There once was a boy who believed in God. On the day his father was murdered, he decided to start over. The things he believed about God no longer made any sense to him. God was either different than he had always thought or God wasn't there at all.

As it turns out, God was different than he thought.

God is different than most people think.

The boy began to wonder about all he had learned and began to ask questions. He had lots of questions. In answer, he was given empty words about God that satisfied neither his mind nor his heart. He resolved to never again accept empty words and call them his own.

He listened to sincere people who believed that their opinion regarding the identity of Jesus was the entire basis of their hope-though they read in their Bibles that Satan is of the same opinion.

He observed people who saw nothing amiss as they arranged good deeds for someone they despised. He noticed that, “Love your enemy” is not the same as, “do good for those you hate.” He was dismayed by those who were so sure they had God figured out they didn't even notice how hypocritical they had become.

But most of all, he was sorry about all of the good questions that never got asked and he was sorry for the people who never bothered to ask them.

As he grew older, he learned that certainty was rarely a reliable path to truth. Humility worked so much better. He discovered that unless you had already arrived at truth, certainty only prevents you from ever getting there. At least that was true of the kind of certainty that looked so much like pride or fear. He also noticed that many Christians were content to believe that the "Good News" about Jesus Christ means only that the Old Covenant is satisfied. With the final sacrifice offered and the debt for sin paid, they appeared unconcerned with the New Covenant spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah. They seemed indifferent to God's promise to write His law in their minds and upon their hearts. It seemed to the boy that they had stopped just short of becoming.

More time went by. As the young man matured, he considered what it would be like if God's law was written on his own heart. He wondered how God might go about writing it there. He noticed people who appeared to have God's law written on their hearts. He decided that he wanted to be like them. He decided that he wanted God to write on his heart, so he tried very hard to make it happen.

As it turns out, God is the One who makes it happen.

I am that young man, and eventually I became a father. I now have children of my own and want God to write on their hearts too. I want them to believe in God.

It is for their sake that I have committed my thoughts on faith and Christian living to paper for general consumption and certain criticism. Perhaps the reader should exercise a measure of caution. I do not hold any degrees in formal Christian education. I have founded no famous Christian ministries. I am not a leader, a theologian, or a celebrity. Few, outside of my family and close friends, seek my advice or counsel on any subject of great and lasting truth or relevance.

I suppose that I am a lot like most of the people who might bother to read this short book. I have no theological credentials that permit me to critique or make definitive statements about the direction or practice of Christianity.

I realize, of course, that an airline pilot with an unremarkable vocabulary might have little of substance to add to any discussion about walking with God and discovering truth and meaning in life. But then neither might a fisherman, tax collector, or carpenter. These questions might best be reserved for highly educated professionals.

After all, Christian faith, scripture, and doctrine are inexhaustible sources of knowledge and understanding about the infinite, eternal God Himself. To accept my simple contribution might be seen as reducing the essence of God's great plan to mere childlike faith and simplicity.

So who am I?

I'm 49 years old and have been involved in aviation most of my adult life-as a military pilot and a commercial pilot. I married my high school sweetheart and we have four children. I've been unemployed and restarted my career. I've buried people I love. I've rented apartments and built homes. I operate heavy machinery and write poetry. I sing my own lyrics and hunt wild game, but neither very well. I am frequently wrong, occasionally right, and cautiously impulsive. I’ve attempted to follow Jesus Christ since I was seven and have doubted, questioned, and trusted God relentlessly for nearly forty years. I have, in this life, outlived my father and, quite possibly, figured out my mother. I have loved deeply, hoped freely, and been both rewarded and wounded for the effort. I have lived my faith, and observed others living their faith. I've asked myself some hard questions and found some satisfying answers. Some of the conclusions I've come to are troubling and some are thrilling.

As a pilot, I'm mostly concerned with what works- what will get me to my destination safely. I am also concerned with the possibility of drifting off course. I understand that without a compass oriented to true north and instruments correctly aligned to keep the blue side up, I could fly right into the ground or into a mountain in the darkness or the fog. The result is that I'm not easily impressed by "Sunday School" answers that are often repeated with great conviction but little comprehension as to how they might apply to a world full of airplanes-- and people-- that need to get somewhere.

I believe in the God of the Bible. I don't claim to know exactly what He is up to most of the time.

I believe that God loves me. I doubt that means He is obligated to please me.

I believe God desires us to reflect His image within us as we live our lives. I believe that we can.

I believe that "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." I believe the Spirit of God continues to become flesh today, in the church, when we let Him.

I believe Jesus Christ is the Word of God and the Only Begotten Son of God. I don't know quite how to explain that clearly and simply without being labeled a heretic.

I believe God promises eternal life for those who love Him. I don't presume that it includes this body I now inhabit.

This book captures my limited understanding about God, Jesus Christ, and Christianity perfectly. It is a book of tales that tell, as best as I can, of a spiritual dimension within this biological existence we call life. Faith is the vehicle by which we enter that dimension. By faith we discover a world of hope. And that hope is what produces a new life within. The results are unmistakable and unique. These tales tell of a life that comes through faith in God, through Jesus Christ, and from a hope for resurrection to eternal life with Him. They tell of how that eternal life can begin now.

I have come to view Jesus Christ as a "One Trick Pony" of sorts. His one and only "trick" is sacrificial love. But what a trick it is! It is the revelation of God Himself. It is the plan of God...the power of God...the purpose of God. It is His work and our witness. It is His will and our pleasure. It is what He has written on the hearts of His children and is the source of the obedience of faith. It is the fulfillment of His law.

Sacrificial love is the very best apologetic in the world and the finest curriculum for Christ-like growth ever suggested. It takes everything into account and reveals the wisdom and character of God for every situation. I have come to believe that Christians are called to such a faith in God that they too become one trick ponies. They become just as He was in the world so that others will be drawn to Him.

In fact, I believe we were designed for such a life and can only find it and our true selves when the piece of us that won't have anything to do with it has died. When we lose our life for His sake, we find it. Until then, we merely theorize and speculate.

These are tales to guide others along the path I have explored. My goal is not to convince anyone of a particular viewpoint, but rather to paint a picture with stories so vivid that it reminds readers of something they’ve always imagined-- and it takes their breath away.

If I can show you how I see a few pieces of the puzzle fit together, you might begin to see the picture for yourselves. But it would be good to remember that these are stories. Stories have a way of telling the truth without being obvious. So be careful, this is not systematic theology.

If I achieve my goal with this small book, many of the ideas you have at the end of the journey will be your own. Only then will you discover if they are of lasting value. May God’s Spirit engage your heart and mind to trust and love Him fully and become more and more like His very own Son, Jesus Christ.