"I'd rather be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war zone."​

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I said this to my wife one day... not knowing she'd take off with it and create this space.. but... here we are. And it's true. It is how I live my live each day- doing the best I can to stand for what is right while learning to also balance my inner fight with patience, trust and honor. 

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It's been a long journey- discovering what kind of man I want to be... which of course, began long before I met my wife, and yet has evolved a great deal since then. For us both, coming together and finally being able to let out some of the very unique perspectives we each have about the world, was a God send. 

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Over the last 12 years, I've had a great deal of time to reflect on struggles I had as a kid- and like most people, some that followed me into early adulthood. Wanting to take care of myself and those I care most about in this world, I joined the army and married pretty quickly out of high school- two truths that changed my world views a great deal for a time. For a while, I thought this was all it took to be a man. To stand on my principles and courageously fight for those I love. I carried the whole world on my shoulders. And while I still believe in standing tall for what's right, I now know I'm not alone- yet I learned that through young divorce, having to learn to let go of my past and the process of beginning life over- again and again.

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But that lesson has been golden- knowing how strong I am on my own yet how much more powerful I can be with God... and without the chains of the worlds I've left behind. How many times can you release another part of yourself and still feel like... you? What does it mean to finally feel safe, free and capable without carrying all the weight of what I "have to do" to be who I already am? Hmm... I'm on a journey of finding out... and I'll tell you from experience, the deepest Me is beginning to rise.​