Why I Started Writing:

I want to inspire the wounded believer to join the ancient adventure, to encourage the faithful not to lose heart, and to engage the skeptic in a dialog about the perfect God who loves an imperfect church. I write essays about faith designed to unsettle the hobbit in all of us and inspire us to forget second breakfast long enough to join the adventure. Writing is the best way to say everything I have to say without being interrupted.

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

I read everything I can get my hands on so I’m challenged to only name a few. Certainly the Biblical writers Mark and John, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, G.K. Chesterton, A.E. Tozier, Hannah Hurnard, and Oswald Chambers. Contemporary writers who influence me are James L. Rubart, Randy Alcorn, and Stephen Lawhead. A kind of quirky thing I realized only recently is much of the rhythm and style of my writing is heavily influenced by the writing of Rudyard Kipling.

Books I Have Written:

I wrote my first book, Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus), to encourage the believer who has encountered troubles and trials in the Christian life, the weary believer who has pulled to the side of the narrow road and needs encouragement (or a kick in the pants) to continue. I hear from readers that reading the book is like sitting across from a good friend over a cup of coffee and having a real conversation. That means so much to me! I hope you’ll love this collection of short, short chapters filled with humor, Biblical insight, and the struggles of the weary Christian’s heart worked out with the power of Jesus.

My next book, Red Pen Redemption, is a Christmas novella. Helen Bancroft is not a sweet woman and this is not a sweet story. What would you do if God took you up on a dare? Helen Bancroft’s led a good life and feels no need for her daughter’s Savior. When God accepts Helen’s dare to edit her autobiography and prove her righteousness, she’s in for a lesson in her own history. One woman’s journey from unbelief to acceptance turns into the Christmas Eve adventure of a lifetime beneath the red pen of Christ’s mercy and grace. I wrote this story with love for all my friends who pray for unsaved parents and hold out the hope of Christ to them even into their eighties and nineties. God has surprises for us even when we think the adventure is close to an end.

My latest book is Jesus and the Beanstalk (Overcoming Your Giants and Living a Fruitful Life). What if a fairy tale and ten Bible verses could free you to live an effective, fruitful life in Christ? We live in a world populated with giants. Giant obstacles to sharing faith. Giant barriers to godly lives. Giant strongholds of sin. We come from a long line of giant-killers so, why aren’t we dodging more fallen giants? “Jack and the Beanstalk” could hold part of the key. Jesus and the Beanstalk explores 2nd Peter 1:1-10 using fairy tale, humor, and modern culture to show today’s believers how to unleash that promise of an effective, fruitful life. Designed for both individuals, discipleship, small groups, or ministry retreats, readers will find this fresh take on spiritual growth engaging and motivating. Are you ready to topple the giants in your life?

What I'm Working On Now:

I’m launching Jesus and the Beanstalk, blogging, and developing my next project. It’s “in the creative workshop” so I don’t talk about the project until it’s ready (or I’m ready) whichever comes first.