I used to believe that marriage would fix everything – that it would resolve the struggles I carried, even after Jesus had apprehended my heart. But those struggles had deep roots: early childhood trauma marked by violence, sexual abuse, abandonment, and instability. I was taken by social services multiple times and adopted at age five by a well-meaning family, who, unfortunately, wasn’t equipped to help me heal from the trauma already shaping my young life.

My early years were followed by godless, reckless living: emancipation at 16, the military, homelessness – until I entered the Homeless Veterans Rehabilitation Program. It was during that time that Christ radically and completely saved my soul.

Five years later, I met Lisa. I was clean from substances and already working in recovery and addiction therapy. But there were still hidden, unaddressed patterns – secret sexual sin that followed us into our relationship and early marriage. I thank God for His persistent grace, for never letting us go too long without discipline, and for His Church, who walked with us through true repentance and reconciliation.

By God’s mercy, Lisa and I have now been married for over 20 years. After years of infertility, He blessed us with two beautiful daughters. Above all else, I am a husband and father – committed to ministering first to my own family with the grace, love, and truth of Christ, firmly rooted in God’s Word.

For the last 28 years, I’ve walked with Jesus – pursuing Him and the truth of Scripture, while answering His call to serve others who’ve faced the same kinds of battles. I’ve served in both ministerial and secular settings, counseling couples and individuals in marriage, recovery, and addiction. While I hold a degree in Biblical Counseling, a Doctorate in Divinity, and numerous certifications, my richest training has come from pastoring for 15+ years and walking with people through real-life pain and healing.

From the hardest cases – addiction, trauma, PTSD, sexual abuse, infidelity, and domestic violence –  to the everyday struggles of communication, finances, or parenting, I’ve seen it all. And I’ve seen God’s grace cover it all.

God is the author of marriage, the restorer of what’s broken, and the redeemer of every story. There is nothing He cannot restore.