Happy Birthday Dan!

I can’t have a blog about being brave without honoring the bravest person I know,
My husband Dan

Dan’s life puts flesh and bones around the definition of Bravery. He is my living breathing example of living a life without fear.

Years ago, Dan surrendered his life to God. He told God he just wanted to serve Him, and he would do it whatever the cost. Any of you that know Dan, know that he meant it. Whatever Dan does, he does all out, full force. Now, Dan has a novel’s worth of stories about the amazing things God has done in his life, each one, the result of Dan being brave.

When he proposed to me, he promised me a life of love, security, and adventure. Only my Dan would put security and adventure in the same sentence. He has delivered on that promise and now I have 14 years worth of amazing stories too.

Dan’s risk taking ways are infectious. He rubs off on every life he touches. Dan and I are overwhelmed when we look at the lives of the people Dan has gotten to minister too and with. Again, the stories are countless about these precious people taking a lot of risk, mixed with a little faith, and turning it into sold out, purpose driven lives.

Dan insists on bravery from our kids. I am incredibly thankful he has taught them to live without fear. (Even if it’s caused some very uncomfortable social situations, and a few narrowly avoided heart attacks).

Some of my favorite brave acts Dan has done are;

• Follow hard after Christ

• Accept the call to ministry

• Sky Dive

• Live single for 34 years

• Conquer lots of raging rivers armed with a raft, an ore, and brute strength

• Marry me

• Stand up for what he believes in

• Gamble in a poverty stricken, gang run country

• Tell the truth… always… (even if it means admitting that my butt does look big in these jeans)

• Give up everything for God. All of it, money, reputation, safety, comfort, friends, you name it.

• Invest in “real” “deep” long-term relationships. The kind you get hurt from.

• Drive 30 hours with 1 wife, 4 kids, 2 cats, and 1 mouse

• Walk away from a job and into unemployment, during a bad economy because morally it was the right thing to do.

• Work with teens for over 27 years!

• Confront those who need to be confronted

• Love those who need to be loved

• Have 4 kids in 5 years

• Start over from scratch…. Repeatedly

• Put his neck on the line just to give someone a second chance

• “Hook up” people which led to tons of marriages! Whoo hoo!

• Pave the way for youth ministry and missions in many churches

I could go on and on….. Instead I want to invite you to help me celebrate Dan’s Birthday by leaving a comment for him. If you have a story about something brave or risky, funny or serious, that you got to experience with him, or that you are thankful for, I would love to hear it.

Thank you Dan, for being you. Thank you for being a strong tree of support, protection, and provision. Thank you for teaching me to be brave.

Blessed is the man who trusts the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes’ but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit

Jeremiah 17:7-8