About Me

The primary thing I’d like you to know about me is I’m no better or different than anyone else. I, too, have faced troubles in my life, and made poor choices along the way. And, all too often (or, maybe not often enough), I’ve prayed the words of King David, of David and Goliath fame, “Oh Lord, have mercy on me. Heal me, for I have sinned against You.” (Psalm 41:4)

 

Like every human being alive—or who has ever lived—I’m in desperate need of a Savior.

 

Second, I’d like you to know this: God reveals Himself and His powerful imagination in nature. I mean, c’mon. You can’t deny His creation is truly remarkable. My favorite example are Seahorses. Seriously, what possible purpose could they serve other than to make Him known and make us smile.

 

I, for one, have reveled in His creation in many different ways: Spending the better part of growing up roaming the pastureland surrounding our home; being introduced to my first Adventure Learning Experience as a teenager through Outward Bound in Big Bend National Park; running along city park trails; walking our dog around our neighborhood park; taking casual hikes through state parks when I need a change of scenery; chalking up an occasional 14er in Colorado when I’m motivated to add another peak to my list; strolling through national monuments and driving through national parks; and taking young people on week-long camping trips in the beautiful San Juan National Forest to show them they don’t need all the creature comforts they thought they needed, and to take in views they thought were only possible through CGI movie effects; and so many more I could share. All of these have convinced me there is a God, and I’m not Him (to quote a line from the movie “Rudy”).

 

Also, volunteering has played a significant part in my life, through organizations such as my church, a global youth organization called Young Life, Habitat for Humanity, and numerous stints with the Salvation Army. In the process, I gained far more than I gave — a humbling awareness of the hardships that so many people have to face every day. And, hopefully, the empathy to want to do more to help them.

And, finally, I want you to know I love God and I love people. The two things Jesus says are the most important things in life.

QuickHits

A former Okie, I’ve called Colorado home since 2007. I love hiking 14ers, but am no technical climber. Hobbies include hiking, camping, vegetable gardening, and writing. Sadly, I used to include tennis and soccer on my list of activities. But my knees finally told me to stop. However, my new hip says it’s time to pick up pickleball.

College: Go Pokes!

High School: Go Dutchmen!

Married: Marriage isn’t for the faint of heart. But love (and lots of grace) make it all worthwhile.

Political Views: Fiscally conservative, socially aware, and politically guarded.

Religious Views: I find wisdom in many, but am devoted to Jesus.

Favorite Music: Southern Rock; Blue Grass; rocked-out old hymns.

Movies that Make Me Cry (every time I watch them):

  • It’s a Wonderful Life (one day, sooner or later, God will show us whose lives we’ve touched in a positive way)
  • Gladiator (a man’s man, dying for a righteous cause)
  • Paddington 1/Paddington 2 (seriously, you need to watch these movies)
  • Babe (a farmer sticks to his guns, when no one believes in him, and in the end astonishes everyone)
  • Elf (in spite of being surrounded by doubters, an elf restores hope to the world . . . well, at least New York City)
  • Homeward Bound (I loved showing this movie on overnight bus trips to unsuspecting teens . . . I would flip the interior lights on at the most heartwarming moment in the movie, and the toughest kids on the bus were wiping tears from their eyes)

Favorite Books (In no particular order . . . actually, that’s not true. The first two are second only to the Bible in how they’ve influenced my view of Jesus, others, and myself):

  • Attachments: Why You Love, Feel, and Act the Way You Do
  • Gentle & Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
  • Disappointment with God
  • Into Thin Air
  • When You Can’t Come Back
  • The Fourth Turning
  • Messy Spirituality
  • The Chronicles of Narnia
  • Rainbow Six
  • One Light Still Shines
  • Waiting for Our Souls to Catch Up
  • The Problem of Pain
  • Unbroken
  • Who You Are When No One’s Looking
  • The Grace & Truth Paradox
  • The Freedom of Self Forgetfullness
  • When Helping Hurts
  • How God Makes Men
  • Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith
  • Shattered Dreams

One of Many Favorite Quotes: 

“The Gospel of Luke makes it clear that Jesus has come for the least and the last and the left out.” ~ Alistair Begg

Professional Life: LinkedIn Page