I'm not sure what I expected as we loaded in to The Crossing mission church in St. Joseph, MO that Saturday morning.  I knew that the ministry was in a rough part of town and that they catered specifically to the homeless and a very low income neighborhood.  This was a neighborhood that most people just drove through on their way to somewhere else.  As we played our acoustic set, patrons shuffled in and out, looking for a free breakfast, the first such event the venue had held.  There were a few single…Read more

What is it that closes us off from others?  Is it shame that compelled Adam and Eve to hide from God?  Fear?  Knowledge of the consequences of what they'd done?

Whatever the reason, we all put up a facade.  We all wear masks to obscure our true nature, even with the ones we love.  The irony, of course, is that those who love us love ALL of us, including what's behind the mask.  Our dirty secrets, closet skeletons, secret shames... they are part of who we are.  As we share our secrets, we also share more of…Read more

Ice.  A cold blanket over the earth, breaking tree branches, downing power lines, destroying traction.  An object at rest will remain at rest. When on ice, this becomes painfully apparent.  Tires spin, and yet movement is just out of reach.  On the other side of the coin, an object in motion shall remain in motion.  Hit the brakes on ice and your heart jumps into your throat as you begin to skid.

Sometimes it feels like you have everything in line - plenty of fuel, plenty of power - and yet you end up just…Read more

I have reached the end of myself.  The cold weather weighs heavily on my body, and my soul is still weary from the business of December.  As I watch my family members battling sickness (and I fight it off myself), my heart feels exceptionally heavy.  

Last night, I came to the end of what I could handle.  I snapped at my daughters, was frustrated with my sick wife, felt unsuccessful with my job, music, and responsibilities, and felt myself slipping inexorably toward the fog of depression.  I ran to the store…Read more

Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!  
This is your last and only chance at it,  
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think  
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed. 
Ecclesiastes 9:10 (The Message)

Back in 2014 my wife gave me a challenge - to write 30 songs in 30 days.  I made it to 14 songs, which was pretty impressive, but I did discover something interesting about the creative process - it can be harnessed, controlled, directed.  Those 14 songs ended up…Read more