Back to Basics

Some people have grand stories of the day they believed.  They saw God move mountains in their life and bring them through deep, dramatic things to lead them to the place where they finally put their trust in Christ as their savior.  Maybe they had been running from him or ignoring him for years, and then one day, everything changed.  Such tales show the lengths that God will go to find every lost soul.  I love those stories.  But it isn't mine.

I was born as the fourth child of a Baptist minister, and I was at church every week.  My parents raised me to pray, to read the Bible, and to trust God with my life.  I don't have a period in my life that I remember ever not believing.  It is simply the way it has always been.  When I was seven, I was baptized by my father, publicly declaring my choice to follow Jesus.  And my life has been perfect ever since.

Except, not at all.  Yes, I consider myself to be very blessed, for many reasons.  I was raised in an imperfect but loving home, where I was given a solid foundation on which to build my life.  I made friends in junior high school that are still my friends today, and I love them and my family more than they know, and more than I could express.  Nearly twelve years ago, I married a woman that I love more than the world, who has put up with me despite myself.  While our employment over the past decade has been shaky, with several layoffs, we have always been able to get back on our feet and with jobs that allow us a comfortable life, one where we are able to give back to those in need.  There is much in my life to be thankful for, but we all have our struggles.  Life is full of ups and downs, lefts and rights, and stretches of time standing still and falling down. 

This blog will be about life: the good and the bad, the moments of joy and the moments of pain.  It will be about issues we go through as individuals and as groups.  It will be about the one who is there who can be trusted with all of it, no matter what we're going through, no matter where we are in our walk.

Thank you Jesus, for you are my rock, my salvation, and my stronghold.