Ken Davis - Fully Alive: Lighten Up and Live--A Journey that Will Change Your LIfe

PRAISE FOR
FULLY ALIVE

This book is a wake-up call for those sleepwalking through life. In this powerful book, Ken Davis shares his personal struggles with candor and humor. He then points the way to a life that is fuller and richer than most of us could imagine. If you think your life is almost over, think again. Ken will convince you it is just beginning.

MICHAEL HYATT
CHAIRMAN, THOMAS NELSON PUBLISHERS
AUTHOR, PLATFORM: GET NOTICED IN A NOISY WORLD

I am profoundly grateful for the impact that Ken has had and continues to have on my life. He is a brilliant speaker, a profound communicator, and a dear friend. If you are ready to start living fully alive, I highly recommend this book to you.

SHEILA WALSH
AUTHOR, GOD LOVES BROKEN PEOPLE: AND
THOSE WHO PRETEND THEYRE NOT.

Between the cross and heaven, theres a whole lot of living going on. I am convinced more than ever that each human life is meant to be lived out completelyfully alive. That is exactly what this book is all about. And I can think of no one on this planet who has tackled this theme more powerfully or with more heart than Ken Davis. Fully Alive is a must-read for anyone and most especially those tempted to believe that their best days have already been lived.

BILL GAITHER

FULLY
ALIVE
A Journey that Will Change Your Life

KEN DAVIS

2012 Ken Davis

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group. W Publishing is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Stories told in this book are based on true events, but there are certain names, persons, characters, places, and dates that have been changed so that the persons and characters portrayed bear no resemblance to persons actually living or dead.

ISBN: 978-0-7852-3827-0 (IE)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Davis, Ken, 1946
Fully alive : a journey that will change your life / Ken Davis.
p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-8499-4842-8

1. Christian life. 2. LifeReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.
BV4509.5.D27 2012
248.4dc23

2012008645

Printed in the United States of America

13 14 15 16 17 RRD 10 9 8 7 6

This book is dedicated to the memory of Happy
Pierce, who lived more fully alive in seventeen
years than many people live in an entire lifetime.

CONTENTS

THANK YOU TO MY WIFE, DIANE, WHO OFTEN KNOCKED ON the door of my study as I wrote this bookto see if I was actually still alive. I love you.

Thank you to Kialee, Lexi, Jadyn, Tyler, Bailey, and Preston, six of the greatest grandchildren any man could hope for. You have been so patient as my attention has been focused on finishing this book. You have given me a glimpse of Gods love.

Thank you to the Chaffee County Search and Rescue Squad and to Molly for helping us find the princess.

Thank you to John Perry for the hours editing and rewriting the manuscript and helping me bring it to life.

Thank you to Robert, Eric, and Andrew Wolgemuth for believing in me and in the message of Fully Alive.

Thank you to Joy Groblebe for her edits and hard work getting the details out of the way so I could concentrate on writing.

Thank you to Matt Baugher and the team at Thomas Nelson for their faithful support when the going got tough.

Thank you to my Lord for giving me a reason to live fully alive.

Chapter One
LOST

IT WAS THE END TO A PERFECT DAY. MY WIFE, DIANE, AND I had driven with our three granddaughters up an old mining road high into the mountains of Colorado and set up camp in a little meadow at 10,500 feet. All day we rode ATV four-wheelers on narrow trails that snaked above the tree line to abandoned gold mines. We climbed to the tops of rocky ridges where we could see for miles in every direction. I relished my role as hero, trailblazer, and camping expert to the three little girls who shared this adventure: Kialee, the studious competitive athlete; Lexi, the drama queen; and four-year-old Jadyn, part-time affectionate princess and full-time nemesis to her sisters. The girls in turn were experts at making me stop to see joy in the little miracles of life.

My goal was to lead them to the top of the mountain. Their goal was to enjoy the journey. They squealed with delight at every clump of high country flowers and whooped with excitement when I pointed out the chubby marmot watching from his rocky sentinel. They collapsed in giggles when little pikas with big ears squeaked in alarm and scurried off to dive for cover in the rocky crevices. Jadyn stayed close by my side, holding my hand, soaking in the wonder of it all. Even at age four she climbed fearlessly up steep slopes and rode narrow trails, eager to find whatever surprise waited around the next corner or over the next ridge.

After a long and exciting day, we returned to our cozy campsite to fix dinner. Every meal you can think of is a hundred times tastier when cooked over a campfire. That night we had filet mignon, known to noncampers as hot dogs. Dessert was smores. What a delight to watch the girls roast marshmallows! To a child a marshmallow on the end of a stick is an exotic torch. A beautifully browned marshmallow is boring, but smiles and shouts of joy erupt when the little white treats burst into flaming torches that can be waved dangerously around nearby siblings. The girls quickly mashed the charred blobs of marshmallow and a square of Hersheys chocolate between two graham crackers and swallowed them whole so they could light another torch.

When the marshmallows were gone, they poked their sticks into the coals until they began to burn. The glowing ember on the end of a stick became a magic pen for writing names and drawing elaborate designs in the inky sky. Finally eyelids began to droop. We allowed the fire to settle and then lay on our backs in the meadow, whispering of the beauty of the star-jeweled heavens. When youre at 10,500 feet on a clear night, the brightness of the stars hurts your eyes. A meteor streaked across the sky, sparking a minicelebration and marking time to call it a night. Diane and I tucked our treasures into toasty down sleeping bags and gave thanks for a magnificent day spent enjoying Gods creation.

At the first hint of dawn, we awoke to the three amigas shaking us and shouting, Wake up! Wake up and light another fire! We were out of wood, so I slipped into cold, stiff clothing and icy boots to lead the girls on our first adventure of the day, gathering firewood. We looked for old, dead aspen trees, which are excellent for campfires. Many of these trees remain standing when they die. I knew we could easily push over the smaller ones and drag them back to camp.