I think I have discovered my one true passion in life. Perhaps it’s my calling, or my final answer to what I want to be when I grow up. It might sound crazy, but this is a pretty big deal for me. It takes a while to nail these things down when you suffer a bit from ADD. If I become interested in something on one day, two weeks later it will be something else. That’s the way my mind has worked ever since I was a child.

The good thing is I’m fairly decent at a variety of things. I can play soccer pretty well; I can play the drum set. I can even mess around on a piano and play a few chords on the guitar. I speak Spanish, very un-fluently. I can build a simple website, take decent pictures, and edit some video when I need to. These are all things I thought I could be someday and I’m pretty good at them all, but I’m not really good at any of them. I want to be a really good writer.

Perhaps this doesn’t come as a surprise to you. After all, I’m in the process of writing a book, right? Right. But I suppose there is a difference between sitting down to write a book and becoming a really good writer, a successful one even. A lot of people have said they plan to write a book, and I’m sure I am only joining the masses by saying so myself, but I want to do more than that. I want to actually set my mind to something, stick with it, and be patient enough to take the necessary steps to get there. And by there, I don’t mean writing a book, but becoming a really good, successful, writer.

The last few days I’ve had a lot of doubts of my abilities to become a good writer. I’ll read something by an author I admire and realize my own abilities pale in comparison. I suppose it’s like wanting to play in the NBA, but realizing you can only shoot a granny shot. I’ve looked at some of my stuff and considered changing it to make it more marketable, more normal, perhaps more aww-like. I’ve even thought about ripping it all up and forgetting about it. But I’ve prayed a lot the last couple days and have asked God to push me if I need pushing and to guide me because my sight is unfortunately cloudy. Today I feel His push, His guidance.

I don’t know what this all means. I don’t know if I’ll ever publish a book or get one of my essays in a magazine, but I know my goal is to become a good writer; scratch that…my goal is to become a really good writer, even if nothing ever gets published. I hope I get there. I know that not all NBA players started out shooting granny style, but I’d be willing to bet some did. They just had to work harder to get where they are. I can do the same, I plan on it…as long as I don’t change my mind.

I was watching the local news the other night; I think it went something like this: Murder on 6th street, rape on 3rd, weather sucked today, more sucky weather tomorrow, and well, nobody won the lottery.

I can’t say it surprised me. The news is always bad. Unfortunately, that in itself is what makes it news. How weird would it be if the news went something like this: Steve got a job promotion, Sara gave birth to a beautiful boy, the sun is shining, it will shine tomorrow, and well, EVERYBODY won the lottery. Hmm…that almost sounds refreshing.

It kind of reminds me of the emails I get, or actual letters and phone calls. I call them prayer requests because; well…that’s what they are.

I’m not saying prayer request are bad, and I must admit first hand I recently sent out a request myself, but I have begun to see a pattern. I get a phone call from a friend who says his grandmother recently came down with cancer; a letter from another that says her family has recently come upon financial struggles, and an email that says a buddy just lost a job.

I do pray for them. I pray that God gives them strength, patience and understanding in the face of struggle. I don’t pray that God takes away the cancer, blesses the family with money, or gets my buddy his job back. Does that make me terrible?

Ask anybody who has a relationship with Christ and they’ll most likely tell you they believe that everything happens for a reason, that God has our lives planned out for us. Wouldn’t that mean then, that if we all gather together and pray against the bad things that happen in life that we’re all just raising a big stink against God’s plans?

Now that sounds completely heartless and I have to say, I’m not evil. I do have a heart, and I care about my friends, their families and the struggles they face, especially sicknesses.

But I do wonder…

I wonder if God’s looking down on us saying, “Geez, get over it already!” We probably remind Him of the Israelites on their way out of Egypt; complaining all the time because life wasn’t easy for them, forgetting the miracles, and blessings they received over and over and over again.

I wonder how frustrating that can be. It’s probably much like parents providing for their child who complains because he has to eat macaroni and cheese, AGAIN? How weird or refreshing would it be if the child were to say, “Thanks mom and dad for this macaroni, I am so blessed to have food on the table.”

How weird would it be to get a phone call from a friend, “Hey buddy, can you praise God for me tonight, because I just got a job promotion.” Or an email that says, “Everybody praise God, Jon just met a wonderful woman.” I call them praise requests because; well…that’s what they are.

I know that many people do praise God for such things. We do so in our own prayers. We thank God for the blessings we’ve received, but how often do we share it with others? How often do we try to get a band together to praise God for such wonderful things He’s blessed us with? Not often. Not often enough.

I imagine the smile we might be able to put on Gods face if instead He looked down on a bunch of children praising His work. I wonder if He would then bless us with more, as if we deserved it.

I encourage you to send out an email of praise. Make a phone call. Write a letter, do something! Let’s all praise God together! He deserves our praise much more than we deserve His blessings.

I have to admit: I love tuna casserole. I don’t know why. I think it has something to do with the amazing flavor you get when you combine melted cheese, macaroni noodles and tuna. Leave the celery out it, please, but fill my plate with some good ol’ tuna casserole.

I like the stuff so much that even though I was eating it on the night that completely changed my life; I still can’t get enough of it.

I was 9 years old and sitting around the dinner table with my four other siblings, probably arguing over who had the biggest serving of the amazingly tasty dish. At the time I had no idea my life would turn a corner and head off into a different direction, but moments later my father came downstairs and along with some bad words, threw dishes and a chair across the room. My mother followed him with her own bad words, “Get Out!” And so there it was. The next five minutes are pretty clear even today. A parent on each arm, violently discussing which way I would go, a few moments later I was in the backseat of a van with the same four siblings, unable to finish my favorite dinner. I learned then how quickly life can go from tuna casserole to plain green peas.

My life, I guess you can say, has been a journey. I’ve toured with my own band. I’ve experienced some of the most beautiful cities in the world. I’ve also failed out of college and I’ve discovered a close connection between my then best friend and now ex-wife.

It’s amazing how different your feelings for God can be in those moments. When the going’s good, so is God. When it’s not, well…God didn’t have the same view in my eyes then. Even though He stood on my shoulder, I flicked him off. “No thanks, I don’t need you right now.” When life offered me green peas, I decided I’d rather starve.

Yet here I am today. A proud Christian, whom although doesn’t deserve even the smallest serving of tuna casserole, continues to receive God’s blessings.

I find it amazing how I got here. A 26-year-old little boy, whom through his life has been blessed with so many gifts from God, yet has thrown 90% of them away. Somehow…someway…I’m here…and quite often I smile. I smile because God is a forgiving God. His mercy and grace can mend a torn heart, lift a fallen soul, and put a smile on a face.

So many times we look away from God for answers that we feel we can only find ourselves. Life gets rough and we run. We can have God on our shoulder, only to flick Him off because we feel we just don’t need Him in that moment.

I thank God for a friend, a friend who took me to church for the first time after five years. God proved to me then that although we can give up on God, He’ll never give up on you. Like He did for Moses and Jonah in the bible, He’ll wait for you as you run, yet He’ll never let you run too far. He’ll run alongside you or run ahead and be waiting for you when you get there. And when you do, He’ll be there with open arms.

Thank you, God, for that friend. Thank you, God, for being there when I got there. And thank you, God, for tuna casserole.

“Check mate.” I’ve never actually been able to say that. I’ve never been able to masterfully control all the moves I make and come out with a satisfied victory sealed with that satisfied expression. That satisfied smirk. I guess it very well could be that I suck at chess. I never did like the game…too many different pieces that move in too many different directions. I don’t know what a rook is let alone a bishop. Plus, you have to count when you move the horse, so…no thanks. The problem with chess is you have to think too much. You have to think five moves ahead in order to come out on top. You have to control every little piece, every little move you make…if not, you lose and the guy across the board from you smirks that satisfied smirk. “Check mate.”

Our lives can be a lot like a game of chess…too many different pieces, or issues, that we try to move in too many different directions. We worry about the move that’s five moves ahead and try to control every little issue, every little move we make. If the boy breaks up with her, she has to call eight times so he knows how much she cares…if he doesn’t answer, she better go knock on his door. If he takes this job now, and works for two years there, then he can get this job here, and go there, where he can work for another twenty years and retire. Sounds like a lot of worrying for a twenty year old “he”.

When we worry ourselves with every little move we rarely come out on top. When we try to control everything in our lives we usually end up stumbling, spilling our pieces all over the board. So, why do we try? Why do we worry ourselves with trying to control all our situations, to move all our pieces? Wouldn’t it be nice to let someone else take control?

I have a friend who writes all her worries on a piece of paper and puts them in a box. It’s her way of giving her issues to God, and letting Him take control. He has control anyways, so why try to fight it? We might as well relax and enjoy the amazing path He has set out for us. God’s will has been set in motion. Who are we to argue?

Everyone has their anxious moments, the moments they feel they have to do something. They have to make a move so it ends up the way they want it. The way they think it should be. Sometimes it’s after a break up; sometimes it’s guiding a career. Sometimes it’s every once in a while; sometimes it’s all the time.

Whenever it is; whatever it is, I encourage you to let Him move the pieces. In times when you feel you need to have the most control, hand control to God and let him run with it. In Romans 12:2 it says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” If we can remember this, we can remain calm when our emotions tell us to act otherwise. If we let God put His will into motion, we can come out on top. In the end He will guide us to a satisfied victory. From there it’s up to us to seal it with that satisfied expression. That satisfied smirk. “Check mate.”

Don’t you hate detours? Especially when you’re anxious to get somewhere? I do. You’re moving along at a good pace and just when you feel like you’ll get to where you’re going on time you see the big orange sign. Then it sets in that you have to go a completely different way. Don’t you hate that? It’s never the way you intended to go. Usually it’s the long way around. Maybe you’ll end up being late…end up wasting more gas along the way. Hey, we can listen to a few more songs, right? But when do we think of the positive? Usually I’ll smack the steering wheel, maybe I’ll let a couple curse words out, I might make a big scene until the guy in the car next to me begins to laugh and point. Thankfully, growing up skinny with a big nose, I’ve become accustomed to people laughing and pointing…cue the acoustic guitar.

Detours happen in our personal lives as well; unfortunately all too often. We can be in the fast lane on our own “Highway to Happiness” and just when we’re coming up to our exit we discover the off ramp is closed. We get a big orange sign that says, “No, you can’t go this way. Try a different route.” Don’t you hate that? It’s not what we want. It’s not what we expected. Hey, we can look forward to a whole new set of experiences, right? But when do we think of the positive?

How do you react? Usually we get angry, maybe depressed, sad, confused. Sometimes we feel self pity. We might throw things or yell at people that don’t deserve to be yelled at.

Have you ever tried prayer?

It really is amazing what prayer can do. You might surprise yourself with how calm it makes you feel. Next time you’re faced with a detour, close your eyes and pray. Sometimes we forget that God knows what’s best for us. We just don’t have all the evidence to see that God is right. And trust me, He always is.

My mother had to walk away from my step dad a couple years ago. It’s not what she wanted to do, but she had to. She was upset, depressed…maybe even mad at the world. But she didn’t have all the evidence. A year later, a man a million times better came into her life and has made her a happy woman. It’s happened to me and I’ve seen it happen to others as well; and not only with love, but with careers, moving to new locations, and friendships.

We never have all the evidence. We can never look into the future and see that the detour is the better route. It doesn’t lead to a different place…it’s just different scenery along the way. God will make sure we get to where we need to be. The next time you’re faced with a detour, I encourage you to stop and pray. Pray for understanding, strength and patience. And remember what God said in Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” I promise you the future will be much brighter when God leads us there. Plus, we can always listen to a few more songs along the way.