The Carry Cross was born October 11, 2009,

not in a workshop or with a business plan, but in a driveway, with borrowed tools, collected driftwood, and a renewed sense of purpose. At one of the lowest moments of my life, a simple piece of driftwood became the beginning of something far greater than a woodworking project — it became a ministry. I had never worked with wood before, so this was all completely new to me. At the time, my wife, Lori, had been collecting driftwood for years, and those pieces became the first materials used to create small, handheld wooden crosses. Each cross was carefully shaped by hand and later engraved with God’s Word — messages of hope, faith, and encouragement meant to be carried daily as reminders of God’s presence. When the driftwood supply ran out, help arrived unexpectedly. A neighbor offered an old wooden pallet he had brought home from work. Using a crowbar, the pallet was taken apart, piece by piece, and new crosses began to take shape from reclaimed wood. During the process, a moment occurred that would forever define our ministry. As I was cutting out one of the crosses, I noticed nail holes on that cross were exactly where Jesus’ wrists and ankles would have been pierced. I knelt down right there in the driveway and cried. In that quiet moment, I heard God speak to me that we needed to call this ‘The Carry Cross.’ Man makes pallets to carry things, God sent his only Son to carry the sins of man. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed to us that we needed to add a motto, “Don’t Leave Earth Without Him.” What began as personal healing would soon turn into a mission to encourage others. Each handcrafted cross serves as a tangible reminder of faith during difficult seasons and something people can hold onto during prayer, grief, uncertainty, or gratitude.