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Who I Am
I am a speaker, author, and life
coach with a passion for helping those who have been wounded by a painful past. Hope and healing can be found! My deepest desire is to help those whose circumstances have caused them to struggle in their faith to discover the hope and healing that a loving, intimate relationship with the Heavenly Father can bring.
I grew up with an alcoholic father and credit my survival to an unwavering belief in and ever-deepening relationship with God, as I have come to know Him. I readily and passionately share how He continues to bring healing to my life. Perhaps my empathy for those who are hurting and often misunderstood is best reflected in my personal mission statement: To make an eternal difference in the lives of people by helping them to experience the love, healing, and grace of the Heavenly Father. As far as my personal life is concerned, I am a Hoosier since birth and currently live in South Bend, Indiana. I am the husband of one wife (one of God’s many good ideas) and am the father of three grown children. Although I still struggle with feeling too young to be a grandfather, I have adjusted to the role quite well and thoroughly enjoy my four grandchildren. |
My Passion
I utilize my spiritual gift of creative communication through public speaking, story-telling, singing, worship leading, drama, and writing. I have served on the pastoral staff of two churches in my hometown of Highland, where I was also a chaplain for the police department. For five years I worked in the area of drug and alcohol prevention and education at New Leaf Resources, a faith-based counseling agency in Lansing, Illinois.
Operating with the motto, “If it’s not broken, break it,” I rather enjoy challenging the status quo, encouraging others to live in the freedom that God wants His kids to experience. Whether writing, speaking, or coaching, I am driven by the desire to help others find the hope, healing, and freedom I've found in my life. No matter how difficult our life circumstances, we are not destined for a life of misery and regret. We have a God who specializes in fixing broken things; who longs for us to experience not just life, but abundant life; not just joy, but unending joy; not just peace, but peace that is beyond our comprehension. My StoryLife's Verse
The words of Proverbs 3: 5-6 have provided great encouragement in my life: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
But it is the two preceding verses (Proverbs 3: 3-4) that comprise my life's verse: Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. |
Interests
Aside from writing, speaking, and coaching, I enjoy singing, traveling, camping, and spending time with my family. Three of my primary obsessions are:
Gardening
I enjoy meeting with God in our beautiful back yard. I have a perennial garden (note that I didn't say "we"--there is only one green thumb in our home) featuring a pond with a waterfall,
which serves as a memorial to my dad as it was built with rocks
my dad unearthed years ago when he worked as an excavator.
I also have an amazing (if I do say so myself) collection over over
250 different kinds of hostas.
I enjoy meeting with God in our beautiful back yard. I have a perennial garden (note that I didn't say "we"--there is only one green thumb in our home) featuring a pond with a waterfall,
which serves as a memorial to my dad as it was built with rocks
my dad unearthed years ago when he worked as an excavator.
I also have an amazing (if I do say so myself) collection over over
250 different kinds of hostas.
Reading
Among my favorite authors are Craig Groeschel, Erwin McManus, Francis Chan, and, my all-time favorite, John Ortberg. John Ortberg could write a grocery list and I would read it and get something out of it.
Recently, I had the honor of meeting the author of The Shack, William Paul Young. As we talked about the parallels between the relationship we have or had with our earthly father and the relationship we have with our Heavenly Father, he shared, "It took me fifty years to wipe the face of my dad off of God." Another affirmation that more people than I know need to hear the message of my book, When Father is a Bad Word!
Among my favorite authors are Craig Groeschel, Erwin McManus, Francis Chan, and, my all-time favorite, John Ortberg. John Ortberg could write a grocery list and I would read it and get something out of it.
Recently, I had the honor of meeting the author of The Shack, William Paul Young. As we talked about the parallels between the relationship we have or had with our earthly father and the relationship we have with our Heavenly Father, he shared, "It took me fifty years to wipe the face of my dad off of God." Another affirmation that more people than I know need to hear the message of my book, When Father is a Bad Word!
Baseball
I am a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan--further proof that I have a heart for
the dejected and downtrodden. With that allegiance comes a strong dislike
for the ever popular and widely beloved "other" Chicago baseball team,
which has created some fun bantering between me and my wayward Cub
an friends (see tshirt on the attached photo).
I have witnessed a number of memorable Sox games through the years including the 1979 “Disco Demolition Game.” I regularly make a mid-March trek to Arizona to catch spring training games. I have also been a part of the White Sox Volunteer team, helping with service projects in the Chicagoland area.
I am a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan--further proof that I have a heart for
the dejected and downtrodden. With that allegiance comes a strong dislike
for the ever popular and widely beloved "other" Chicago baseball team,
which has created some fun bantering between me and my wayward Cub
an friends (see tshirt on the attached photo).
I have witnessed a number of memorable Sox games through the years including the 1979 “Disco Demolition Game.” I regularly make a mid-March trek to Arizona to catch spring training games. I have also been a part of the White Sox Volunteer team, helping with service projects in the Chicagoland area.
Blog/Vlog
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I post regular blog and vlog entries which may be found on this website, as well as on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. My blog and videos are geared toward helping others deal with the challenges of various life issues. Topics include:
Sign up here to receive my blog entries via email and you will also get a free copy of my ebook, 5 Steps Toward Trusting God.
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