My Journey to the Light

There comes a point in life where it is important to know from where we have come and to understand our choices that have directed our journey to its current place in life. The life journey involves physical, emotional, and mental steps that impact the journey. Understanding these things helps us know who we are and what moved us to stand in our present place in life. We then have the tools to consider with wisdom our next move in life. My Journey to the Light is the story of the steps Dave Collins has taken. It recounts his mental, emotional, and spiritual growth that led him to be who he is and continue to impact his movement to the future. The goal is to provide an example and the encouragement for the reader to do some soul searching and personal evaluation in their own life journey.

My Journey to the Light is the story of Dave Collins' journey through life. The story includes childhood and family experiences. Follow the impact of his education. See him start and grow a relationship with God and develop a life mission. See the beginning and growth of his family. Follow his journey and see how these things moved Dave toward maturity and completeness and to be a light for others. Life has dark times filled with difficulty, and it has bright times filled with good. You will see both described in Dave's journey. All experiences are important and teach us. I describe the light and dark and how God used those experiences to impact and develop my life. We all begin life with immature minds. As we grow, we develop a more complete understanding of life. We develop perspectives which direct our choices impacting ourselves and those around us. I describe how my experiences impacted my thinking. Most people ask questions about themselves as they experience life. Examples of questions I asked myself are... Why am I here? What am I good at? What is my purpose? Does my life count? Does my life matter? Am I lovable? Another leading influence and gift in life is relationships. You will see some of the leading relationships in my life and how they have made a difference. All these things together tell a story of God at work in the life of one of his children made in his image with purpose and value. The goal in writing is to tell part of God's story as seen through my life. At the end of each chapter, you will see questions that point you to consider your own life with hopes of helping you know more fully your own beauty and value and God's place in your life.

Dave grew up in Texas. He earned a degree in physical education and history from the University of Houston followed by a master's degree from Fuller seminary. Dave served nearly fifty years in public education, churches, international ministry, and Young Life. His life was spent befriending and leading young and old toward a deeper understanding of themselves and God. He has seen many countries and cultures and travelled through much of the world. Beauty and relationships have been a focus for almost all of Dave's life. He is an accomplished artist with the goal of bringing the beauty of God's creation into people's homes. Following retirement from ministry, Dave's main focus has been on loving his wife and family while he still paints and writes to share and connect with others. Dave currently has three books available. His latest book is My Journey To The Light, his autobiography. One is An Artist's Story, the story behind Dave's art with some of his works displayed and described. The other is Walking with God, a devotional covering one year. Each day takes one page with scripture followed by a few thoughts to apply the scripture and questions to apply the thoughts. Building relationships, writing, and art remain Dave's main tools to connect with people and share the love of God with others.