Catching Up (getting to college)

For the longest time, I had no clue what I "wanted to be" when I grew up. I knew that I did not want to be a pastor, and I knew that I really had no other skills or even main desires. The only direction I had at all, was that I enjoyed messing around with some computer layout and simple design for things like posters and such and I also enjoyed messing around some with Computer programming. So I applied to Pensacola Christian College with a double major of Computer Science and Graphic Design (or maybe computer science was a minor - I don't really remember. In fact, I had totally forgotten I was into computer programming until just now). I was accepted into the Graphic Design program with a built in Advertising minor. I chose PCC due in large part to the fact that it was in Florida, and for a Christian college - it was cheap. When I attended in the fall of 1997 it was $5000 a year: room, board, and tuition. Plus, I got about $2000 of that knocked off each year with scholarships - so the price really could not be beat.

I loved my time at PCC. Yeah, the rules weren't always my most favorite thing, and I didn't always understand them, but the more I grew, the more I realized that they were for a purpose, and to just follow while I am there (since I was voluntarily there - no one was FORCING me to attend that college). God taught me so much while I was there, and I grew a great deal.

I had the opportunity to get involved in ministry while I was there. I joined the college choir, and sang on Sunday nights. Out of this ministry came an opportunity for me to travel to Germany on a 2-week missions trip that first summer as part of a music team. I got involved in nursing home ministry and kids Bible club ministry, and even participated a couple of times at the Juvenile Justice Center ministry. All during this time, God was shaping my desire for ministry.

My dream at this time had become that God would use my graphic design skills in the church and in Christian ministry, and that I would be able to work full time in ministry doing graphic design.

I graduated in 2001 with my B.S. and continued on into the graduate art program.

It was very soon into this program (about 2 months) through God working in my heart, and a very close friend, that I decided that God wanted to use me in a way I had not anticipated. I realized that the art was no longer fulfilling my desire to be used of God in ministry with people. I had gone from being one who did not like the spotlight or attention at all - to one who wanted to be more used to have an impact and affect a change in peoples' lives for God's glory. Specifically, thanks to NLI and other ministries I was involved in - I then realized that my heart was really after full-time youth ministry.

I dropped out of the graduate art program and enrolled in the seminary - graduating in Spring of 2003 with a Masters of Art degree in Bible Exposition.