Rising above all the houses in town stands the beautiful brick and mortar Methodist Church. It's beautiful stained glass windows are definitely a sight to see and on Sunday mornings that church bell rings all throughout town. My wife and I visited this church a couple weeks after we first moved to town. As the … Continue reading Practical personal socialism →

When our lives gets difficult and we are stressed and at wits end, that is when God reveals himself. Like a patient teacher, quietly waiting for us to recognize the lesson, God allows us to try and figure it out on our own. He may have a particular lesson he wants us to learn that … Continue reading The First shall be Last →

In the new world of social media, it seems like everyone is talking about mental illness and the symptoms associated with depression and other problems. I think this is fantastic. Everyone needs to know about these issues and the signs and symptoms that may be present in the people that we care about. I am … Continue reading The Darkness within →

The last several port days have had more than their fair share of difficulties. One day there was a problem regarding my appointment, the next day I was getting yelled at for going the wrong way (I didn't know). I had hoped the following morning that some good luck would finally be heading my way, … Continue reading Trusting God →

These days it seems the world is filled with nothing but negativity. You turn on the news only to hear endless angry political banter filled with he said/she said, or the day's topic is about the most recent mass shooting. Sometimes it's hard to find the moments of pure joy. Sometimes you have to force … Continue reading Little moments of joy →

The people closest to me know just how much of a rock nerd I am. I am quite taken with all sorts of rocks and minerals, and love educating others about the magnificent transformation process these rocks go through deep within the earth. I was even a geology major during my brief time at the … Continue reading Transformations →

It's Wednesday afternoon, and the temperature gauge on my dash reads 92 degrees. I pull into the loading facility, and check in at the office. The office personnel here at Hinrichs Trading Company are excited to see me as I walk through the door.  It sorta feels like an episode from Cheers, because here everybody … Continue reading The need for community →

Everyday I struggle in my attempt to get closer to God. Embracing his will and following his path sounds easy in my head, however the follow through is so much harder. Sometimes it feels like I'm a track and field athlete who is constantly jumping over hurdles.I'll make it over one and get closer to … Continue reading Time to give up →

Disclaimer: This post is raw, honest, and painful. It is from my own personal experiences regarding my family and goes over my own feelings of shame and the circumstances that led to where I am now.  It is not easy to read, nor was it easy to write.  Some have said this post is only … Continue reading Shame and Boundaries →

In all your duties and responsibilities, and in every task that you must face, live your life in such a way that every choice that you make serves the Lord. These are the words that I hear in my head as I ponder about the best ways that I, in my imperfect ways, can best … Continue reading Living for Christ →