She came from a loving home where her mother was a member of the church of Christ but her father, being 100% Italian had inherited Catholicism though he was not active. He insisted that his wife take Kathy and her three brothers to church 3 times a week. Kathy resented him for this and swore that when she was old enough, she would not go to church at all. She was rebellious, hard to handle and soon got involved with drugs.

He came from a broken home. His parents divorced when he was eight. Both his mother and father remarried. He, of course, lived with his mother. His Mother's second husband was an alcoholic who supported the family by writing bad checks, and when the bad checks caught up with them, they moved. Needless to say, they moved often. Mike attended seven grade schools, three Jr. High Schools, and never really felt like he fit in anywhere. At home he was being severely abused, both mentally and physically. During all this time Mike never saw his father, who he idolized. His father was too busy in his own world, and Mike's family was always on the move. Mike was the oldest of four children and so became both mother and father to his younger siblings, while their Mother and stepfather went to bars or parties. He enlisted in the Navy while still in high school just to get out from under the responsibility that weighed heavy on his shoulders at home. He was an angry, bitter young man. After serving 2 years in the Vietnam war, he was home, disillusioned, angry and confused. He had joined the Navy “to serve his country.” Now his country was telling him that he was a “baby-killer.” Because he was a Vietnam Vet it was difficult to find a job. He started using drugs and alcohol to ease the emptiness and loneliness he felt.

They met at a party where drugs and alcohol were abundant. Neither of them looking for someone, yet, their eyes met. He was there with another girl who was just a body to him. He drove her home and returned with his motorcycle hoping to entice Kathy. He did. He offered to give her a ride and she quickly accepted. The thrill of being on that bike with this tall, strong, rebellious, and handsome stranger was the dare she'd gladly take because she too was lost, confused and alone. They knew very soon that they were meant to be together.

For the next 2 years they lived together in a small apartment in Boulder, Colorado. They used drugs on a daily basis as well as alcohol and tobacco. She knew better but didn't care. He was just living like the adults that surrounded him when he was young. Neither of them were happy but they didn't know why, so they would get high to forget. Mike was the road manager for a popular rock group and was on the road most of the time. Sometimes Kathy would go with him on these trips in a motor home with 10 other people, all high on cocaine, pot, alcohol and anything else that got thrown their way.

Neither of them had much to do with their families and for the most part, the families didn't know where they were. That was fine with Mike as he'd grown so bitter and distant from having to overcome such a messed up childhood. Kathy avoided her family at all cost because she knew deep inside that the life she was living was wrong.

Kathy started having health problems and wound up in the hospital with exploratory abdominal surgery. Mike was self absorbed and lost emotionally so he didn't spend much time at the hospital visiting her. They were growing apart. Kathy had plenty of time to think about her situation while cooped up in the hospital. Her mom came to see her as well as her brothers. They all pleaded with her to come home. She was ready.

Having grown tired of being high and out of control all the time and wondering who Mike was with during those long weeks on the road, she made the decision to leave him and move back in with her mom and dad. Kathy started going to church again and it felt so right. Something huge was missing in her life all those years away from God and her family but if you would have told her that the missing link was God she would have denied it bitterly. It was only when she returned to Him that she realized that the void was filled.

Mike argued and pleaded with Kathy to come back to him. He loved her and was willing to do just about anything to get her back, or so he thought. Kathy was back in church, back in the word and off of drugs. Her appearance changed, her language was clean and she was becoming transformed. Her life was starting to make sense again and she was happy and fulfilled but her love for Mike was strong and she missed him. He would call her and they would talk for hours. They both cried a lot and longed for each other, yet, each time Kathy would drive to Boulder to see him, she would give in and get high or drunk, sometimes both, just to be with him. Then the guilt would set in and she had to avoid him.

He decided that he would go to church with her and study the Bible but it was only to prove to her how wrong she was. Mike walked away from the first Bible class he ever attended saying to Kathy, “that old man doesn't have the slightest idea what he's talking about.” The “old man” was Norman Gipson. Eventually Mike asked Kathy to marry him but she told him that she would only marry a Christian. He told her he would be baptized but she knew it would be for the wrong reason. This continued for many months until Mike could no longer deny that the word was getting to him instead of vice versa. (Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?") Mike knew what to do and was baptized and a few weeks later Kathy was “rebaptized”.

Soon they were married. Mike sold his guitar to buy Kathy’s wedding ring. Mike and Kathy continued to study, and grow and soon Mike felt like he needed some intense training in the word, so he went to the extension school of the Bear Valley School of preaching, which they called the “Saturday School” in those days. After several months of study, he discussed it with Kathy and decided to become a full time student at the School of Preaching. Mike says that Norman Gipson has been able to learn a lot through the years.

Since that time Mike has preached in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Texas. He has served as a Prison minister, a Personal Work minister, a Police Chaplain, a Pulpit minister, and a T.V. evangelist. He is well known through out the Western States as the “sound-man” for the Yosemite, Red River, and Grand Canyon Family Encampments. He's been able to use his knowledge and experience gained in the rock-and-roll world to serve the Kingdom. He is currently working with the Mt. Vernon church of Christ in Prescott, Arizona. Mike has a successful weekly television program; “What Do the Scriptures Say?” which is broadcast to over a million homes in Arizona and California. He has established his own web site on the World Wide Web which answers Bible questions from all over the world. The award winning web site receives thousands of visitors each month, and Mike hopes to continue to expand it's content and capabilities; www.scripturessay.com is currently preaching the gospel twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, around the world.

Mike and Kathy have two adopted children, now adults, Jeremy, and Jessica who both currently reside in Prescott, Arizona.