Faith, Family, Faculty

Faith

I didn't come from a religious family upbringing. Although, I wouldn't trade my chilhood for anything. I come from a loving family where my mom and dad provided all I could ever need and so much more. I have an amazing younger brother who I tried to provide for and take care of much like my parents did for me. One of the blessings of my childhood was that my parents taught me to search for the truth and to not let the world influence my path.

So I searched and explored in my youth because I knew there was something missing. Something more was out there for me to find. That led me all the way to college where I met a waitress who would eventually become my wife. Early on when we were dating she brought me to her church. I started getting involved, meeting new people, and finding out more about this person named Jesus. Now I was a good student, so I researched Him and studied more and more about Him. I thought I had finally found what was missing in my life. That is until I went on a mission trip to Charlotte, NC with the youth as a chaperone.

On that mission trip, someone asked me to tell them about coming to faith in Jesus. For the first time I can remember I was SILENT. For those who know me, this is rather unusual! I was confused. That night there was a sketch performed on stage. The italics below are my best description of the sketch:

There were two girls. The first proclaimed faith in Jesus, while the second was her friend. During the first scene, the first girl prayed with the second girl to bring her to faith. The second girl told the first she came to faith. The next scene had them both standing before God in a court room. The accuser, Satan, stood before them. First, the second girl. The accuser told of all the sins in her life. The judgement came down - guilty. The punishment - locked away forever. The first girl was upset, but the second girl told her she lied when praying with her just to make her happy. Then the accuser told of all of the sins of the first girl. The judgement came down...

Quick interlude. I remember vividly that I thought the answer was easy! Innocent! I was wrong...

The judgement came down - guilty. The accuser was celebrating. The punishment - freedom and entrance to heaven. The accuser was angry! What had happened?!?! God had ruled. He said that the debt had already been paid. His son paid the debt in his death on the cross.

For the first time I realized that I was the first girl. I told my best friend, my soon to be wife, that I believed just to make her happy. I did everything I could around the church and was involved because I thought there was something I could do, but I realized that I could never be good enough to get into heaven on my own. For the first time I earnestly prayed for Jesus to come into my life; to take away the punishment for my disobedience. We were then asked to go to our group leaders one at a time. The youth pastor was the first person I told as I gave him a hug. Then I found my wife in the crowd and hugged her.

Has my life been perfect since - NO. But I learned that day that Jesus doesn't promise a perfect life, only a perfect after-life. I would never have been there without all the people in my life.

Family

The older I get, the more I appreciate the blessings in my life. In that vain, I try to serve others in a variety of activities.

My wife and I participate in the college ministry work at our church. We open up our home to college students at the church to come by for a meal, talk about the Bible, or just catch up.

Another ministry I have had the pleasure of being a part of is Upward basketball. I have gotten to work with hundreds of kids over the years through both coaching and refereeing youth league basketball. I have even kept up with some of the students who I coached in elementary school as they have gone on to graduate college and go into the workforce! It has been an amazing blessing to see these children grow and mature.

My wife and I have also had the pleasure of traveling around the state and overseas to help out people in need. From collecting food for impoverished people in Charlotte, NC through Dare 2 Share to building roads at an orphanage in Jamaica through the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf, I have had the pleasure of serving others in a variety of places. I feel so fortunate through these opportunities as I learn so much from the people I get a chance to meet!

On a more personal level, I enjoy playing baskbetball with family and friends, playing all kinds of racquet sports, going indoor rock climbing, and spending time with my wife and children.

For many years, it has been somewhat of a tradition playing basketball with the students in my classes. I also play squash and tennis as well. It is always a good way to get to know students and colleagues more!

Faculty

I was blessed to be given an opportunity to teach an undergraduate class while getting my doctorate degree at NC State. That ignited a passion for teaching in me that still burns strongly today.

I see my role as a facilitator of information to educate the students in our community. I believe that it will be my responsibility to encourage students to explore, question, and think about ideas and concepts in new ways. I want to provide a welcoming and safe environment for the students in my classroom and always encourage them to have the courage to try new things. I see my position in society as a guide in that I will provide students the opportunity to explore and learn. I do not see myself as a computer programmer that tries to input information into the heads of my students and attempts to get them to spit it back out. I want students to be excited by learning and engaged in their own educational process, but be challenged at the same time to help them succeed to things they never knew they could do.

Below is a list of the courses I have had the pleasure of teaching: