In many ways, my spiritual journey has been like journeying on an airplane. I was born into a Catholic family and as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been a believer – a passenger – on “Spirit Airlines,” let’s say. Although my family was Catholic, my parents didn’t really attend church regularly. I do remember as a child going to church on Sundays though. Sometimes I went with my parents, and other times I was brought there by siblings.

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For first through fourth grade, I attended parochial school at our family church – St. Lawrence. Beginning in fifth grade, I transferred to public school. I was baptized as a baby, and I remember going through First Communion and Confirmation in the Catholic church. However, even though I attended Catholic school, I didn’t really understand the deeper meaning of these milestones. From early on, I was always a believer in God and Jesus, though not yet knowing Him as my personal Savior. I even served as an altar boy for a time. Still, my faith was more about being a willing passenger than truly knowing the destination. My understanding went no deeper than the basics: God, Jesus, Satan—be good, go to Heaven, avoid Hell—and that we are all sinners. I didn’t yet grasp the meaning of being "born again in Jesus."

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I remained an average passenger well into my twenties. I didn’t board the “plane” every week, and when I did, I usually sat in the back. I was interested, but not active or invested. When I entered Augsburg College in Minneapolis—a Lutheran-affiliated school—my faith took a small step forward. My mom, who worked for Augsburg Publishing House, asked what I would like as a gift for graduating high school. After considering, I asked for a Bible—one with gilded pages and my name embossed on the cover. This was the first Bible that felt truly my own. Around the same time, I also played the role of Jesus in a college production of Godspell. Reading intently through the Gospels for the role, I grew more curious about Scripture. With that, I had moved up into Business Class—I was a closer passenger, but not yet fully committed to the Captain.

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After moving to Florida and working at SAK, I noticed many friends connecting with a thriving church, OCC. I tagged along, even joined a few Bible studies, but I remained mostly passive. Eventually, turbulence struck—bad choices and sin brought my marriage to a breaking point. By God’s grace, through the patient love of friends and the forgiveness of my wife, our marriage was healed. From this healing, we were blessed with two wonderful children. During this season, I finally began to understand what it truly meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I had now moved into First Class. Still, I sensed God calling me toward more service in the church. Nervousness, uncertainty, and lack of confidence kept me from moving further. Mostly, I helped in creative ways—like drama and storytelling for church services—yet I felt God urging me to more.

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In 2020, during COVID, God opened a new door. Through encouragement from Kevin Brune, I was invited to join the OCC Worship Planning Team, helping with broadcasting virtual services. At the time, I had been working with online streaming for SAK, so I was already equipped for this new opportunity. Instead of resisting, I took the plunge. I became part of the crew—using my skills in video, editing, production, and hosting to serve my church. Spiritually, this was a new level: I had moved from passenger to Navigator in the cockpit, working alongside Josh the Pilot and the Worship Planning Team Co-Pilots. Now, I sit at the controls, pushing the buttons that help guide our church "flight," while always trusting that God remains in the Control Tower—revealing the flight plan and guiding us toward our destination.

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Today, I look forward to continuing my spiritual journey—flying the friendly skies of faith, pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus, and drawing ever closer to God in heaven.

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– David