Influencers in My Life - The Man Who Kicked My Butt!

This is the first of a number of tribute pages to people who have had a large influence on my life. Meet the man who I met for the first time in the early nineties, when he came on a visit to do youth ministry training with Lutheran Youth of Queensland. On that visit he talked about M Scott Peck's book, "The Road Less Travelled". It came at a time when I was searching for answers to where I was headed in life. At one point in the weekend retreat, he laid out a number of his books, and I picked up Peck's book, to browse through it. He noticed and he came over to me and said that he wanted me to have his copy of the book. It was a gesture I have remembered which impressed me greatly. The copy he gave me is filled with personal notes in the margins and a encouraging note in the cover which he made before handing it off. The one thing I took from that book was the idea that - life is hard, and it is only when we accept that premise, life actually becomes somewhat easier to live.

His name is Dick Borrud. On his second visit to Australia in 1995-96 I was at a training event again where Dick was introducing us to his ministry called "Five-Alive". It was at this event that Dick gave me my kick up the backside. He gave me a picture of what my life would be like if I did not make some changes. Dick put out an invitation (to this day I do not know if he seriously thought that I would accept it) to spend the summer at his camp in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I accepted his invitation and so in the summer of 1996 I travelled to the US, for the best three months of my life. Not only did I meet my wife there (right where the closest shadow starts on the left side of this photo), but I also got my life in order.

Dick, when you read this. Thankyou. I don't know if I have said it before, but thankyou. You have been an inspiration, and I know that God used you in a way that cut through any pretense, and brought me to a place I needed to be, before His throne of mercy. To Him be the praise!

the king of the hill