High highs and low lows
The best part of Growing up in Little Italy, Chicago was the Addison Street bus running through our neighborhood. Fifty cents, and we kids were at Wrigley Field. For another two-fifty, we watched the worst team in baseball in the early sixties. In 2016, I refused to shave until the Cubs finally won the championship.
A parade of five fathers marched through my formative years, trampling me into a personality based in rejection. Sex, drugs, and the world’s “greatest” garage band adopted me.
Mom and I escaped to the slower culture of northern Indiana. I thought I’d passed through a time warp. “Horse and buggies?”
“Ever think about what’s going to happen to you when you die?” asked Dave Beer, the conservative young Hoosier who led me to Christ. At that Indiana Grain Bin factory, I felt the presence of God. I surrendered and gave Him my life.
After a dynamic encounter with the Holy Spirit, Bible training, ordination, and a happy marriage with three children, I found myself flourishing. I ministered throughout a Midwest network of churches and in other countries as a teacher and a worship leader. I found my destiny.
So why did I blow it? Adultery burned through my life like wildfire. It left nothing behind. I wanted to die. I ran instead— away from God, marriage, family and church. I kept running for twelve years, into a new marketplace career where I soared to the heights of success.
Then, my son was killed in a car crash. My daughters disowned me. A betraying partnership destroyed my second marriage and business. I spent years in the pit of depression, intentionally isolating myself in shame.
I began writing just to get things out that were inside me. I would hear music when I wrote. Inspiration resurrected me. It was Him.
Since 2016, God has been rebuilding my life. Today, I’m driven by an intense passion to share helpful insights through writing. “Even if you’ve blown your destiny, God can give you a new one.”
My wife Joyce and I now live in South Bend, Indiana, where we serve our local churchand care for my 90-year-old mother. I’ve been reconciled with one of my daughters, Michelle.
When someone asks me, “How are you doing?” I always answer, “I’m happy, and I hope you are too.” Because with God, there is always hope for everyone. Psalm 23.
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT RUSS MOE
- I grew up in Chicago so I am a diehard fan of the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Sox, and Blackhawks
- I love the Beatles. I was featured on the Beatles Channel “Your Fab Four” segment once.
- I am a movie enthusiast (more than a hobby), favorite all time movie, Ben Hur.
- I’m an only child
- I’m a member of “The Creative Brainstorm Team” at my church doing creative writing, videos, and promotions for church events.
Short Bio
Saved at the age of nineteen, my passion for Christ has been the sustaining force throughout the peaks and valleys of life. With over fifty years as a Christian, much of that time devoted to ministry across the Midwest and internationally, I now focus on sharing the insights and lessons gleaned from these experiences through my writing.
What It's Done to Us: The Mystery of God's Control has been the central focus of my life for the past seven years. This book embodies my mission to address what I believe is the most crucial issue facing the Gospel of Christ—understanding God's sovereignty and its profound impact on His people and the world. It is more than just a project; it has become a calling that has consumed my heart and energy.