About Joe

Who Am I?

I am married to Jenny (!) and we live in Rochester, MN where I work as a software engineer for IBM. I am involved with a great Church here in Rochester, called Christ Community Church. I enjoy doing activities with the Church (Bible Study, etc), playing basketball, disc golf, foosball, watching Ohio State beat Michigan, watching movies, eating, walking, and looking at Jenny.  I graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Computer Science and Engineering in December, 2004. I am originally from Jamestown, Ohio in southwest Ohio.

My parents still reside in Jamestown. My Dad is a Crop Adjuster and my mom teaches Special Ed. I have a twin brother, John,  lives in Louisville, KY.

My Testimony

I was born at a young age in Muncie, Indiana.  I don't think Muncie is known for much, but David Letterman went to college there (Ball State) and now he has a scholarship set up for C students.   I grew up with a Mom, Dad, and a twin brother (all mentioned above).  I am blessed with two godly parents.  They told me the "Gospel" at an early age.  What does "gospel" literally mean?  It means "good news."  Unfortunately there was some bad news my parents had to tell me before the good news.  I grew up hearing that I was a sinner, separated from God (Romans 3:23), and deserving of punishment (Romans 6:23a), which is God's wrath and eternal separation from Him in Hell.  Sounds pretty bad if you stop there.  Fortunately, my parents told me more, the good news; that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in my place, in our place.  He paid the punishment for us, if we believe in Him.  And if we believe in Him, we should live for Him.

So, at the young age of 3 I put my faith in Jesus.  I was almost 4 though, so I was a mature 3 year old...  Somehow I remember the night I did it.  My mom was putting my twin brother and me to bed on summer night.  I guess the Holy Spirit was moving in my brother's heart because he told my Mom he wanted to pray to accept Christ into His life.  So my Mom prayed with him.  Well, I was like any other 3 year old and if my brother had something I wanted it too!  So i also put my faith in Christ that night.  I don't know if I fully understood what I was doing, but since then I've definitely come to understand it.  I was only 3, but it's very strange how vividly I remember that night in my life.

At age 5 I moved to Jamestown, OH.  Jamestown is famous for, well, nothing.  There is a fire downtown every few years I suppose.  God blessed me as a I grew up.  One of the ways he blessed me was in athletics, specifcally in basketball.  During my senior year of high school we made it all the way to the state final before losing by 18 to a team with a guy named Lebron James... (He did miss a shot over me).  I also did well in academics.  After High School I was accepted in The Ohio State University's honor program, which helped me get the job at IBM.  I also dated a girl for three years, my last year of high school and first two years of college.

All of these are good things - athletics, academics, and girls.  However, I was putting them in front of my relationship with God, especially my girlfriend.  At the beginning of my junior year in college my girlfriend decided to end the relationship.  I am not much of a crier, but some tears were definitley shed that day.  The end of relationships hurt, and it was the most depressed I've ever been in my life.  But looking back on it now, it was the best thing could have happened to me.  It was a slap in the face from God telling me to put Him first in my life so He could use me and mold me into the man He wanted me to be.  So, I got more involved with ministry on campus at Ohio State, and began taking my faith and walk with God more seriously.  I still struggle with putting Christ first, but I know there is nothing more fulfilling and joyful than serving and living for the One I was created by and for.  I am not here for myself and my own wishes, but for God's will. 

If you don't have a relationship with Jesus, I encourage you to think about it.  Why are you here?  What if the bad news above is true?  And if you do have a relationship with Christ, rememeber to put Him first!

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
-Philippans 3:7,8