In August of 2007, I started reading the Bible for the first time as an adult. Not searching for answers, but you see I had met a Christian who really knew her stuff. And if I was gunna debate her, I’d better bone up on the subject. I was looking for ammo, not answers. But each time I would open it, I would find myself reading a passage that was speaking directly to me, it was amazing. After a month or so of secret, private study, I didn’t find the ammo I was looking for, but answers I never realized were there. I knew all those years I had it wrong. It was quite a low point. Because even though I had come to realize their was only one true God, and that Christ was only way to him, I did not understand his grace. I really felt like I had missed the boat so to speak, and that because of the way I had lived my life, why would Christ want anything to do with me? Then I started reading Acts while sitting in a parking lot in Asheville, NC. That lead me to study who Saul was. Wow! This guy was REALLY bad. That of course lead to learning who Paul was. Wow! This guy is like Super Christian! Acts 9 was the turning point in my understanding of Grace. That God has a purpose, even for a hard headed, selfish, prideful mess like me. I took to my knees at 2 am alone in my bedroom of September of that same year. And I have to be honest, I still wasn’t sure if I was “worthy” of that Grace I had read about, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. What followed was truly supernatural, and a whole other story…but back the Act 9, that is one small thing that is so awesome about our God. His love runs SO deep for all of us, even those of us who don’t deserve to be loved, that there truly is “no record of wrongs”. I try to stay mindful of that everyday. It’s easy to know someone and think that they have a heart that is just to hard, and can never be reached. But I know that it about God’s awesome power, not my ability to attempt to relay the gospel. I know that when God pokes me and says speak up, it’s not up to me to try in figure out if this is a person worth talking to (which I sometimes do)…cause it’s not about me. It’s God using me as a small piece of a job he’s already got going…it’s his work, not mine.

Oh, and the “her” I spoke of, well she’s now my wife. And I guess she was kinda my Ananias. During our debates, she’s was never combative, never belittled me. She would discuss her beliefs, listen to my attempts to shoot holes in it…..then pray for me when the discussion was over. She didn’t know what was happening in my life (I kept it VERY secret), but knew God had put her there for a reason. Amazing.

Aunt Pat is my First Key Player. She never gave up on me, when I was giving up on my marriage, my life. She taught me God will never leave me and loves me…no matter what I have done. His Forgiveness is as far as the east is to the west. She also taught me to witness, even to the end of ones life. I stood in her place one evening: a hospital room with a chill, faint breaths came from the frail man that lay, stricken with cancer. The chill, came from the absence of God in his life. I was sent to pray for him, to share who Jesus is, before it was too late. Night after night I watched Aunt Pat go to him…oh he was stubborn. His name, is Joy, when he died I asked her, “Did he accept Him?”. With a smile she said, “I won’t know till I get there”. That day I learned to never give up, God will give you strength when you feel discouraged and to be faithful, even to the end.
Their are other Key Roll Players during my walk….I’ll have to email them. Thanks Jimmy.

My Grandma is probably one person that has always encouraged me to know Jesus and pray. My small group is really who keeps me encouraged and challenges me to be a better Christian.

He also introduced me to Justin Mann, our worship leader, who I would join as a guitar player and spend a good portion of the last 10 years leading worship and doing life with.

Another important person in my life was a High School science teacher named Bruce Smith, who along with the Erin Mainers and the White Family, helped introduce me to Christ and the church.