James Capps

As some of you know, I worked as a youth intern at First Baptist Church of Lakeland the summer after my senior year in 1979. During that time I did well in the National CLEP tests and attended Florida Southern College full-time as a day-student, keeping several part-time jobs and going to school until 1982. I then transferred to Asbury College in Wilmore, KY., graduating with a BA in Christian Ministries with a Journalism concentration. I wanted to work full-time with a church or para-church ministry. I graduated with that major earning a BA from Asbury in 1986, having married in 1985. After this I moved back to Lakeland and started in real estate appraising to support my growing family. In 1994 I realized a life dream and started to work with Faith Farm Ministries in the Boynton Beach/West Palm Beach area and did so until 1998. After a year of retraining and earning Microsoft's MCSE Systems Engineer certification, I began working in the field of computers. Again I was trying to more effectively support my family of 8, but I had also loved working with computers for a very long time. I have since worked in that field for Canadian Pacific Ships in Tampa, Watkins Motor Lines in Lakeland and then for FedEx when they acquired Watkins in 2006. Ten years later I'm still with FedEx. It's just a great company all-around. I was divorced in 2008 and then remarried in 2011 to my forever-partner and wife Terry. Today, I am a very happy and committed husband, father and member of First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland. I'm so thankful for my life. Never been in jail, always had a job and a place to lay my head at night. My only wish is to give back to my family, community and world as effectively as the Lord would allow. So let's roll up our sleeves and become the blessing someone else needs. You with me?
How I got here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-vZlrBYLSU
(Rascal Flatts - Bless the Broken Road
How I turned around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaXxwFpavj4
Ginny Owens - If You Want Me To
How I want to live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIyIlJTiaaQ (Natalie Grant)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FDBz6TcKa8 (Superchick)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHYHXkoUtS4 (UAB Gospel Choir)

Walked into an LHS Counselor's office after taking the ASVAB military aptitude test in 1978. The Navy had started recruiting me hard and I was confused. I really liked playing around with my Commodore 128 and an early Tandy PC and asked the counselor about a career working with computers. He told me point blank and with a serious, straight face, "Son, don't go into computers. There's no future in them!"

So... I didn't go into the Navy and it took me 20 years to get into the field, but yes Mr. Counselor, there was a future in computers!