Here I go, ready or not. Today is the launch of my website and blog, Vale Removed. This is a project that has been on my heart intensely for the last 3 years. I think it is only natural that my whole life has been building to this point. Even though the many years of my life have been blind to this moment, those years of travel with my fellow eternal beings has molded and shaped me and ultimately this work.
A Heart for the Underdog
Hello, my name is Jeff. As a kid I was shy and earned the nickname, Lizard Skin. Those years were not easy but as with anything, persevering through adversity refines and develops us. As a result, I have a heart for the underdog. In some way, those years helped me to become the encourager I am today. In my heart I knew I thrived on encouraging others but it wasn’t until my dear friend, Dave, pointed it out that I realized just how important encouraging others is to me.
This effort is a walk of faith. It was January, 2019, when God opened my eyes to the reality that each person walking, talking, playing and working are eternal beings. Being a Christian, I understood that we are all eternal beings, but this time was different. In that moment, I was seeing life with new eyes. It was vibrant, powerful and beyond my ability to control.
The Consequences of Hell Fire
Through the rest of 2019, there were other moments of extreme clarity as well as some of the most difficult days of my life. They were mostly days of internal struggle but they taught me that Jesus Christ is in the midst of our life’s storm.
You may or may not know Jesus Christ or believe in Him. It is not my purpose to be preachy or share the consequences of hell fire. But in this work, I cannot deny Jesus Christ or His impact on my life. If you share in this journey of mine, you will see and hear the life of Jesus Christ in me and in those I write about.
In my walk of faith with Jesus Christ, there have been highs and lows. There are days I have been rewarded for my obedience and days I have suffered for my disobedience. It is how we learn.
Look Past the Mortality
Vale Removed, is about seeing life’s journey through the stories of our fellow human beings. As I have said before, each of us are eternal beings. It is how we have been created. Let us see if we can remove some of the valleys we walk through and look past the mortality of the life we cling to and discover the path of true life that lies beyond the veil of the world we see.
This work is not perfect. In truth, it probably isn’t ready for me to present to the world. But I am finding myself bound up in the details of getting it ready and am sensing fear at whether my effort will be worth it or if I am up to the task of meeting this work each week. So, if you will allow me, I will revise and refine my work as we go.
Thank you for joining me. May you find encouragement in the stories you read and hopefully find the light that endures to the life we don’t yet see.