My heart...

I think to make a goal for this blog would be to make it less than what it can be....

For me, a goal would just give you and i expectations that will not be met...

I will however begin by sharing my heart as honestly as I know how to...

There is a liberating power in speaking the truth and sharing ones honest heart...(I have a great testimony relating to this...coming soon)

before I begin to share my thoughts, opinions and beliefs with you, I want you to have a better understanding of who I am (more than just knowing that I am a fan Braveheart and the Beach Boys).

Families are a godly thing...they help shape and form us...God loves community...He is personal and intimate with us but He is also a communal God...

I love my dad, although our history may be a bit rocky...God has been healing and restoring our relationship back to its original pure design!

He is becoming more a friend to me, rather than just an authority figure...

I respect him greatly and am extremely grateful for all he has shown me over the years...

He is an incredible example of a selfless life preferring others...he is a servant and a man full of love for others...(good job mom, you got yourself a winner)

My mom is a wonderfully gentle and humble woman...i love her very much! She raised 4 boys, homeschooling all of us....and somehow she retains her sweetness....(the grace of God...she would say)....

She also has been an amazing example of what it is to love selflessly by giving of her time, energy and gifts to help lead her boys into lives of love for God and people....(yeah dad, you got yourself a champion)....(the grace of God, he would tell you)....

I have 3 brothers...I am second to the youngest...Ben is the oldest...then Dan...Me and Ethan...

We love each other....a lot...it may not show to the outside, untrained eye but there is a special bond between 4 brothers growing up together...My relationship with them has grown in a great way over the past few years....

After fighting each one of them at some point (sometimes leaving us both bruised, broken and bloody)...i now realize how much i love and appreciate each one of them...each one a little different from the rest...

It is a humbling thing to apologize to family for the things you have done that were motivated by anything but love....it shapes us....

what i know now is our past history is just that...in the past....and i love my family and thank them for their faithfulness and love....and for not giving up on me...there were a few years where i wouldn't have blamed them for it...

learning to appreciate others begins with appreciating the "others" God has divinely given you as your family.....

I encourage us all to look at them through a different set of lenses...maybe through their point of view...jump into their shoes...ask them about their lives...how they think...what their dreams are...how they "tick"...

we can live years and years with family and not truly get to know them...

be honest...no matter how awkward it may be at first....be honest and real...there is power in it...

true honesty is indifferent of reaction....