The Petra Zone

My name is Mike Tifft. I live at the end of the earth and the literal end of the road, located somewhere in the great north woods of Minnesota. I am a sojourner here having been born and raised in the city of Bismarck, North Dakota. I hope to someday return.

Anyway, I live here with my wife (Martha) who is from here and my three children, Joseph, Sarah, and Rebekah. I am 36 years old and I am what they call a supply pastor. That is, I fill in for full time pastors when they need to be away from their pulpits for whatever reason. I also play guitar and write songs, having recorded one album back in 94.

Petra was my intoduction to Christian rock. I saw them in concert for the first time when I was sixteen, back in 85 on their Beat the System tour. It was an activity of my youth group at church. I was quite the rebel back then and I sat in the highest seats I could find in the arena, with a few rebel friends and we all spent the show hiding up there and smoking cigaretts.

Well, in spite of all that, the show made quite an inpact on me. I really liked the music and I even like the music of Randy Stonehill who opened for them. I was already a musician back then and of course I had big dreams of being a rock star, but that ended up being a mighty big year for me and God moved in my life in many ways to bring me to repentance. Before long, I had big dreams of being a Christian rock star. I guess that was some degree of progress, but eventually I came to understand that it wasn't about me and rather it was all about God and what he did through his son Jesus. Petra was used in a major way to teach me many of those early lessons. I also began reading the bible that year and I was thrilled every time I would read something that I had heard in a Petra song.

Washing to Idaho romance, huh. I drove from Seattle through Idaho then down across the US. We stopped in Idaho at the Purple Sage motel. What a scene! Small town - 4 roads that intersected. The only thing to do for entertainment was to go across the street and watch the sheep graze.


I am Jason. 30 and a new father to Eric - our son that we adopted from Russia. My wife, Lee, and I met in College where we were both music ed. majors. We both teach now and do various other things musically at church and performing. Most know that I have a band - my wife has a solo cd that is really awsome too. (Sandi Patti stuff and other light ccm)

My dad was a chaplain in the navy - so I am doomed from the start .

I discovered Petra in the 7th grade and listened to them exclusivley until Cornerstone '90. Then I discovered Christian rock as a whole and was hooked. I really credit Petra for their lyrics which kept the Word in my ears and other junk out.


I currently live in Kingsport, TN

I did an introduce yourself thread awhile back, you probably weren't posting then and it's probably gone by now.

My real name is Michelle, I live the L.A. area. I've been listening to Petra since 1984 and they've been a real source of encouragement to me over the years. I don't have kids of my own but I have three nephews and two nieces I love to death.

Washington is pretty, my grandparents lived in Spokane and I have cousins there, I haven't been there for a number of years though. It's cool you like to write, I do too and I'm an English major.

I don't think people not replying to a post necessarily means you've upset them; people don't always reply for whatever reason.

I am a 39 year old Petra fan. A buddy gave me a copy of CITAS in 1985 and I have been a fan ever since. I have probably seen them 10 times live since 1985. Certainly saddened by the news of retirement as they have been such an important part of my Christian life.

I have been married since 1986, have two children, a 15 year old daughter and an 11 year old son. My son plays guitar and was looking forward to seeing Petra in concert. Hopefully they will play somewhere close to Missouri before the end of the year!

I enjoy reading the posts from fellow Petheads and will continue monitoring the board in the future in hopes of a reunion tour!

oh well, where should i start?

My name is eloisa (people call me Elo), I`m from M�xico (5 hours away from tucson, arizona) and I`m 21 years old. I met Petra when I was 13 and 4 years later with lots of praying God provided me to go to Wisconsin and see two john solo concerts one with the andband , wow, it was a whole circus to convenice my parents to let me visit a "friend from sheboygan that I met on the internet" hahahahahahaha, i have been in two pethead conventions and have been an awesome blessing for me.


I used to be on a dance ministry at my church for like 8 years, I had to quit because I moved to another church and school were driving me nuts (I`m gonna start my last year in september, my career is spanish literature), I have made many coreographies of Petra songs (of the concerts i have been, i have performed in the two of them, a guy asked me if i was touring with the band hahahahahahaha it was cool), i have also performed with sam scales in the upper room (is a christian coffee house in sheboygan). and well, God willing next year I will go to milwaukee to sutdy an english master degree and be there for 2 years (hopefully staying there)

mmmm what else? well, I`m working right now on an english school, i give english classes, is fun, i get to meet a lot of new people

I have met in phone and in person a lot of people from here: Sue, Sam, Shell, Enosh, Canamat, tomatoejuiceman, brothertom, Mnquilter,Brianb, pethead4life, dez, joshrenaud and hiswife yoli,mmmm lolol, i canp`t remember right now, i think that`s all hahah OHHHHHHHH jonathan I`m sorry!!!!!!!, on phone i met petrafan007 and ohhh what`s her name???? i know her name, her name is bridget, i forgot the nickname and pethead separateunion once on da phone.

I gotta say the petrazone has been such a blessing that I just can`t express it with words.

I love to read, write, meet new people (though sometimes i get nervous), to perform my dances, i love to translate.

I'm Sam Scales-Arnold. I have two wonderful girls and 4 grandchildren.
I was saved in December of 1982 which was the most exciting moment of my life!
I'm a singer, songwriter, recording artist, associated with Indie Heaven and A.C.T. I formerly lived in NM, but recently (Nov. 04) moved to Beloit, WI.

My husband Warren and I met in NM, became friends and he went on tour with me in 03 when my first CD was released. We got married while on tour (he proposed to me after we opened up for John Schlitt in a solo-concert in Albert Lea, MN). We had another gig in South Dakota and after that gig we decided to get married while still on Tour in Watertown, S.D. (Long story)

Our ministry is called Psalm 100 Ministries. My husband's part in the ministry is cooking his award winning BBQ, as well as singing Christian Country. My style of music is more rock oriented, (PETRA's influence, hehehe) and we also do Praise and Worship as well. So wherever we are invited to go, we can adapt to whatever the promoter or church would like for their event. If you are curious and want to know more - our website is: http://www.SamScales.com

I got introduced to PETRA in 84 and just loved their music and Bema Seat was the first song that just grabbed me, because not long after hearing that song there was a sermon on that subject in my church and I was so excited that Petra sang about stuff in the Word. After that I started looking up the scriptures that they gave with their songs - I tell ya, there's a Petra song for every occasion .

Anyways, I was "hooked" and when John Schlitt started in 86 I was really hooked, because I really related to his vocals. Soon I was inspired to start singing myself........
I started by getting involved in church, choirs etc. Christian life became a "routine" and in 99 God spoke to me and woke me up through a very dark period I was going through in my life and it has brought about the best fruit and joy in my life!

Once again, inspired by PETRA, I attempted to start singing some of their songs and 'No Doubt' was the first song I ever practiced and sang in public. After that the Lord just kept growing me and I kept collecting more Petra song tracks.......and I went out and ministered to people wherever God would open doors.

In 2002 I met my producer Eddie B. in NM, my first CD was produced in 03, with another one that followed in 2004. The third CD is in the planning stages.......

I thank God for His touch, His inspiration that He gave me through His servants in Petra. Their awesome biblical lyrics spoke to me, therefore my writing style tends to be much the same, even though that the music has taken on a more of a "Euro-sound". I have been blessed tremendously by Petra's ministry and I'm thankful to the Lord for giving me the opportunity in getting to know some of the band members on a more personal basis.

One more thing I'd like to share. If you have dreams, if you feel you have a call from God, put it to prayer and then put it to action, be faithful. God will use anyone with a willing heart who wants to be available to Him to be used. If you ever feel you are not adequate remember this: God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise - and those He calls, He also equips!

So go out there and share the Good News of Jesus!

Oh, yeah, we could put a PETRA band together ourselves with all the people that are here, HAHAHA. I know Enosh and his group could be mistaken for PETRA. They are that good.

We just make our own PETRA
Just leave it up to a PETHEAD!

yeah that pethead tribute would be a cool idea.

Oh yeah as for me, I'm Char, I live in Saskatchewan (the queen is here!) I've only been hanging out here for a little while, a bit of an interloper if you will. I'm generally defined as an artist/craftsperson-love textiles (I lean more towards craft though, as I'm more into quality and beauty than emotion) but most of my commissions are portraiture.
I am resurrecting my complete illustrated Petra project, glutton for punishment that I am, and maybe I'll get it done by the time they retire. I did hit on the ATC idea last night though...I think I am going to start posting the projects to a website.
Oh hey if I am allowed to do a plug, some other art is here


Anyway. I've been a fan since I was 12, and listen to a somewhat eclectic catalogue of tunes, of which Petra is one of the mainstays. My old tapes are all destoyed through overplaying and I am in the process of buying the albums again on disc. Though I've seen Petra twice, no cool meeting stories here.


As for faith, well I often considered there to be two types-the 'normal believer' camp, and the 'me and Jeremiah' camp. I do not have a day or time I 'converted'. I always saw God's telling to Jeremiah that he had been formed in the womb as a prophet to the nations (and Jeremiah's not being overly receptive to the idea) to be parallel with my own experience (minus prophesying). Now I just think we're all really in that camp, heheh.
Which reminds me, even outside of that, of all people I know or know of, I still identify the most with Jeremiah. I think that when we are in the new earth, I am going to go look for him. I have this very odd desire to see him and talk to him and find out if he ever did find happiness in this life or if he had to wait till the next one. So many people seem to expect happiness from God and one wonders if what they truly desire is not God at all but the happiness.
Okay I can't believe I actually wrote that-it probably sounded weird and esoteric. Well I'm leaving it anyway. I am weird and esoteric.

I am currently training for a 'real job'-to be a special care aide. My courses are driving me crazy, as they are always getting messed up somehow.
I am also far too lazy for my own good. Like hanging out here instead of trying to unstall some of my projects.

hehehehehehehe, please note that sam said : I have two *wonderful* daughters and...... 4 grandchildren.... hahahahaha what kind of tone is that??????

that phrase makes me think:

her grandchildren have no qualities hehehehe or that her tone is everything but sweet when she talkas about them hehehehehe.

Historymaker wrote:Jesus is for losers.

No mate Jesus is for winners

Rene-
Comming at ya from New Mexico. Long time fan of Petra.
Favorite album-Beyond Belief.
Favorite singer-Johnny schlitt
Favorite song-Right Place