Davison now realizes that there was another person, Jesus Christ, at work in his decision, someone he would meet many years later in a very personal way.

Within a year, it seemed that maybe he had made the wrong decision. "I didn't take class very serious. I dropped our at the end of my first year with a less than great record," Davison added.

Several events soon had him returning to school. This time he began with a new passion, enrolling for 19 3 credits and a desire to attend Missouri University and enroll in the journalism program. By December 1987, Davison had graduated from Missouri and after an internship at the Albuquerque Journal, he left for Japan, where he married his wife, Emiko on August 7.

On his return to Albuquerque, Davison won the NPPA Region 8 POY in both 1988 as an intern and 1989 as a staffer.

In July of 1990, Davison left the Journal for the Pittsburgh Press. He was assigned the night shift and was soon frustrated. Things got even tougher when shortly after being moved to the day shift, the Press went on strike.

Things went from bad to worse in mid-November 1992. The Post-Gazette

bought the Pittsburgh Press, a surprise move.

"That brought a fitting end for 1992 for me. My father had died earlier in the year, the Press went on strike and I lost a lawsuit from an accident several years back. Looking back, 1992 was a pretty bad year for me except the birth of my daughter, Mariko in August," Davison added.

"I started January 11,1993 at the News. I was so excited. Within two weeks, I had wrecked my brand new car while on the way to an assignment. It wasn't such a great start," said Davison.

Yet God had definitely brought him to Dallas for a reason. A friendship soon developed with Louis DeLuca another Morning News shooter. DeLuca and Davison developed a friendly rivalry in the regional and national contests and a friendship.

When he placed second in the Photographer of the Year, and won the General News and Sport Portfolio sections he gave part of the credit to DeLuca.

"I asked Louis to edit my entry's. He gave me a tight edit and that definitely helped in my placing. It's nice to be able to have someone on staff to look at your work and help you grow as a photographer. At the News we have so many people that I learn from, it's unreal."

But DeLuca was looking for more than contest wins for himself and Davison. He and several other Dallas-Ft. Worth Christian photojournalists were praying for Davison to realize he needed Christ. Several times DeLuca invited Davison to attend the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in Fr. Worth, yet Davison always seemed to come up with a reason not to go.

In 1995, Davison passed up an opportunity to go on a skiing trip and went to the conference instead. Again God was maneuvering him to a meeting place. This year it would be a place where a broken man could receive the gift of life.

"My wife and I had experienced a spiritual longing for over a year because of our children," Davison said. "I am from a Roman Catholic background and my wife's is Buddhist Shinto. We had a seed of faith planted in us, but neither of us knew Him."

During the first show, he found himself crying and nor knowing why.

"I was so emotional. I started listening to the speakers. I became more aware of their message and began to wonder what it was these people had."

As the conference closed, Gary Fong shared his testimony of leading his father to Christ. It struck a cord in Davison's life.

"I lost my father to Alzheimer's in '92, and his witness got me to thinking. God was really present there that day, and He was actually touching me. I knew it was time," Davison said.

Davison responded to Fong's invitation. Fong explained the Christian life, and Davison prayed to receive Christ. Meanwhile, in another part of the room, a small group of photojournalists led by DeLuca were praying for Davison. "God saved me right there," Davison said. "I asked Him to come in and He did. He flooded me-overwhelmed me. I was completely filled with His Spirit. I was afraid of falling on the floor, uncontrollably quivering."

Davison returned home that day a new man. His wife wasn't sure what he had done or how he had changed. But over the next few months, she started noticing changes in his life and began to take an analytic approach to Jesus. She read books and watched videos about the life of Christ, but still was not ready to call Him Savior.

That fall, while covering a Cowboys-Falcons football game in Atlanta, his wife trusted Christ. He received the news over the computer he was using to transmit the pictures from the game.

"Since that rime, our marriage has been getting better. We are falling deeper and deeper into love."

Since his conversion, the Davison's lives have taken a new turn down the path the Lord has set before them. This past year Davison accepted a job at the Rocky Mountain News.

"A year before I had checked our the opening but wasn't really interested. I checked it out because my mother's health was failing. We began to look at possibly moving my mother to Dallas, but didn't want to move her because my father was buried in Denver," Davison said.

One day after an assignment that didn't work well, Davison decided to call the RMN. He left message on Janet Reeves' phone mail. Within minutes she called back to say the position was still open. For Davison, it was definitely the Holy Spirit's movement.

"I agonized about the decision to interview. I didn't have a peace, but I think that it was my own desire to stay in my safe and secure place. One day at a bookstore, I was looking at a wildlife book, which has been an area I've been interested in photographing and God spoke to me saying you'll never be able to do this type of work in Dallas," added Davison.

The first night of the interview, Davison was sure Denver wasn't the place God was leading. The next morning he had several interviews and didn't pull any punches.

"I knew that day I had God with me and I didn't have anything to lose. I left at the end of the day feeling that this was the thing to do. After talking to Meiko, we both felt that we needed to walk on faith in this decision."

Since his move, Davison has moved his mother to a special Alzheimer's facility. He feels strongly that it's been a good move for everyone, especially his mother.

"The Lord has made it work our so well. She likes her place, she didn't even cry over the move. I had to rejoice and praise God because I've known we made the right move," Davison said.

"I enjoy the paper, there's a lot of potential here. The people are talented and things are coming together. It doesn't have the money the Morning News has or the electronics. But those things are minimal compared to the positive things that are happening here.

Davison says his whole life changed one day in Fr. Worth, "My whole philosophy on photojournalism changed. My focus is now on serving the Lord-I will do whatever the Lord leads me to do."