But for the grace of God I would be a lying, thieving, angry drunk . . . I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Ward and Lois Griepp.  My dad was a World War II vet who, like so many of the men coming back from the battlefields of Europe, settled in the '50s and started a family.  As my older sister Rosalie preceded me, we were in many ways a caricature of the ideal American family: mom, dad, a girl and a boy. A few weeks after moving to Arizona, that apparently ...

God has blessed me with parents who love God and His church and enabled me to grow up in a Christian family. Growing up, I remember hearing my dad early in the morning crying out to the Lord and praying for our salvation and that we would serve Him only. I also remember at times going to church with my mother for Friday night prayer meetings that lasted from late night till the next morning. Of course, my siblings and I would always fall asleep next to our mother hearing her pray earnestly to ...

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest daughter of Jerry and Ina LaBarbera.  I have a younger sister and two younger brothers. I met my husband Chris and was married on April 29, 1978.  Chris struggled with lupus for many years. Under the stress of medical bills and hospitalization, I sought escape through substance abuse.   God got my attention one day in May of 1994 with a show about the end of the world. Little did I know that ...

It is now more than thirteen years that I found a home at Church @ the Rock (then Grace Church).  Not only have I found a home, I have found a family of like-minded believers, and a position where I can serve behind the scenes (I am not an up-front person).   In my service as Accountant / Bookkeeper I have the distinct pleasure and privilege of working in the ‘Back Office’ and I love it.  There I find time to add numbers and count my blessings.  When I ...