1994

It can’t rain all the time…

The sky won’t fall forever…

And though the night seems long..,

Your tears won’t fall forever…

…

Not your ‘94.

But they were your 90’s.

And even the goths got it.

Philippians 4;13.

that was 31 years ago. What’s changed?

Lots. Little. Longing. Loss.

But not Love.

NEVER Love…

🕊️🙏✝️

2025

Lots of things brewing.

So much on the horizon.

The hard work and pain has made you stronger.

Your friends see it.

Family sees it.

After decades, you finally just bought that replacement class ring for mom you’d always talked about wanting to for Christmas.

Because you have money to spare.

Because you can handle the physical grind of handling organizing a warehouse with cutting AC vents and hauling around a pallet jack without a second thought.

Because you grabbed 3 week gigs in Nebraska and North Dakota and handled them.

Healthier. Financially. Socially. Spiritually. Attacking every single bad habit with an ounce of anger and ten pounds of faith.

At the mercy of nothing but The Holy Spirit.

Will this be the year it all comes together? Everything? Nope.

You love this feeling. Hunger. For more in life.

Starting every day with 20 pushups. Because you’re going to keep starting every day with 20 push-ups. Because screw you if you don’t start every day with 20 pushups.

Because it’s good for the body and the soul.

So is the year it all comes together?

It’s up to Him.

Because you’re going to rock every single thing you can rock.

And you will fail every single thing you fail.

It’s up to you to make that list as small as possible.

ALL are fallen. ALL fall short. NO ONE is perfect. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US STARVES FOR SALVATION.

Broken. Flawed. Damaged.

So be Resilient. Repentant. Reborn.

Most things aren’t *Signs*. But sometimes something comes along that isn’t one… but still seems to flow.

Needed a haircut. Lady was older, faster, and swung the buzzing trimmer across the sides so fast you had no idea just how short she’d cut.

Top is good. Beard is full. Sides are literally military level acceptable.

And now…it actually works. 😂

You’ll get bit. Start off strong, you’ll have adversity. Bring the Lion out and something will tear into it.

Fear. Always there. Only a fool has no fear.

That’s what the Armor of God is for. And the world around you is ripe for claiming for once.

This feeling… Right here. Right now… is a Gift.

From Him.

Fill the New Year with it.

One day, you’ll be old, tired, and ready to leave the crib. Sitting on the pile of trophies you accumulated during these days.

None of which mean squat in the next life; the one that matters.

But Here. Now. You feel it. Strength. Power. Resolve. Are you where you want to be?

No. Still hungry. Good.

Stay hungry – until there is no need for it anymore.

Be the Lion. Your family needs you. It’s the time you’ve always knew would come. And it’s finally time to pay them back.

Prolly gonna keep the haircut. 😊

West.

I love you. Who you are through and through. You are the love of my life. Beautiful mother of my children. We’ve both worked so hard the last year. I’ve been in North Dakota and Nebraska hunting the bear, and you’ve taken the affairs of the house like the Proverbs 31 woman you are. Booking? Bookkeeping? Retail? Food/Bev? Dentistry? Govt Contracting? Music? Your jam from the comfort of the home we’ve both made.

Our children. Pile them into the car. Van. SUV. Station wagon in whatever form it’s taken in 2025.

We’re heading west, on the vacation we’ve both EARNED. Our kids have never seen the mountains of Tennessee. Gatlinburg. Pigeon Forge. The places mom loved so much.

Maybe even further. Grand Canyon. Yosemite. Who cares? We’ve piled our family into the family cruiser to spend two weeks together and have a blast like we were always meant to.

I hear this. Feel this. Midwestern, sure. But since the first time I hard it, I’ve pictured your beautiful, smiling face… wrangling our kids into the vacationmobile as we were always meant to to have quality family time we couldn’t get anywhere else.

A memory I’ll never have. Even though I have something etched into my mind when I hear this song as if it was part of who I was.

A voyage across land rather than sea. Our kids with us. Virginia Grace. Christian Alexander. And one or two names of your choice. Honoring those dear to you.

How? Why?

Couldn’t care less.

Only one thing soothes my heart.

No matter how I die… I will not die alone. The Holy Spirit will be with me. Always.

When I see the breadth of all that is truly real… this crib… will be merely that.

All regrets will stay here. Especially the lack of this memory that exists in a world in a road not taken.

I can’t comprehend suicide. But holy crap… I can’t wait. 😃