A large range is unique, but thousands of hours of work, study, and instruction went into making it palatable. Just because you can hit a note don’t make it pretty. I started touring in October 2006 and have since been in 44 states and Europe, with nearly 3,000 concerts in two decades of ministry. 

In 2006 I met my Martha for the first time. We met at music school and for me it was love at first sight. For her, there were four years of negotiations and stalking in order. We were ultimately each other’s first love, first date, and we saved our first kiss for our wedding day. Martha is the prettiest girl living, my best friend, my wisest counselor, top rate cook and excels in her most difficult role as her husband’s official joke tester. She has won the prestigious “Mother Of The Year” award for nine consecutive years. She easily surpasses her competitors solely on the fact that she drives our 56 foot rig through mountain passes, big cities and narrow streets and maintains a clean driving record.

Our first child, Lillie, was followed in 18 months by the twins, Charlie and Phoebe and a postpartum near death experience. Then during the intolerable doldrums of the shutdowns, we denied all common sense and advice and slogged through the process of growing our family by fostering to adopt three other little ones, Casey, Davy and Callie. From the oldest to the youngest, there are only five years between the six. They are consummate road warriors. It was not that long ago that their responsibilities used to only entail sitting reasonably well mannered during the seventh concert of the week while eating an apple and keeping their hands off the soundboard. Now they are taking on more and more as they grow into ministry life.

Peter calls marriage “the grace of life” and that grace has been invaluable in multiplying the joys and meeting the challenges of what we do. Really, the joys have often come hand in hand with the challenges. There’s the challenge of being in a full time ministry in which the income fluctuates drastically and the expenses drastically fluctuate. That challenge comes with the joy of learning how to live a life that realizes a full reliance on God

There’s the challenge of being legally blind, limited to tunnel vision in my left eye, and having my eyes as my physical weak point. This challenge comes with the joy of the knowledge that God has used this weakness to shape the trajectory of my life, that without it I would not have this ministry, or my wife, or my children.

Then there’s the challenge of being a homebody who loves the country but has to live on the road for weeks at a time. This challenge is balanced by the joy of doing what I am called to do, and having the privilege of doing it all with my Martha and our little ones. 

There’s the challenge of winsomely yet boldly preaching absolute truth in a society that is decidedly anti-truth, partnered with the temptation to look to my own abilities to change lives. But oh the joy of doing my meagre best, and then watching God reveal truth to the feeble mind, rekindle a fire nearly out, and as Ezekiel said, make a heart of flesh where there had been a heart of stone.

There’s the challenge of speaking truths that are often provocative in a post truth culture. Finding the boldness to say things like, “Marriage is defined by scripture, not culture.” “There is only one truth and all else is a lie.” “You were made to glorify God and it’s not all about you.” “2+2 = 4.” “Women have babies,” and “Men have… sinful natures.” But there is the joy of seeing the human flourishing that only comes from aligning ourselves with God’s revealed truth.