it all starts with what’s real.
Reality has been crazy for ol’ “Crazy Carl” (Jim’s favorite nickname for me).
I was not raised in a church home and my parents divorced when I was 12 years old. This is when I first experienced disappointment, dissatisfaction, and distress. Two years later, at the age of 14, I met Jesus and was filled with hope. From the ages of 14-21 I was on fire for God and served for 3 years as an overseas missionary during that time.
Since that time, for the last 20 years, my life has seen a series of ups and downs. From a 2-year failed social experiment (my first marriage), to losing a teammate and friend in combat in Afghanistan, multiple deployments that resulted in Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Moral Injury (MI), a cancer scare, and a 13-month separation from my wife of 15 years (we are back together!)—reality has certainly been crazy for me.
I have always felt a call to ministry. I figured that I needed some schooling to help in this endeavor, so I earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and a Master of Religious Education from Liberty University, and a Master of Divinity (MDiv) and Doctor of Ministry (DMin) from Manna University (I really like learning).
Since 2019 I have served in several SERVE positions in my local church: Small Group leader, Small Groups Director, Growth Track Director, CARE counselor, on the Short-Term Mission (STM) leadership team, Guest Services Director, and MannaKids curriculum team.
Through all my schooling and serving at the local church, what I am most passionate about is pastoral coaching. Because of the ups and downs, expectation gaps, and suffering seasons throughout my life, I realized that this has all been for God’s glory. God is using my lived experiences to coach others who also have expectation gaps and suffering seasons.
Like Jim, I will give my time and coaching away for free. Also, like Jim, my prayer is that I can raise enough funds to afford my time as a local missionary. There is a support/donation link in the header of this page if people want to donate, but as I will be giving my time and coaching away for free, there will be no payment expected.
If you want to try a free coaching sesh, let’s get started!
-carlos