Dave DeBlander

The Upward Path is a commonplace book. In the centuries before us, commonplace books were written as a way of passing knowledge on to others. A commonplace book contains stories, quotes, events and notes of meaningful observations collected by the writer. Over a ten-year period, Dave DeBlander accumulated the content of his commonplace book and as he wrote it, a common thread became quite evident. He titled the book, The Upward Path, denoting the books purpose of showing the joy coming from a life of walking with the Lord and letting Him lead the way. Among the books stories, essays and quotes are thirteen different episodes in Mr. DeBlander’s rich and diverse life which will entertain readers and add more insight as Mr. DeBlander ends each chapter with thoughts concerning the life lessons learned in every adventure.
The Upward Path was originally written to Braeden and Maddy, Dave DeBlander’s grandchildren that they might see the importance of God in their grandfather's life. In the book he describes the lessons learned along his journey as a star athlete, hippie, preacher, evangelist, world traveler, businessman, health food devotee, and radio and TV host. From his morning quiet time, Dave discovered wisdom and understanding from stories and quotes by Oswald Chambers, Charles Spurgeon and others including many from his pastor, Brother Dennis, which he has added to this book. These insights helped to take him from a life of sin and searching to discovering the joy of walking with God and letting Him be in control of his life. The Upward Path takes us on a journey to find purpose and to discover the richness in our lives. It asks important questions such as what is the key to all knowledge and truth, what is the secret to the Christian life, how to deal with worry, what is the most important thing I have to do, the danger of positive thinking, and many more, while providing scriptural answers to these questions. Questions are great and wonderful, but answers are even better. With powerful quotes, stories and essays on the human condition, the book winds its way to eternal truths and conclusions.
By providing a mixture of thought-provoking quotes, stories and narratives combined with Mr. DeBlander’s life stories, the author has created an easy reading, delightful, challenging and inspiring book that will bring a smile on your face. We hope you will enjoy The Upward Path whether you read it straight through or pick it up periodically and digest a chapter or two that speaks to a current event in your life. You may want to consider writing a commonplace book yourself. We are sure your family and friends would be thrilled and thankful.