4513 Fork Dr.
Rougemont, NC 27572
United States
I have been on a journey of vulnerability over the last three years. God has brought me deeper and deeper into this exploration of why vulnerability has been so difficult for me throughout my life and why I've (as far back as I can remember) seen it as weakness. This exploration has led me to discover that my boyhood was arrested by an agreement that not only are my feelings not valid, but that I shouldn't actually be feeling them. In response, I locked the little boy (innocence) away in a dark corner of my heart. I'm just now realizing that he (the little boy) is still in there behind the walls I constructed, hoping to one day see the light of day again. Jesus and I are working on breaking down those walls, and although it is scary to think about, I am hopeful that my boyhood can be rediscovered and set free.
The other part of the vulnerability journey for me has to do with the agreement that I can only fully rely on/trust myself. There were circumstances earlier this year that forced me to be open with my wife Sherry and the Zoweh team about how I was feeling. Inch by inch, foot by foot, mile by mile Jesus and I are regaining ground that has been surrendered to the enemy. It's a difficult process for me, but we're getting there.
- Groundhog Day: I love the transformation of Phil's character and how that transformation is so closely tied to hime learning the stories of the people around him. Plus it's Bill Murray!
- The Great Escape: The story of men who are fighting for a cause greater than any one man, who are captured by the enemy and then work together to escape captivity so that they can rejoin the fight. Tragic and hope inspiring all at once.
- Dances with Wolves: An epic story, filled with history, discovery, joy and tragedy. Makes my heart long for the simplicity of the time.
- The Road Back to You by Ian Cron: Awakened me to the beauty of the enneagram. The enneagram has been extremely helpful on my journey to rediscovering the hidden parts of my heart.
- Patriot Games by Tom Clancy: Epic story of a man swept up into a story larger than himself. Circumstances lead him into a situation where he's the only one who is willing to jump into action and do the right thing. He then has to rise to the occasion and protect his family from a lethal threat. Inspires me to do the same in the Kingdom and spiritual realm.
- Dangerous Wonder by Michael Yaconelli: My vulnerability journey has lead me back to the little boy that I locked away in my heart. This book is all about returning to childlike faith and undoing all the things that have gotten in the way of that kind of faith.
- I have to mention The Heart of a Warrior by Michael Thompson. Not just because he's my friend and director of Zoweh, but because it truly has changed the way I live my life and the way that I see the Kingdom.
- Cape Cod, MA: I grew up there. No other place like it in the world. Became connected to the ocean in deep and meaningful ways. Really anyplace that's near the ocean feels life giving to me.
- Bald Head Island, NC: Have visited there often. Beauty all around and it's surrounded by ocean water. Life giving and peaceful.
- Grand Cayman/St. Thomas: Cheating here a bit but both are islands in the Caribbean. What's better than crystal clear water, sugary sand and no shoes?