Hi, and welcome to my web site. My name is Rob Saranpa, and I love the Lord, Jesus Christ! But it wasn't always that way...
First of all, I really don’t need to go into great detail concerning some of the events in my life. You’ll have to use your imagination here and there.
At my worst, I was a “collector for illegal pharmaceutical distributors”, a bouncer and a barfly. Kind of a “tough guy”. But how I got there is a story in itself…
I was raised with four sisters (three older than me) and a younger brother and sister (twins). Mom raised us by herself, in the San Fernando Valley, sometimes working as many as three jobs to make ends meet. She would take us to Sunday school once in a while, but I hardly remember that.
When I was 13, we had what they would call a “home invasion” by a lone man, a rapist. He had cased our house for two weeks prior to the actual incident.It was a horrible night. He even held his gun to my head while mom was crying as he tied up one of my older sisters. (here’s where you have to use your imagination).We all survived that night. Damaged, but survived.
My father, a WWII Marine, lived up in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife Marcia.(best step mom ever!) He drove down the next day. Again , no details. As I was the oldest male in the house, he told me, in no uncertain terms, “This better not happen again”. (And he was a big, scary bald guy!).
So, I set out to be a tough guy.Even at the age of 16, I had picked out the name I would give my son, if I ever had one. “Alexander”. It means “Great Protector”.
When I was 17, my sister Kelley bought me my first drum set.That was it. I was hooked.
In 1980 I started playing bars in northwest Florida at age 17 as a drummer. In 1984, after my drums were repossessed, I moved back to the San Fernando Valley and started playing the bass. I was introduced to all the things rock musicians are infamous for, and dug right in.The bar scene was just right for a tough guy with a Mohawk.
I've toured around the world,(Croatia, Macedonia, Korea, Japan, Hondouras, Panama, Marshall Islands, Guam, Okinawa, Hawaii, Iceland, Amsterdam{no details}, Germany), did the "Hollywood" thing, and have probably been in more bars than Budweiser! But inside, I was never really fulfilled.
In 1997, I found myself a single father with sole custody of a precious ten month boy, Alexander. When he was six , I met my wonderful and beautiful wife, Jody. She invited me to church in December of 2002.
(She proposed to me on New Year's Eve!)
Jody's friends gave us a copy of Rick Warren’s " The Purpose Driven Life" . (WOW! This really got me headed in the right direction)
A few months later, in April of 2003, one of the keyboard players at the church gave me a Lenny LeBlanc cd.
All this was going on when I was diagnosed with a non-descript "lung disease". I was not properly oxygenating my blood. I could not sing anymore and had a rough time even finishing sentences at night. I was put on full time oxygen and was subsequently fired from my job (while on disability). But, I was given time to ponder life from a whole different view. So there I was, down, ill, unemployed, and in love. Wasn’t feeling too tough with tubes up my nose!
As I was listening to Lenny’s cd, all these things hit me…and it hit me HARD!! I suddenly realized, "There is a God! Oh my, there is a God...Uh oh, there is a GOD!"
I felt ashamed for the way I had wasted my life and the talents that God had given me.
That is when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior! It was like Jesus came down, took the place of my father and in no uncertain terms said, "This better not happen again". He gave me purpose.
I joined the praise team at Mountain Bible Church, and just started writing songs like crazy. I was so amazed at the comfort I felt just being me, with this new incredible passion to use the gifts He gave me, to glorify Him.
Christmas of ’03, my Pastor, Dr. Marvin Slifer, asked me to write a Christmas song. Me?! A Christmas song?!After prayer and my wife and I taking the kids to see "The Polar Express", God was gracious and gave me “The Night Jesus Met Santa Claus”.It became a children’s book with a music cd Produced by Dave Moody of Lamon Records and sung by Ricky Traywick.
Two years later, I was invited to go on a Christian retreat called, "The Walk To Emmaus".(#40, best walk ever! Please visit links). There I got to see and meet some amazing men. Being a musician, I was drawn towards their roles. In my heart I really wanted to sing aloud and rejoice with them...but I could not, try as I may.
Shortly after, the Director of the HDEW (High Desert Emmaus West) Mike Brown, called me and told me that they have been praying for me and I was heavy on their hearts to be the new Music Director.
I said, "That’s funny, Mike...my voice just started coming back!"
God is amazing!!!
I called Lamon Records and told them what was going on and, to make long story short…here I am!
I have now dedicated my life to using the gifts God gave me, to glorify Him and help spread the good news about Jesus Christ!
Praise leaders..."A Call To Worship" makes one heck of a welcome song!
To any of my "old crowd" who may still be an unbeliever...make sure you listen to "A Better Man" while you read the lyrics. Please let me know if it moves you in any way. I know some of you guys, and girls, think you've done things that you can not be forgiven for...NOT TRUE!
Jesus is bigger than that! We that have searched have tried many things to feel better...they didn't work...now try Jesus. If you have any feeling in your gut about this, please click on the "Accepting Christ" link above.
Love, Rob
I would like to thank; God,My Incredibly patient MOM,my brothers and sisters,Dad & Marcia,My family-(Jody, Ashley, Sara, Alex, Adam, Not Me & I don't know), the good folks at Lamon Records,Rick Warren,Lenny Leblanc,John Hicks, Mark Gividen,Dr.Marvin Slifer and all my church family, Pastor Scott Roberts, Dr. Susan Cribbs, Stu Epperson Jr., Mike Brown and the HDEW, Dennis Collins, Jeffrey Prestage, Les & Mary D., Steve & Nancy L., Mike & Pat C.,COBC , and all the wonderful and generous people that attend the concerts...(more to come)
