somewhere Else

Tomorrow is the start of something.   Something life transforming!!                 Spiritually…..                                 Physically…..                                                 Emotionally.....                                                     ...

As an adult, I have lived in Michigan, Illinois, Texas (twice!) and Utah. Each of these places have helped make me into the man that I am today.  Now it has nothing to do with the Great Lakes, the "Windy City," the pan handle or the Rocky Mountains.  It has to do with the people I met and the relationships that were developed during my time in each of these places I have called home. My friend Dan calls me "a collector of people." When Dan first met me, he thought I was shallow and flighty - - believe me, I have my moments. But as he got to know me, the more he saw I had a genuine love and concern for the people in my life.  When I become friends with someone, I do everything that I can to maintain a friendship through the years and across the miles. But as I grow older, I am becoming tired of the "one sided relationships." Those that would have died long ago if I had not continued to pursue them.  Everyone is busy.  We make time for the things and the...

Hey everyone.  What a week this has been!  I am definitely glad it is over.  At the beginning of the week I had a case of food poisoning (which I gave to myself)! A friend at my new job passed away very suddenly (he was 37, with a wife a three kids) - - and two of my best friends that I have made here in Utah announced they were moving to California.  That was all on Monday! But in the midst of these trials, God continues to be good.  My friend Marcus Young is a singer as well.  We wrote a song that is on the new "You Are My Joy" CD entitled, "More Than You'll Ever Know."  Well, this week, Marcus sent me words for another song.  This one is called "More."  I think there is a theme here. With just a touch of tweaking, our new song is finished, and I would like to share it with you (at least the words).  I have been a weepy mess today trying to sing this song, but the message is so powerful, and so resonates in my spirit - - I ju...

Three months ago today, I wrote about the life of Job, and the similarities I was feeling in my own life. Corrie ten Boom said, "Every experience God gives us, every person He puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see."  When I read that, I knew that it was true...at least I said I knew. The third week of May, I was on a call with my friend Sylvia. For those of you who know her, you know she is not one to beat around the bush about anything. It's one of the things I love. She never is afraid of asking the hard questions, or challenging me when she knows I am full of it. I had talked about surrender, but had I? I had talked about trusting the Lord, but was I? When I really looked inside myself, I hadn't surrendered. I wasn't trusting Him. Sylvia and I prayed and cried, and prayed some more. I truly repented for my unbelief...I mean that is what it really boiled down to. But the Lord is so faithful. I was washed over, flooded b...

I have to admit, I have been in a depression hole.  A whiny, crybaby, poor me, depression hole.  I haven't even attempted to put on a good face most of the time.  So for that, and to all of my friends who have put up with this the last couple of months, I apologize.  There is no excuse for it - - except - - I'm human. I was reminded this evening by my dear friend Sylvia (while wallowing in above depression hole) that I do have a relationship with Jesus.  The Creator of the Universe; the Savior of the World - - loves me - - and cares about what I am going through (down to the smallest detail).  Maybe - - just maybe - - I need to stop being such a control freak - - and really start trusting the Lord like I say I do.  Not just say it.  DO IT!! I was also reminded by a challenge that my friend Linda gave me 6 or 7 years ago.  She told me to "pray my songs."  The song that came to me as soon as I remembered that was this: "Lord, here I ...

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOVEVER believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”   It is one of the most well-known, most quoted verses in all of scripture. It should be.   It is the simple message of Jesus, summed up in one verse.   God so loved, He gave.   Gave Himself as the sacrifice for our sin.   There are no exclusions, no exceptions.   You just have to believe.   Unfortunately, people who claim to follow Jesus; claim to love Him; claim to speak for Him, have exclusions and exceptions attached.   They want to dictate what others relationship with Christ looks like.   But it is not about people or what they think.   It is all about Jesus - - and His grace.   It’s about a personal relationship with Him - - and understanding that there is nothing better in the world! The last several months have found me in a place of wondering and wandering.   Th...

I am always inspired by the stories of people of great faith.  People like Job in the Old Testament.  He literally lost everything.  His family.  His friends.  His possessions.  He literally lost everything, but still he remained faithful to God. More modern examples of great faith that challenge me are people like Corrie ten Boom.  In her book, "The Hiding Place" she shares her story.  Because she and her family helped Jews during World War II, they ended up in a hard labor concentration camp.  Stripped of every worldly possession, she used the time spent in this horrible place to point people to the saving knowledge of Jesus.  She said, "Every experience God gives us, every person He puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see."  She remained faithful. Joni Eareckson Tada was a young woman at the prime of her life.  A freak diving accident left her a quadriplegic.  But through unimagi...

I am so tired of the rhetoric, from people who call themselves Christians, but misconstrue God's Word and use it to preach their version of right...while they are spouting hate. So here is my response: In the darkness of the night, you feel so all alone And you wonder if there's anyone else who feels this way Unworthy of God's love, at least what you've been told But He is waiting for you, reaching out His hand Hold on, He will carry you Hold on, His love is for you too No matter what they say, no matter what they do Hold on to Jesus, He's holding on to you There are prophets and preachers       that throw around the name of Christ And they wonder why anyone would choose to live this way But you are His creation, and He loves you as you are He is waiting for you and reaching out His hand