Rodney G. Loewen was reared in Sacramento, CA prior to being transferred by the U.S. Navy to Jacksonville, FL in 1993. He admits to having an overwhelming upbringing.  After five years of age, he no longer had a relationship with his biological father and his mother re-married a man who was very abusive to him and his four siblings. He and his family grew up in government housing and remained on welfare for as far back as his recollection goes.  At age thirteen, he began working on sustaining his family, but the majority of the funds he earned supported his mother and step-father’s alcoholic lifestyle.  Not having a church upbringing, Rodney occasionally found his way to the church as a teenager simply as a means to escape from his daily surroundings. “Sometimes my siblings and I were forced to go to church with neighbors so my parents could have the house to themselves.”

Today, Rodney is one of NtoU Magazine’s dedicated journalists. He writes “Kingdom Minded” articles to challenge people to have more of a “Kingdom minded mentality” opposed to an “institutionalized mentality.”  His desire is for others to hunger and thirst after righteousness just as he does. Rodney has been with NtoU Magazine for approximately three years now.  He began to grasp his ability to write in high school, took a creative writing course his junior year, and was asked to come back on an independent study level for his senior year.  He found himself excelling in poetry, as well as independent thought. It was also in high school where he fell in love with rap music, and every day for two years he wrote new rap lyrics. Unfortunately, according to him, he did not have any rhythm, and so that career path was no longer an option.

Becoming a journalist for NtoU Magazine was a way for Rodney to “preach on paper what I usually don’t hear in the pulpit.” He loves preaching from the pulpit and feel it is a part of his calling. However, his sentiments are that everyone is not going to hear what he has to say, so writing for the magazine is his conduit  to reach so many more people with the message he believes God has given him.  He also declares how he believes in NtoU as a magazine. “There is great potential to reach people who might not go to church, but will sit in a barbershop or hair salon and pick up an NtoU Magazine and be impacted by what they see and read.”

Aside from being inspired by God, Rodney admits to also feeling inspiration from people who are hungry for the truth. Additionally, he is stimulated by those who recognize that they are not perfect, yet still believe God can and will use them in some way.  What’s more, he is inspired by his wife and close friends, who are the individuals who really know and love him despite his imperfections and idiosyncrasies.

Besides writing, He also enjoys fine dining and consuming other’s culinary art. Cooking is one of Rodney’s passions that he constantly tries to perfect. Furthermore, Rodney states he is also skilled at “hanging out.” His gift is having the ability to associate with people, especially teenagers, allowing them to feel comfortable with him and the relationship he has with God. He enjoys helping others realize the simplicity of the written word.

He would like to impact a generation of adolescents who serve God, help bring healing to the land and preach in pulpits across the globe until God calls him home.  But, most importantly, “I want to be the kind of Christian my wife can speak about without bringing any shame upon my house or His name.” Rodney has been married to his wife Andrea for five years and she is currently expecting their first child. “Andrea is the love of my life, and she helps me to comprehend God’s love by showing me hers every day.”

One of Rodney’s biggest battles in his life was pride. However, God confronted it by allowing him to fall face first. He was forced to leave the church he was attending and left to feel all alone. It was after this that God began to show him who he really was.  Rodney then apologized to people from his past for his arrogance and gives credit to his wife for helping him keep his pride in check.  In conclusion, what Rodney wants most out of life is to please God, for his wife to be joyful with her decision to marry “this mess of a man” and to be a good father to his children. He has learned a lot out of his life’s journey, but mostly, “If you are waiting on something from God, keep waiting because He never fails on His promises.”