I

Bowing down in blind credulity before mere authority and tradition, I am firmly of the opinion that I was born in 1985. I don't remember the occasion, and I have not been able to test the story by experiment or private judgment, but I accept the account as passed down to me by my parents. If there was an adoption story, I assume I would have heard it by now.

I count my parents as one of God's most gracious gifts in my life. I don’t know anyone more gracious, humble, and happy. When I first heard about God's unconditional love for me, there was no disconnect in my little heart. I had already experienced this kind of love from my parents. I am deeply grateful for them.

II

I was born in the 80's, my childhood memories are filed in the 90's. When I was 5, my father took a pastorate in the Central Valley. I don't remember a lot about the move.

I became a follower of Jesus Christ at a young age. One night, after a conversation with my mom, I flipped a switch by faith, believing that light would follow, and it did. Ever since, I have been trying to understand the nature of the wiring and the current that flows through it. It is a glorious subject to study, and I am not daunted at all by how little I know. I've heard it will take an eternity to really get it.

As a Christian, I hold a specific set of beliefs. Or rather, they hold me. Faith is not a bold step through the door of the unknown. It is not a wager or a blind leap. It is the only rational response to the real, objective, self-authenticating revelation of God's glory. As the fellow says:

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

III

In college, I met a girl named Sharon. I worked up the courage to ask her on a date, and a year later, I asked her to marry me. I had the funny notion that marriage proposals needed to be a surprise, so I never even mentioned marriage to her until I proposed.

A no would have made for a really awkward conversation. The yes, on the other hand, has filled my life with laughter, discovery, and thousands of other beautiful moments - moments that have scattered the light of God's grace in every corner of my heart.

She is my captivating mystery, my one safe place, my parable of God's love, and my best friend. She is my world. No place or space seems right without her. And I love her. So much.

IV

Fast forward a decade or so. We now have 3 kids.

My headstrong daughter was born into a family of firstborns, which explains all the friction in those early years. She tries her best to store everything she learns in the little world in her head. On good days, she invites us in to share this world with her. On the other days, we have to look in from the outside. Most days are good days. When she was 6 years old, she gave me her first book recommendation. This one. It was such a beautiful story. I'm looking forward to many more years of reading, talking, and laughing with her.

My son Isaac came next. His name means "laughter" and it suits him well. Isaac is your typical romantic adventurer. Every thing he sees invites him to climb it or touch it or throw it. Where I would sit back and try to figure something out, he would just take it apart. And let's be honest. His approach is probably more effective and usually more fun.

Our third child officially took us out of a man-to-man defense and moved us into a zone. I know parents can't even pretend to make unbiased statements about their children, so I'm not even going to try. She's even cuter than she looks. She is a lover of routines and a maker of lists (a girl after my own heart), and I love being her daddy.

V

I spent 5 years working in online education and 4 years teaching as an assistant pastor in the church I grew up in. Currently, I am a product manager at Build Online. We help businesses and entrepreneurs solve problems with custom software.

Everything I know about software development I learned in the last 2 years, which is another way of saying that I have a lot to learn. That's why I'm thankful for the opportunity to work with such a great team.

When I started 3 years ago, I thought solving problems was the hard part. Turns out identifying the problems worth solving is even harder.