i drove through downtown Manhattan today.

Here is our team ... Jenny, myself, Luke, Dave, and Carly. Since i last wrote, we have traveled through Indiana, Michigan, and are now in Toledo, Ohio. If only i could recall all we've done, but i can't without much thought. Living today is good.

This week has been a bit slower than most. We fill our time with games. We enjoy games ... Truco, Five Crowns, Blockus, Rook, Liar's Dice, Fluxx, Guillotine, and Candamir. We also had opportunity to cook our own meal as we stayed at a youth house Monday and Tuesday night ... amazing meal ... among the top two best meals i've ever had ... mmmm! We will soon be heading out towards the east coast and i hope to see many of you who are out that way. i'll try and get in touch and maybe we can get booked with or near you. We'll be as far south as Georgia and may make it as north as Massachusetts.

i hope you all are well. i am ... enjoying my final few days of this 30^th year. Smile today.

Mundelein, IL ... Valparaiso, IN ... Harlan, IN

I have recently begun reading The Lord of the Rings and I relate well with the songs of Bilbo.

Such is the song I've sung so long. After much waiting and such a long season of silence, our good and gracious God has so persistently and plainly shown me something of tomorrow. The path is truly right beneath our feet. He has called me to a year full of the greater things here as a member of New Dawn.

Yesterday, at the Millenium Park Bean in Chicago, I was (re)united with Dave, Carly, Luke, and Jenny. We enjoyed an afternoon of walking downtown, along Navy Pier, and along the river. Before returning home to Mundelein, we shared an excellent Italian meal and good times with Jenny's friends, Jamie and Matt.

Today, my parents, Aunt Steph, and my cousin, Cori came to Valparaiso in order to meet the team and send us on our way. They were able to also enjoy our short program at Whispering Pines Care Facility. I praise the Lord the for the encouragement and support they have offered us as we step forward into this coming year. And the evening has now brought us to Harlan where Dave and I have the great opportunity to stay with a family that has been a long-time supporter of Youth Encounter. Good people and good food!

What joy has come these past days. May the Lord continue to bless us in dawning of each new day. And I sing ...

The regular blog has been indefinitely taken from this page, as my security is inadequate for preventing spammers from flooding the comments pages.

For now, i leave you with this wonderful news ... God has been persistently urging me toward a year of ministry with the New Dawn team sponsored by Youth Encounter! He has been unmistakably speaking to me through friends, strangers, dreams, and so many small things, that, taken by themselves could well be considered happenstance. Praise Him! Our team - Carly, Dave, Jenny, Luke, and myself - will be traveling throughout the US, Taiwan, and the Philippines. If you are interested in following us in our journey this year, you can visit New Dawn on the Youth Encounter website. If you are interested in supporting me financially this year or would like our team to visit your church, please email me. God is good! May He continue to richly bless you in the dawning of the each new day!

And days come when clouds turn the green to gray. i am praying for you ... for comfort, peace, strength. Last night drowning sorrow in Irish brew and Irish tune.

Today was awesome in so many ways!

My friend Jeremy Runge, who i recently heard is now living in Colorado Springs, knocked on my door here in Lafayette. It has been a few years since we last talked. He and his wife, Stacey, now have three children. They then invited me to his parents this evening for dinner. What a wonderful surprise! God is good. The picture to the right was taken during a spring break trip to the Smoky Mountains and a variety of other places out East.

Today, i was able to open up my jeep and enjoy the sunshine. My new stereo sounds great. Played and sang several songs after the pot-blessing at church ... yes, Elden, we blessed the pot ... and it was good! Dad and i continued work on the shed and deck out back the house. We enjoyed a bit of NASCAR action from Talladega. Adrienne now has a dog ... Abby. Less than two weeks now until my third trip to Texas within the past year.

A wonderful day ... in so many ways! May yours have been just as blessed!