Full Circle

Strange where the journey of life can lead us at times. Almost inexplicable. Always exciting. New opportunities and new callings require change. You walk away from certain things believing that the door you left behind is closed forever. But then the pathway winds around so that you find yourself once again walking familiar ground and revisiting purposes and passions that you were convinced no longer held meaning in the present.

Such has been my experience over the past few decades. In my 20s, I left college to pursue full-time “employment” as a pastor and missionary. In my 40s, I left the ministry, got a secular job, and went back to college to finish my undergraduate degree (eventually going on to earn 4 degrees over the course of a decade). In my 30s, I started blogging anonymously, placed second in a national writing contest, had the unbelievable privilege of becoming a published author, and abandoned the blog shortly thereafter (it was just time to walk away). Now, in my late 50s, I find myself once again staring down the pathway of blogging with a renewed desire to communicate through writing.

In that sense, I guess I have come full circle. Back to where I used to flourish, writing frequently (or infrequently) and hoping to perhaps, in some small way, positively influence others. In other ways, I am different. I am no longer that young man who wrote anonymously almost 20 years ago. And accordingly, this page will probably be a little different. For those who know me, yes, my Christian faith will still be a key component of what I write. But this present calling is also an outflow of the last 16 years and my journey out of full-time “vocational” ministry and into this present world defined by secular employment, family, and a strong passion to leave a lasting legacy. And it is within that framework that I will start writing again. So, it is going to be different. Less pride and more humility, hopefully. Less of a desire to be applauded and more of a longing to make an impact. Less performance and more transparency. Sometimes I will focus on my Christian faith. Sometimes I will focus on family. I might even write about work, governments, sports, and who knows what else. But if I were to guess, the main topic could be summed up in “be the change.” Faith isn’t simply something we believe; it is something we live. At least, that is how I see it these days.

So, there you go. Just wanted to say “Hello,” get this show on the road again, and invite you along for the ride (what remains of it). Not sure what happens next or exactly what this will look like on a weekly basis, but I’m excited to have come full circle and be on familiar roads once again.