I was born in Des Moines, attended Van Meter School and graduated from there. I grew up in an Evangelical Free and Catholic household where I accepted Christ at an early age. I played college baseball at Iowa Central in Fort Dodge and then went on to finish my degree at the University of Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Arizona. I married my college sweetheart after college and lived a blessed marriage early on. Then there were some marital issues that we had to work through to reconcile. We had a daughter. I found out six months later she wasn’t mine due to my wife having an affair. After the heartache I wrongly chose bitterness and resentment and walked away from God.
Through many relationships I found myself in the deepest and darkest moment of my life, battling suicidal depression, anxiety and alcoholism. In October 2022 I was arrested for theft in an unfortunate family affair. Three days into jail I met Chaplain Jerry, a saint who guided me back to Christ. I always felt too far gone to come back to God, but the love of Christ brought me back from certain doom. After thirteen weeks in jail I got probation, only to slip back into it, but God had a plan. I was sentenced to prison in May 2024 for a probation violation. Christ convicted me to full repentance where I put my hand to the plow and have not looked back!
I would have never known God’s mercy, grace and love had I not gone to prison. Within a few months Christ has freed me from prescription medicine for depression and anxiety. It’s a true miracle!
I hope to work again with special needs children and adults, and get into prison ministry as soon as possible. I give special thanks to my mother, Gary’s, and Church prayers. God is faithful, and through Him nothing is impossible!