How do I put into words what Jesus Christ has done in my life?
I was born into a very privileged position, a son of loving Christian
parents who loved the Lord and honored His word. I can’t remember the
first time I heard the story of Jesus and His love for me.
I can’t count the number of times I ran from Jesus, resisting His call, rejecting His offer of forgiveness.
But Jesus Christ pursued me, giving me opportunity after opportunity,
tugging at my heart, convicting me of the sin in my life, urging me to
surrender, demanding His rightful place in my heart and life. I was
sixteen when His grace and mercy, His obedience to the father, His
sinless sacrifice and His unconditional love for me finally broke
through.
Jesus Christ opened my eyes to see the truth in His word – that He
had shed His blood for me, that He had paid my debt when He died on the
cross. He proved to me by His resurrection that the Father was
completely satisfied with His sacrifice and that nothing – NOTHING –
remained but to rest in His finished work, trust in Him and accept the
free gift of eternal life that is found in Him alone.
Since that moment, He has always proved Himself faithful, even though
I have not always given Him first place in my life. It has been in my
darkest moments that He has guided, encouraged, comforted and sustained
me the most.
My only wish is that I had trusted Him sooner, served Him better and loved Him more.
And this is the testimony,
that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has
the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have
life.
1 John 5:11-12
Grace and I started dating when we were teenagers and have been
married (deliriously, happily married) since 1976. We have been though
some dark times and struggles in those years, but God has been with us
through it all and has blessed us with more joy than I could have
imagined.
We have three wonderful children (Katherine, Kevin and Allan), a
terrific son-in-law (Dave) and one delightful grandchild (Serena Joy).
We are very proud of them all.
In mid-2005, the Lord led us to move to St Catharines and we have
been attending Harvest Oakville since late 2006. We are constantly in
awe at the Lord’s goodness and rejoice at what He is doing in hearts and
lives at Oakville and elsewhere. His grace, His power and His glory are
truly amazing!
We are thrilled that He is now raising up a church to glorify His
name in the Niagara region. We are looking to Him for wisdom and
discernment as He continues to reveal His plans there.