A once popular song says, “I was lookin’ for love in all the wrong places. Lookin’ for love in too many faces. Lookin’ for love.” As a teenager, I spent my life looking for love. Hard work, money and thrills only left me feeling empty. The more I looked for love to fill the hole in my heart, the more desperate I became to find it. When I ran into trouble with the law, I lost my so called “friends”. I felt lonelier and emptier than ever. As my life spun out of control, I felt sad about what had become of my life.
One night some friends were grieving the sudden loss of their dad. I saw followers of Jesus grieving with them and showing compassion toward them. They had the love I was looking for. A friend asked, “You want to receive the Lord, don’t you?” To my surprise, I said yes and began to pray. At first, I felt a deep sense of guilt over what I’d done wrong. I knew if God punished me for my past, I was getting what I deserved. When I asked Jesus to forgive me, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. When I asked him to come into my life, I felt clean on the inside for the very first time.
Jesus has made an incredible difference in my life. While I am in no way perfect, I have peace knowing my past is forgiven and forgotten. God will never bring them up again! Also, I have a connection with God that never ends. When I awaken in the morning or go to sleep at night, I have the assurance that God is my Father forever and I am always his Son. And I enjoy a love relationship with God. He promises me a never lose love. He will never stop loving me. He will never forget or fail or forsake me. And best of all, I have the assurance that when I die, I will live in heaven forever with Jesus.
Since that day to this there has been a dramatic change in the trajectory of my life. I prepared for Christian ministry by attending Toccoa Falls College and earned a degree in Bible & Theology, Minor in Greek and emphasis in Pastoral Ministry. I married my college sweetheart, Beth and together we served the Lord in vocational and non-vocational ministries for 42 plus years. I went on to obtain a Master Degree in Christian Counseling and a Master of Divinity. I am truly a life-long learner and you’ll most likely always find me with a book and a highlighter. I am ordained with the Christian & Missionary Alliance. I mostly recently served as a chaplain with the Kansas Department of Corrections. In all, I have 15 years law enforcement experience and 15 years ministry experience. We attend Life.Church in Clive. I have never enjoyed attending church more than I do now. My wife Beth and I serve on the prayer team.
I am the proud father of four sons who love the Lord, four wonderful daughters-in-law who also love Jesus. We now have eleven grandchildren. I am never happier than when with family.