My mother and my wife Elizabeth have been the two most influential people in my faith journey. When I was very young, I remember my mother would take my brother and I to church and instilled in me at the earliest age the need to have God in my life and a strong faith in God. We moved around the U.S. and lived in several different states and attended various churches of many different denominations as well as non-denominational churches. Regardless of which church we attended, my mother always set a good example of being involved in the church.
In high school my faith started to wane….I think it was a combination of being a rebellious teenager as well as the distractions in life that I let creep in and led me to pause my faith journey. However, the seeds were planted by a loving mother and there was always a tug at my heart no matter how far away I strayed from God.
In college Elizabeth and I started dating (we actually met in high school). She came from a strong Christian background and had a very strong faith. During our dating years she would ever so gently try to nudge me towards God. As time went on and after we graduated from college and were engaged to be married, God intervened and I started attending church regularly with Elizabeth. God started working on me and I quickly remembered how important it was to have God in my life. Elizabeth and I were both baptized together, when I was in my late twenties. Sometimes we take detours, however God is always there and ready with open arms.
As time went on, Elizabeth and I had 2 boys. We have attended several different churches in central Illinois over the years, partly due to the logistics which come with moving. It is very important for me that I have God in my life, and I wanted that for my two boys, the same as what my mother wanted for her two boys. I am so blessed and grateful to God for the path he led me down. I would not change a single thing.
