Since that moment, I've been trying my hardest to seek after Christ in everything I say and do. Sure, there have been times when I’m closer to Christ or further away, “walking” with him or fighting against him. This is all apart of the daily struggle and battle to walk with Christ, and is essential for Christians to recognize in order to see and understand the difference between being close to Christ and running from him.
Soon after that evening in California, my parents moved us out to Highlands Ranch, Colorado. My mom got a job at Cherry Hills Community Church (CHCC) as the Children's Ministry Director once again, while my dad found a job in Castle Rock with International Network of Children's Ministries. I was at the end of 5th grade and went to the middle school at the church. I quickly got connected into the Youth group there and met my leader Clayton Howes. The years to follow, Clayton played a significant role in my life. He was always there for me, even when I was dealing with silly drama such as girl problems, or having real deep questions like “How do we know God is real?”
Jumping into high school was a transition that challenged me. I had gone to a Christian school my whole life, and now I would be attending Mountain Vista High School. I would go to christian camps every summer and experience the ‘camp high’ getting very close to Christ, but this would soon fall with the pressures and temptations that public school brings along. I pretty much cruised through high school always attending church at my parents request, but never really having a personal relationship with Christ. Fast forward a couple years and that all changed one summer in San diego, California.
I was 19 years old and working for CHCC as an intern in their JR High program. We took most of the students, 81, to a camp in California called Hume SD. It took place at a christian college down there called Point Loma. I found that I needed some time to be alone in the word and pray and journal before the kids got up for bible study, so one morning I got up just before the crack of dawn and made the hike down to the beach. I remember yelling, a lot. Out into the water. No one was around and I was fighting God in a very real way, in my mind, it was almost like Jacob. I knew he was there, but he refused to say anything to me. An hour went by, and my alarm went off, I had to head back to wake up the students and get started. So I left feeling upset and angry and alone. But while hiking up, God became so real to me. It’s hard to put into words what happened over the next 30 minutes, but I left a changed man, and all I really remember hearing was “I’ve been here the whole time.” The presence of the Lord became so real to me that day, and has been since.
As the years passed, I found just how real God was in my daily life. Constantly looking to him for comfort and needs. This is where I got a little hung up. It became about me, and making me feel good and having a someone always watch my back. It was a beautiful time in my life because I did come very close to Christ, but I knew that was something more I didn’t quite understand. Eventually I graduate from Metro State University and I knew that if there was ever going to be a time for me to get out and see the world, this was it. I took the leap of faith and applied to Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Brisbane, Australia.
Now that I’ve had a little while to process my 7 month excursion with YWAM, I can truly say that I knew nothing about following Christ compared to what I do now. In all honesty, I hope to be able to say this every couple of years as I constantly pursue Christ. That being said, YWAM really did a great job of breaking me out of my box, and showing me the box that I had put Christ into. I spent four months in Australia doing discipleship training and also learning practical ways of how to be effective on the missions field. Then I went to Darjeeling India for two months where I got to use my newly acquired skills to Glorify God. It was an amazing experience that I wouldn't change for the world. Even while surfing in some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I always knew that my call was in Youth Ministry.
I have been blessed to have amazing leaders around me my whole life, Clayton being one of them. I truly believe that this played a big role into why I have such a passion for students today. I started as a volunteer in my JR High youth group when I was 18, from then on I was hooked. Years passed and I became an Intern, then eventually part-time staff, all while I was in college. There have been many amazing moments over the last few years that keep my drive going, but one of my favorites happened just 9 months ago, three days before leaving for Australia, with a student named Joey.
I first met Joey on a normal Sunday during church. Him and I would mess around during the welcome and games time before service started and eventually he came on Wednesday nights to my small group. He was new to the area, and was just getting involved in the community. He was a smart kid, and had the ability to think outside of the ‘now’ where kids usually get stuck. Years went by with him and I connecting at church and during camps, sometimes we even played worship together, but he was always kind of quiet. The Sunday before I left I went to lunch with him and a couple other guys from the small group, and as I was dropping him off he looked at me very seriously and said something to the regard of:
“Thank you for always being there for me, you have changed my life and helped pushed me towards Christ.”
I was speechless, we hugged and he got out of the car, and I remember tearing up. I remember crying out to God and saying, ‘this is one of the most beautiful gifts you can give me.’ Most youth workers would agree, to be able to hear that you’re actually making a difference is amazing. There had been a countless amount of battles for this ‘job’ I've had over the last 5 years and you never really know if its making a difference, but this said it all. So thank you Joey, I’m excited to walk through life with you.
That lands me here, writing this essay on a beautiful cold, Colorado morning with a cup of coffee next to me and a candle on the other side. I know that youth ministry is my call, God has made it very obvious to me throughout my life. Weather that is as a full time youth pastor here in Colorado, or an missionary somewhere in Africa or India, I don’t quite know, but I want to take the steps to prepare myself for anything and everything and to Glorify God every step of the way. To me, seminary is just another step in this process, Thy Kingdom Come. 
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