I was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a place I don't get back to much these days.But I loved growing up there, and it's a beautiful place. Have you seen downtown lately?

I have a wife, Vicki, and 4 children: Brandt, Jarrod, Stanford and Sarah Beth. They're all extremely supportive of each other and they're a ton of fun to be around. You'd like them.

I received degrees from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. A really solid education, but I think I've gotten over it.

I'm grateful to have been able to write, arrange, orchestrate and produce music for choirs and orchestras for nearly 30 years. Some of it I'm really proud of. Then again, I look at some of it and wonder, “What was I thinking?”

I've been blessed to serve a few congregations in Texas, Tennessee and Mississippi mostly in the role of Music Minister or Worship Pastor. There's nothing like walking through life with the people of God.

Speaking of which, one of my favorite things in the world is participating in various music and worship conferences around the country or accepting an invitation for a composer weekend with many of you. It's a thrill to do real things with real people for a real God.

Miscellaneous stuff: Early morning, with a cup of coffee and an open Bible, is my favorite time of day. It's really hard for me to pass up an art gallery or a book store. It's equally hard for me to pass up a Sonic limeade. Some of my best friends don't even live anywhere near me, yet somehow we maintain a sort of intrinsic connection. I spend an awful lot of time outside in our yard –growing stuff, killing stuff, trying to resurrect stuff. Vicki says that 5 hours on my John Deere is worth 6 months of therapy. One meal, with our entire family present, does me more good than 100 meals alone. A couple of days with all 6 of us, and I'm on overload. I've learned that grace isn't described so much as it is demonstrated.