This is what my 17-year-old son calls me when he thinks I need to smile more and be a little less serious.

He’ll walk up to me, usually when I’m on the couch trying to listen to a ballgame, and say in a very snarky voice, “No more Mr. Grumpygills. Does Mr. Grumpygills need a hug? Hmm? Hmm?” And then he’ll proceed to hug me as tight as possible while trying to make me laugh.

 

Why am I Mr. Grumpygills? What puts me in “that mood” at the end of the day, or on a Sunday afternoon?

There are probably multiple reasons why I end up as Mr. Grumpygills.

The better question is “What keeps me from becoming Mr. Grumpygills?”

One answer to this recently hit me.

The frequency and volume of my writing directly impacts my attitude.

Simply put, the more I write, the better I feel, and the better my days seem to go.

Over the course of the last year and a half, writing has become a go to activity for me. When the words are flowing out of my head and onto the screen (or paper), my attitude invariable improves.

Why? How does this work? What happens?

Well, I believe it has to do with God.

I am convinced God is calling me to write. To write this blog, and to write books. The more I write, the more I am obeying his desire for me. He blesses me, and my attitude, when I write.

There are words deep inside me, given to me by God, waiting to come out.

The words I write are for you, the reader, and for me. We are to learn and grow from these words. But, most importantly, the words I write, and the ideas I share, are for his glory.

I typically write about the experiences in my life. I share the good, the bad, and the glorious. This is what I’m called to do.

Who would have thought God would turn me into a writer. Certainly not me.

Until last year, I was a car salesman. That was my identity. Now I am so much more. More accurately, I realize I am so much more. I still sell cars. Really. I do. It is my Day Job. But it no longer defines me.

What defines me now? I believe my Twitter profile sums it up pretty well: “Proud dad, faithful husband, loving Christ, looking to inspire you to be awesome…”

I’m no longer defined by my occupation. Are you?