What effect does your faith have on your lifestyle?

Being a Christian is not something you do, it’s who you are. My faith in Jesus Christ colors everything I do, there’s no area of my life that it doesn’t affect. From what I say, to how I act, to how I think, everything changed when I placed my faith in Jesus Christ. He has given me a new lens in which to view the world.

Describe how your Journey with Christ began.

I grew up in a Christian home, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year in college that I really began to own my faith in Christ. Going off to college, and being on my own for the first time without relying on my parents, forced me to make own life decisions. This time in my life was a great test of my faith and caused me to grow in my reliance and trust in God.

Who have been the mentors in your life? How did God bring these people into your life?

My mom and dad were really instrumental in my faith as a child and young adult. They were responsible for equipping me with the basics of my faith. How they lived out their faith was a great example for me to follow. When I entered the MLB and came to my first PAO conference in 2001, I met Don Christensen. I approached him after a workshop that he had taught about using your finances to glorify God and we began a great relationship that has been going strong ever since. He has been really influential in my faith development, challenging me to think more broadly in my faith and grow deeper in my love for God.

What does the Increase of Christ mean to you?

As I grow in my faith, I also learn better how to allow Christ to have a greater place in my heart and mind. This is a continual process for all believers. We may not grow the same amount each year—we will go through sits and starts—but the journey of allowing the love and peace of Christ to Increase should be an on-going exercise for each one of us.

What is your life verse and why?

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” —Psalm 119:9-11 I love this verse because it talks about how you can maintain purity and guard your heart according to God’s Word. The biggest thing for believers is to let Christ Increase in our own lives as we learn, study, and meditate on the Word of God. This passage is a perfect guide of how to do that: The greater amount of time we spend with God in His Word, the greater He will increase in our lives.