Hi, I'm Joe Notter. I'm a graduate of the Applied Sciences program at George Fox University and the electrical engineering program at Seattle Pacific University. I currently work for Cingular Wireless as an RF Engineer, making sure cellsites behave well so your calls are good. I married Kristine Miller on July of 2001 and turned her into a Notter. We're still getting used to each other, and we enjoy just spending time together. Denver's home for us right now. The weather's beautiful out here I am big in music, primarily Christian. I did jazz band and pep band in high school and college. I've been on worship teams since I was young, playing baritone horn, trombone, bass guitar, and guitar, and I had a unique experience of leading an inner-city church's worship in the summer of 1998 (just picture leading a primarily black church wiht an acoustic guitar). Currently I am a guitarist and bassist on the worship teams at Bear Valley Church. I count it an honor that I can use that ability to worship God. When I use my abilities in the worship scene I consider it to be my dance before the Lord, like king David did in the Bible. My sense of humor seems strange to some, but that's not my loss, only theirs. I have a knack for puns, which works well in my work team. I was a hard worker in school when I did my work, but I found that work wasn't all there is to life. I am good at procrastinating and vegging in front of the tv, and I like to cram my learning in so that I have time for other stuff (maybe I should've written that the other way around: I take lots of time for other stuff and then cram well on the learning stuff). Since finishing college I don't study so much anymore, but I stay active, reading books, doing charcoal drawing, playing on the computer, doing worship team, watching "While You Were Out" and "Trading Spaces" with my wife. Oh what fun it will be the day we get our own house and can start doing our own projects, not just watching it on TV! People need people. Loneliness can be cancer. Find people you care about and who care about you. Make new friends. Be friendly. I am 29 years old and have a sister who is a year-and a half younger than me. She is only 4'11" and teaches english at the jr. high level- literally. I think of her as one of the wiser people I know, and I would do myself a lot of good to act more like her. My parents have been together for longer than I have been alive. My mom is shorter than me, with "salt and pepper"-colored hair. My dad is still a little taller than I am. My mom works McDonalds and my dad is a janitor. They raised me and my sister well. My biggest wish for them is that they can buy a home before they retire. I like poetry- it helps me see life clearer and express my feelings, even when those feelings betray the person I wish I was. I love to draw. I took an art class last year at George Fox- figure drawing (glad I took that class at a Christian school: no nudes). Since then I have found that, like music, art can be quite therapeutic. Check out my picture page. I did a charcoal rendition of a photo I had taken with my two best next-door neighbors from my last school year at Fox (1997-8). And yes, I love roses. When I become rich and famous and own my own house I will have a beautiful rose garden. Perhaps when I retire I will be an artist and a gardener. One of the first and foremost things you should know about me is that I believe that Jesus is the one way to be saved from "eternal damnation" (hell). What this doesn't tell you, though, is how wonderful I think this Jesus guy is. This guy was born in such a way that you might call him a bastard child. His "birth father" wasn't human. He did have an adoptive father named Joseph (good name), though.
He grew up amazing people with the things he did. Soon he showed himself to also be a leader and a rabble rouser. He turned society upside down in his words. He even dissed on the religious people from his own religious background. They got angry and eventually killed him. He didn't stay dead, though.
This Jesus is the Messiah that had been told about way back in the early parts of Jewish history. He was the one who would deliver Israel. In other words, he was, and is, the son of God, thus he is God. When he was dissing on the leaders of his religion it was because they weren't being true to what God really wanted their lives to be like. He was showing them how to really love God through actions, worship, praying, and loving. Eventually Jesus left the earth. I believe he is in heaven, but not as a dead person. When he left he told his friends to continue telling the world about the true way to deliverance and hope: Himself. He told them that he will come back some day. And what he pointed out back then still makes sense and is right. The "kingdom of heaven"- what it will be like in heaven and should be like on earth, is justice, love for one another, mercy and compassion, generosity. We say all these things are good. But at the same time Jesus died to fulfill a divine plan that began long before any of us were born. He made it so that we don't have to suffer the consequences of all the wrongdoing on earth. We don't have to live with all the pain we let ourselves bear. He is willing to help us bear it all. Beyond our problems of now- he carries off the consequences of our own actions. We would be hopeless without his dying for our misdeeds and unworthiness. Because he died for us we have the chance to accept him for ourselves and receive eternal hope. There is a heaven and hell after death, and he paid the way for us to go to heaven. All we need to do is accept him and follow his leading. He still is the messiah for the Jews, but he came so that everybody who isn't born Jew can be a part of the "kingdom of heaven". Even I can't call myself any better than you. I'm a sinner like anybody else...the only difference as far as eternity sees is that I have accepted what Jesus did in dying for me paying the debt for the wrongs I have done. I have been forgiven when I turn away from my wrongs and ask God to forgive me. In seeking His righteousness I find more grace, joy, and hope in my life. Jesus gives more to me than any person can. He wants to do the same for you. |