it’s coming!

every once in awhile, something exciting happens in my life.

sometimes the surprises are welcome – and other times they’re just about the worst thing i could imagine. you never know, with me. often the surprises aren’t predictable… but then there are times when i can see it coming – and like the final tile in a row of dominos, i just brace myself for its impact.

this coming monday, i have an announcement to make – one that is both surprising and welcome. be sure to subscribe to the blog or check back to find out what it is – and come along this journey with me.

as i look back at the landscape of the last few years, i see how the pieces have strategically aligned to bring me to the precipice of this upcoming adventure.

here are just a few of high-lights and low-lights of the roller coaster called my life in the past four years ::

• leaving a toxic church environment as a result of its bad leadership and illegal activities
• moving back to chicago
• searching for a job in ministry, beginning an MDiv at trinity evangelical divinity school
• working at starbucks to make ends meet, unable to get a job in a church
• getting a DUI <;sad face>;

• dropping out of trinity, failing in my marriage and failing at life
• investing everything into my professional life while destroying my personal life
• winning the Manager of the Quarter and Manager of the Year awards at starbucks
• having cocktails with Howard Schultz (i’ve mentioned that before here)
• being invited to represent starbucks coffee company on the Oprah Winfrey show

• getting fired from that job, being forever convinced VIA is evil (for the record :: it is)
• playing poker ‘professionally’
• losing all my money to real poker pros
• becoming desperate – broke, lonely, scared, bitter and angry (read about that here)
• reconnecting with an old friend and re-engaging in christianity by relocating to a faith community in peoria, IL (read about that here)

• starting this blog at his request (read the first post here)
• juggling three jobs to make ends meet, struggling to repay my debts
• getting another DUI – resulting in several days in jail, thousands of dollars in fines and a fashion accessory (see that here)
• receiving grace from my faith community that enabled a breakthrough in a lifelong pattern of deception and bitterness (read about that here)
• solidifying my vision and calling (read about that here and here)

• having my first post published at tony campolo’s red letter christians (read about that here or see subsequent articles at RLC here)
• learning the importance of process through heartache (read about that here and here)
• meeting, pursuing and dating the woman of my dreams
• working closely with members of my faith community, engaging in true spiritual community and spiritual direction (read about that here, here, here, here, here and here)
• meeting some of my heroes of the faith – and becoming their friends

• learning to embrace the pain of my past and sit in the pain of the present for the purpose of hearing God speak (read about that here)
• writing my 100th post – which was significant not only as a numeric milestone, but also in the direction of the blog (read that here)
• having my first article published online with RELEVANT (read about that here and here)
• having the opportunity to lead college students at #thecrux in reshaping the essentials of the faith, encouraging them to live out their conviction in a strong, yet benevolent way (read those here and here)
• settling into some language that i feel best articulates what God has been birthing in my soul over quite some time – ‘loving God in the way of jesus, following his example of solidarity with the Other‘ and explored that in our solidarity series (here, here, here, here, here, here and here)

so, on monday, i’ll share my surprise with you.

if you have a guess as to what my announcement will be, leave your thoughts in the comments. if it turns out you’re right when i make the announcement on monday, i’ll send you some free stuff… and i’ll do the same for the most creative guess as well.