I was born into a Christian home. My parents had both come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ early on in their marriage and were very faithful in underscoring the need that we had to personally seek God in Christ Jesus and repent of our sins. That seed of the gospel took root when I was six years old. My mother caught me in some sinful patterns that I was developing, even at that young age, and corrected me for it. She insisted that I seek the Lord for forgiveness for the sin that I had committed, but what became more apparent to me at that moment was not the singular sin that I had committed but the sinner that I was. I asked God to forgive me for being a sinner, and I asked God to receive me into heaven. Around ten years old, I had a couple more significant experiences in my Christian walk. The first was that I sought to be, and was, baptized. The experience was an urgent need to serve in ministry after hearing a message about serving God. At that age, it may be thought that I misunderstood what I had experienced, but the Lord confirmed that calling throughout my formative years. In high school, this calling became a measure of grace as it forced me to be intentional about my personal walk with God. Seeking to nurture that calling led me to theological undergraduate and graduate studies, seeking mentoring from faithful men through my local church, and learning to wait on the Lord until He opened a door for vocational ministry for me.