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What can I say about myself? I admit that I really hate doing this, but I also really hate reading third person bio's when it's obvious that it's self-written. So, please indulge me for a few minutes. I am going to keep this very brief. Jesus took over my life in the spring of 1992 while I was serving in the Navy. When the Lord came, He delivered me from the occult, hard drinking, smoking, and a whole list of other sins far too unsavory to discuss in polite company. On that day, I finally understood that there is a God and it isn't me. I knew absolutely nothing about Jesus except that He had just redeemed me. Fortunately, I was surrounded by some strong Christian men who took me under their wings and helped me to understand my new relationship with God. Since receiving a call to ministry shortly afterward, I have served in a variety of capacities from teaching adult classes, counter-cult ministry, and dramatic work. I've been writing for the better part of the last ten years, producing works including articles, devotionals, and even some poetry and lyrics. For over thirteen years, inner-city ministry and the unity of the Body of Christ have been my greatest passions. I served as teaching pastor, administrator, and community relations director for Peoria Outreach Center, an inner-city ministry in Peoria, IL. I currently serve as the media relations coordinator for the steering committee for Push for Peace, a multi-church community-wide prayer effort. Apart from Christ and my family, it is my country that moves my heart the most. I am an unashamed patriot and lover of liberty. I do not have any political allegiance other than to the truth and to right and wrong. I call it like I see it. My love of country started many years ago (almost too many to admit) to my freshman year of high school. My history teacher was a World War II army veteran whose love for the United States and our history came alive to me as I sat in his class. That love of history follows me to this day and has extended into ancient and world history as well. I added a healthy interest in economics in the early Nineties when I left the Navy and entered the business world full time. As you listen to Foundations, I hope that my love of Jesus, my Family, and the United States comes through loud and clear. On a personal level, I am happily married to the great love of my life, Kim. Between us and together we have four children ranging in age from six to twenty-four. Our eldest two, EJ and Christina, are both married as well. EJ and his wife, Amanda, have blessed us with four grandchildren. My daughter and her husband gave birth to their first in August of '09. Before either of the two younger boys was old enough, we made the difficult decision to homeschool them. My lovely wife does an excellent job of teaching them in these younger years and I look forward to helping them with a few of the more advanced subjects Kim didn't take when they are a little older. Recently we have learned that Nathan, our youngest, is autistic. This has had a tremendous impact on our lives, as you can imagine. He's the one in the red shirt in front of my very tall daughter. That mischievous look is a strong indicator of an irrepressible personality that no chemical imbalance can suppress. I told you I would be brief and I meant it. It's a lot more fun to talk about what the Lord is doing than about me. |