About
My name is Jimmy Yamada, Jr. I am a father, grandpa, pastor, and CEO. From 23 to 45 years of age, God allowed me the freedom to choose my life path. I chose wrongly and made many bad decisions. I drank to the point of what I would describe as alcoholism; I smoked marijuana while sipping Grand Marnier and listening to Bob Dylan. In fact, the music was always blasting so loud that now, in my 70s, I’m hard of hearing. In spite of my fast living, God’s invisible, guiding hand was always there.
At 46 years old, God drew me to Jesus, and I have been living born-again ever since. While on this journey called life, God has revealed to me that He is love. The completeness of that statement, the completeness of His love, is still a bit foreign to me, and I cannot totally grasp it yet. But as I keep trucking along, keep walking in His way, I get a little more understanding each day. The idea that God is love cannot be learned in a vacuum, so God gave us kids, each one a little different. Once I came to Christ, I realized that the ultimate journey was not to be found in worldly wealth and success; it was living a life of love with my wife, Diana, and our kids. God’s plan was to test me and grow me. He used our kids to accomplish this.
You may find that your journey is similar. You may also come to realize that your kids may have to go through a similar journey as I did, so that God can mold them. He promises to be with them, protect them, sanctify them, grow them to be more like Jesus. Just remember this simple fact and you will be okay: He loves them more than you love them.