Dr. Paul E. Danielson A native of Duluth, Minnesota Paul was raised in an abusive foster home, declared mentally retarded and given little chance for success. He is a graduate of the Criswell College in Dallas, Texas where he earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies and a Masters in Pastoral Theology. He also holds a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Tyndale Theological Seminary. He has done advanced studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as well. Paul was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society in 1982 and Outstanding Young Men of America in 1992. Paul has over twenty years of ministry experience, serving as a counselor to at risk kids, youth pastor, professor, senior pastor of five congregations and a Christian leader and speaker. Paul has been married since 1988 and has two sons. He currently serves as a high school English teacher in Texas. 

Paul's story. Is it yours, too?

 On December 13th 1961, Teresa McNally raced into St. Luke’s Hospital more than ready to give birth to, yeah, you guessed it, me.  Most mothers would be ecstatic, but not her.  She was not married and my arrival on the scene was more than she could stomach.    
            Her parents wanted nothing to do with her and as recently as 1990 were completely unaware of where she was.  In attempting to locate my biological mother, I discovered that she travels under assumed names and never stays in any one place too long.  Maybe someday I will track her down.    A state agency contacted her parents to see if they would be willing to talk with me, but they opted out.  I am convinced that if they could meet me in person, they might actually like me.  Perhaps someday they will agree to meet. If I do meet my biological mother, I am going to tell her about Jesus Christ.  I want her to know Him in the same way I do.    
            Everybody likes to hear a story with a successful conclusion.  Modern media has us duped into believing that everything comes out o.k. in the end.  Not all stories have a happy ending.      
            The cold indifference of a state bureaucracy replaced the loving caresses of a nurturing mother.  The prevailing philosophy then and now is that foster care is a healthy alternative when no other options are available.  It wasn’t in my case.  The system failed.  After eighteen months because of neglect, I was removed from the first foster home.  The bureaucracy tried to do what was in my best interest and placed me in another foster home.  What a mistake!  It appeared to be a wonderful place for children.   Behind closed doors, the reality was quite different. 

            A couple of years after being placed in this second foster home, I was declared to be mentally retarded. I have the legal documentation to prove it. At four years and eight months of age, I neither walked nor talked. Only three words were discernable: DJ,momma, and more. According to the documentation, I have obtained from the State of Minnesota I was determined to have a composite IQ score of fifty-two, which is considered profound mental retardation. Still worse, I banged my head on the floor, often knocking myself out in the process.  The situation was so bad they considered placing me in a state mental facility. I feel the most sorry for my foster mother, because I'm sure she did everything she could to protect me during the process.