Jesus said, "Follow me." I asked, "Why?" My circuitous journey following Jesus began at age 19. Over 44 years later the question remains the same for the vast majority of people I interact with on any given day – “Why do you follow Jesus?” If you’ve ever asked that question, or had that question asked of you, I hope this series will help you to either begin to find honest answers or be conversation starters to aid you in helping someone else with their questions. I don’t have all the answers…but I’ve had a multitude of questions. Each section will contain a very short story regarding my journey in seeking to answer 'why?' - along with an image and a song or video clip that helps flesh out what my thought processes were along the way. You'll see the roadblocks I encountered and the times when the clouds parted to give me clarity. JESUS LOVES ME? Those words intermittently flowed through my head for nineteen years before th

  I never shot a gun until I moved to Texas. Now, don’t worry, this isn’t about gun control vs. Second Amendment rights. It’s about snakes! Early on in our marriage, we lived on a ranch in West Texas for six years. During that time, I shot a minimum of eight rattlesnakes in the proximity of our house (and many more as we roamed the ranch property). I saw them, I shot. There was never any hesitation. Snakes have always unnerved me. Having two young daughters just heightened my response. But not everyone has the same healthy fear of snakes that I do. Rattlesnakes aren’t America’s most lovable animals, but they’re certainly able to draw a crowd. Between January and July, dozens of rattlesnake roundups will take place in at least seven U.S. states, bringing the paying public face to

  “Jesus is the answer!” they said. “What’s the question?” I snidely replied. Forty-four years have passed since that encounter, yet I remember it vividly. I was enjoying a run on the Redondo Beach strand when I was accosted by a group of ‘Jesus Freaks’ who blocked my path and began our ‘conversation’ by shouting, “Do you know Jesus?” and “The End is Near!” It went downhill quickly from there. I saw no need for the Answer to a question that I never planned to ask. Life was good – until it wasn’t. My life began to unravel quickly over the following year due to a myriad of circumstances. Maybe sounds like your life right now today. We live a world of uncertainty. Over 250,000 people in America have died from COVID-19. Hospitals across the country are reaching maximum capacity as the pandemic surge continues. Financial insecurity looms as many businesses, large and small, valiantly attempt to weather the storm. Hatred, rage, and all types of “tribal” warfare all-too-often

  Where’s Waldo? books have been on my mind lately. In the midst of the multi-layered effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the race for the White House, along with its accompanying tribal warfare, have you ever wondered where God is? If you’re honest, it’s probably not the first time you’ve questioned what God is doing. You’re not alone. Even Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, couldn’t figure out their Son at times. “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.” [i] The shortest route from Nazareth to Jerusalem would take the travelers through Samaria. However, the extreme dislike/hatred that Jews had for the Samaritans, and vice-versa, often caused them t