by Life Before Christ
I have not always been a Christian. I was baptized as a baby, but my parents divorced when I was in 4th grade and neither of them took me to church. My aunt was a Sunday School Teacher, so I did go a few times a year. During the summer, my babysitter would take us to church for the church summer camps but it was sporadic. My family was not only broken because of an incompatible marriage, but also because no one was following God in any meaningful way. I thought I knew what love was, but I did not see it directly growing up. My grandmother stepped up to help raise my younger brother and me.
At the time, life was not enjoyable. I did not have many friends because of being out in the country side, I was not doing well in school, I was wrestling because it was something my father wanted me to do, and my parents spent a lot of time complaining about each other. I did not know what my purpose was in life and I knew I was not going to be fulfilled in just finding a job and existing in the area for the rest of my life.
When I Surrendered to Christ
Once I got my driver’s license, I was able to be more social and the friends I made forced me to go to church. The rule was that if you slept over Saturday night, you went to church with them on Sunday morning. This happened a lot. I have been aware of the gospel since a child going to Sunday School but I finally surrendered everything to Jesus as my savior during one of the Sunday Services.
Because I gave my life to Jesus, I would go to Sunday Service on the military base and built a friend circle that I could trust and be myself around. God leading me into the military was a great restart for me as many of the other sailors were in a similar situation. Because of my walk with Jesus, I graduated top in my Sonar Class, was sponsored by Local Motion in two-man sand volleyball and found a like-minded woman that later became my wife. The feeling was amazing, knowing that Jesus died for my sins and would provide everlasting life for me once I truly believed in him.
My faith was challenged periodically, especially when I was learning martial arts. Taoism and other Asian religions have a strong influence on the advanced levels of martial arts. I eventually stopped with the martial arts as it felt wrong for me during some of the meditation exercises and forms that required a lot of “Chi”.
Blessings From Christ
I met my wife while stationed in Hawaii and she was already following Jesus Christ and we would go to church every Sunday. She helped me grow in my faith knowing that Jesus would supply me with everything I would need and would guide me through this thing we call life. We moved to Maryland and immediately found a church that we liked and became active quickly.
Later in life, we learned what true love was and agreed to have a child to raise that would follow Jesus like we do. Her name is Kayla, and we are proud of the young adult she is becoming. Life as a Christian is not easy, but it is joyful and loving when you are in Christ.
Our faith has consistently been growing at a rapid pace since 2021 when Hope retired. The more we invest into Jesus, the more blessed we become financially, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We have a personal relationship with God, financial freedom that our parents did not have, a lot of like-minded friends, and we have a sense of purpose.
Calling from Christ
God’s calling became increasingly clearer and stronger in 2020 and 2021. I retired at the age of 48 in 2022 as God was calling me to make time for Him versus spending my time in the corporate world helping companies succeed. I knew that God wanted more of my time to be towards Him and I became very active at the church and in the planning meetings for the annual men’s retreat. I also felt His calling to have me use the spiritual gifts that He gave me such as teaching, preaching, leading, and counseling. These activities naturally fit well with me. I was starting to go to Bible Study three times a week. At the Men’s Retreat I knew that God wanted me to start and lead a fellowship ministry for the church as the Director of Fun In Fellowship. Shortly afterwards, I enrolled at Liberty University for my Master’s Degree in Christian Ministry and my Pastor had me teach Bible Study. My spiritual gift of teaching was observed and my calling continued to reveal that I am a Pastor. Many family and friends have confirmed this calling as they see me as the gift of Pastor to the church. My role as the chaplain for the local American Legion is another example where many people have confirmed my calling and see my character as that of an imitator of Christ.