How long have been attending community?

We started going to Community because of the kids program nine years ago. Our kids were at the age that we needed that. Debbie’s brother (a pastor) had a church in Valley Center, but when they moved to North Carolina we came down the hill and started going to Community. Just like everyone else would say, we felt totally welcome once we started going to Community. Of course having Debbie there broke the ice really easily. Everyone feel in love with her right away.

What brought you to North County?

I went to San Diego State in 1985 to get an engineering degree. When I was working there I met a guy who was drafting in San Marcos and said I should come work with him. So I started working up here and when I graduated they hired me on full time right away. Debbie and I moved to Pacific Beach for 3 years, but when Jenna was born we out grew that really quickly. We moved up to San Marcos to be closer to work, the same company that I have been with for 25 years now.  

Tell me about your job.

I am an engineer for a company that makes flow meters. Fluid Components makes instrumentation that measures flow in industrial applications, aerospace, food, and chemical. I started as a draftsmen, then I worked in chemical engineering. Sixteen or seventeen years ago I took over a product line and about five years ago I became the chief designer of a continuous level monitor that we use in nuclear power plants because of the Fukushima event in China. Because of what happened in China, Now every plant in China, Korea and Japan are required to have a monitor. I am the person that has taken the design and made it fit into all these new requirements. I have a patent for the product that I designed.  I made prototypes in my garage out of boat resin, cardboard, and fiberglass. I probably made 20 different designs before I whittled it down to this one design.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Lompoc, CA. I was the youngest of five kids. I have three sisters and an older brother.  All my sisters babied me and did all the chores. They were the prettiest girls in town so I never got picked on. Who wants to bully the kid with the prettiest sisters in town? I had it made.

I was working full time at the air force base running a printing press and drafting and that’s when I met Debbie. Meeting Debbie is what really inspired me to pursue engineering. I was taking some general education classes but I didn’t have anything nailed down. I realized I had to step up and make myself worthy of providing for her. All I could think about was building with my hands so I decided on a mechanical engineering at San Diego State.

As a reluctant kid, I didn’t want anyone forcing me into religion. Debbie’s parents never forced me into religion and that was such a turn on to Christianity. There were so sweet and caring and were raising these beautiful young ladies. That was a side of religion that I didn’t know about, this Christianity that was so open and a non-evasive. Just like how I felt about going to college, I thought “if I am going to provide for Debbie I want to give this religion a chance.” I have been so lucky that Christianity has been nothing but a positive experience for me. You go to church and talk about being a better person and a positive person. How can that be bad?

Tell me about your kids.

Raising kids was awesome. Alex was fun. I coached every team he was on which was about eleven teams I think (football, soccer, basketball, track and field). Right when he got out of sports and into skateboarding was around the time Jenna and I really got into horses. It kind of flip-flopped and I started spending a lot of time with Jenna here at the ranch.

Tell me about how your family got into horses.

Jenna has always been into horses. Growing up, all of Jenna’s rewards were horse themed. We’d take her to horse shows, we’d buy her horse figurines, or we’d take vacations to see family who had horses. About 8 years ago I was in Valley Center and I saw a sign for horse lessons. That is where Jenna started and then after a few years we came to Triumph ranch. We asked if they had any horses we could lease and Jagger was one of the horses. I started coming here and working on the ranch and after about two years the owners wanted to give me a gift for all the work I’ve done at the ranch and they offered to give me Jagger.

When we took over ownership of Jagger, we had a big surprise with family and friends. We had bows on the horse, Jenna was crying, and everyone was crying. There is nothing else in Jenna’s life that is going to top getting that horse, even marrying some wealthy guy that gives her a brand new house, or a brand new 3,000 acre ranch. No guy will ever beat me giving her that horse. I topped it all.

I love being here at the ranch. I get the property ready for the rainy season, weedwack the entire property, clean the drains out, fix fences, put a new gate up, move manure around, etc. It’s just what I like to do. I’ll come here after work, on Saturdays, or after church on Sundays. I’ll get up at six in the morning to come straight to the ranch. Debbie is awesome because she allows me to come to ranch even though the things at the house that she has been asking me to do for years are still not done. If I spent as much time on our house as I do here we’d live in a castle.

What else do you do for fun?

We have a little boat (a 1961 boat from the Sears Catalog name Frick Frack). Ever since I was a kid we’d go to Lake San Antonio. We’d pile into the station wagon with the tents, dogs, and five kids. We’d stuff the boat and the station wagon and we’d live intense for a week every summer. Now that I have a family of my own, we still go to the same lake every year.

I totally gutted the boat out about 8 or 9 years ago (in the backyard). I worked on that for 3 months, 2 weeks, and a day. When I started it I told Debbie not to expect anything from me until I was done with the boat.

We go camping to the desert a lot with our quads and dirt bikes. We are just about to take camping trip number 100 with our camper. We’ve gone to Ocotillo Wells with that camper about 30 times. I’d like to use the boat more and the bikes a little less now that the kids are gown and we are on our own more. Being here at the ranch and boating would definitely be my favorite things to do.

WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY TREE PROJECT? 

Community Lutheran Church is a growing congregation worshiping 550 people between two campuses each week. As we continue grow, it is important that our relationships with one another continue to grow as well.  Over the coming months, our church website and Facebook page will be introducing you to a member of Community that you may or may not know yet. You’ll have the opportunity to learn a little about each member and delight in the different personalities and lifestyles that come together each week to worship our Savior.

When you join us for worship on Sunday mornings or events throughout the week, we encourage you to reach out and connect with someone you don’t normally talk to. As Pastor Vogelsang so eloquently reminds us, we are all “dear Christian friends.” We just don’t know each other yet! I’d like to change that one photo at a time.

"So that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." - 1 Corinthians 12:25-27