We all go through times where we feel that we’ve been dealt an unfair hand at the table of life. Sometimes, it’s the consequences of poor choices (be it ours or others) that bring heartache and pain. Life becomes challenging, and perhaps downright depressing. Sharing our moments of disappointment with someone we trust is encouraging. The goal is to keep moving on and growing stronger while weathering the storm(s) of adversity.

In times of disillusionment, anxiety, and uncertainty, we crave an out, a solution, a hope that will keep us moving forward. But what exactly are we hoping for? A better…what? Ultimately, we’re really searching for a hope that will never fail us.

The God of the Bible reminds us that if we believe in what He says and follow Him, He will never leave us, always guide us, and watch over us. That’s a hope we can really count on. Forever!

Living with the reality of God in our lives, at the beginning, middle, or end of a “storm” builds a better, stronger “me”.

Blue sky ahead!

PS. Years ago, a friend described what his dad said when a storm was breaking up. “There’s a patch of blue in the West”. That stuck with me. No matter how dark life can get, a clear “sky” is not far off. Thanks, EBGJ!

PSS. One of my heroes in the Bible is Paul, the apostle. His life ambitions went from persecuting and approving of the executions of followers of Jesus Christ, to becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. The shift in Paul’s worldview was realizing who Jesus Christ is. During his faith journey, he stated that no matter what he was experiencing (the good, the bad, the ugly), he counted everything as secondary to having a relationship with Jesus Christ. In other words, all of life’s experiences were a net “gain” resulting in a better understanding of who he was together with a better understanding of who God is. In other words, a lasting hope.

Paul describes the certainty of hope he possesses in writing to the church in Corinth: “We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:14–18 (NLT) https://biblia.com/bible/nlt/2-corinthians/4/14-18

Why do we experience difficulties in life? https://www.gotquestions.org/momentary-light-affliction.html

It is amazing to realize how much God loves us. The One who created us, became one of us to prove it.

As I was writing the lyrics of “He’s Alive!”, Mary of Bethany in the Bible came to mind. At some point, she realized that Jesus of Nazareth was no ordinary dude. He was God in flesh. When her brother Lazarus died, she mentioned to Jesus that if only he had been present during her brother’s illness, he would not have died. So what did Jesus do? He brought Lazarus back from the dead! Mary’s life would never be the same.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ forever changed the landscape of human history. This song talks about God’s love, how much we are worth to him, and describes God’s rescue plan. The good news of the Bible has nothing to do with how “good” we think we are in God’s eyes, but has everything to do with why Jesus Christ had to die on the cross in the first place. If we don’t get that, we don’t get God. And we don’t get how much God loves us and is for us.

For further investigation, read the entire book of John — it’s a great read!

Mary’s and Lazarus’ story can be found in John 11 (https://biblia.com/books/nlt/Jn11)

PS: There are many great modern-day translations of the Bible. I benefit from The New Living Translation (NLT), The New International Version (NIV), and The English Standard Version (ESV).

Remember when you had your first crush? Brings back memories, hey? :)

Some time ago, I became enamored of a woman in a workplace environment. Although nothing ever became of our public conversations, it was exhilarating to once again experience those emotions of magnetic attraction. I wrote this song to disengage myself from the appeal of that lovely lady who made my heart go all aflutter.

Whether you’re married or in a blossoming relationship, may this song rekindle fond memories of when you first started noticing your sweetie!

If you’re not in a relationship (and you desire to be), you never know when the beginning of a full-on crush is just a head-turn away.

This song’s origins stemmed from two fairly recent horrific events. The murder of Iryna Zarutska devastated me. Iryna’s brutal slaying was so shocking because a woman who fled from the unrest in Ukraine had her life ended in a country where she thought she would be safe. Shortly thereafter, Charlie Kirk was assassinated on a public university campus because someone disagreed with his “free speech” perspectives.

Evil exists. Around 200 years ago, Edmund Burke is attributed to saying that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing.” Doing what’s right in life matters. So what does this look like in America? Are there shared values we can agree upon? For example, are there common goals that reflect an ideology that, as a friend once told me, “promote lawfulness and prevent lawlessness?”

The common goals of the United States of America in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence indicate seven perspectives:


1. To forge a stronger, unified, and cohesive union for the good of all.

2. To enforce justice according to the existing laws of the land, applied equally to all.

3. To maintain peace and order while protecting citizens from internal conflict.

4. To defend citizens from external/foreign threats with a strong, unified military.

5. To promote the general well-being of all citizens

6. To secure liberty for all citizens — the right to life, freedom, and happiness.

7. To recognize that the government’s authority is through the consent of those governed.

The fabric of those common goals has been slowly unraveling over the years. If we’re honest, some of us are comfortably numb. We tolerate the intolerable.

For those of us who subscribe to the common goals of this nation, may the lyrics encourage us to fight for the right of freedom and liberty, and may we continue to champion the union of this nation.

For a sobering and humbling perspective on the American Revolution: https://youtu.be/Lof5J0Ff-Wk?t=500 Revolutionary America (Hillsdale Studios) Narrated by Tom Selleck

Iryna Zarutska (RIP 082225)

Charlie Kirk (RIP 091025)

Back in my college days in Eau Claire, WI, I stumbled home from a bar one afternoon and passed out on some live railroad tracks. I don't know how long I lay there. I vaguely remember regaining consciousness and staggering up the steep road to my dorm room, looking at my bloodied face and shirt in the mirror (I had head planted myself into one of the railroad ties), and realizing (in my drunken stupor) life wasn't exactly going the way I had hoped for.

Someone once said that our lives can be summarized by the dash on a tombstone between the year we were born and the year we die. That dash can be one heck of a ride -- exhilarating, bumpy, and uncertain (and hopefully not too many trainwrecks along the way)! If we're honest, we hope to figure out what the "dash" is all about before we die. In other words, what is life really all about?

My search for hope and the ultimate meaning of life culminated in the realization that if Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, that changes everything. He ain't dead. He's alive.

This song describes my understanding of what the Bible says regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

FWIW: Shoutout to Bob Dylan's 1979 album Slow Train Coming. He was one of several artists who encouraged my early faith in God.

When life gets a little crazy and out of control, who do we put our trust in? Who will help us make sense of what’s going on in life? Whether it’s an unexpected life event(s) or perhaps an addiction, who can help us find our way back to “normal”?

Often, we trust ourselves — our pride tells us we can handle the chaos all by ourselves (especially guys!). We also turn to loved ones, acquaintances, things, or even fantasy (escape from reality) for help in dealing with life’s speed bumps. Eventually, we manage to limp our way out of disappointment and heartache and move forward as best we can.

This song reflects all that, but it also hints at what life is all about. Why are we here — why do we exist? Many of us side-step that issue. We more or less say, “Eat, drink, and be merry today, for tomorrow we die”! So we enjoy and live in the moment (which we should do!), but we don’t grapple with the impending destiny of the D-word (death).

Regardless of your worldview, the Bible does address the “why am I here” question in relation to life and death, such as: God exists, we really matter to God, death is our enemy, Jesus Christ conquered death on our behalf, connecting to God rightly brings hope and purpose in this life and the life to come. If all that is true, that’s a game-changer!

So who do you trust to deliver you from all of life’s curveballs?

fyi...to explore more about what the Bible says about life, enjoyment, and death, Google these verses: Ecclesiastes 8:15, Isaiah 22:13 (as well as Luke 12:19 and 1 Corinthians 15:32.

A while back, the chorus of this song came to me while reflecting on chapter three of the Apostle John’s first letter to various churches in Asia Minor back in the first century. John says to his fellow Jesus-followers in verse 18 (I'm paraphrasing): Don't merely say that we love each other -- let's show it by our actions. That got me thinking. Our world tends to “love one another" as long as that other individual, culture, and/or country thinks along similar lines regarding identity, values, politics, religious views (or lack thereof), etc. However, if we're honest, loving one another should transcend whatever opposing viewpoints, imperfections, disappointments, etc., we experience in life as we interact with one another. After all, we're in this life...together.

Having said all that, this song for some of us may be too utopian -- too simplistic. I get that. And I actually agree in the sense that we are unable to truly love one another unless God is acknowledged in a big way.

Whether you agree or disagree, I hope on some level this song resonates with you!