I am thankful for many things in my life! Three of the most important are my Faith, my Family, and my Freedom. Understanding what I believe about these things is a great way to get to know me better. I am always glad to answer questions about my faith, my family, or my freedom, so feel free to ask me!

I am not ashamed to say that my faith defines me. I am a sinner, saved by grace. I accepted Jesus as my personal savior at a young age. Of course there were times when I have rebelled against God over the years. And I still sin more than I like to admit. But, I have the assurance that Christ's blood covered all of my sin. He paid the price for me. And, He paid the price for you. When Jesus died on the cross, He became the sacrifice for all sins that have ever been committed and that ever will be committed. That is the good news of the Gospel! All you need to do to become a Christian and spend eternity with Him in heaven is to accept Christ's free gift of salvation!

A lot of wealthy people struggle with this concept. We have to work hard for so many things in life, yet God's plan of salvation is simply to accept a free gift. There is nothing we can do, like going to church every Sunday, or giving money to a church or anything like that to earn our salvation. I think that is why God said it is difficult for a wealthy person to enter His kingdom. Wealthy people have had to do (aka "work") something to earn or keep their wealth, like work hard or invest wisely over time. It is a completely foreign concept to accept a free gift for eternity.

But, discovering this free gift and accepting it is the most important thing you will ever do in your life. Luke 9:25 says "For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his own self?". When you reach the end of your life here on earth, your wealth will do nothing for you.

To find out how you can experience a personal relationship with God, and gain the assurance of eternal salvation, please go to www.NeedHim.com, or click here to view a short presentation from Campus Crusade.

And, if you live in the Des Moines, Iowa area or you find yourself here on a Sunday, you are invited to join me in worship at the Johnston Evangelical Free Church.

I love my family! I love being a husband and a daddy! I love to spend quality time with all of them. I thank God for each of them every day. I have the most wonderful wife in the world and 4 great kids!

By the way, one of the greatest blessings my wife and I get to enjoy every day is homeschooling our kids. One of the greatest joys in the world is watching your kids learn and grow!

For security reasons, I won't give their names and ages here, but here's a picture!

If you are a mom or dad, I invite you to check out All Pro Dad or iMom for some great ideas about how to be a better parent. I also invite you to go to Dad's Fun Page. This site was created by a great friend of mine, Brad Meyers.

I am truly grateful to have lived in the United States of America all my life. We are blessed with so much because we are free! Without the freedom we enjoy, we probably wouldn't have financial markets to trade. More importantly, we would not have the freedom to worship God as we desire.

But, freedom is not free. I am thankful for each and every soldier who has fought for my country. If you have served in our military in any way, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If you live in America, I hope you are thankful as well. I challenge you to do two things: