Hey! How are you?
I'm glad you are here and very excited that you are a partner with me in The World Race (even if this is your first time on my blog.) I am blessed to be able to share my heart with you, and hopefully you will learn a little bit about how I got to this point.
I am a WORSHIPER!
If nothing else described me, this would be enough. It is what God created you and I to be. But it was a long process in my life to realize this.
I hail from Louisville, Kentucky (Luhlvul, phonetically, for natives), but my heart calls other places home. More on that later. Anyway, I am the son of two godly parents, Richard and Karen, and have an awesome brother, Jay. I grew up, "normally." But I thank God (literally), that He was not satisfied with that.
I have been a musician since the age of 9, and so when it came for college, I left Kentucky for Colorado for music school. Best. Decision. Ever. It was there that I grew into my own, with God, amidst the seclusion of the mountains, and my three years there turned me into a granola-outdoor loving-backpacking-hiking-snowshoeing-junkie. God put me there for a reason, and my time there in a way led me to the World Race.
But He took me away!
I came back to the Bluegrass state in the Spring of 2010, because God was not satisfied with my shallow plan to become a professional musician. He had better things in store. And so, in February of that year, He spoke to me, and changed my life forever. He told me to go love on some Africans.
What?! AFRICA?
Up until that point, I had never felt any sort of calling or any notion of desire to be involved in missions work. Not even the desire to travel to other nations.
But God wanted MORE from me.
So I sought out opportunities, and ended up working in Kisumu, Kenya for a week. I discovered what it means to be a part of the Kingdom of God, following His plan, doing His work, and living in dependence of His life, given for me. As a musician, He was able to use talents He created in me to serve others in way that I could have never imagined.
(teaching a new friend some music theory)
After coming back to America from that week, I knew that God was asking me to give up more of my life to Him, namely, my career and any other future plans. So in the fall of 2010, I made the decision to pursue a life abandoned to Christ, one where I would pursue missions vocationally.
One year later, a very challenging year of being stripped down and built back up, made new in Christ, I am leaving on the World Race. I cannot wait to see what God does leading up to my departure, and in my year abroad.
The World Race has already started, and Training Week has come and passed, and I will never again be the same, changed forever. I have learned what it is to be a worshiper, not just someone who occasionally worships. Being a worshiper is a lifestyle, and God continues to teach me daily, more what that means.
Thank you for being a part of this journey with me and I hope that you will pray for me and financially support me in partnership as I serve the nations.
"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't.” – John Piper
"A man's heart plans his ways, but the LORD determines his steps." – Proverbs 16:9
"But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore – the LORD above is mightier than these! Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O LORD, is holy forever and ever." – Psalm 93: 4-5
Random Stuff:
– Chocoholic
– Muse is my favorite band. I listen to them every day. Seriously.
– I sleep on the floor mostly. Guess that's a good thing considering the World Race.
– I'm an avid movie watcher. (Guilty pleasure: zombie movies!)
– I prefer being in the outdoors, on a mountain, to anywhere else.
– I can't fly a kite. Trust me. I've tried more times than I can count.
– I am a runner.
– I would smell like a campfire at all times if it were socially acceptable.
