Guided by Grace

Welcome to my blog!

As a child, my grandmother had a captivating phrase that motivated me to take my nose out of my books, leave the comfort of my room, and climb into a vehicle travelling to unplanned (or at least unrevealed) destinations. “We are going on an adventure,” she would say.

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Adventure. Something in that mysterious word compelled my timid young heart to move beyond my fear of the unknown long enough to encounter the beauty and mystery of the world. Though I could hardly have described it at the time, I was driven by a longing to experience something extraordinary. I wanted to be drawn beyond the boundaries of mundane existence. Adventure and exploration were two ideas that sounded at once terribly dangerous and enticingly thrilling. Their unpredictable nature should have repelled my analytical, cautious self. Instead, I was drawn by their promise of discovery. When embarking on an adventure, I was living out a story that was unique and unrepeatable, creating experiences and memories that no written word could replicate. More importantly, I was contributing to this story. I was not the author, but I was the protagonist who had a purpose to uncover and choices to make.

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As I grew older, the weight of life’s cares and sorrows pressed more heavily upon my shoulders and the excitement of seeking adventure dimmed. Perhaps you can relate. For many years, my youthful exuberance at the thought of embarking on new paths and participating in a grander story was so engulfed in waves of anxiety, pessimism, and self-criticism that the joy and hope I had once sensed became a distant reality. Yet even in these seasons defined by fear and protective barriers that kept out the dangers of the world, God’s grace was present. Though I did not always recognize it at the time, his grace was guiding me through the threatening fog and darkness and towards the light of true faith. Words like “vocation” “mission” and “calling” stirred up dormant flames in my heart, reminding me of that intuitive attraction my younger self had towards living for something greater than mere existence. All that was needed was a perfect storm of circumstances to fan these flames into the fire of a passionate longing to become a saint, to live for the purpose of knowing and sharing the love of God and the truth of the gospel. 2020 provided such a perfect storm, and thus a blog that has been a dream for many years has become a reality.

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Uncharted Waters was born out of a desire to embrace and share the adventure of growing in faith and holiness with other souls who find themselves sailing through the dark tempests and hope-filled sunrises of this uncertain life. The pages of this blog will be filled with stories of struggle and victory, reflections on faith, Scripture, books, and music (which provide invaluable graces and serve as anchors in my life), and musings on what it means to serve on the mission-field of love in the day-to-day. Although not all my writing will focus on faith, it will be steeped in the Catholic worldview that has become a pearl of great price to me. It is my hope that this blog may serve as a point of connection and community for many amidst an increasingly hostile and divided world. Thank you for joining me on this journey. You are welcome here. Let’s live the adventure together.