FAITH LIFT: Kevin Costner—The First Christmas

evin Costner is now 70 (good age). He is a world-famous American actor, director and producer. On this second Sunday of Advent, let’s take a closer look at his life, legacy and faith…His FamilyKevin Michael Costner was born in 1955 (good year) and raised in California in a Baptist home (good start). He has two older brothers, one who died at birth. His father was an electrician who moved the family across the state several times during his career. The family attended church on Sundays and Costner sang in the choir as a youth.At college, Costner studied marketing and finance. But during his final year he discovered his love for telling stories through acting. He began taking acting lessons and paid his bills by working on fishing boats, driving truck and (ironically) giving tours of the Hollywood homes of movie stars.

Costner’s first marriage to his high school sweetheart lasted 16 years and produced three children (two girls and a boy). His second marriage gave him another three children (two boys and a girl). It too ended in divorce. He now spends his time between his ranch in Colorado and another home in Texas.His FameCostner’s acting career has now spanned four decades and produced many films and TV shows. He began playing minor roles in the early 1980s. His breakout role came in 1985 with “Silverado”. His status as a movie star was secured in “The Untouchables” (1987) where he played Eliot Ness, a man who refused to be corrupted.Costner directed and acted in “Field of Dreams” (1989), playing Ray Kinsella, who was inspired to build a baseball diamond in an Iowa cornfield. It was a story about listening to the unseen and believing in the impossible. Several Costner movies have baseball themes.