I was born into a broken home in Denver, Colorado. I was abused as a child, and as a result I became afraid of mother and father figures. My parents put their addictions before their responsibilities as parents. Violence and anger were very much a part of my first four years. I witnessed my father being arrested on the grounds of domestic violence more than once. During this time I began to harbor anger and bitterness towards authority.
At the age of four, I was adopted by a loving family in Colorado Springs. They were Christians and had already adopted five other children. It was not easy to adjust. I was still afraid of parents in general. I would cringe if I was hugged or touched. In my mind, parents were still abusive and full of anger. My adoptive parents did everything they could to show their love to me, but I still pushed them away. At age 13 I was put on medications for depression. They really did not help at all; I was still very full of anger. Around the same time, I tried to take the life of one of my siblings. My parents were beginning to realize that the help I needed was not going to be from them. A year later I was involved in another incident of violence with my mother. I decided that same week to quit the eighth grade, and my parents had me volunteer at a local museum for eight hours a day. Two months later, on May 21, 2006 I came to Heartland Christian Academy.
It was very hard to adjust at first. I was in trouble a good portion of my first year in high school. I eventually figured out that if I obeyed the rules then I could stay out of trouble. I still had no interest in God, and although no one could see it, I was still full of hatred and bitterness towards my birth family. About half way through my junior year, I began to get tired of school. I began talking about getting my GED and leaving as soon as possible. I knew the rules were not going to get me through life. I was doing everything I possibly could to make my pain go away but it would not. That was my rock bottom. Shortly after that, on February 1, 2009 I gave my life to God. I was sick of being angry at Him, and my circumstances. It was not like my life suddenly was better; but God started slowly peeling off the ugly parts of my life and began replacing them with His love and peace.
I finished my junior year and went on to graduate high school in 2010. I went on to Bible College here at Heartland and graduated in May of 2012. I now work full time helping edit the “Straight From The Heart” show produced here on campus. This last October, God blessed me with a beautiful woman, Shelby Lynn as we were united in marriage. This is all part of God restoring relationships, and taking my anger and bitterness away and filling my heart with love for all people, which I thought would be impossible. I now live 800 miles away from my parents but I have the best relationship I could ever want with them. They were willing to give their son to God so they could get him back one day. I have truly been blessed by Him. God gives me the grace I need daily to live life and show others what it means to have the peace and love that He gives to those who desire it.
Noah continues to be an encourager to those around him. Recently, he shared this list poem about his life in a National Poetry Writing Month challenge.
Me
I was born
I was alive
I was hurt
I survived
I learned
I moved
I started over
I feared
I was slower
I learned
I was confused
I pressed on
I hurt
I was feared
I learned
I hurt
I moved
I started over again
I was slower again
I learned again
I survived again
I was curious
I wondered
I accepted
I surrendered
I forgave
I remembered
I learned
I loved
I am alive
