On August 15, 1991 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada a little boy looking like a wrinkled up old man was born. This little guy grew up to be known as me, aka Kyle James Russell Bokma. I was born to my parents as a bit of a surprise but never the less they have loved me every day I have been alive. My family is amazing, but it isn't perfect; with a divorce, two remarriages, and another divorce, my family tree isn't the easiest thing to navigate through. My family is a true blessing though and one of the many things I thank God big time for!

Just like class is a set amount of time, I thought that Christianity was just something I did for two hours or so on Sundays, and the rest of my life was mine to live as I wanted. This mentality was in my thoughts from a young age and stuck with me for a long time. Sundays= God's time. Rest of the week= Kyle's time.

I had been living a double life down to a perfected science. With divorced parents since age two, I learned how to put on different hats wherever I needed to, whether it was golden child at home, good church boy at church, partier with friends, or nice guy when meeting someone new. I would do things such as steal, drink, fool around with girls, etc., and then put on my good Christian boy hat on when I saw fitting. The entire time I would be doing these things I would hear God telling me what I was doing was wrong. I vividly remember fooling around one night with a girl and literally seeing an image of a man weeping in the corner. Looking back I think that was the first knock of God whispering in my ear, "Hey, I'm here still and waiting for you."

From then on God began to poke at my heart and challenge me on issues I knew were wrong. By the grace of God, I was caught shoplifting and wasn't prosecuted and from that He broke me of shoplifting. By the grace of God, He showed me that drinking lead only down a road of brokenness and loneliness and broke from the stupidity of drinking. By the grace of God, He showed me how special the physical love between a husband and wife is and broke me of my sexual sin. His grace is a gift that I can never repay but, in return I offer my humble obedience.

Now I am not perfect - I stumble and trip up with the best of them, but it is by His amazing grace, a gift I did not earn, that I can stand today and scream at the top of my lungs, "I AM WASHED CLEAN OF MY SIN BECAUSE MY GOD IS THE LIVING SAVIOR WHO CAME AND DIED ON THE CROSS FOR ME SO THAT I MAY HAVE LIFE"!