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Why the Blog…

I am a son, a brother, a husband, a father, an uncle. I am a college graduate, I am a graphic designer, and I am a minister. In all that I am, I am nothing without Jesus Christ.

I started pursuing Jesus Christ seriously after an encounter with Him in 1995. After graduating college with a BA in Communications in 2000, I served as a Communications Manager for a nonprofit in Detroit and as a freelance graphic designer while studying scripture daily and volunteering at my church. In 2006, I was then asked to start serving the church in many roles over the years, such as a Youth Pastor, Marketing Director, Life Group Pastor, Ministry School Director, and Executive Pastor. My greatest joy is helping people discover who they are in Christ. My wife Jennifer and I have been married since 2000, and together, we have raised two amazing sons.

In 2011, while attending a Christian Worship Gathering in Chicago, I was seated taking notes in my journal, when the pastor on stage asked everyone to stand up and raise their hands for prayer. As I raised my hands, still holding a pen. I was stunned when I heard a quiet voice in my heart say, “Stretch out your pen, I want to use it.” I pondered this moment for years. For the next decade, while teaching classes, small groups, one-on-one mentoring, speaking engagements, and traveling, I would often hear people, friends, and coworkers say, “You should write a book.” I would smile and thank them for the kind compliment, but in my heart, I would always pray, “God, what would I write that hasn’t been written? I would only be recycling ideas that others have said better than I.” God and I would have this silent dialog for more than a decade until I finally had enough.

After feeling the “call to write” again, I finally said to God, “Lord, this is the last time we have this conversation, I promise. If you want me to start writing, and it is really You, then have someone randomly hand me a nice pen within the next two weeks.” You can guess what happened, as this blog is evidence of how the story ends. But for the curious, two days later, I was in a meeting with my pastor and a colleague. My pastor had recently received a gift of a pen that was too ornate for his taste. He looked right at me during the meeting and randomly asked, “Joe, do you want this pen?” I tested God and declined by saying, “No, that is your pen!” However, my colleague in the meeting knew I loved nice pens and said, “Joe is a ‘pen guy,’ he likes a good pen.” My pastor handed me the pen and said, “It’s yours.” I was speechless. God had heard my prayer and responded within two days. Now, in simple obedience, I have started to write. I aim to pass on the truths, wisdom, and revelation I have learned over the years of pursuing Jesus and studying the Bible. I hope this blog will inspire you and help equip you to love Jesus with all your heart, mind, and soul.