Author name: Drake Hunter

Hunter: More than a price tag—what that doggie in the window really cost

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How much is that doggie in the window?

Remember this cheerful tune? It’s a jingle from another era, when the dream of a family pet felt as simple as a walk past a shop window. But today, that question echoes with heavier meaning.

In the aftermath of COVID-19, animal shelters across the country are overwhelmed—not with hopeful adopters, but with returned, surrendered, and abandoned dogs. What was once a feel-good moment, the impulse to bring home a furry companion during lockdown, has for many turned into complete heartbreak.

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Devotional: The breastplate of righteousness isn’t a costume—it’s combat gear

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Reflecting on the lives of remarkable figures—Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, etc.—we discover a golden thread that weaves through each of their stories: character.

If asked how to live a good, just, and meaningful life, each would likely point not to power, fame, wealth, or status but to the inner life—the heart. Real character, a character that can meet the demands of a harsh reality, they’d say, isn’t a PR stunt; it’s forged in private, rooted in virtue, and revealed in action.

It’s one thing to know what’s right…it’s another to live it. That’s the difference between fantasy and fact.

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Hunter: Dear Common Sense on using your voice without becoming part of the chaos

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“Dear Common Sense” is a no-nonsense advice column for those who still believe truth matters, leadership is earned, and common sense isn’t so common anymore.

Each issue tackles real questions from real people, offering grounded wisdom for speaking up, leading well, and living with integrity in a noisy world.

No shouting. No spin. Just clarity with character. 

Let’s lean into our first entry. Shall we?

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Devotional: Why your heart needs the breastplate of righteousness

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In a swirling sea of spiritual confusion—where feelings often masquerade as faith, manmade systems can overshadow true surrender, and emotional highs might be mistaken for holiness—it’s no wonder that many sincere believers feel exposed, exhausted, and uncertain.

The enemy is crafty, and his fiery darts aren’t always the obvious attacks; frequently, they are subtle distortions aimed straight at our hearts. That’s why, as we see in Ephesians 6, Christians must don the full armor of God, and especially the centerpiece: the Breastplate of Righteousness.

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Hunter: A Colorado pastor plants seeds of truth in faraway soil

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In Northeast India’s Ukhrul region, a small college is doing big work. Wung Theological College was built to make theological education accessible to those who’ve gone without it for too long.

Founded officially in July 2022 after years of vision, planning, and a delay caused by the global pandemic, WTC is already making a difference. Its first offering – a Pastors’ Refresher Course – graduated 55 local pastors trained in mission, counseling, homiletics, and church administration. Since then, the college has launched Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) and Master of Divinity (M.Div.) programs and now serves 37 students with the help of five full-time faculty and more than twenty visiting professors.

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Devotional: March in righteousness, not just good intentions

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Every day, you’re marching into a battle—whether you realize it or not. The question is: are you armored up, or are you walking into a war zone wearing flip-flops and good intentions? Religion alone won’t save you. It will load you down with rules while leaving your heart exposed. Wisdom, however—the real, raw kind that comes from fearing the Lord—will armor you up as you walk on the right path. It will train you to live well, fight smart, and win eternally (Proverbs 4:7).

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Hunter: Will you be the miracle Pastor John Waters needs?

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Across Colorado, churches gather each week to worship, pray, and walk in faith. From the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains, these communities share a simple but powerful calling—to love one another well. Today, that love has a chance to meet a real and urgent need.

And today, that love has an urgent opportunity to shine.

One of our own—John Waters, Worship Pastor at Elevating Life Church in Fort Morgan and a cherished beloved DJ on KFTM/Bob FM—is in critical need of a living liver transplant. John isn’t just a leader—he’s been a steady voice of hope. Whether preaching on Sundays or spinning tracks on the radio, he’s lifted hearts across Colorado and Nebraska.

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Devotional: In life’s fast lane, choosing the wrong road to a path of folly happens easily

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We live in a world where countless roads claim to lead to success—express lanes to happiness, toll-free routes to purpose, and flashy detours promising fulfillment in the Eternal Now. And many folks, good-hearted and well-meaning, are sprinting full speed ahead.

But here’s the kicker: what if the road you’re on is the wrong one?

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Devotional: The Breastplate of Righteousness – Character that Covers the Heart

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In our previous blog, we explored righteousness as God’s unwavering standard for building just and right “equable” relationships—between us and God, and with all creation. Righteousness, in simple terms, is doing what is right in God’s eyes. This time, we turn our attention to one of the most powerful symbols of protection in the believer’s life: the Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14). Why a breastplate? Because righteousness must not only be rooted in our hearts; it must also be worn. The breastplate protects our core—our heart, where our values, principles, and motivations reside. The armor we wear to shield that heart is character. However, it’s not just any character, it’s divine. 

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Hunter: “Don’t scatter roses after I’m gone” – what my wife’s words taught me during Brain Cancer Awareness Month

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For decades, I’ve stood in uniform beside the flag-draped coffins of fellow servicemen. I’ve stood at the front of church sanctuaries to bless weddings full of joy and eulogize lives full of sorrow. I’ve held hands with the grieving, prayed over the broken, and offered words when there were no words.

But nothing—absolutely nothing—prepared me for this.

On January 3, 2024, my wife, Sherrie, and I were pulled into a world no one ever wants to enter: the world of brain cancer. The diagnosis was brutal and blunt—Stage Four Glioblastoma.

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