DJ grew up attending a Pentecostal church and a Dutch Reformed school, and he desired to live his life for God from an early age. However, DJ recalls how he struggled with his faith for a season,
“Throughout my upbringing I wasn't taught to discern or defend my beliefs and I really struggled that I didn't "experience" God the way that so many did at the churches I attended and that the Bible didn't make sense to me regarding God's ability to keep His promises while maintaining human autonomous free will. All of this led to a season of frustration where I backed away from the church - I didn't stop believing in God but asked Him to come find me. About a year later I got involved in a Bible study with some friends and ultimately was exposed to a Reformed understanding of Scripture. This was revolutionary for me as the Bible now started to make sense with the world around me and I finally had full peace in who God is and what He has done (and finished!) in the work of Christ.”
DJ is married to Anna, and together they have 3 great kids. DJ says they have worked at cultivating an attitude of gratefulness in their family, and as a result they have noticed an increased capacity to appreciate who God is and what He has done for them.
DJ finds particular joy in recounting God’s common and specific mercies to his family, in playing music, and in studying apologetics. Anna says that DJ plays and sings almost every kind of music, except, she is quick to clarify that she has never heard DJ rap or use a country twang. (We can’t imagine it either!) According to Anna, DJ loves Chopin, boardgames, hockey, and spreadsheets. She can always tell when he has made a new spreadsheet because he leaves his office with a smile on his face.