Walking in God's Woods

  The book of James says that every good and perfect gift comes FROM God. Several years ago, I realized that, in my life today, most of those gifts come THROUGH my amazing wife. Angie and I met in 1999, got married in 2002, and became parents in 2006. Throughout all that time, she has stood right by my side in every easy and difficult situation, and I could not have asked for a better partner in this life. Like the verse in the image says, my heart trusts in her. The last line of the verse says, "He will not lack anything good." Our family has definitely seen our share of hardship, especially in the past year and a half, but I can confidently say that, as long as Angie is by my side, I truly am not lacking anything good. God has blessed me beyond measure, even in our difficulties, because he gave me a wife of noble character. The thing I love most about my wife is not how much she loves me, but how much she loves our children. I pray one day they realize the gift they were gi...

  When I think back on my childhood, I cannot remember a time when I wasn't taken to church. As long as we were able, Mom made sure that Chris and I went to Sunday school and church. As a matter of fact, Mom was our first Sunday school teacher. The one thing that Mom wanted me (and every other child she has ever known) to know is that Jesus loves me. As a kid, going to church was something that I just took for granted--if it was Sunday, we were going to church. Today, I could not be more thankful for the solid foundation that Mom assured us. She truly and deeply believes in Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it." I hope I am a living testament that Mom was right. Like anyone else, I have not lived a perfect life. I have strayed from the "straight and narrow" way more often than I would like to admit, but thanks to my upbringing in church, Mom's prayers, and God's grace, I have always retu...

I started this blog a year ago, and I haven't added any new posts in eight months. In that time, my family has faced several challenges. First, Rayne moved off to college a little before my last post, and the change in this house has taken some getting used to. In particular, it feels so quiet without the usual sound of drumming coming from Rayne's bedroom. Also, I absolutely miss the extra one-on-one time we got to spend as I drove him back and forth to band practices and rehearsals. On the bright side, he has had a very successful first year of college, and he will be home for the summer in a week! On September 27, we were in the path as Hurricane Helene tore through the NC mountains. Seeing the devastation that occurred all around us makes me even more thankful that God spared our family the majority of the damage that we could have faced. We had a few trees down around us, but none of our property experienced any major damage. The worst thing we dealt with was two weeks wit...

  My favorite poem includes the phrase "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep." This year, I have experienced much of the darkness of God's woods, along with its loveliness and depth, but one thing has remained true: Jesus is my light shining in the darkness. I may not be able to see what might be around the next turn, but the darkness will not overcome my guiding light. For the past few weeks, I have not written as much as when I started recording this journey, and part of the reason is that I have wandered a little too much in the darkness. Once again, things have not gone the way I would have planned, and I have allowed the twisting path through the woods to cause me to become scared and anxious, instead of looking where the light shines. Today, I feel like the woods are a little less dense, and it is easier to see where I am supposed to be heading. I am not out of the darkness of the woods yet, but it feels like the trees are spread a little further apart. All I have t...

  I first encountered this verse on one of my walks in early May, and even though I knew it held meaning for me, I was not quite sure what it was yet. I started this blog post and let it sit for a couple months. This morning, I have finally come to a realization of why this verse is so important in my life. I have always been in the habit of ending a phone call to my family with "I love you" before hanging up the phone. It occurred to me a while back that if I make sure to tell my family that I love them after talking to them, then why wouldn't I tell God the same? Since then, I have made a point of ending my conversations with God by thanking Him for loving me and my family and responding with "I love you, too." (As a side note, a long time ago, I had this idea of the most important/powerful things you can say to another person. The second most important is "I love you," but the most important is "I love you, too," because the word "too...

Over the past several days, this verse has truly disturbed me. As I have said in previous posts, when I read the Word on my walks in God's woods, I try to listen for what that verse is telling me about myself. The book of Ezekiel is another one of those prophets near the end of the Old Testament that I usually have a hard time reading, and the main theme of this particular chapter is God condemning the false prophets who have led the people of Israel astray. God speaks through Ezekiel and calls these false prophets jackals and says they will not enter the land of Israel, but he also says that he will release his wrath on them so the people will know that he is God. What disturbs me about this passage is the question of when have I been a false prophet. When have I declared that I am doing God's work when I am really doing what I choose? When have I followed my own spirit and seen nothing? Over the past several months, it feels like I have seen no progress in my life, and this v...

Yesterday was the first day of classes at both Appalachian State University and NC State University, and I spent a large portion of my day thinking about and praying for both Rayne and Abe, our two sons. Both of these young men have overcome some major obstacles to make it to college, and I am beyond proud of the work, both academic and personal, that each of them has done to make it this far. I feel truly blessed to know that both boys are starting on the path to adulthood, and even if they don't need me by their side at all times, I pray that they know that I am right behind them, cheering them on. Truthfully, yesterday was a very hard day for me because it reminded me of the contrast between the two boys' situations. I sent a text to both boys to remind them that we love them, we are proud of them, and we are praying for them. According to my phone, Rayne read his text a little before he went to his first college class. Unfortunately, it appears that Abe has blocked my text ...

  Very recently, I wrote about how Psalms 46:10 is my favorite verse because of its reminder that we need to be still, then I came across 1 Samuel 12:16 that, again, reminds us to stand still. This verse made me curious about how often those type of phrases show up in the Bible, so I tried to do some research; however, it is nearly impossible for me to pin down an exact number because there are so many variations of this reminder throughout the scriptures. One thing that did begin to stand out to me as I read multiple verses was the similarity of things connected to these reminders to be still: Be still and know that I am God... (Psalms 46:10) Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. (1 Samuel 12:16) The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet. (Exodus 14:14) Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him... (Psalms 37:7) Let all people be silent before the Lord, for He is coming from His holy dwelling. (Zechariah 2:13) B...

  In August 2002, I became a math teacher because I needed a job, I had a math degree, and Freedom High School needed another teacher. I took the job, not necessarily expecting it to be a long-term career, much less realizing that it was a calling from God. I quickly found out that I liked teaching math, but I also found out that I enjoyed connecting with students. In particular, I began to develop some very important relationships with young men who didn't have a positive father figure in their lives. Even today, I am still connected with many of those young men, and it always brings me joy to watch the progress they have made in their lives. In February 2024, I found a completely different career path, and since then, I have a much better perspective of my calling. One night, just after I had started my new career, I was walking with several of my new colleagues, on our way back to our hotel in New York City. We were getting to know one another, and one of my new colleagues compl...

  Our pastor referenced this verse in the last sermon of his "Trust the Process" series. Truthfully, it was not the main verse of the message, but for me, it was one more reminder that God sees me. He knows my deepest pains, He knows my deepest desires, He knows my deepest fears, He knows my deepest anxieties, and He knows my deepest needs. When I really focus on this verse, I am reminded that those pains, desires, fears, anxieties, and needs are really not mine to worry about. God tells me to be still because I know that He is God. For a long time, I have said that this is my favorite verse. Now, it not only reminds me that I need to approach life's challenges calmly, but it also reminds me that I am not God. I am NOT the one to be exalted. For most of my life, I have been a very easy-going person who doesn't let much worry me. I used to think of this verse as my kind of "motto" in life, explaining why I didn't worry about things--I was just being still...

  On November 30, 2023, I lost both my job and my son in a single moment. From that very moment, I began to pray for God to restore both my family's finances and my family's relationship with Abe. Immediately, I prayed for God to guide me and my family through this difficult period, and I continue to pray for His guidance every day, just like I always have.  As things became more difficult, I questioned whether I was being punished or if I was failing some test. At some point when things didn't seem to be changing, I came to the conclusion that I must be doing something wrong. I cannot even begin to count the number of times that I have asked God to tell me exactly what I need to do to "fix things." Basically, I spent a long time feeling like it was my job to take care of things. I want to clarify that I do believe that I am responsible for doing what God tells me to do or face the consequences of not following God's lead, but I have come to realize that some ...

  These verses have meant so much to me over the past several months that I hardly know how to address them in a logical way that makes sense. I am going to try to make several points here that may not seem connected, so I apologize if this post seems a little scattered. Since the beginning of spring, probably since we created our nature path in March, I have thought a lot about the seasons, both physical and spiritual. In a physical sense, I have thought a lot about the spring rains. One thing that I have thought about has been the connection between rain and the change in seasons. For some reason, we went through a physically dry season through the late spring/early summer, from May through mid-July, and the hotter it became, the more I began wishing for rain. As much as I hate mowing grass, I will admit that I really hate the dry, brown dirt even more. I hadn't really thought much about it before, but I have begun to see that the rain is a blessing from God. Without the rai...

As long as I can remember, I have always loved the Olympic Games, both summer and winter. I know that there have been a number of controversies regarding the 2024 opening ceremony, and as usual, I think the truth of the matter lies somewhere between the voices of the two extremes. This post is not about the opening ceremonies. This post is about the individuals competing in the Games. I am always in awe of the remarkable skills on display by the best athletes from all around the world. Every single individual at the Olympic Games has to go through a number of trials and win a series of competitions to even have the opportunity to compete at the Olympics. Of course, some competitors are more naturally capable than others, some have access to better facilities, and some train harder than others. However, they all have one thing in common: they are all trying their very hardest to win the gold medal. So far, I have watched a variety of Olympic events, from gymnastics to swimming to sailin...

  I first encountered today's verse on one of my walks in late May, and I knew immediately that this verse would be the source of today's post. Today is July 25, 2024--Rayne's 18th birthday. There are so many things that I want to say about and to Rayne that I know I won't be able to express them all in these last two weeks before he moves into his college dorm. I am going to try my best to say the important things here, so this post is dedicated to Rayne. First and foremost, I really had no idea how to be a father in 2006. Like I do with just about everything in life, I started out by reading and gathering as much information as possible. Even on the day he was born, it seemed like he didn't play by the book. Angie and I left for the hospital around 5:00 in the morning because her doctor told us that we needed to come to the hospital immediately when Angie's water broke. Angie had tested positive for Group B strep, and the doctor wanted to make sure to start an...

  On January 1, 2022, our family began a two-year Bible reading plan through our church. The goal was to be able to read the entire Bible over the course of two years. We sit on the couch as a family, and I read a couple of chapters out loud before bed. We have followed the reading plan as much as possible, but of course, changes in our daily schedule, especially late nights or traveling or not having everyone in the house at the same time, have caused us to get off course. Here we are in July 2024, about seven months behind schedule, but as of this writing, we have only 15 chapters of the book of Psalms left to complete. My new goal (which I am confident of accomplishing) is to finish by (or on) Rayne's 18th birthday. It will be very meaningful to me to know that I have read every word of the Bible out loud to my children. Today's verse comes from a recent family reading, and it has a lot of meaning for me. The thing that really comes to mind the most for me is the idea of bei...

  Over the past few months, I have used my daily walks through the physical woods at the back of our property to talk with God and try to listen to what He wants me to hear, and most of the blog posts in this series are developed based on my random Bible readings at the end of those walks. This post (and possibly more) is not based on a physical walk in the woods. To be sure, I am still walking daily in the woods, but I am making more of a point of listening when God speaks to me in other places. This post, and likely more to follow, is based on a new sermon series that Pastor Mike Chandler is working through at Summit Community Church. He has titled this series "Trust the Process," and his goal is to remind us that we have to trust God, even when things don't seem to be working out like we think they should. I am including this link to the first sermon in the series to encourage anyone (myself included) to go watch the entire series in the future. Our family began atten...

  I am not saying this to make myself sound good (as a matter of fact, my intention is quite the opposite), but I have been called smart my whole life. I feel pride when I hear someone refer to me as smart, especially when I hear someone tell another person how smart they think I am. However, the book of Proverbs reminds me that pride goes before a fall. I have also been told many times in my life that I am "too smart for my own good" or that I overcomplicate things. I have also been reminded on many occasions that I can be stubborn and think I know everything. From a personal standpoint, my pride in my intelligence often leads me to thinking that I can solve all my problems on my own. And that is where my downfall happens. Daniel was noted for being a wise young man, and he was rewarded for being able to figure out the king's dream. To me, the most important part of this story is that Daniel was humble in his ability to interpret the dream. He placed all the credit where...

  In my moments of deepest discouragement, I find myself fighting thoughts of being abandoned. I know that God is always with me, and I can't even count the number of times that the Bible reminds me of that. However, the devil has a way of convincing me that this time will be the time that God doesn't remember me. When things aren't going the way I think they should and God doesn't seem to be answering me, and just when I feel like maybe I should give up, I take my morning walk and read this verse. Again I am reminded that God is always faithful, and He will not withdraw his love from me. Today, this verse is a reminder to me with two meanings: (1) God has promised to never leave me nor forsake me, and (2) I make a similar promise to my family. Over the time that we spent with Abe in the past year, one thing I wanted to make sure he understood is that we are committed to loving and caring for him for the rest of our lives. Just because we have not had any communication ...

  I have written recently about my tendency to make idols out of the things and/or people in my life, and this morning, the last chapter of the book of Joshua gives me a little more insight on that topic. The last chapter is Joshua's "farewell address" to the children of Israel before he dies. He begins by reminding the people of all the things that God had done for them, from promising Abraham that he would be father of a nation to rescuing the Israelites out of Egypt to bringing them into the Promised Land. Then Joshua asks the people an important question about who they are going to worship, the true God or the false gods. This question leads Joshua to the often quoted line: "...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15 Of course, the people responded that they will also worship the one true God, then they list reasons why they will continue to worship Him. Beginning in verse 19, Joshua called the people out and told them that they wouldn...

By nature, I have never been a morning person. My body's natural wake/sleep cycle seems to be to stay up most of the night and sleep until noon. Angie and Rayne have always been our early birds, while Carrie and I have been the night owls, but as I have gotten older, I have started to find peace and joy in waking up early. I don't necessarily wake up early on my own, but I have started to enjoy the early morning hours when the house is quiet and I can be alone with God. Since we cleared our path in the woods, I have made a point of going out to walk each morning, rain or shine. As soon as I get home from dropping Rayne and Carrie off at school during the school year, especially when it is still dark until 7:30 in the morning, I go out for my morning walk. Now that we are on our summer schedule, I have been out in God's woods as early as 6:00 a.m. I love to hear the birds waking up and the squirrels getting out to find breakfast. The most awesome thing the other morning was ...