I had a typical upbringing; my dad (Chris) taught me to play sports, fish, and let me help fix his truck.  The truck thing was usually boring to me and my dad would start swearing, which made me uncomfortable, so I didn’t spend a whole lot of time doing that.  Needless to say, my dad had quite a temper when he was younger, I’m happy to say as he’s aged the temper has turned luke warm at best.

My dad was my rock until I met Jesus.  My dad raised my sister (Trista) and me from age 8, when my mom (Roberta) divorced my dad because she is gay, to age 10.  Trista and I split our weekends between my mom’s place and my dad’s.  Knowing what it is to be a father, I am grateful for the hard work and the sacrifice my dad made for us.  He was a great example to Trista and I both; my dad had a lot of reasons to be negative, depressed, and bitter.  And I’m sure he was those things from time to time, but we never saw it from him. 

Mom is also a great lady, very loving and kind.  She would give you the last of anything she had.  My relationship with her has been quite different however.  She is more like an aunt to me, as I see her as much as most people see a distant aunt.  I have only recently, through God’s grace and provision, forgiven her and let that part of my life go.  I do love my mom, but it has been a rocky relationship.

When I was ten, my dad remarried to a crazy (in a good way) woman (Suzette) who had three daughters (Jennifer, Megan, and Lindsay).  That first year was crazy!  Trista and Jen were the same age so they were always fighting, and Megan and I were the same age so we’d team up and pester Lindsay who was the youngest.  Someone was always pissed at someone else, and I think once a day one of kids would cry.

When I was thirteen my parents (I got in the habit of saying that when I was younger so I didn’t have to explain that my real parents were divorced.  This also kept people from asking me why my parents were divorced) moved us from California to Spokane, WA.  I missed the ocean in California, but Spokane was actually a great place for a young kid to explore, as we lived on the outskirts and near a lot of vacant forest land.

After high school I went to Spokane Falls CC to run track and after one year I decided to quit my track career and go to Washington State University.  Looking back I only went there to party.  Education was secondary to me at the time.  I thought partying would make me cool and give me lots of friends.  Well, I did party, and I made some friends, and I did get a diploma.  But I also got into drugs and binge drinking (SHOCKER!), which I had done a little of in high school as well. 

After graduation I got a job, quit drugs, except for smoking weed from time to time, and continued my binge drinking on the weekends.  I moved in with a girlfriend and when that went down the tubes I got my own place.  I vowed to clean up my act, but the only change I made was going to the gym.  About 3 months later I got arrested for a DUI. 

At this point I was the lowest I had ever been.  The DUI was compounded by the fact that while in college I had received two MIPs (Minor In Possession, for the home schoolers out there).  I was depressed, very lost, but determined.  After trying numerous methods to get out of my funk, which all failed, I began to pray to God or Jesus; I didn’t understand the Trinity at the time.  I knew of Jesus because of a Vacation Bible School my grandmother put me in when I was about 5 or 6.    

After a few nights of praying, I finally told God I’d do whatever he asked of me.  I told him I didn’t want to go down this road of destruction anymore.  I said I would submit to him if he would turn my circumstances around.  This is kind of like testimonies gone wild, but it is true.  I was lying on my back praying all of this, and I said “God if you’re here, I need you now more than ever.  I just feel like I’m down and I can’t get up.”  My eyes were closed and I stopped talking.  All of a sudden I saw a big hand coming towards me.  It was God lifting me up.  I can’t explain it really, and I didn’t visualize a hand.  I saw a hand with my eyes closed, if that makes sense. 

So I gave my life to Christ that night.  I stopped doing all the things I had done prior except the drinking thing.  I thought God or Jesus was my friend and I wasn’t hurting anyone except maybe myself.  I just didn’t get it, I believed in the “good person” theory.

Later that fall I met the most amazing person.  My friends and I had season tickets to WSU football games so I was going down to Pullman about twice a month.  Post game festivities ended up at a local drinking establishment one night.  It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you the entire story if you ask.  But the long and short of it is, B and I hit it off, B ditched me, and the next day my friends saw her at restaurant and told her she had no class.  We ended up running into each other two weeks later, and now we’re married with a beautiful baby girl (Lucy).

After moving to Seattle just before our wedding, we began looking for churches.  One of B’s brothers (Gavin) said he had been to Mars Hill and the pastor was cool so we checked it out.  We’ve been going since that day. 

I’ve been blessed since coming to Mars Hill to have strong leaders and great role models.  These last two years have been years of growth and maturity.  I can see it some areas, the physical ones, like who I hang out with, my role as a community group leader, etc.  I often feel like that frat guy who’s afraid of his issues and problems and wants to run to worldly things.  I’m so thankful God called me into relationship with him because in those times, Jesus is there for me.  He gives me strength through prayer and his promise to never leave me.  I try (big emphasis on try) to glorify Jesus in all I do.  I realize all I have is because of Him, God has truly blessed me with a wife I don’t deserve and a healthy daughter.  I can only wait to see what He has in store for me and my family in the years to come.