Purpose Statement

My purpose in this endeavor...

So, the purpose of this blog is just to store digital copies of my travel journals. Starting back in 1992 I kept a journal anytime I left travelled extensively either overseas or for missions. Some of it is rough... 'R' rated even. But it is an unedited glimpse into the life of a Christian who has struggled over the years with all kinds of issues, spiritual and physical, and has, I hope, grown through the process.

I am taking a small risk here, because there are haters out there who would love to see me fail and are either dumb enough or desperate enough to attempt to use my past against me. To them I say, Good Luck! My past is past, my future is certain, the present is as God wills it to be. I am a sinner saved by grace, nothing more. I have struggled with sin since the day I was born into this world, and expect to continue that struggle until I leave.

Although I was raised in the church, I didn't really become a Christian until I was a sophomore in high school. My life was not marked by radical perfection, just solemn commitment... Commitment on my part to grow more and more like Jesus day by day, and commitment by God to see me through life to eternity. One day I will be perfect, but not yet. Like the Apostle Paul, "one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

Note: Anything in [] is a note added later, at the time of posting, not the original manuscript. Also, I am transcribing my notes, which were journaled in a book. I am not correcting the spelling or gramatical errors of the journal, but will in my defense say that often when I write I have to consider space on the page. Also I usually journal at the end of a day on the road, so I'm tired. Thirdly, I often don't have a lot of time when I journal on the road. These factors often lead to interesting shorthand spellings and terrible grammar.

Caveat: Do not make the mistake of assuming my personal or theological beliefs based on what I wrote years ago. Over the course of time my views and attitudes on many issues may have changed from what I wrote in the past, and such changes may not be readily evident from the limited glimpse you get of me in these writings. I.e., when I wrote in 1992 that 'nice' people don't deserve to go to Hell, I was young and stupid. I have a much more acutely developed sense of soteriology now, but that might not be readily evident in later writings because of the limited scope of this project. I am not writing a theological treatise, merely noting a few observations from my experiences on the road.

Grace,

Jon