Introduction
Hi friends, I hope you’re taking the time to read The Blast. The story told in this book is about me, a man who aspired to be a U.S. Navy SEAL. The best of the best among the world’s most elite warriors. I achieved that goal and took a great deal of pride in what I...
Slave to Christ
It was the Fourth of July celebration, and in the tight-knit group that you become in the special forces world, that day, like a lot of others, is defined by two things: Alcohol and stupidity. When you couple alcohol and stupidity with a monster truck, bad things are bound to happen. The full story is recorded in The Blast, but I want to tell you the shortened version to make a point. I was at a party where beer was flowing like a river, and we were all standing at the banks with straws, drinking like fish. After all, we were invincible, or so we were taught to believe. We thought we were...
A Better Freedom
My physical skills as a child and as a SEAL were off the charts. In high school, I was an athlete who could run like the wind. I even set a high school record for pole vault. I was accomplished in gymnastics, track, football, and pretty much anything that required physical skill. Then, when I stood before the BUD/S commander at SEAL graduation, it was an honor to become one of the top war fighters in the world. But so, what? In spite of the elite level of success, the truth is my life progressively became the sum total of my mistakes and poor decisions. The older I got, the more my pride and...
Through The Valley
All of my military training got real one day in Iraq. A partner of mine and I were running a protection detail for some members of one of those secret government agencies that is usually shortened to three letters. But then most government agencies have three letters, and I’ll just say it wasn’t the DMV. It was a normal mission when it began. We were to escort some folks through some dangerous territory to the safety of the operating base. But when AK rounds started popping off the side of our up-armored vehicle like popcorn, things suddenly got very real. Our vehicle was equipped to take...
The Destructive Power of Pride
The Bible has a lot to say about pride. In fact, I’m convinced that most sin and failures in our lives can be traced back to pride in one way or another. It may not seem obvious because pride can be silent and insidious. You see, pride, at its core, is anything that sets itself up against the authority that only God deserves. Pride says, “I don’t need God,” or “I think I’ll do it my way.” It says that I’d rather be the master of my own destiny than submit to a God who has a far greater plan for me than I could ever conceive of for myself. I know this all to be true. When it comes to pride, I...