A Re-Introduction

At 34 years old, I imagined life differently than what I am currently experiencing. I crafted quite the audacious goals in the latter years of my twenties that have not been realized to this day, and truly, I am to blame.

Despite the lack of realized dreams, these first 4 years of my thirties could largely be summarized as a hero’s journey into the unknown on a quest to discover his place in this world. Except, this hero has a newborn to care for, a toddler to raise, and a wife to love, cherish, and protect, all the while running a company that feels as if I’m a glorified freelancer and becoming a jack of all trades in (and certainly desire to be a master in some)! Praise God for the true hero of this story—Jesus—because I would have quit had it not been for His grace in my life and vision regarding the outcome of the journey.

I love the story of Joseph in Genesis as God allows him to see the target of his life through a series of dreams. Long story short, Joseph’s dream is realized, but the journey there was not Joseph’s preferred plan. Joseph became enslaved, wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit (which surely meant he was the subject of many conversations), and endured much hardship prior to becoming second to Pharaoh and ultimately saving much lives due to the wisdom God had given him.

I’m grateful that we too have the capability of receiving direction from God through dreams and visions in the night. Paul and company struggled for a bit when it came to discerning God’s will for the gospel to be preached in a particular place, venturing to the entrance of Asia but being prohibited by God Himself through the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6-10). On what would be a fateful night, Paul has a vision, or a dream, and the riddle to be solved presents a man pleading to Paul to come to Macedonia. I say riddle because quite often God speaks in riddles and enigmas (Numbers 12:8). The struggle is over—Macedonia, here we come!

I could imagine the relief Paul and company must have had once the direction was clearly given by means of the dream. It’s the same relief I experience when God presents to me a riddle to solve to discern His will in a matter. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” It’s exciting to know that God allows mystery for us to never lose dependence on Him.

Why didn’t Paul receive direct instruction to go to Macedonia to spare him from the arduous travel ahead to Asia, just to be denied entrance? I don’t know. Maybe it serves as strengthening his character and resolve? A deeper sense of trust in the Lord and greater surrender?

There’s much we don’t know about the seasons we experience in our lives until time has taken its course for us to review the past and see how we ended up at the present. I’m thankful that I serve a God who leads us with His loving eye upon us (Psalm 32:8), and if we surrender our lives to Him in complete trust, we can truly come to know and discern His will for our lives (Ephesians 5:17; Romans 12:1-2) in the seasons of our lives—that we may abound in joy no matter the circumstances the season brings. As much as an exact blueprint to our destination would be desired, there is joy in the mystery and the outworking of God’s plans for our lives.

And that’s where this publication begins. I’ve received dreams and insights about my future in terms of published writings, graphic novels, inventions, and much more, but I always struggled with seeking the outcome but not enjoying the process (or the outworking) of the outcome. Always wishing for the outcome leaves much to be desired in terms of character development (where complaints certainly abound)—and we’re not about that!

If the Christian life is truly about growing from strength to strength, from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18), then it’s got to look like something, and this blog will serve as a hub where I document my life in relation to the scriptures and provide encouragement along the way to aid you in your time of need.