I was raised in an Anglican family. We attended church intermittently because we moved frequently, and sometimes there was no Anglican church in the area. As a young boy, I keenly felt the Holy Spirit when we were attending church, but lost this in the gaps.

As a teenager, I followed Young Life for a couple of years, and again recovered the joy of the presence of the Lord. However, a series of turbulent events in my personal, family and church life resulted in my falling away from God. While I never lost my faith, I became rootless and travelled for a time in dangerous waters.

I returned to Toronto in my mid-twenties where I met and married the love of my life, Jodi. While this provided a much-needed anchor, I soon became caught up in the pursuit of career and lifestyle. It would be more than 20 years before the spirit of the Lord became the driving force for my life. In truth, it was only when I had ticked all the career boxes, that I discovered they were empty. There had to be something more to this life.

Through a series of “non-coincidences”, Jodi & I were lead to a newly formed church in Markham, the Olive Branch. That church embarked on a transformational journey whereby they purchased the premises of a strip club, and created a church in the same space. The congregation participated actively in this construction project for over a year, tearing out the old, and building the new. It was a wonderful experience, truly one of redemption and celebration.

My journey with the Lord since that time has been a great blessing, one in which I became fully aware of the vast grace that Jesus bestowed on me through his sacrifice and forgiveness of sins. It was especially vital over the past 4 years in which Jodi was injured and, as a result, has experienced ongoing debilitating headaches. There were times when the agony was such that we cried out to the Lord when all medication had failed, & He faithfully intervened to stop the pain instantly on more than one occasion. While this has been a dark and terribly difficult journey, it has strengthened my faith. Jodi & I could not have made it through her suffering without the Lord.

Coming to Cornerstone with its welcoming atmosphere, strong pastorship, and active engagement in a Small Group, was like a booster shot of faith, and awoke in me the desire to be baptized, despite childhood baptism and later confirmation in the Anglican church.

Although there were times in my life when I felt utterly alone and lost, I realize looking back that The Lord was right there the whole time, patiently waiting for opportunities to bring me home. I now celebrate baptism as the next joyous step in my life with the Lord.