The cover photo for this post is our Tiny House (it’s just a fixed up RV ; ) at the construction stage.

Have you considered that God can hear our prayers tirelessly? There was a season when I was blogging especially much and I’d post probably more than I needed to out to my alumni from my alma mater… so many posts that I eventually was asked to go away essentially… Ha ha… I understand. I suppose what happened is I felt this deep sense that I needed to encourage the students from my school. Either way, God has humbled me time and time again by how my thoughts are pretty constant, and my desire to share those thoughts are pretty constant, and yet He never tires of hearing me. I’m so humbled by this. From time in God’s presence, I’ve learned to not become more silent but rather feel less and less anxious about what people might think of my pen strokes (or keyboard striking in this case). This blog has been a place of enjoyment for me in the past as I’ve gotten a chance here to practice writing and be encouraged by those who don’t mind following along. For some these thoughts have inspired them. For others, my words have been angering I suppose. For many my words have been encouraging or even sustaining, which amazes me, but then I remember that all I’m often doing is often repeating Gospel truths and values that birth from the reality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As this grows in my heart, I realize the power of the pen, the influence God has given to those who take the time to cultivate communication skills but also a heart for communication which at it’s root is a love for communion, connection.

Dear God, I ask that as I follow You into this path of communion, this path of communication of truth, that You would direct my steps. I cry out to You and ask that You would use my feeble efforts to lift the spirit of the reader, to encourage the downtrodden, to challenge the proud, to sustain the spiritually hungry with Your Word and with Your truth ultimately, but also with a humble engagement with these, that my readers would find a path to start on, but that they would ultimately connect with Your Word for themselves, connect with YOU and YOUR LIFE ultimately. May my words be quickly turned from and YOUR HEART be what people continually are turned toward. Amen! God, I also want to thank You for my unique situation in life, where You’ve given me a context where I’m not worried about people’s opinions of me. I don’t have any large organization I’m accountable to besides You and some genuine believers. That said, use godly friends and even angry enemies to act as a check on my pen strokes/key strokes. Forgive me if and when I’m unkind or uncharitable. Teach me to be a fragrance of grace to You and to others. Use me to draw others into Your path, to a steady following of Jesus. Use me day-by-day as an example too in how Carrie and I and the kids live out the decisions You’re leading us sovereignly through. May You be glorified day-by-day, step-by-step, word-by-word, prayer-by-prayer. You’re awesome! I trust You!