My journey as a Christ-follower started at age 5. Throughout childhood, my parents always had different missionaries stay in our home. This influence caused me to know what I wanted to do with my life. As such, I had one goal in high school - graduate and become a missionary. Had I not had that goal, I would have been a teacher. After marrying Sue, the idea of putting teacher and missionary together unfolded. I pursued a degree in elementary education and eventually, my family of six headed to Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa to work at a school for children of missionaries. With a few life turns, we would end up back in the US and I would serve as a high school principal and eventually as middle school and elementary principal, and central office administrator. As rewarding as some of that work was, something was missing - the classroom teaching for me. So, I earned my doctorate and pursued employment in teacher preparation. Looking back over more than 35 years in education, I can trace God's leading hand on my life. In each endeavor I would learn something new and gain experience that would eventually prepare me to instruct teacher candidates. Now, on a college campus, I not only use those lessons, but seek to be salt and light and to make a difference in how students are treated and encouraged. I want students to remember what I taught them but more importantly that my life impacted theirs because of Jesus in me.