Language: English
Nationality: United States of America, presently residing in Paraguay

Being fourth or fifth generation Seventh-day Adventist on my dad’s side, while my mother was a convert, we had a healthy mix of conservative tradition and common sense in our home. We were taught to discern the value of our values, seeing how following the principles and wisdom of Scripture led to a happier life. I always desired to understand life better. Why did I do things I didn’t want to do? Did I have ulterior motives for saying something? If I was wrong about something, and was corrected, I appreciated it; if not immediately, then later, perhaps after cooling off and reconsidering what I was told.

I was baptized in my early teens, and became more involved with various aspects of our local church (typically behind-the-scenes). Although I believed our traditional views, I always took counter arguments seriously, because I felt that everyone should be able to have honest answers to their questions, just as I desired, and I earnestly sought to understand and share that understanding with others. Sometimes this led me to somewhat different views than I previously held, but which were in harmony with Scripture and other evidence, so far as I understood it.

Growing up, I was taught the best we understood about future events, and I always expected that someday, we would see things really happening. I imagined what it would be like to see Jesus coming in the clouds, and I always hoped to experience the adventures leading up to that time, just as I enjoy a powerful storm.  So when I learned about this website, I was convicted that this was what I was waiting for. Now I knew Jesus was really coming, and we could not only expect it, but plan accordingly.

I am humbled as I see how God has led in my life, and is bringing me closer to His Standard every day. It is a pleasure to serve Him, who loves us so much that He is willing to invest Himself in the lowest, most undesirable people, and transform them as He uses them to do His work. In this way, it may be clear that it is God who does the work; we are simply willing vessels for His use. If you are willing, He will use you too, and you will find that all of His effort in transforming your life, though often painful, is for your best happiness and peace. You won’t regret it.