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On the Trail: Embracing the Beauty of the Mountains

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Howdy, folks! As I return to the lush, rolling hills of Huntington, West Virginia, it’s clear that the mountains have a beauty all their own—a beauty that’s as deep and enduring as the Texas plains are wide and open. Where Texas sprawls out beneath a vast, unbroken sky, the mountains here offer a different kind of grandeur. The Appalachians are more intimate, with their undulating peaks and valleys, creating a landscape that feels both expansive and personal. There’s a serenity to the mountains that you don’t find on the flatlands, a kind of quiet majesty that wraps around you like a soft, familiar embrace. The weather here is a far cry from the relentless Texas sun. In the mountains, the air is crisp and cool, often touched by a gentle mist that seems to breathe life into the land. The changing seasons bring their own palette of colors—verdant greens of summer giving way to fiery reds and golds in the fall, and a serene blanket of white during the winter. Each season paints a new pict
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Where Do Traditional Western Values Fit in My Life Today?

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As a 34-year-old man who grew up with a deep love for all things Western, I’ve been thinking a lot about where these traditional values fit into today’s rapidly changing world. Raised in a family that valued faith, hard work, and the principles that built Western civilization, I’ve always seen these values as not just guidelines but as the foundation of a meaningful life. But as society shifts around me, I find myself reflecting on how these timeless principles can be lived out in a world that often seems to be moving away from them. The Freedom to Live My Faith For me, freedom has always been one of the most cherished aspects of Western culture. This isn’t just about the freedom to do as I please, but more importantly, the freedom to live out my faith openly and without fear. Growing up, I was taught that this freedom was a gift that came with a responsibility—to stand firm in my beliefs and to live a life that reflects my Christian values. In today’s society, where faith can sometime
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Introduction to Pastoring in Appalachia

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Pastoring in rural Appalachia is a unique calling. It is a place of both challenge and opportunity. It is a place of faith and resilience, where religion is a part of everyday life. Working as a pastor in this region is an exciting, rewarding, and sometimes difficult journey.  The area of North Eastern Kentucky is known for its rural landscape, rolling hills, rich history, and a strong sense of community. It is a region of natural beauty, with plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy. The people of this region have a strong sense of faith, and many churches in the area have been around for generations.  What is it like to be a pastor in rural Appalachia? When it comes to this region of Kentucky, it is both a challenge and an opportunity. It is a place of spiritual growth where pastors can help their congregations grow in their faith. It is a place of connection where pastors can build deep relationships with the people of their churches and share the love of Jesus with them.  No two churc
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God's Will

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God's will be hard to decern at the best of times, but when he calls you to move from a place that you love back to a site that is harder to live, it tests the limits of your faith. But here I am, back in Appalachia, back in the Ohio Valley. a place that once built the wealth and prosperity of Ohio, and yet now is the place where poverty has made it a shell of what it was. Once, this place grew fields of corn and tobacco. Families made their livelihood, and the wealth of the land grew wealth and power. Now, poverty, drugs, and depression have replaced wealth. The fields now lay fallow and empty. The once-great homes are falling apart, decaying even further through the years—the once powerful and wealthy cities of Portsmouth and Huntington. Once known for being men of industry and national influence, they are now known for poverty and drugs.  When I was in Texas, I was in an area with a lot of wealth, jobs were plentiful, and you could feel the freedom in the air. How things were no
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Pastoring In A Cowboy Church

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Pastoring in a cowboy church is a far different experience than pastoring in a “traditional” church. From walking in and seeing cowboy hats everywhere, and cow hides hanging on the walls, to hearing the country music played in place of traditional hymns. You trade a gym for a roping arena, pews for chairs, and the old hymn book for songs played by a country band. But ultimately it wasn’t the Western culture that made me fall in love with this church, and the cowboy church movement. It was the attention they put on going after those that nobody else wants, to winning people to Jesus Christ. In this church I have seen people that would not fit into traditional style churches, and yet they are some of the most dedicated church members that we have.  After ten years of ministry, I thought I had experienced most of what there was in ministry to experience. That’s where God decided to take my pride and what I thought I know down a few notches. Since being here for the past year, God has take
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I Am Going.......

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I am going…….. 11 years ago, I gave my life over to Christ and told him that where ever He wanted me to go, I would go. He has led me to pastoring kids, pastoring an older country church, to pastoring students at WBC. But one thing that I have longed for since I was a little kid, was to be able to go to the mission field. I’ve wanted to be on the front lines, to fulfill the great commandment and preach the gospel to a people of different nationalities, to labor with brothers and sisters that I have never met! With all that being said, when the money was there, the time was never there, and visa versa. This summer my friend and mentor in the ministry, CJ, approached me about going with him on one last trip to the Philippines. I wanted to go, but my first thought was; “There’s no way that I can afford to pay for this.” I told CJ that I wanted to go, but I would have to pray about it. Time went by, and before I knew what had happened, I had $1200 in my hand. A person who wish
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Monday Mornings............

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Monday Mornings…… Most people start their work week on Monday mornings. It is a day that most people dread. They have just ended their weekend, and often times don’t want to go back to work.    For a pastor, our work week doesn’t start on Mondays, most of the time they start on Sundays, but they can include Saturdays as well if there is a special event going on. So, when Monday comes along, we are already a day, sometimes even two days into our work week. So, Monday mornings for a pastor, means a different thing to the parishioners. 1.     Mondays are for Damage Control Sometimes, during the Sunday services, there are things that happen, that you can’t deal with until the next day. Sometimes its interpersonal disputes, sometimes there are things that failed, in one, or both of the services that you need to fix.  2.     Mondays are for Counseling  From time to time you have people you need to meet with you and you set appointments for Monday.  3.     Mondays are fo
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