An excerpt from Longing to Breathe…..

Each of us has a unique way in which we view God, and much of that perspective started when we were young. As grown men, we have a hard time believing that God has a new level of freedom planned for us if we could just quiet our hearts and minds, do some looking back, and start pulling back the multiple layers of guilt, shame, anger, and fear that have more than likely built up over the years (and some of the layers are pretty dang thick). We have all found it much easier to keep moving forward to ignore the past and suppress the pain, especially as we have grown older. This keeps us in a somewhat dull emotional state. We can appear happy on the outside and even believe that all is well, but inside (down deep) we feel things that are not settled or peaceful. Often, we also have a much easier time forgiving others than we do for forgiving ourselves.

Because of this internal unrest, some of us lie awake at night wondering how it got to this point; however, even more men remain undisturbed by any of this because they see no value in looking back and they would prefer to keep the temporary status quo they have established. Whether we are aware of it or not, the feelings we hold from the past influence us relationally, many of which are not positive. In a sense, we are trapped behind a wall of self-protection (see front cover of book) – able to see God’s creation but unable to access the full potential and depth of the man God has uniquely created for us to be here on earth or to experience the freedom such a realization brings. Many of us have been experiencing a slow suffocation in our soul for years.

However, by taking a journey inward and working to understand ourselves better, we can find a new sense of joy and purpose in our lives here on earth. This journey has the potential to completely dismantle the self-protective walls we have built, bring newfound freedom to our lives, and allow our souls to breathe freely, many for the first time.