Basics:  57, married, 2 boys - ages 5 and 10 - living in SC, having recently moved from Atlanta

Spiritual Journey - raised Catholic and spent 2 years studying to be a priest...ended up not just leaving the seminary, but also left the Catholic church.  Struggled with a number of fundamenal beliefs/practices.  Specifically that Catholic churches have a crucifix vs. a cross - my perception is that they would rather focus on Christ's suffering than on His resurrection.  That only Catholics are allowed to receive communion - never could find that piece of scripture that Christ died for Catholics only...every version I read says He died for all men.

With our sons, my wife and I made the decision to retire early, foregoing the material gains of another 10 years.  We did so to spend more quality time with the boys.  We hope the inheritance we leave them will have some dollar value...but more than the dollars, we hope to leave them a set of values and a legacy on which they can build their faith.

Favorite quotes: 

Every person is my superior in that I may learn from them. 

One hundred years from now,no one will remember the house I lived in, the car I drove, or the balance of my bank account...but the world may be a better place because I was important in the life of a child.  

Success is the Attainment of Goals without Compromising Core Values.

Love is not shown by words and speech, but by deeds and actions.  1 John 3:18


Current Mission:  To help build a new ministry focused on helping neighbors.  Two key components of this ministry are reciprocity and 100% self-funding.  The reciprocity piece is that every individual or family we help is asked to 'pay-it-forward' in what ever manner they can.  The self-funding is that most often, we do the work at no cost - the family has to pay for the materials.  When the latter is not possible, we will look for benefactors - family, friends, neighbors, churches - to cover the material costs.  A recent success example - We sent a team to an elderly couples home to build a handicap ramp.  He had a recent stroke and was chair-bound.  His wife broke her hip a few years ago and has limited ability to assist him.  Because no ramp existed, they had paid $800 per trip from a local company to come, pick him up, and take him to dr/rehab appointments.  Since his stroke, he had made 5 trips ($4000!!!!). We put the ramp up in a day at a cost of $500 in materials.  With the ramp in place, a senior citizens group now picks him up at no cost to the family.

Praise God and Pray that He will allow us to continue His work.
pa