My Story

My story isn’t actually that dramatic of a tale. Lets just say, it is comparable to the Creed episode of “Behind the Music.” But regardless, its my story and I am proud of it.

I was born as the first child to two, unmarried, drug addicted 20-year olds living in Southern California. When I was still young, they married and then quickly divorced. My dad was destined to be a rock star and my mom was, well, a young single mother.

Eventually, they got back together and remarried when I was 4. Drugs (cocaine and marijuana) were still a part of their life, and my dad’s rock star ended rather abruptly thanks to his band’s drummer (another long story).

When I was 5, they moved to Flagstaff, Arizona with my new little sister and another on the way. Unfortunately for my parents, they lived close to my mom’s, one-handed, Grandpa George. He would drive by each Saturday on his tractor and invite them to church the next morning. They said yes with their words and no with their attendance. So, each Sunday afternoon, Grandpa George would drive by and ask them why they didn’t make it to church that morning. This cycle repeated itself until finally they went to shut him up.

They would never be the same.

While sitting in a pew at Church of the Master in Flagstaff, my dad filled out the all-important and spiritually-binding, “visitor info card.” He checked he wanted a visit from the pastor, and that Tuesday, the pastor and an elder showed up. My dad asked questions, argued, offered them some pot (ok, not really), and they left him with a Bible which he read each night while smoking a joint.

One of these nights, he came across John 20:31. The Holy Spirit punched him in the heart causing him to realize his need for a savior. That night, on the living room floor in front of the couch, my dad was reborn. My mom followed shortly thereafter. I was 5.

From that point forward, I lived a very typical, Christian-family, life. The values, opinions, and theology of the average evangelical Christian were modeled for me everyday. I had two parents who loved me and struggled to provide for me a life that would lead me down a different path than they had chosen.

When I was 8, I struggled with faith. My friends, cousins, and church buddies were all “going forward” and getting baptized. I was turned off by this trend, but the I knew the cause behind it was true and real and i wanted a piece. After some resistance, I caved, and I, too, was saved by my God that fall.

I struggled with what I now was. I’m sure I didn’t even grasp the full gravity of it at the time.

It wasn’t until high school that I can recall hearing, and buying, the idea that God didn’t just save me, but He wanted to walk with me. I went forward in my journey with Him.

I got good grades in school and went to college to be in the FBI. That didn’t last long and I began interning in the youth ministry at a church by my college. My freshman year, I struggled and fell into sin. By the standards that I was raised with, I was crossing clear lines. During this time, I had long conversations with God. He showed me that what I was doing wasn’t at all who I was. I went forward in my journey with Him.

That summer I spent working and missionizing Yosemite National Park in California. While there, I saw a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl from Tennessee and it was good. We met, fell in love, and dated for 2 years long distance.

She told me how God put this passion in heart to help others and so she was becoming a nurse. Compassion wasn’t my thing so I smiled and nodded. She said she wanted to go to Africa someday and help the hurting there, I said that was dumb since there were plenty of hurting people in God’s U. S. of A. She didn’t like me very much that day, but she still decided to marry me on July 14, 2001.

I had a son, Jake in October of 2002. I felt helpless, lost, and confused at what had just happened to me. I begged God to protect this baby boy, because I was grossly underqualified to be his dad. I went forward in my journey with Him.

In March of 2003, I heard a man named Rob Bell preach about God’s plan for us. He told me that my purpose in life wasn’t to “do ministry” or “produce results,” it was the relentless pursuit of who God called me to be. That news revolutionized my life. I went forward in my journey with Him.

That summer, I took my youth group to Jamaica to evangelize the island people. While were there, we visited a home for abandoned, mentally ill children. One little girl in particular caught my eye as she rested in her humid part of the orphanage. The Holy Spirit kicked my heart and told me that He loved her and I should love the least of these too. God broke and buried my heart that day in Jamaica. I went forward in my journey with Him.

In February of 2006, my second son was born and I felt better about being dad this time. God had provided. I went forward in my journey with Him.

In May of 2007, I went to Malawi, Africa. What I saw was the effects of sin in its purest form. Its products were poverty, disease, grief, death, orphans, neglect, and injustice. I told God He was wrong for letting such a thing happen on such a large scale, He told me His original plan was perfect and people just like me screwed it up, but His plan also called for people just like me to do justice and love mercy and make it right. I went forward in my journey with Him.

I will never arrive on this journey I am on. But I know God has a story He is perfecting in me, and I must walk humbly with Him as He glorifies Himself as He sees fit. Gods blessings are good but He worthy of worship.