When I was 16, I began praying for my future wife. I asked our Lord to bless and protect her, to keep her for me. I knew she would be a follower of Christ, devoted to his word. Her character would exemplify love, modesty, encouragement, humility, wisdom, selflessness, understanding, submission, patience, gentleness, strength, and a spirit of service. I would settle for no less.

I met this woman several years later. Adrian and I were friends for a year, and then dated for three more. We celebrated the beginning of our marriage on June 1, 2002. She is my best friend. On her own, she is an accomplished professional.

She graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 2002 with a degree in Psychology, and minors in business and sociology. During college, Adrian worked as a supplemental instructor for General Psychology and as a private tutor for a child with autism using the Applied Behavioral Analysis approach. During an internship at Wellspring Counseling Center, Columbus, OH, Adrian learned skills of organization, fund-raising, and also helped clients whose treatment was terminated but were still struggling. She also worked with children at a day care and at a Salvation Army summer camp, and served as vice-president for the Islamic Outreach and secretary for the Mohican Youth Outreach at a juvenile prison.

After college, she began working at Family Life Counseling, a community counseling agency in Mansfield, OH, where she enhanced her skills and helped touch the lives of hundreds of people in need. Adrian's work at Family Life reaches into many areas, from the first intake appointment when every client is assessed for treatment, to legal paper work, treatment plans and symptom monitoring, managing quality assurance, heading up entire research projects for the agency, designing tracking systems for careful record keeping and goal completion, training staff and volunteers, administering state-regulated client-progress tests, teaching group classes to both parents and teens, and counseling clients with emotional and psychological difficulties.

While balancing the responsibilities of work and a very time-consuming husband, she began her graduate work a year later at Ashland Theological Seminary. This didn't stop her from her volunteer service in church or community: leading worship, teaching VBS and adult Sunday school classes, organizing community service and hospitality ministries.

In March, 2006 we celebrated the completion of her graduate-level master’s degree in Clinical Pastoral Counseling. Adrian graduated with all A's, a cumulative grade point average of 3.94 out of 4. Since finishing, Adrian began working on two goals: studying for her state licensure exam, and reading a good book.

Adrian and I now have two children, Simon and Sophie. Simon is just over two years old and is full of ornery energy! Sophie is a lovely newborn, who is quickly becoming the princess in the family. We love our children! Our family of four lives in Ashland, Ohio with our dog, Sydney.