The Author
Oried Graves
By God’s grace, I am 80 years old, the fifth of ten children. My father passed away when I was just seven years old, leaving my mother to raise us with very limited resources. Despite our struggles, she taught us the importance of hard work and self-sufficiency.
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Longing for a fatherly figure, I turned to Jesus Christ at an early age and found strength in Him. With Christ and my mother by my side, I graduated from high school and worked several jobs to support myself.
In 1965, I was drafted into the Army and served for three years, including one year in the Vietnam War and another in Korea. By God's grace, I survived. After my military service, I pursued my educational goals. With the Lord’s help, I earned degrees in:
Accounting from Norfolk State University
Business Administration from Old Dominion University
Interdisciplinary Studies and Technology from Masters' Dortorial School of Divinity
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I worked as an auditor with the United States General Accounting Office for 21 years before retiring in 1995.
Throughout my life, I have joyfully served in the Church of Christ. In 1980, I was called to ministry, and by 1984, I began pastoring. I am deeply grateful for Christ’s redemption, which restores us to His image and likeness. His Holy Spirit seals me in His redemption, glorifying God through my life.
As an author, I seek to identify what mankind often overlooks in daily life—truths that, if seen, would reveal both the Creator and oneself. I desire to experience what I read in God’s eternal Word, allowing it to transform my understanding and guide my purpose.
I am working on my second book, which carries the same mission as my first but with a slightly different approach. The Word of God is the only true source of information that not only reveals who I am but also leads me to where I need to be.
My journey in ministry began in my teenage years, and I have faithfully served in various roles within the Church of Christ. Every day of service has been a joy, and I strive to fulfill the purpose for which I was created in God’s image and likeness.
I am blessed to be married, with four children, and I pastor the family Church of Christ. My wife and children serve alongside me in ministry, and I hope to dedicate this book to them, as well as to other close family members and friends who have supported me along the way.
My greatest goal in life is to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and to help others follow Him as well. I remind myself daily that Christ is always with us, guiding us to do what He commands and teaching us to abide in His love, just as He abides in His Father’s love by keeping His commandments.
O. E. Graves