The music I primarily like to listen to is Christian music in various genres (although I sometimes listen to some classical, jazz, and Barbershop music). Among my favorite artists are: Keith Green, Glad, David Crowder Band, Indelible Grace, Sovereign Grace music, Billy Foote, and Steve Camp ( A website for Steve Camp is: http://www.a1m.org/ and if you scroll all the way down to the bottom, and click on "library", it will take you to several of his albums). Also, I sometimes listen to some reformed Rap music by Shai Linne and The Plumb Line Collective (http://theplumblinecollective.com/ you can download their music for free).

I also like to listen to a variety of different podcasts during my work week. Among the podcasts I listen to are: Wretched Radio daily 2 hour program (hosted by Todd Friel), The Dividing Line (James White), The White Horse Inn, Grace to You (John MacArthur), Critical Issues Commentary (Bob DeWaay), Crosstalk America, Fighting for the Faith, Understanding the Times (Jan Markell), and Iron Sharpens Iron. These podcasts have been a great blessing.

I have recently started working out- spending time on an exercise bike, and also have an interest in learning how to eat healthier.

In the 1980's, I was a euphonium player in the Army Band, stationed at Ft. Harrison in Indianapolis, and I had a christian roommate who invited me to church. I responded to an altar call, and started going to church on a regular basis from that time on. I attended a variety of different churches over the years. About five years ago, I heard about a TV program called "The Way of the Master", with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. I watched a couple episodes, and started checking out their websites, and ministries that they were linked to. I soon realized that the church I was attending was not preaching the gospel, and started attending a Reformed Baptist church I found through an online church directory. The result of all these things the Lord brought me through, was that I came to understand the sinfulness of my sin...that I nailed the savior to the cross, and fully deserved the just punishment of an eternity in Hell. God in his mercy granted me repentance, and I cried out to Jesus to save me. I started learning more about the doctrines of God,s grace. I have learned that repentance is not a one time thing...you become a repenter.

It is comforting to realize that salvation does not depend on me...Jesus did it all! IT IS FINISHED!

The testimony of God is true:

Concerning me...that my heart is sinful, deceitful and wicked, and I am in very great need of a savior.

Concerning His Son...that Jesus came into the world, and fulfilled all the requirements of the law, and all the prophets had foretold, and then willingly became the atoning sacrifice for sins for all who would repent and trust in Him.

Concerning righteousness...that we have no righteousness of our own. Therefore, all who repent and trust in the Savior, He cleanses from sin, and gives the amazing gift of HIS righteousness as a free gift.

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!

I am reading through the John MacArthur daily bible at home, and the M'Cheyne system one year bible reading plan at work on my computer. I am currently meeting (weekly) with a group of men going through Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology- this is a committment over the course of a year.

Joseph: he was steadfast- trusting in God through a variety of very difficult circumstances, and was not bitter against those who wronged him. Genesis 50:19-20 "But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive..."

No...the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him". I really feel the need for a helper, and desire to share life with a Godly woman. Two are better than one. I have seen examples of a good marriages- where both people work together as a team facing the issues of life, and with open communication- a willingness to talk things through, submitting themselves to scripture, growing together in the knowledge of God and holiness...and I have longed for such a relationship.

Humor (sometimes punny), approachable, faithful, patient (long-suffering)

Forgiveness of sins through the voluntary sacrifice of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The grace of God that provides for all we need.

The wisdom that God provides that enables us to face the difficulties of life on a fallen planet.

I appreciate interaction with someone who is honest, authentic, open, and truthful.

Narrowing it down to one person is difficult, there are several influences on my life . I could start with John MacArthur- he is an awesome expositor of God's word!

Also, I would credit Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron- their ministry that teaches biblical evangelism. It was exposure to their program "The Way of the Master" that was a stepping stone toward my understanding of salvation by grace.

Another would be Todd Friel, the host of "Talk the Walk", which became "Way of the Master Radio", which is now "Wretched Radio" (they have a "Wretched " TV show too for people who have the cable station). The information, teaching, news and more that the show covers has been awesome- helping me to learn and grow in faith, and an encouragement in learning about the evangelism that all believers ought to be doing.

I met my wife at a church in Indianapolis, and we got married in 1987. We went to a variety of different churches over the years. As I was coming to understand the doctrines of grace, the church we had been attending as a family (we have 2 sons) became grievous to me- sound doctrine was not being preached there. I met with the pastor a few times, to no avail. I found a reformed church that had afternoon services, and decided to visit one afternoon after we had come home from the other church. I told my wife I was going to visit a reformed Baptist church, and she looked up the church website while I was gone. She found the 1689 London Baptist reformed confession the chuch used, printed it out, and asked in anger if I understood what they believed, but refused to discuss any of it with me. From that point on, my wife was not open to talking about anything...she (and the boys) just shut me out. She wrote me a letter saying she wanted a divorce because we did not agree on our christianity. I told her we had no scriptural grounds for divorce. For the last few years, she separated herself from me, though we continued to live under the same roof. I prayed for wisdom in my interactions with my family, that the Lord would open communication, soften hearts and bring repentance. Instead there seemed to be an even greater hardening. Last year, my wife and youngest son (19 yrs old) moved out (my older son -22, had already moved and is in college), divorce papers were filed, and the divorce was finalized.

Scripture tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith, that you will know believers by their fruits, and indicates that there are true and false converts in the church. I came to find that although I was religious for years, I was not a true convert...it would appear that this was also the case with the members of my family.

1 Cor 7 says: "12 If any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her." By the grace of God, I lived in obedience to that scripture. As the passage continues: "15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace." I talked to church elders, and read commentaries and study bible notes about these passages of scripture and the conclusion reached is that the bond of marriage is broken only by death, adultery, or an unbeliever's leaving. When the bond is broken in any of those ways, a Christian is free to marry another believer.

I highly recommend the CD: Exalted Worship- so great a salvation by Kirk Cameron and Scott Krippayne You can purchase it here: http://www.wretchedradio.com/store/product_details.cfm?id=328

"Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior." John Newton

I am a woodwind repair technician (piccolo, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone) for a company in Indy. I have been doing this since 1993, and enjoy it very much.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 says : Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

Several years ago, I took advantage of "Career Pathways" testing through the Christian Financial Concepts ministry. There was a personality profile, interest inventory, and aptitude testing. The evaluation came back saying that I would be ideally suited for a vocation in musical instrument repair...totally cool eh? So I went to school and learned my trade. The rest, as they say, is history!

(Note: the testing referenced above is now called "Career Direct" and can be found at http://www.careerdirectonline.org/)

To Glorify God, and enjoy Him forever! To grow in my love for my great God and Savior Jesus Christ and in greater boldness proclaiming His wondrous Gospel.

I enjoy singing, and am a member of the Circle City Sound Barbershop Chorus (singing the lead part). Currently, we are ranked 16th in the (barbershop) world. The chorus has qualified to represent the Cardinal district at the annual International Barbershop Society convention/competition two years in a row. Last year we went to Philidelphia, this year we went to Kansas City!

I have also been involved with the Indiana Harmony Brigade (a weekend of Extreme Quarteting) every year (except 2010) since it began in 2003. The Brigade weekend works as follows: Music for 10 songs is sent out by the end of July to about 120 men who registered from about 12 different states (varies), and we have until the beginning of November to learn them all cold. Structure of the weekend: Friday evening we meet for supper, and afterward are assigned at random to quartets. The quartet comes up with a name, tells the administrator, is assigned one of the 10 songs, and has one hour to rehearse the song. Then 30 quartets compete and are narrowed down to a top 10. Saturday: brunch, followed by a rehearsal as a combined chorus (at the end of the rehearsal a name from each vocal part is chosen from those that did not make the top 10 to form a "wild card" quartet and they are assigned a song), after dinner, we put on a concert in a very nice auditorium (helps to defray the costs of the weekend), and afterward return to the host hotel for the quartet finals. The wild card quartet goes first (since they did not have a score from the previous night), then the top 10 are called up on stage one at a time, draw the name of a song out of a hat (cannot be the one from Friday night), blows pitch and sings. The top three quartets for the competition are announced, and people sing until their voices are about gone...great fun!

One other annual event that is very enjoyable- I sing in a quartet that delivers singing Valentines...I love to watch the women melt! At least that is usually the reaction.

I was born in Minneapolis, spent most of my youth there, and have lived for brief periods in IL, LA, and OK. I spent a year in Korea while in the army, and did training in MO and VA. I have spent half of the years of my life in Indianapolis between my Army time, and my present vocation duration. That is about it!

My parents and sister still live in Minnesota, so I am within a one day drive of family there. My two sons live here in central Indiana, and I would like to remain here to be close to them. I also feel well established in my vocation, having worked for my employer in Indy for 18 years. I make a pretty good living, and have several weeks of paid vacation each year...I would really rather not have to start all over in that regard.