Someone once said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true, then we desire to paint a picture for you in words to tell you where we came from and where we are going.
Michael was born to loving Christian parents who raised him to be the godly man that he is today. He is not slow to give credit to this tremendous upbringing for how God rescued him in grace and brought him into the family of God.
The son of a pastor and a dedicated Christian mother, Michael was taught from his earliest days to put his trust in Christ. And though he verbalized this trust at an early age, it was not until many years later did this come into fruition. After living his life running from the Lord, Michael surrendered his life to Christ for the first time on the side of the road when God gripped his heart and changed his life. Since that time he has pursued the call to ministry and lives to tell others about what Christ has done in his life.
Zehra too, had a unique and wonderful upbringing. She recalls from her earliest days her father teaching her how to pray at her bedside, something she has kept near to her heart in all her days. Her greatest Christian influence would be accredited to her Granddaddy, Tom Snider, whom many say that Zehra was the "apple of his eye." Zehra gave her life to Christ in her early teenage years and has continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ since that time.
Michael & Zehra met one another at their home church after each had gone through the heart-breaking turmoil of divorce. God allowed their friendship to become more until they married on June 19, 2006. The challenges that come along with raising a step-child have no doubt been present, but they happily look back and cherish every obstacle they faced together. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
In the context of that passage, the Apostle Paul writes, "We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Wh hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently...And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose...In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that [nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:22-39).
