Like most of my life, my journey into adulthood started with a bang. In the early 1990s I graduated from college, got married, and moved to a new city. Several of the things counselors tell you will cause stress in a new marriage--we did in the first month.   

     My wife and I love anything to do with nature, and it always seems easier to connect with God when you're on his stomping ground. So after a breath-taking wedding on an Ozark mountaintop, I spent five years in Arkansas as a youth pastor and camp director. I discovered there's nothing like getting students away from everyday life  to help them figure out what is really important.

    In the late 1990s, we came to Memphis where I served as a spiritual adviser to students for three years at Briarcrest Christian School. In addition to planning chapels and teaching a leadership class, my main responsibility was to be part of students' lives--listening to their stories, understanding their hurts, hearing their frustrations, and walking with them as they stumbled through high school.

     The greatest lesson I learned was that the only way to truly know a teenager is to spend every day investing in his or her life. You’ve got to be there for all of it--the good and the bad--and be ready to respond with words of truth and life.

    Since those early years, I have been part of various churches either on staff or as a volunteer. I have enjoyed the rich relationships that have developed as a result. Along the way I have had opportunities to speak at camps, retreats, school assemblies, and conferences. It breathes life into me when a student comes up after a talk and responds with, "I never knew I was that valuable to God,” or  a parent says, “I’m not going to see life the same way anymore!”

     I think there are three truths in life (and they have nothing to do with taxes). One, we were made to be in a relationship with God. Two, we were made to do something. And three, we were made to be part of a community. That’s why the three things I am most passionate about are  my relationship with Jesus, my family, and leadership.

     Through the journey of my life, the best gifts besides my wife, have been our two children. I hope I am graced with the ability to live and teach truth to them as I have gotten to with so many teenagers over the years.

     Finally, I know I would not be who I am today if it were not for the gifted, giving, and gracious mentors I have had in my life. The first was Taylor Park, who is now leading a church in Memphis, TN. Taylor taught me the ins and outs of working with students and indulged me in my many mistakes along the way. Then came Dr. James Allman, who is now a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. He was my favorite professor and the man who modeled for me a life of humility. Lastly, has been Steve Collums. Steve serves as the headmaster at Evangelical Christian School in Memphis, TN. There is no one like him who spurs me to think about truth, God, and my responsibilities as a man. Thanks to you all for making an indelible impact in my life.

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