This is my personal page. I don't really have a lot to say about myself, except what is relevant to what God has done in my life.

I grew up in a "Christian" family. I remember going to church as far back as first grade. We attended Baptist, Christian & Missionary Alliance, and Friends (Quaker) churches (and probably some others I don't recall). Once, I even went to a Catholic service with a friend. I "accepted Jesus" when I was in second grade (or thereabouts). I read the Bible through several times, in several different versions. I didn't regularly pray, but I recall praying often. My grandmother sent me, and my siblings, to Christian camps during the summer. I even had my doctrine down pretty good. I knew that being a Christian was more than just going to church, reading the Bible, and praying. I knew it had to do with believing.

The thing was, though I knew what was right, I couldn't stop doing bad things. Things that I'm ashamed to talk about*. I knew they were wrong, and I'd pray "God I'm sorry, I won't do it again". But it was like sin came up behind me, hit me over the head with a large club, and dragged me off. I was enslaved to it. That didn't stop me from thinking that I wasn't such a bad person most of the rest of the time. It just goes to show how much we humans can justify our actions.

After a year at a community college, I transferred to Seattle Pacific University. In and of itself, that was nothing significant. However, it did put me into daily contact with my room mate (whom I went to high school with), and even more important: into daily contact with his music. Being musically inclined, I owned a number of pop rock albums. Whenever my room mate started to play that "Christian" stuff, I'd just put on my headphones and listen to Elton John, or the Doobie brothers, etc. I mean, being a Christian is good and fine, but let's not be fanatical! Christian music? What's wrong with the stuff normal people listen to? The name of the main artist that my room mate listened to was Keith Green.

After a few months, I found myself in a situation where I had no choice but to hear Keith Green's music, although I tried hard to ignore it. However, I did notice, and admire, his pianistic ability. The next time my room mate put his music on, I listened to some of the words.

"To obey is better than sacrifice, I want more than Sundays and Wednesday nights, Because if you can't come to me everyday, then don't bother coming at all."

Suddenly it occurred to me for the first time, "Hey! Being a Christian means being committed to, and serious about, God. What a concept! I wonder why I never heard that in church..." I really had no idea of what was transpiring, but I decided that if I was going to call myself a Christian, I had better be serious about it.

In retrospect, I realize that at that moment, when I decided to be serious about following Jesus, God did something inside of me that has completely changed my life ever since - and am I glad! Suddenly, I had power over the sin in my life, which for 19 years had been my master. I'm not saying that I never sin, but certainly not as often and (the truth hurts) only when I decide to.

There was peace where there used to be inner turmoil, there was joy where there had been profound depression, and there was forgiveness where there had been hatred and bitterness. All because I finally believed in Jesus. You see, it isn't a matter of intellectual assent alone - after all, the demons believe in that sense (and they tremble!) It's a matter of taking God seriously, trusting Him, giving up everything to Him, and becoming a confounded fanatic! Or as Keith Green would say several years later, being "Bananas for Jesus."

Gaining clear vision was not because of myself. If it were left up to me, I'd still be a slave to sin. If it were up to me, nothing Keith Green, or anyone else, could have said, would have made any difference. But God is bigger than us humans and He decided to open my mind and heart where and when He decided. Not because I deserved it, either. Just because He gives generously to those who don't deserve it. Faced with that, how can I be anything but forever grateful to Him? And its not just His power operating in my life, but it is also an intimate relationship with Him. He is the most wonderful person in the universe - what a great honor and privilege to have a relationship with Him! And I get to spend forever with Him. Sadly, although the opportunity is available to everyone, few seem to recognize it. The good news is that if He can rescue me, He can do it for anyone!

Finally, it is important to note that my faith has nothing to do with religion. I was religious before trusting Jesus, and have become steadily less and less religious since. To put it another way, before I trusted Jesus, I trusted religion. If you want to read more on this, see my article "Why I am Not Religious".

* I'm sure many people wouldn't consider my past to be that bad. After all, I never killed or raped anyone. I didn't embezzle money or rob banks. But God doesn't rank sin like we do. He demands that we be holy. Jesus equated hatred with murder - both are the consequence of a corrupt soul. It doesn't matter if we never physically killed someone - having hatred for another person in our heart is wrong. All actions we take stem from the thoughts and desires that we lovingly harbor. That is where sin begins.