Me, the husband and father

I love being a family man. I love my wife and kids more than I could ever have imagined. I am lucky to have married up and snagged a beautiful wife, Kristin. Together we have two awesome and crazy kids Noah and Natalie. They run my life, they inspire me and drive my creativity. I love watching them grow up and become who they are now and who they will be in years to come. I will throw some pictures up later.

Me, the graphic designer

My path to design to me is one that is God led and nothing else. I was a youth pastor (or trying to become one) and attending The Baptist College of Florida shooting for my Bachelors of Christian Education. As a youth pastor I would use whatever resources I had to promte my events (usually PowerPoint, bad huh?). So bottom line is that I always enjoyed and appreciated design and communications, even though I had no clue how to do it.

Fast forward, here I am in my Junior year and a position opens up at the college for a graphic designer. I asked my friend if he would recommend me (he was the web master) and he said no… lol. So I applied anyway, God willing no one else applied. By default I became the schools graphic designer. Walking in to work that next week was the first time I had ever opened Photoshop or any other Adobe program. My only experience with Adobe was with Adobe Reader. I mean it had to be God to get this job right?

A few months later, I started to lose interest in Youth Ministry as I would find myself designing and learning everything I could about Design. I wanted to work for a church doing graphic design, but do people even do that? I started cold calling all the local BIG churches in the Wiregrass, nothing. Then 3 months later I tried again, resume and tacky portfolio in hand I started kncking on church doors. Finally I came to Ridgecrest Baptist Church and asked for the person over advertsing, who was Keith Sewell. He informed me that just that day in staff meeting that they expressed the interest in starting to look for a graphic designer to come on staff. Needless to say I was dumbfounded….. I mean who wouldn’t be.

Two weeks later I was Associate Media somthing another (graphic designer) and then a few months later I was Director of Communications (full-time and the whole nine!). Now here I am outside Atlanta in an amazing church, Crossroads Church, doing what I love most, designing. This path to where I am could only be laid out by God and I am still amazed at Him and why he choose to use me?

Me, the bear

If your wondering where the “Bear” came from, there is a town where a select few know me only as Bear. My Sophmore year my parents switched me schools so I would have a better chance to go to college and play football. That move landed us in Gainesville, FL. Having always enjoyed technology and being new to a school I decided to enroll in Summer Theater at Buchholz High School. It was that summer that Mr. Wentzluf (spelling?!?!?) gave me the nickname Bear. It stuck. For the next two years, my parents became Momma and Poppa Bear, and teachers would call me as Bear, everyone at my church…. “Bear”… I guess it landed cause I am kinda rough and rugged looking, but soft and gentle once you get to know me.  I love the name personally, sadly as I have gone on in life it left me, but if I ever go back to Gainesville, people still know me as “Bear”.