I am a Colorado native and husband to Debbie, a retired RN Hospice Nurse. We have two adult children, Christian (married to Bridget), who lives in Lakewood, and Stephanie (married to Nathan), who lives in Atlanta, GA, and six grandchildren. Most of my career has been in Christian pastoral ministry. I served churches in Strasburg, Colorado, Colby, Kansas, and Lakewood, Colorado.

In 2006 I was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives where I served for six years. The last two years I served as the Chair of the House Health & Environment Committee. During this time, I also served as the Executive Director of Teen Challenge of the Rocky Mountains, a faith-based residential program for drug and alcohol recovery, 180 Ministries.

At the end of my legislative service in Jefferson County, we moved to Fort Collins, my wife’s hometown, on the last weekend of June 2013.

I was hospitalized on July 22, 2013, following several days of illness and having my temperature spike to 103. I was eventually diagnosed with West Nile Virus. This inflamed a previously undiagnosed condition called Myasthenia Gravis, a rare autoimmune disorder. This led to a life-threatening crisis that included meningitis and encephalitis. The result was several weeks on life support that included tube feedings and a tracheotomy to sustain my breathing. A tumor was found in my thymus gland that required surgery. In the meantime, I developed pneumonia in my left lung. Surgery on September 26th included removing the tumor, my thymus and the lower lobe of my left lung. I spent 8 weeks at Northern Colorado Rehab Hospital and finally returned to our Fort Collins home on December 10th after close to five months of hospitalization. This blog chronicles my journey from initial hospitalization to the present status of my recovery.

My health challenges continued throughout 2014. Mobility and muscle weakness persist, but I am grateful for the remarkable recovery I have experienced. Many who face the medical complications that I did to not survive.

In 2017, I was elected to the Fort Collins City Council. After serving four years, Debbie and I moved to Canton, Georgia in the fall of 2021 to be closer to my daughter and her family. I currently serve as an affiliate Faculty member at Colorado Christian University, teaching online classes in nonprofit Management.

This blog features my personal reflections on Bible reading over the years. They are meant to inform, encourage, and challenge your faith.

To learn more about my journey and recovery, go to CaringBridge