I hail from modest beginnings, growing up in a small town of Leslie, Michigan.  My childhood was uncomplicated yet vibrant, filled with joy and wonder.  Weekdays were spent in school, sports, time with friends and weekends were spent in a cabin on a lake in northern Michigan where I fished and swam.

If you are looking for someone who built a million dollar business from scratch, or written 30 books, or can bench press 400 pounds multiple times, I'm NOT THAT GUY.  I suspect, I'm more like you.

I've known some success but am well acquainted with failure.  I've known the joy of love and the heartbreak of betrayal.  I know what it is to have trust broken and how hard it is to learn to trust again.

I learned how to trust again and found the love of my life.  I brought two kids into the relationship and so did she.  I know the joys and frustrations of blending a family.  Then we added three of her sister's kids that we raised after both her sister and mother passed.  We had seven kids in our home at one point so I know what chaos looks like too.

I have spent most of my career as a United Methodist Pastor but I worked my way through college as a chef.  Along the way I had gigs as a retail worker at Menards and a union organizer for AFSME.

I retired after 40 years in the ministry to focus on a personal coaching business I wanted to start.  If you want to check it out go to : www.mylevelupcoaching.com.  Two weeks into my retirement I was asked to take on two churches part-time (Galesburg and Augusta Fellowship UMC).  Penny and I have been enjoying both churches and getting to know the fantastic people in both places.

Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor said, "God made man because He loves stories."

Probably we've never met but that one only makes me more interested in you, your hopes, dreams, goals, gifts and shortfalls.  One of my greatest joys is just sitting down and getting to know someone.  Everyone has a story.  Each one unique, different and the same.  I'm still writing my story and you are writing yours.  I would love to play a part in your story just as you could play a part in mine.  That's the thing about life: when one person meets another person both persons are changed.  I want to be a force for positive change and if you do too I would love to begin a conversation.

Blessings,
Ron


P.S.  ...in addition to walking barefoot on the beach, I love to read.  I have a light saber, I have built a place of honor in my office and oh yeah, I love to play DnD.  So I guess I'm a bit of a geek.