Dennis Clay Powell was born and raised in Norman Park, Georgia. Population, eight hundred- and ninety-one. He was the youngest of five boys. Dennis knows first-hand the detrimental effects of having to grow up without his father’s daily involvement. Now at age 60, Dennis has experienced and overcame a lot of traumatic losses. He is the last remaining member of his biological family. Dennis and Brenda, his wife of 34 years have four young adult children. Although Dennis was born in the deep South part of Georgia, it was a white man who first approached and introduced him to the idea of playing baseball. After been passed from one brother to the other to coach, Dennis thrived on the baseball field. Later, after playing a little time in Semi-pro league, Dennis signed his first professional baseball contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June of 1983. In July of 1985, he made his major league debut against the St Louis Cardinals. His pitching career led him to pitch for the Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles (AAA), and internationally in Japan, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cartagena, Colombia. While pitching in the Majors, and over the span of fourteen months, there were two separate car accidents which claimed the lives of his three brothers, a close friend, and his 4-year-old nephew. His other brother died early in life shortly after birth from pneumonia. Then, just a few months after burying his siblings, he and his wife Brenda lost their first child, a three-month old baby girl named Bree. After years of drifting without a guide or anchor, this was the season Dennis was personally introduced to the power of God. Yet as Dennis’ immediate family grew, so did the mistakes of learning fatherhood on the fly. In 1995-2000, Dennis taught adult Sunday school classes for three years at New Life Holiness Church. In 2009-10, he would facilitate the bachelor’s program alongside his wife for the International School of Ministry at Abundant Living Family Church. Dennis later received his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies in 2010. Both settings afforded Dennis the knowledge and spiritual platform to share first-hand how fatherly neglect could not ignore what God had in store for him. Since God healed Dennis of a severe stuttering problem early into his thirties, he has been sharing authentic and inspirational messages about the gospel and life’s setbacks. Dennis’ time in Major league baseball has opened many venues and continues to present constant opportunities for him to speak. From speaking at churches, retreats, opening day ceremonies for the Los Angeles Dodger Foundation, to corporate employees atop the Bank of America building, Dennis has and continues to speak motivation and change. Now with this added momentum from writing Standing Over Home, Dennis has repositioned his focus and attention to redirecting and equipping Fathers with the tools to stand up and be the man God has created and called them to be in the family. Dennis and his wife of 33 years Brenda hosted a marriage study on Facebook called Cuddle Up during the years of COVID. They are positioned in the body of Christ at Abundant Living Family church. Dennis has created and taught an eight-week course at his home church aimed at athletes titled, Athletes Living for Christ. Now that Standing Over Home is complete Dennis has his sights on the relationship between fathers and son starting with the man. Read more about this authorRead less about this author