Faith in real life
Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Strong belief in God, rooted in spiritual conviction even when life does not give you all the answers.
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So here’s my story about faith.
First of all, I’m a sinner.
I put the definition of faith above because that’s what it is at its core. But actually living it out? That’s a whole different story.
I’m a father, a grandfather, and a husband. I’ve been through a lot of trials in my life. Somewhere along the way, I felt like I needed to start writing about it. Not because I have it all figured out, but because I don’t.
This blog is about faith in everyday life. The struggles. The failures. The moments where I get it right, and the many times I don’t.
My name is Mike, and I’m just trying to walk this out.
Maybe by sharing my story, it helps someone else with theirs.
When Faith Got Pushed to the Side
Because the truth is, faith means trusting in something you don’t see. Sounds simple… until life gets busy. Work, stress, family, responsibilities. Everything piles up, and before you know it, faith gets pushed to the side.
I say “trust God”… but if I’m being honest, my stress doesn’t always agree.
I was born and raised in church. That was just part of life. Things felt stable for a while… until November of 1983, when I lost my father. That moment changed everything.
My mom became a single parent, just trying to get us by. A few years later, she remarried. That brought a completely different environment into my life. Different beliefs, stricter expectations, and a way of living that I struggled to accept at the time.
That part of my story is something I’ll get into another day.
But as I got older, I found myself searching.
Searching for a church that felt real. Searching for truth. Trying to make sense of what I believed.
There are so many denominations out there.
Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, non-denominational. Everyone has their own traditions, styles, and ways of worship.
But at the core of it all, we believe in God. We believe in faith.
And I wanted to understand what that really meant in my life.
That search went on for a long time.
Until one moment I’ll never forget.
The Moment That Got My Attention
I was driving down the highway with my middle daughter. She was just a preteen. Out of nowhere, she looked at me, serious and a little frustrated, and said:
“We need to go to church.”
I remember thinking… did she really just say that? Or was that God speaking through her?
That moment hit me hard.
Because the truth was, my life felt unorganized. Disconnected. Not necessarily full of bad things, but not where it should have been either.
So we went back.
We found a church and started going. I was hearing things I had heard my whole life… but something was different this time.
The way it was taught. The way it connected.
It finally clicked.
I started understanding it differently. It stuck with me. And more than that, I began seeing it show up in my everyday life.
At work. At home. In my decisions.
Scripture wasn’t just something I heard on Sundays anymore. It became something I was trying to live out.
And I’ll be honest…
Trying to Live It Out
Trying to live like Christ is hard.
Really hard.
I mean, think about it. Jesus lived a perfect life. Most of us probably mess up before we even get out of bed in the morning.
But even trying to be more like Him changes things.
The way we treat people.
The sacrifices we make.
Helping others. Encouraging others.
It starts to shift your life.
I’ve been working on putting God first instead of relying on my own thinking. Because when I run my life my way… it usually doesn’t go that well.
So I’ve been trying to build better habits. Praying more. Making it part of my daily routine.
I’ve even started using a devotional book called “One Minute With God for Men.” I try to read it daily.
And I can honestly say, putting God first has helped my life. My marriage. My work. My relationships with family and others.
Why This Blog Exists
Now I know this might feel a little all over the place. It’s my first blog, after all.
But this is me.
I want to write about what I’m learning and how I’m trying to live it out. I want to make the environments around me better. At home. At work. At church. Even just out in public.
People are always watching how we live.
So why not give them something good to see?
There’s enough negativity in the world already.
I’m not a pastor. I’m not a theologian.
I’m just Mike.
A guy trying to grow, trying to do better, and trying to follow God in a real way.
And if someone sees that and asks why… maybe that’s my chance to share.
God gave us free will. I’m trying to use mine to follow Him better and help make the world around me better.
Keep Reading
If this post is where my story starts, these are some of the places that story keeps going:
God Is Answering My Prayers… So Why Am I Still Scared?
For the moments when you believe God is working, but fear is still sitting right beside you.
Living Scripture: What Happens When God’s Word Gets Off the Page
For what it looks like when faith moves from Sunday morning into everyday decisions.
Faith Isn’t Soft — It’s War
For the fight to stay faithful when life, temptation, pressure, and excuses start swinging.
What I Need You to Know — A Letter to My Children
For the family, legacy, and heart behind why I keep trying to grow.
What No One Tells You About Forgiving Someone Who Isn’t Sorry
For the hard side of forgiveness that people do not always explain well.
Like I said at the beginning…
I’m a sinner.
I’m a work in progress.
And that’s exactly what this blog is about.
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