I am madly in love with my wife, Patti and loving what I get to do; love God and then love people. There is nothing like seeing a life when it intersects the love of Jesus! I get a front row seat all the time!
Following Jesus Christ has defined my life since spring of 1983 (excluding from August 1986-August 1989 when I forgot who I was and did STUPID stuff). I not only LOVE God, but also am blown away most by His love for me! He knows EVERYTHING about me, and STILL loves me– WOW! God has been SO good to me! I have a wife who loves me, likes me, and continues to CHOSE me– She is the GREATEST gift I have ever been given outside of my salvation. She is NOT like me, which is a good thing– she pulls me into fun, deeper relationships with people, and a spontaneous life! She is cluttered, carefree, consistently late everywhere she goes, talks ALOT, fun, and did I mention fun…. God, just sitting here typing this, I am still so IN LOVE with her. So many married couples I have met, just endure life together, not us. My favorite part of the day, is riding home from work because I know someone who REALLY IS excited to SEE me will greet me. I cry every year on Christmas Eve watching Jimmy Stewart in the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life”. At the end of the movie, he is running home because his eyes are finally opened to what a great life he really does have at home. Sometimes we can lose sight of this because of all the struggles. When he runs upstairs and those sons and daughters kiss him and hug him— wow; then his wife walks through the door with great news. At that moment is when I lose it! Not to mention in the following moments his living room is filled with FRIENDS! He is a RICH man! I guess that is who I am– a rich man! Will you find me in Forbes 500, heavens NO! When I leave this earth, will my kids be able to live off my inheritance– heavens NO! But when I do leave, I will have lived a live of ABUNDANCE! I have to be honest about the secret of obtaining such a testimony. There is a secret. Before I give you the secret, I must be completely honest. My life has been filled with so many potholes, moments and months of pain and disappointment. We can match scars if you want to, anytime. BUT my scars pale in the comparison to His glorious blessings I have received in my life! So what is the secret? FAITH! You must believe in and receive the gift of a new heart in the exchange that happens when you believe Jesus died for your wretched life! That’s right, I had to be honest about my sin– I was a thief, a liar, a sexually immoral man, –bottom line, I was a disappointment to my parents, God and myself. When I came to God completely bankrupt and in need of help, Jesus saved me and changed me. He can do the same for you. Just be honest. Confess your sins and mistakes, and then ask Him into your life. Before I finish, I have to tell you the truth– this is not the REAL secret to being truly RICH! You want to know the REAL secret? You HAVE to SURRENDER completely to God’s WAYS. MANY people accept the gift of Christ– forgiveness, love and adoption into God’s family; but FEW surrender to God’s way of living! DO LIFE HIS WAY AND YOU WILL BE RICH!