The quick version of my bio would tag me as being a husband, father, Lutheran pastor, world traveler, cultural observer, Bible interpretation junkie, holistic health practicing, Bronco fan.

For those of you who are bored, don’t have a life, or need a cure for insomnia, here’s something more extensive: I grew up in the Denver suburbs before graduating in 1993 and moving east to attend Concordia University in Seward, NE. I have a bachelors in education, but I also picked up a certificate that resulted in me doing youth ministry in Windsor, CA from January of 1998 to May of 2002.

During the same month I arrived in Windsor, I met Anita. While I didn’t clue in for the first couple of years, I realized I was going to marry her one evening in February of 2000. Four months later I told her and she replied with the immortal, “It’s about time you figured it out.”

We were married in June of 2001, and in the following months I faced another major life decision as the hankering to go to seminary had come out of nowhere and smacked me upside the head. However, for some reason, I was resistant to the idea and spent the first three months of our marriage being irritable as I kept wondering, “Should I stay or should I go now?” Followed by, God, “You’ve got to let me know, should I stay or should I go?” Again, I should have just asked Anita because, when I told her that I was thinking about going, she again replied, “It’s about time you figured it out.”

So, in May of 2002, we moved east (if you missed the pattern, I always move east for school … any suggestions for my doctorate?) to St. Louis so I could attend Concordia Seminary. While there, I experienced an unexpected life change and developed a love for and longing to serve in the urban setting, largely as a result of helping to restart a congregation near Saint Louis University.

Since my seminary days, I failed as a church planter (well, failed in the sense that there’s no church planted), failed as an author (my book didn’t sell enough copies for me to break even), and failed as the lead to an online community (the fshbwl which now has a fish floating at the top of the bowl). However, along the way I learned some amazing lessons, met some incredible people, watched God do things I never would have imagined, and found myself in a place where I might be failing in all the measurable things, but I’ve been incredibly blessed in the things that matter most. It’s that side of my life that feeds this blog, because I’m convinced that part of what we leave behind when we repent, is the pursuit of the world’s markers of success.

Oh, so, outside of blogging, what am I doing now? Well, I currently serve as a guest professor at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane, South Africa. As for what’s after that, well, I’m sure God has something in mind that’s far better than anything I could come up with.