Where are you from?
Michael: I was born in Hollywood and
grew up in Fullerton, CA.
Golden: I was born and
raised in Newport Beach, CA.
What instruments do you play?
Michael: I play guitar, bass, and
sing.
Golden: I play, guitar, recorder, harmonica,
keyboards, bass and sing.
When did you get involved in music?
Michael: I got involved in music when I
was 14 after seeing a good friend of mine play guitar. I innocently
asked him, "Do you think I could learn to play?" And he said, "Sure,
just buy a guitar and start taking lessons." I took him at his word
and I’ve been playing ever since.
Golden: I actually grew up doing gymnastics.
My goal was to be in the 1992 Olympics, but one day, during practice,
I fractured my back in two places. I was fourteen then and it was
during my recovery that I discovered my knack for music.
What kind of music do you like to listen
to?
Michael: Blues, rock, alternative, and
classical (believe it or not).
Golden: I like the same stuff Michael does,
but I especially appreciate classical when we are being
romantic.
So you guys are married, huh?
Golden: Yep!
Michael: We got married the day after we
graduated from college; December 17, 1994. We didn’t waste any
time.
So, how did you guys get together?
Golden: Well, we met in college at Lake
Arrowhead, CA. The first time I saw Michael, he was playing bass in a
band at school. The first thing that attracted me to him was his
smile. It just wouldn’t stop.
Michael: I remember Golden came up to me after
that and said, "Killer bass playing, Dude!"
Golden: I was starting a band called Harvest
Flight. I named it after my Dad’s band in the 70’s. Anyway, I asked
Michael if he would be our bass player. He said, "yes."
Michael: We started writing music and hanging
out together and we’ve been hanging out ever since.
Golden: It was funny, a few months after
spending time together, we found out each others’ age. I was 19 and he
was 30 and I was thinking, "O no, what have I done?" We’re 10 years
and 3 months apart.
Michael: We have a little joke. When I was in
high school I could have been pushing Golden in a
stroller.
So what do you like to do in your spare
time?
Golden: Spare time? We don't
really have that anymore. We have 4 beautiful children that
really keep us moving. Our daughter, Avalon, born 8/2/00, and
our twin boys, Micah, Zachary, born 11/28/01 and Jayden, born
7/25/07. Things I like to do are ice skating, scuba diving,
walking, watching basketball with Michael, and reading.
Michael: When we get the chance, I
enjoy hanging out with Golden at Bookstores while sipping on coffee and reading a good
book. We are also big NBA fans. We like to go out and watch a game on a big screen.
What’s your favorite kind of food?
Michael: Definitely Mexican. Did I say
Mexican? I’m also a big pizza fan.
Golden: Clearly Mexican. I love chicken
fajitas.
What is one of the most spontaneous,
crazy things you have ever done?
Michael: I wore a long-haired wig and platform
boots in a heavy metal band in the 80‘s.
Golden: My aunt let me try her scuba tank for
the first time. I was having so much fun, I dove down 75 ft. and
stayed there for 20 min. Meanwhile, my family thinks I’ve drowned.
They were hitting metal spoons against the boat in hopes of getting my
attention. I was having so much fun I ignored them.
What are things that you guys feel
passionate about?
Golden: Chocolate. Just kidding!
Michael: Each other, being with our children
and families, and most of all our faith in God.
I know you guys are song writers. What
kind of things do you like to write about?
Golden: We feel it’s important to address real
issues that we all face in life such as hurt, loneliness, and
searching for significance. Michael and I have found a real hope and
joy through a daily relationship with God and we want to communicate
this hope to others.
Do you guys consider yourselves
spiritual people?
Michael: Well, in a sense, but let me explain
where I’m coming from.
I remember a time when I was searching for
something to fill a void in my life. I tried to fill it with relationships, partying and
shooting for the fame and glory of a music career. But, I felt there was something more to
life than this.
One night while I was at a concert I heard
something that changed my life forever. I heard that God loved me and had a plan for my
life. This was new for me. I mean I knew a little bit about God and went to church once in
a while but believe me, I never wanted to become too religious or anything.
What do you mean exactly?
Michael: Well, this band was talking about a
relationship with God; not this kind of God I had envisioned who was
way up there while I was way down here.
So, are you saying that your beliefs
have changed?
Michael: Yes. I kinda had my own philosophy on
life. I always thought I was a pretty good person and if I did enough
good things in life it would sort of out weigh the bad and when I died
I’d go to heaven.
But, I’ve learned according to the
Bible that no one is good enough to deserve heaven. Man’s disobedience has separated
us from God and the consequence of our disobedience is spiritual death; in other words,
separation from God forever in hell. Another word that the Bible uses for disobedience is
sin. There’s a verse that says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God." (Romans 3:23).
So, do you guys believe hell is a real
place?
Golden: Yes I do. In fact, this more than
anything convinced me to believe in God. I know a lot of people don’t
like to think about such a horrible thing as hell, but the Bible is
very clear that there is a real heaven and a real hell. There’s a
verse in the book of Luke that says, "I will warn you whom to fear;
fear the one who, has the power to cast into hell."
Well then, how does one earn God’s
favor?
Michael: The good news is we don’t have to
earn it. Because God loves us, He made a way to rescue us by sending
his only Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sin. All we have to do
is accept what He has done for us.
Golden: I was once given an illustration that
helped me understand the extent of God’s love and the sacrifice He
made for us.
There was a man who was a bridge conductor
for the railroad company. His job was to lower this bridge so that the passenger trains
could safely cross over the river.
One day, while he was at his post, he
noticed his 8-year-old son playing underneath the tracks by the gears. He called out to
him to get away from the gears. Just then he heard the whistle of an oncoming passenger
train.
He shouted again for his son to get out.
But his son yelled, "Daddy, I’m stuck." But, the train was approaching too
rapidly to allow him time to go free his son.
Two thoughts ran through his head,
"Either I don’t lower the bridge and save my son at the cost of hundreds of
lives on that train; or I lower the bridge and the people safely pass at the cost of my
only son."
As the train approached, he knew what he
had to do. He cried in agony as he reached for the lever and lowered the bridge knowing
that his son would die.
Just then the train crossed the river
safely. He saw the people inside laughing and carrying on in conversation never knowing
the sacrifice that was made for them.
In the same way, God allowed his Son,
Jesus, to be sacrificed by dying a horrible death by a torturous Roman execution called
crucifixion, where one is nailed to a cross and left to die. By doing this, Jesus, made a
way for us to be forgiven of our sins, have a relationship with God, and spend eternity
with Him.
Michael: Like the people on the train who
never knew the sacrifice that was made for them, there are many people
in this world today who don’t understand the sacrifice that God has
made for them by sending his Son to die in their place.
So, if we believe in God we can go to
heaven. Is this right?
Michael: Well, Just to agree intellectually
that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our
sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience.
We must receive Jesus by faith, as an act of our will.
What do you mean when you say
‘receive Jesus by faith?’
Michael: Receiving Jesus involves turning to
God from self and trusting Him to come into our lives, to forgive us
of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be.
So, I assume you’ve taken this step
of faith.
Michael: Well, after that concert I was
telling you about, I felt that God was speaking to my heart. Even
though I had some doubts and fears inside I knew I needed Him to guide
my life. I said a simple prayer and asked God to forgive me of my
sins, to make himself real to me and to help me to follow
Him.
Did you notice or feel anything
different?
Michael: From that day on I have sensed a real
peace and hope that I never had before. I’m not talking about some
one-time religious experience I had , but a lasting, life-changing ,
daily relationship with God. It’s not about depending on feelings or
emotions which will come and go. But now I live my life by faith in
the promises of God’s Word, the Bible.
How ‘bout you, Golden?
Golden: Trusting God with my life hasn’t made
all my problems go away; that‘s for sure. I still have hard times and
have to deal with deep hurt and disappointment. But what I noticed has
changed is how I deal with pain. Instead of dealing with it on my own,
I can turn to God for strength and guidance.
Thank you, Michael and Golden, for
telling us a little about yourselves. Do you have any last words?
Michael: Golden and I really enjoy sharing our
music with people, but the most important thing to both of us is
sharing the hope and peace that comes from knowing God.
If you’re reading this and are not
sure where you stand with God; maybe you have some questions and doubts; that’s OK. I
did too. I want to encourage you to seriously consider the things that we talked about. I
would like to invite you to take that step of faith through a simple prayer if this is the
desire of your heart. Just say:
Lord Jesus, I want to
know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my
life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins and
giving me eternal life. Guide my life and make me the kind of person You want me to be.
Amen.
