1. Ocean Road...

It all started from the view you see above. Each morning, for one week in the summer of 2015, I sat in an adirondack chair on this front porch. A small, quaint, vacation home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina provided our family some much needed alone time. With coffee in hand to start the day (who doesn't, really?), I spent some alone time with God. My wife sat just to the left of this picture, reading as well. Completely together in our silence as we listened to waves crash against the shore while we read...filling ourselves. With slowness. With peace. With quiet. With contemplation and understanding. With rest.

And through that rest, came...

Ocean Road.

I sat here on August 9, 2015...unaware of all that God would show me. And the simple reason I am writing this? I believe I am supposed to share my experience with you....now. Not waiting for it to be perfect, polished and published. I've written a book that way before. It takes a lot longer. Consider this writing a book in full transparency. No wire-framing. No outline. No editors. No proofs. From my journal to this blog. From my heart to your eyes. The comments section is open to share your thoughts as you read. I've never seen this done before, and I have no idea how it will go. An interactive book if you will. I'll share. I'll unpack the thought. We'll learn together.

Fair enough.

Hey Brett...what's this about?
You can visit the topics we'll tackle on this page: PERSPECTIVE POINTS  

Once you start reading through them, I hope you'll be as excited to learn from them, as I am to share them. They changed my perspective on A LOT this summer (hence the idea to name them PERSPECTIVE POINTS). They helped give me a focus I didn't have to tackle challenges I needed to. My hope is they'll do the same for you.

One logistical note...ignore the dates with each post. The only way to get it to read in order (top to bottom) is to work backwards from a series of dates. So I chose New Year's Eve of the year we were on vacation. An eve of new beginnings. Perhaps symbolic that this story will offer someone the encouragement they need to move forward on their own...

​Ocean Road.

So here we go. 

It started with a simple question. "What do you have for me, Lord?" And in that moment...softly on my heart...I heard "Joshua." That was it. Not some hugely profound answer. But a clear direction nonetheless.

Over the next several days I would read the entire book of Joshua from this very spot. I took notes. I wrote so fast at times, I was afraid I would miss something God was showing me. I commented out loud when something blew me away. I'd make my wife listen as I shared what I wrote. She smiled. She was patient with me, because I believe she knew God had something for me. And it's from those scribbled thoughts, that I will share with you what I believe has something for all of us. Some will relate in part. Perhaps, some in whole. There is something here for all of us.

I'll unpack each chapter of Joshua as I heard it when I read it. That, with my personality and at times warped sense of humor, is worth the price of admission to read this book blog (which is entirely free-so there's that. Ha!)  I'd encourage you to read Joshua along with this blog. I'll remind you what chapter I was reading as I share. You can read it in whatever version you like. I was reading The Message Version. So when I quote a verse here and there, that is the version you are seeing...along with my take on it as I read it.

Last thing before we get started...

Why Ocean Road?

If this had a subtitle, it would be more of a teaser than a clarifier.

"You've never been on it because you can't create it...you can only move in the direction of it."

Hang onto that. It'll make sense in the coming days.
Prepare for an adventure packed with perspective...

​A perspective that brings focus.

​Let's get started...