Tom Monte McKinney, TX Age: 41 Married 15 years to Wendy 3 children Home Church - Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, TX

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My Life, My Testimony

            My life as a Christian began as a young boy.  I was raised in a Christian home.  I did all the things a good Christian boy would do – church, choir, church plays, confirmation, etc.  My mom saw to it that we went to church every Sunday – even when I did not want to.  I was baptized several times – none of them worked (later in life I would learn it was an act of obedience to Gods word and not a way to salvation).  Dad was not around most of my childhood – parents divorced when I was 10 years old.  No father figure to guide me in my ways.  My rebellion began in high school. I spent most of my high school years partying.  School was of least importance to me.  Oh, and my faith – no where to be found. 

            I graduated from high school – barely.  Many of my class mates went off to a four year college.  Some stayed back and went to community college.  I tried that.  School was not for me.  I chose to go to work full time.  I worked and partied.  I got caught up in the bar scene.  Blew all my money partying. 

            I got to a point in my life where I was tired of the party scene.  My life was going no where.  After a long weekend of partying I finally hit rock bottom.  When I returned home from a long weekend at the the lake - partying, a friend  mentioned he was going to join the United States Marine Corps.  I needed direction in my life and figured the Marines would provide that.  In 1988 I signed my enlistment papers and entered the Delayed Enlistment Program.   

            In March of 1989 I was shipped off to Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California to go through 3 months of Marine Corps Boot Camp.  At this stage in my life this was the best thing to happen to me.  It made me a better person and provided me with the life skills I needed that could be carried over into the corporate world.

            In August of 1990 while on leave back home in Texas I saw on the news that Saddam had invaded Kuwait.  If I recall it correctly – that very day I received a call from my duty station in Camp Pendleton, California with orders to return back to California to prepare for deployment.  In September of 1990 I was deployed to Saudi Arabia which would soon become Desert Storm.  While deployed to Saudi Arabia my mom shared a verse with me that provided me with the confidence that everything will be okay.  The verse is Psalm 91:1 -  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.    This was my 911 call!!  April 1991 I returned back to Camp Pendleton – safe and sound. 

            Shortly after my return from Saudi Arabia I met my wife (Wendy).  We hit it off immediately and began to date.  She lived in Marina Del Rey, I was stationed in Camp Pendleton.  I made the 180 mile round trip twice a week.  6 months later I got orders to Okinawa for a one year tour. Our love endured and we continued the long distance relationship.  After six months of being in Okinawa I took leave and flew back to California for a friends wedding.  Little did Wendy know that I was also planning on asking her to marry me while on leave.  June 6, 1993 we got married.

            One of the most important days of my life was when I rededicated my life to Christ and my wife committed her life to Christ for the first time.  This took place under the teaching of Pastor John McArthur at Grace Community Church in 1998.

            Fast forward 15 years – I have have been blessed by the Lord with three beautiful children (and a dog). I have two daughters (ages 12 & 4) and a son (8).  My wife is a stay-at-home mom and works part time at our church's preschool program.  I am employed as a print buyer at Insight for Living – the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Chuck Swindoll.  

            The Lord has blessed me with a wife who loves children and has dedicated her life to them.  She has continued to stick by me through all my quirkiness and inconsistencies.  She is a living example of Gods grace.  I am especially appreciative of her support of my endeavors as a triathlete – my journey to become and Ironman. 

            It is an honor to be able to participate in “A Triathlon for Life”.  I am very excited about partnering with  Hope Resource Center in Knoxville, TN to raise funds for their ministry.  This is a God sized task for me – but not impossible.  Why?  I leave you with this: