For as long as I can remember my life has been formed by words. Some of my earliest memories involve my parents reading me Bible stories at bedtime. The Holy Spirit used those story times to plant the seed of the Word in me.  The Spirit nourished that seed through my loving family, the time spent at Christian elementary school, and by great works of Christian imagination like C.S. Lewis’ the Narnia Chronicles and J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings. I now have the privilege of standing up in front of people every week and sharing the stories of God’s life-giving Word with others. I grew up in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, the child of a Math professor and a Christian school teacher.  I moved to Grand Rapids in 1985 to attend Calvin College and Calvin Seminary, and Grand Rapids has been my home ever since. My wife Linda and I have three children, Katherine, Patrick and Abby.