Yes I went threw rehab and quit for several years. Things still didn't seem right. I would always seem to be on edge and have a short fuse. One day I agreed to go to a Billy Graham Crusade, to the amazement of my wife and all who knew me. When he asked for people to come forward I immediately took off, leaving my group in total surprise. Something happened that night and I am a new person for it; I WAS BORN AGAIN.

I started to go to church on a regular basis because I was supposed to not because I wanted to. I look back now and call myself an EXIT SIGN CHRISTIAN. I sat in the back row on the end pew right under the exit sign. I wondered why the Christian life was not what I thought it would be. After 6 years under that exit sign I finally asked God what did I do wrong. As I was laying in bed one night it came to me...I was an exit sign Christian, a part timer. I gave God my spare change. I came to Him one hour a week, with an attitude. How could I expect to get the fullness of God with an attitude like that. I was scared to give God my all. If He was the God of all creation He could do anything with me. I didn't want to be sent to some foreign land without all my comforts and toys...He could actually do that. Well that night I recommitted to the King of Kings, I said "Take me, do what you want with me, I surrender." Little did know how that short prayer would change my life.

I went from the back row to the front row. Praise God for the grace and unconditional love he shows us all. I would love to go on with my growth as a Christian but will end with these final comments. I have learned threw bible study and reading the bible at home that God is around us all the time and it is up to us to ask him into our lives, we can experience him a little or allot. I love to go to church now, its like going to the gas station to get filled up..... I need it. Its our responsibility to learn what God wants of us. Do you want to know him a little or allot? Believe it or not I am now (3/30/2007) going on my 6th and final year as elder. I hope to come back and fill in what the Lord has done in my life since I surrendered to Him. He has made the unworthy, worthy to serve the King of kings.

Just like I had an intervention for substance abuse, we need to have an intervention to reach others for Christ. Unless a Christian cares enough to take a chance in sharing the Gospel of Christ, the lost will likely die without hope, separated from God. There is always risk involved when you share Jesus. But agape love and trust in the Holy Spirit will enable the Christian to exercise the intervention of personal witnessing. To finish up I would just like to say.

                 PRAISE GOD FOR SAVING A WRETCH LIKE ME

This picture shows smiles that are real. Why...because they are smiles that come from serving the King of Kings. Deb and I were in Russia with friends from our church. This was a picture of our departing gifts from the people who attended our Bible study. They gave us a bag of home grown onions and garlic. Those gifts were more meaningful then many I have ever received. I am finally understanding the statement, "It is better to give then receive." This was truly the beginning of  Peace for me.