November 2013 Awards

This weekend I was nominated for two blog awards. The first one is “The Versatile Blogger Award“. I was nominated by by Lilka Raphael at www.bisforblessed.com. She is a faithful reader of this site and contributes often. She has a couple of sites that she blogs from. The one listed above always has unique ways to bring scriptures to light and gently encourages us to live them out. She also has a site called “God, Autism and Me” that offers faith, hope and courage.

To receive this award, I need to let her know 7 things about myself.

1. I’ve attended the same church since I was born.
2. I have two brothers who also serve The Lord and are involved in ministry.
3. I spent a year living in Egypt in full time ministry.
4. I have been to 40 of the United States.
5. I have visited 10 countries.
6. I’ve been fluent in 4 languages.
7. My greatest success in life would be if my children follow Christ.

The other award I received was “The Liebster Award” from Mike Stephens. He has a blog called “A ‘Mike’ for Christ“. He is also a faithful reader and contributor on this site. He uses his site bring a fresh perspective to the Gospel. He asks pointed questions and invites his readers to think. He is very knowledgeable about Scripture and shares his insights on his blog.

To receive his award, I need to answer 10 questions that he chose.

1. What does writing do for you?

To me, writing is an act of obedience to God. It has become as synonymous with my walk with God as prayer and reading the Word.

2. What writer feeds your soul? Why?

Mark Batterson is who has been feeding my soul lately. The way he writes is both inspirational and challenging. It points clearly to where I have room to grow and then shows me what I need to do next.

3. What is the most fabulous excursion you’ve taken?

To celebrate earning the Gold Medal of Achievement in the boys scouting program at my church, I was given a two week trip from Texas to the Canadian Rockies. I saw Mount Rushmore, the Olympic Park in Calgary, the Calgary Stampede, the Rocky Mountains, the Athabasca Glacier, Grand Teton National Park, Yellow Stone Park and so much more.

4. What post of yours means the most to you? Why?

The posts where I share my hurt, pain and past mean the most to me. In those, I open up the part of my I kept hidden for so many years. I find healing every time I write about them and hope others do too.

5. What about you will be most instrumental in God’s eternal plan for you, whatever that may be?

My ability to confront my past and to openly share it. So many of us run from ours or hide it. When others see that the Church has broken people in it, we will truly become a hospital for the lost.

6. What makes you cry?

My wife will tell you I’m a very sentimental person. I cry at the drop of a hat when my heart is full and when it is heavy.

7. If your writing were discovered a thousand years from now, what would people learn about you, today’s world, and your interests?

They would hopefully learn that I’m a person who didn’t have all the answers, but knew the One who did. They would learn that my goal is to help others lead more meaningful, deeper Christian lives.

8. Talk about meeting your favorite Bible character (not Jesus).

I’d love to meet David and to pick his brain. He was a man of paradoxes. He showed great faith at times and great doubt at others. He was a man after God’s own heart and yet fell so devastatingly. He didn’t care what people thought when it came to worshipping God, but worried what warriors said behind his back. He struggled like many of us, was a prolific writer and knew where his hope was.

9. Describe your writing process for something that moves you deeply.

My writing process is the same each day. I get up an hour early, read the Word, pray while I commute to work, then seek God about what to write as I sit in my car in the parking lot. I usually get the first sentence and then the rest comes as I write. I stop and think about what it sounds like or how I could say it better as I write.

10. Describe your perfect meal and ultimate dessert.

My perfect meal has got to be a medium rare steak, grilled corn on the cobb and some wilted spinach with lemon butter sauce. My ultimate dessert is a blackberry cobbler with Blue a Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream

Thanks for the awards, guys. I’m humbled. I hope you were able to learn a little bit more about me from this.