ABOUT ME
Hello, my name is Dale Coolbaugh and I'm glad you stopped by to visit my personal blog. I've been happily married to my beautiful wife Holly for over 3 1/2 decades. We have two wonderful sons, Ryan and Dale Jr. who we call "DJ," and three beautiful grandchildren whose names are Paige, Caleb and Alexandria. In 1994 we both surrendered our lives to Jesus, started attending church, and have never looked back since. We now attend Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel in Yucca Valley, California. I often love to ponder over the years of walking with Christ. All the ups and downs, highs and lows, Christian retreats, men's conference's, Bible studies, children's ministry and even attacks from the enemy. Attacks on our marriage, our finances and even our jobs.
We held on to our faith in Jesus and the promises of God's word as we traveled down the narrow road, realizing that God would never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). There were definitely times when we had to remind ourselves that we were being molded and shaped by the Potter's hands (Isaiah 64:8), being refined in the fire (Isaiah 48:10) and purified (Daniel 12:10).
I can't imagine what our lives would be like if we had not made the choice to follow Jesus and just kept living our lives the way we wanted to and making our own choices. My wife and I both agree that we would probably have been divorced by now sinking deeper into the foolish and dangerous life choices that we were making. Don't let anyone tell you that the Christian life is an easy one, but when I imagine being in heaven and seeing Jesus face-to-face, I realize that the Christian life is the only life for us. Like Joshua said, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).
Me, Holly & Coco
ABOUT CHRIST BLOG
The birth of “Christ Blog” began as an answered prayer to the Lord. During one of my daily conversations with Jesus, I was making excuses for why I wasn't involved in a ministry. I used excuses such as "I work on the weekends," or "I work swing shift and I get home too late." I truly felt that they were legitimate reasons because every time there was an event at church happening, I could not attend for work-related reasons. Nevertheless, I prayed for Him to give me a ministry that would fit with my schedule while utilizing the talents that He's given me. Within a few short hours, my prayer was answered! It came so fast that I knew it wasn't something I came up with on my own. The Lord reminded me that I had two main skills that I was blessed with, writing (especially poetry) and a passion for research. And so began "Christ Blog." I got my tagline "Where Iron Sharpens Iron" from Proverbs 27:17 which states, "As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
As the ideas for "Christ Blog" began flying through my mind, I was brought back to a time in my early walk with the Lord when I was at my first men's retreat. A group of us men hiked up to the top of a hill to just sit and meditate on God's Word. As Scriptures came to mind, we would all read out aloud. I had my first Gideon's Bible that I got from boot camp and opened it up to the very beginning. The first thing I read was truly amazing. It read;
“The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, it’s histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.
Is the Traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s character. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.
Christ is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God it’s end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mind of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.”