THE PATH: Vacation From Hell?

MY WHISPER: I am comfortable and confident enough to say that I have changed – from junior high to high school, from high school to college, from college to the real world, and so on and so on. That’s why I thought this narrative I wrote on a family vacation to Colorado was so perfect to share. What makes us change? What calls us to action? What forces us to alter our mind set? For me, I went from “ugly” to appreciative in two days and 800 miles. Even though I lacked a relationship with God at this time in my life, it’s obvious he was talking to my twisted and angry adolescent soul. My favorite part of this passage is when I actually admit that I’m being a pain in the butt. I’m sure that didn’t happen too often. (NOTE: I retyped excerpts from my handwritten narrative. The scanned pages were hard to read, but I also HAD to clean up some of the garble – e.g. poor English, misspelled words, etc.)

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THE PATH: 'Excerpt From My Life'

MY WHISPER: This is a page from my high school creative writing notebook. It’s interesting to see how retrospectively my focus and priorities remained in disarray between junior high and high school. Just like many high school kids, I was lost – simply trying to feel my way along a pitch-dark path.

FOUNDATION: More than Being 'Good Enough'

MY WHISPER: This is another lesson from my men’s fellowship. It is a brief look into other religions and what their followers believe will get them to heaven. As the lesson shows us, it’s all about being “good enough.” A very subjective measuring stick for eternity, don’t you think? I feel like I’m a good person – I care about others, do some volunteering, try not to be malicious – but is that “good enough” to get to heaven? That’s a very scary question. I like some of the principles of the worldly religions – do good works, self control, moral living – but when it comes to eternity, I feel more comfortable putting my faith in Jesus Christ. That way, there are NO QUESTIONS when it comes to life after death.

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FOUNDATION: Adventure in Christ

MY WHISPER: This is a lesson from a men’s fellowship that I was a part of last spring. It talks about the different adventures in Christ. I wanted to share three of those adventures with you.

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THE FOUNDATION: 'Proud of You'

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MY WHISPER: This journal is filled with pages and pages of Mom’s written words – every single one appreciated and cherished. This small note from Dad speaks to my heart, though. I can count on one hand how many letters and/or notes I received from Dad. That is one reason why this collection of words is so special to me. There are five words in this note that changed my life – “I’m very proud of you.” Dad, I’ve always assumed that I made you proud, but this was the first time in my life I remember you actually expressing it. Thank you.

THE FOUNDATION: Part Two of My Journey

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THE FOUNDATION: Part One of My Journey

MY WHISPER: I feel extremely blessed to be where I am in my life. Even though I lived it, I still can’t believe the remarkable journey I traveled to get here. It makes me smile when people say things like, “I could never do anything like that” or “your story is so inspiring.” When I started down this path, I never dreamed that this “adventure” would generate those type of responses. The following journal pages tell my story – one that started with a simple prayer.

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