Thanks, gentlemen

Just a personal word to highlight some friends of note. Over the past few weeks some highly respected and trusted friends of mine have cited articles I have written, passing them along to their readers.

So, a special thanks goes to Pete, David, Kurt, and Mike...and others who are not as well known but are valuable in what they have to say nonetheless.

I have never been a "well known personality" in my endeavors. I am not a "star." Never have been and never will be. The things I have done in life have been largely unnoticed like most people, as my focus has been on the servant role. My calling in life has been to go to places that need a helpful presence, a symbol of hope in a hopeless world. Sometimes this meant being pastor of a church. Sometimes this meant being the musical director for a church. And sometimes this meant an even more specialized focus on forgotten persons in society who often fall through the cracks and get devoured by the vast bottomless pit of despair, darkness, and death.

Christian ministry is not glamorous like it is portrayed on TV as embodied by the big "mega-church" pastors. For the most part I have worked down in the trenches of chaplaincy -- healthcare ministry specifically. And while I have provided specialized ministry to a wide variety of types of patients, my training focused primarily on the subcategory of mental health patients and persons with addictions.

Within this sector of Christian ministry you neither want nor seek recognition.

The move I made away from Christian healthcare to where I am now is a long story that is simply too complicated to recount in any depth. Suffice it to say that I now find myself in a position to write about things I care very deeply about. I have been involved in politics in some way all of my life, mainly behind the scenes. At this stage of life I had an opportunity to carry my thoughts to a broader audience.

And, in order to get your stuff read, you have to promote it. It helps tremendously if others think that what you have to say is important enough for them to promote it too.

This is why my deepest gratitude goes to all of those who have brought attention to these pages and to my articles at The Examiner. Not only is it comforting to know that people will take it upon themselves to do this but that should a massive societal implosion take place I have some friends that I would be honored to stand beside in the fight.

God bless you one and all. And thanks again.