T.J.'s Testimony as of September 23, 2010.
My testimony is less of a story about my life and more of a personal account of God’s faithfulness and blessing. I grew up in a church-going Christian household where my mom was the consistent spiritual matriarch of our home. Even though I completed 7th-8th grade confirmation I went to high school with an attitude problem and a vulgar mouth that earned me extra running during 9th grade baseball practice. I don’t recall a specific moment of giving my life to the Lord, but I do know that the Holy Spirit was working on me during that time of adolescence because I realized that if I was calling myself a “Christian” that I should be living differently. In high school I became very involved with our school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) group by attending weekly meetings, serving on leadership team, and participating in leadership and sport-specific summer camps. Before heading to college at Iowa State, I had a serious fear of losing my faith because of the slope that my high school girlfriend had slipped down. God was faithful: As I went to college I sought out the ISU FCA ministry due to my familiarity with that ministry. Through ISU FCA, my church in Ames, a mission trip to Neon, Kentucky, and an amazing group of mentors and friends the Holy Spirit expanded my faith exponentially. I was blessed to be able to serve on worship teams at FCA and church, be a FCA camp counselor, be discipled by an amazing mentor (Brett), and delve into the Word and prayer in ways that I had never previously experienced.
It was also during my freshman year at ISU that the Holy Spirit revealed that this humble and cute friend I had known since 8th grade was actually an amazing, wise, beautiful woman of God. After prayer sessions together, seeking the wisdom of our mentors, and discussing what a holy courtship could look like, Lyndsey and I started dating the summer after our freshman year (July 5, 2000). About a year later we were engaged (May 2001) and months after that we were married on an exceptionally cold Iowa night (December 29, 2001). Lyndsey and I were so thankful for our new role of being in ministry as a couple: Thank you Lord!
As we completed college the local landscape architecture job market was not conducive to hiring entry-level designers. We prayed for the Lord to give us vision and I expanded my job search nationally, later landing a position in Tacoma, Washington. Our first apartment in Tacoma was just across the street from First Presbyterian, which was nothing less than a divine appointment. We visited a number of churches and were overwhelmingly welcomed at the first service by many families. Shortly after we began attending FPC regularly I felt a terrifying and overwhelming call to leave my landscape architecture position to seek more college debt and a Master of Arts in Education at Pacific Lutheran University. During my student teaching in 2005-2006 I wasn’t so sure that I was cut out to be a teacher. God quickly blessed me with a position that I could not turn down at Lincoln High in the fall of 2006 and in hindsight I realize that God was using His refining fire to give me a heart for the city of Tacoma.
After a spiritually, relationally, and professionally challenging time in Lagos, Nigeria during 2008-2009, we returned to our wonderful home in central Tacoma where God has again faithfully blessed us. We again had great teaching positions, were able to have a wonderful garden, and now have our “beautiful addition,” Adah Lyn, who was born on August 25, 6.5 weeks early. God’s faithfulness continues to abound in this moment as Adah was only in the NICU for 2 weeks, did not need supplemental breathing, and did not have jaundice as friends and family across many time zones lifted her up in prayer.
God’s global vision has allowed me to serve locally at FPC via worship team, an accountability group, high school bible study leader, Guatemala mission trip chaperone, beginner camp dean, vacation bible school teacher, and homegroup leader, all of which have been a blessing. I am overwhelmingly humbled and look forward to serving God more at FPC and ask for prayers to strengthen the spiritual armor of all (globally and locally) who are being mobilized for service. As with all testimonies, this one is to be continued :-)
My testimony is less of a story about my life and more of a personal account of God’s faithfulness and blessing. I grew up in a church-going Christian household where my mom was the consistent spiritual matriarch of our home. Even though I completed 7th-8th grade confirmation I went to high school with an attitude problem and a vulgar mouth that earned me extra running during 9th grade baseball practice. I don’t recall a specific moment of giving my life to the Lord, but I do know that the Holy Spirit was working on me during that time of adolescence because I realized that if I was calling myself a “Christian” that I should be living differently. In high school I became very involved with our school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) group by attending weekly meetings, serving on leadership team, and participating in leadership and sport-specific summer camps. Before heading to college at Iowa State, I had a serious fear of losing my faith because of the slope that my high school girlfriend had slipped down. God was faithful: As I went to college I sought out the ISU FCA ministry due to my familiarity with that ministry. Through ISU FCA, my church in Ames, a mission trip to Neon, Kentucky, and an amazing group of mentors and friends the Holy Spirit expanded my faith exponentially. I was blessed to be able to serve on worship teams at FCA and church, be a FCA camp counselor, be discipled by an amazing mentor (Brett), and delve into the Word and prayer in ways that I had never previously experienced.
It was also during my freshman year at ISU that the Holy Spirit revealed that this humble and cute friend I had known since 8th grade was actually an amazing, wise, beautiful woman of God. After prayer sessions together, seeking the wisdom of our mentors, and discussing what a holy courtship could look like, Lyndsey and I started dating the summer after our freshman year (July 5, 2000). About a year later we were engaged (May 2001) and months after that we were married on an exceptionally cold Iowa night (December 29, 2001). Lyndsey and I were so thankful for our new role of being in ministry as a couple: Thank you Lord!
As we completed college the local landscape architecture job market was not conducive to hiring entry-level designers. We prayed for the Lord to give us vision and I expanded my job search nationally, later landing a position in Tacoma, Washington. Our first apartment in Tacoma was just across the street from First Presbyterian, which was nothing less than a divine appointment. We visited a number of churches and were overwhelmingly welcomed at the first service by many families. Shortly after we began attending FPC regularly I felt a terrifying and overwhelming call to leave my landscape architecture position to seek more college debt and a Master of Arts in Education at Pacific Lutheran University. During my student teaching in 2005-2006 I wasn’t so sure that I was cut out to be a teacher. God quickly blessed me with a position that I could not turn down at Lincoln High in the fall of 2006 and in hindsight I realize that God was using His refining fire to give me a heart for the city of Tacoma.
After a spiritually, relationally, and professionally challenging time in Lagos, Nigeria during 2008-2009, we returned to our wonderful home in central Tacoma where God has again faithfully blessed us. We again had great teaching positions, were able to have a wonderful garden, and now have our “beautiful addition,” Adah Lyn, who was born on August 25, 6.5 weeks early. God’s faithfulness continues to abound in this moment as Adah was only in the NICU for 2 weeks, did not need supplemental breathing, and did not have jaundice as friends and family across many time zones lifted her up in prayer.
God’s global vision has allowed me to serve locally at FPC via worship team, an accountability group, high school bible study leader, Guatemala mission trip chaperone, beginner camp dean, vacation bible school teacher, and homegroup leader, all of which have been a blessing. I am overwhelmingly humbled and look forward to serving God more at FPC and ask for prayers to strengthen the spiritual armor of all (globally and locally) who are being mobilized for service. As with all testimonies, this one is to be continued :-)