25 Apr
Daniel Blackaby Story
Twenty-year-old Daniel Blackaby, regular blogger on Josiah Road, was born “sandwiched between an older brother and younger sister” into a strong Christian home. At the young age of four, Daniel came to know Jesus—fully understanding the decision he was making even then.
At the local ice-skating rink one day, Daniel decided it was time to accept Jesus into his life. “I closed my eyes and prayed, and asked [Jesus] to forgive my sins and be my Lord. I opened my eyes just in time to see the end boards before I ran face-first into them. … My dad always told me I started my Christian journey with a bang.”
In early high school, Daniel reached a point in his spiritual journey when he went through some hard stuff. “I started to have doubts if God really does love me,” he said. “I realized that I had reached an age where I couldn’t just believe because my parents and siblings did. I had to make my faith my own.”
Also enduring the struggle of being a part of a family that had served in Christian service, Daniel felt the pressure to serve in ministry from those who expected him to be just like his dad and grandpa. He said, “I didn’t want to be the ‘black sheep Blackaby’ that broke the trend.”
Through some specific faith-changing events (read about them in his blogs) that caused him to see the reality of God’s presence in his life, Daniel re-dedicated his heart to God. He committed to go deeper in his faith and answered God’s call to Christian service—something he initially resisted.
Today, a second-year student at Mount Royal College in Calgary, AB, he is focused on pursuing his education and preparing for ministry. “I try and keep a very willing and open-minded attitude right now, and do whatever task it is God calls me to do, and do it to the very best of my ability.”
Also playing a part in his life story, Daniel admits he is an intense music lover (having collected nearly 1,000 CDs on his iTunes), writer (of music and other stuff), reader, and musician in the band, Fading Rebel, which recently played at the Calgary Stampede, one of the biggest events in Canada.
First exposed to the Christian band, MxPx, in seventh grade, Daniel said, “[My band has] been able to do a bit of touring and playing in various bars and secular settings. But everywhere we go, we’ve also been able to bring the gospel message with us and share with people we probably never would have had the opportunity with otherwise.”
Through his music and life, Daniel is set on influencing other young believers today.
He said, “There’s a line between secular and Christian…and a lot of Christian young people today are trying to figure out how to get as close as possible to that line without crossing it. I’d like to encourage young people not to fall into that dangerous game. Let’s sprint away from that line. God is only going to use us to change the world as much as we are willing to be used.”
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Filed in: Meet the Bloggers
About the Author
Kaylan Christopher can be found sticking her hands in creative writing projects, blogging, hanging out at local coffee shops, and investing in her relationships with family and friends. A proud native of Texas, she loves chips, salsa, and coffee (but not altogether), Mute Math, LOST, her MacBook, good books, and live music. Kaylan currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. You can connect with her on Facebook or by e-mail at kaylan_christopher@yahoo.com.
