We strongly believe that transformed hearts lead to transformed lives which leads to a transformed community and world.
A Message of Hope
God's redemptive story is a story of hope, love, and redemption. It is a story that tells us that no matter how far we have fallen, God's love is still reaching out to us. It is a story that gives us hope for the future, knowing that one day, all things will be made new.
A Heart of Stone
Shortly after we got married, my wife Yvonne became ill with lupus. Doctors indicated that we had a very low chance of conceiving due to our health issues. We spent years investing in every kind of treatment and method to conceive. After depleting all available options, we contemplated open adoption. Because of the lupus we did not qualify. We gave up trying and we became pregnant; but, in the first trimester we lost the pregnancy. Going through this process took a toll on our relationship. The situation at home was very difficult and I was spending more time away from home.
The Tower of Babylon
For similar reasons, I was spending more time at work. I was having modest success building pipelines for El Paso Energy as a project manager. On the horizon, oil extraction technology was disrupting the energy playing field. These changes would turn the energy industry on its head. I completed a master’s degree in finance and moved to Enterprise Product. There, I formed part of a new group charged with capitalizing on these opportunities. It was a very exciting time to be at the forefront of the changing landscape in the Oil & Gas industry. My career seemed to be on track, but nothing else was.
The Prodigal Son
My wife and I had grown up in Christian households, but had lost our way. We received invitations to attend church but we believed it was not something for us. We did not have a support community. We had isolated ourselves from outside counsel. We had developed a discipline of taking care of our own problems. But, this time our relationship had reached a very dark place. Burned out, heartbroken, and lacking confidence we did not know how to ask for help. We needed a rescue plan.
God at Work
One of my coworkers shared with me an invitation to a LeaderImpact Forum. The invitation indicated three oil & gas executives would be sharing their success story. I went, I heard their testimony and was drawn to the message. Shortly after, I joined a small group in my downtown office building. In this group of peers we studied what it meant to be a follower of Christ. It was a very comfortable setting. The Gospel was clear. I had many questions and my small group was very supportive. I was becoming a different person, with a different mind and a different heart. I was no longer satisfied living as I did. This new me was more confident and eager to go and be of service to others.
A New Heart
I took the gospel home and shared it with my wife. In due time, the situation at home took a turn for the better as we both learned to do life through the lens of the gospel. Our desire to love God, love each other and love our neighbors continued to grow. The world no longer revolved around us. Giving became our new joy. We began to partner with local ministries and non-profit organizations. These were making a difference in their communities and around the world. We wanted to give more. But, we soon found out that we could not out-give God. We opened our home to care for children in foster-care. Now, we are so thankful to have four children we call our own. What once was a dark place in our life was now full of hope.
The Fruit of the Spirit
Doing life in community has been very rewarding. We’ve been able to share our love with friends and family experiencing similar struggles. We’ve had the privilege of helping couples through the foster to adopt process. We've been able to counsel colleagues through their professional, personal, and spiritual challenges. We’ve also had the privilege of mentoring young adults through career advice. Connecting them to other professionals in their field of interest. Through health challenges, we’ve been able to share our story of hope with other patients and our doctors.
Kingdom Come
God has made it very evident that our story is only getting started. He has placed in our hearts the desire to make a difference beyond our circle of influence. We are trusting him on this journey to help us reach the business and professional community. LeaderImpact has helped lead, teach and equip us to love others. It provides a platform for seasoned executives to influence leaders for a life of impact. Our desire is that every leader surrenders their life to a higher purpose. We believe transformed hearts leads to transformed lives. That transformed lives lead to a transformed community. That a transformed community leads to a transformed world.
We would love to have you join us on this mission of Hope. Would you prayerfully consider joining our team of ministry partners through prayer and financial support?