My Story of Redemption and Purpose
Follow a journey shaped by faith, service, and God's transforming grace.
My Practice
My Path
I have directly experienced God's work in my life: growing up in South Central L.A.; joining the Army as a combat medic and serving in Desert Shield/Storm; raising five children with my wife; working as a nurse and peace officer, then correctional sergeant in the Department of Corrections; and serving in a local church as an elder. My path has had God on it since I can remember. I knew about God from childhood to my teenage years but didn't put my trust in Christ until I returned from overseas and was baptized publicly into the faith. The Lord is my All in All. He is the reason I desire to do anything at all.
I Believe
I believe there is but One God. This God is found in the Bible. There are many things mysterious about the nature of this God. At times I will use names and titles such as "God," "Jesus," the "Lord," the "Spirit," "Father," and "Savior" to describe Him. My use of male pronouns has nothing to do with me being pro-man or anti-woman but with me attempting to be faithful to the terms used in the Bible. Among many things, I fully acknowledge being saved by God's grace through faith; being redeemed from death and sin by the shed blood of Jesus Christ; and being ever sustained by the inner workings of the Spirit, which indwells me forevermore.
My Community
In many ways, I'm the product of many communities. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so I am an Angeleno. I am an Army veteran, so my patriotism runs deep and I thank God for the country of my birth. For more than a quarter of a century, I worked within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and so, this is also part of the community/family that I hold dear. As a husband for more than thirty six years, a father and grandfather, family means very much to me. My wife, Rebecca, is the greatest community I could ever belong to. Outside of Christ, there is no other relationship that steadies me, comforts me, or inspires me. My relationship to Christ first, and my wife second, is the bedrock from which everything else proceeds. I have served as an elder, interim pastor, and now part of a thriving pastoral staff. I count it one of my greatest responsibilities to do all I can for the people of God, to equip the saints and bring glory to God.
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