Why another blog? What can this blog do for you?
I am creating this blog and all it’s craziness to simply add a positive voice of encouragement to your life. Let’s be honest life sucks at times. It seems that our misery can sometimes be made worse when we think we are facing it all alone. I wanted to give you some encouragement and hope in your life. As I grew up and even as an adult many times I just waited for someone to say something positive to me. When I became a pastor I decided that more than anything I would encourage people to live a better life. Not the rah, rah type of crap that you comes from some people. Instead, could we climb into the stuff that often comes at us in life and look for something positive in a pile of…well you know.
Who am I that I can offer some encouragement?
Like I said, I waited a lot of days to hear someone tell me that life is tough, but worth the fight. I was born with some physical challenges and can remember at 20 years old finally looking in the mirror for the first time and seeing a normal smile. A cleft lip and pallet brought many a surgery and several nicknames throughout my life. When they gave me my retainer with the 3 teeth that had always been missing in my life, I remember thinking I can finally smile with my teeth showing.
Since that day I realized that it could be different. I knew that if I could feel this different with just some fake teeth, then there had to be a way to make other people feel encourage in their life. So that is why after working for 4 churches in 7 years that were not encouraging places or even wanted to help you at times I decide that if I got the chance it would be different. At 30, a church of 21 people in a small Michigan town of 2,000 people invited us to join them. I moved with my wife Shelly, and two young boys Jake & Cam to begin an adventure. They asked me when I was interviewed what I would change if I became their pastor. I told them: EVERYTHING. They still hired me. They deserve a lot of credit, but we changed the culture and created “The Church of Encouragement.” It has been awesome to see that 21 people grow to a church of over 200 in such a small town with 7 other churches to attend.
Where do I come from?
I was born in Lubbock, Texas and though I haven’t lived in Texas for half my life, I’m still proud of my home state. I left Lubbock at 19 for Los Angeles and finished college and worked at a church in Bellflower, CA. Then on to Borger, TX or the edge of the world as we refer to it now. Then on to Fort Worth, TX for 19 months until we moved to Leslie, MI to finally, as I put it, be in charge. The road that led me to today has been a little crazy and a little bumpy but looking back it has been one heck of a ride. I guess be encouraged with your struggles, they are what give you the strength to fly today.
