Where to Start?

Where have I been?

A lot has changed over the past several years. I have taken a step back to regroup, stabilize my family, support my children and come to grips with the new reality that is our life. That explains why many of you haven’t heard from me or seen many updates from me. I have appreciated those that did reach out and have shown concern. Moving forward, I have come to grips that everything is now going to look different not only for me but also for my children — A life I never imagined for them…ever. I am hopeful that they will be able to get through this period of their lives and know that I will always be right by their side no matter if it is on the soccer field sidelines, volunteering in their schools, or being that stabilizing father they can rely on and come to whenever they need help or celebrate a success.

So, what about now? To get there, I need to go back….all the way back to high school. I remember a vivid discussion that asked the priest in religion class, why do good things happen to good people? How can God allow hurt and pain to happen in our lives? The answer that was given was he allows us to have free will. He is by our side but won’t intervene in our lives to change the present. I struggled with this back then and even more so recently. But why does he allow these things to happen? As a God, wouldn’t you want to protect and cherish the people you created? I know that as a father, my number one mission is to protect and make sure my children have the tools to be loving and caring individuals in society. Give them the best life I can.

It’s not easy. I am not the first to one to say I am perfect, but I do try. I always have fought for the underdog, been a good example for my children, do what I can to provide for my family, not smoke, not drink and take care of others. If anything my one fault has been time and time again is not having the ability to say “no” to things. If I see someone in need or a group that needs help, I rarely, if ever, turn them down.

Typically, when the end of a year comes it gives us time to reflect and think about what we want to do in the coming new year. New year’s resolutions are always a challenge. Not having a vice to change makes it even harder. So as 2021 marched along and I had more time to reflect and think, I thought about how can I make a resolution that is bold yet attainable? There are always the standard ones — exercise more, eat more of this or even change your diet all together — but they weren’t the ones I want to do again.

Moving Forward

Here we are quickly approaching the last several days of 2021. 2022 is coming at us at full speed without any signs of slowing down. So what to do? Over the last several months I have been continuing my search for answers. It’s the analytical side of me. As I have looked around and attending church groups it hit me. I have always read passages of the Bible, but not ever the actual Bible. I started to look at a guide if you will because the Bible after all isn’t just one book. It is a collection of books over a large periods of human history – a large time continuum if you will. All the different books of the Bible have been written by different authors and witnessed different accounts. In church, we read verses of the Bible from preselected books that weave together an overall message we should follow. Thus I started to look through the resources I have and also the Internet. I stumbled upon Fr. Mike Schmitz of Ascension Press. In 2021 he started a Bible in a Year journey. I started to look into it and found his approach to the Bible measured and thoughtful. The course looked as if it was well organized and explained the Bible in far greater detail then I have ever learned it. I ordered the Bible and the guide.

My New Year’s Resolution for 2022

For 2022, I am going to follow (and post) the full Bible in a Year journey. It is a big and bold undertaking and I hope to complete it. I’ll need your help! I’ll be posting on it each day – not only the Bible verses but also my thoughts and reflections. Keep me accountable and if you follow along, feel free to comment. I welcome the engagement and encouragement. I may miss a day or two but promise to catch up as soon as I can. My goal is to get a deeper understanding of the Bible and how all the different books and time periods come together.

Oh, and I promise to post more frequently now!