Just to briefly describe the road to where I am now. My dad left before I was born. I had a pretty normal childhood up until I was about 15 years old. That's when I got hooked, it started with cigarettes and quickly moved to alcohol and pot. Within a year I had dropped out of school and was doing everything, alcohol, pot, hash, opium, cocaine, and acid just to name a few. I even began to sell drugs in order to help support my wife to be and myself.

Within 2 years I was addicted to drugs and alcohol so bad I didn't know my name at times and even started having flashbacks. I would party from 7pm - 4 or 5 am 7 days a week. I started getting into trouble, I was shot at, I shot at some people, was nearly stabbed, and beat with a ball bat. I got into trouble and almost had to do 25 years in prison. I even died at a party one night and had to be revived.

You would think with all of this happening on top of someone holding a gun to your head and pulling back the hammer would scare you enough to straighten up. But when you are that far in, nothing really matters.

I did get married and had two children but I continued in all my ways. I couldn't hold a job so I had to continue to sell drugs as a means of income. We moved all the time living in places full of roaches and rats as big as most peoples pets. I think we moved 8 times in 10 years. In this period of time my one and only sibling, my brother got drunk one night and as he was playing with a stolen gun, shot himself through the heart and died. He was only 21 years old.

After 10 years my wife and I divorced, I lost everything I had except my clothes. I lost my home, my wife, and my kids. But that still didn't stop me.

I did eventually meet the woman who is my wife now who really is the one who got me into church. Into a position so I could hear what God had to say and what he had done for me.

One day I got into a major auto accident, a truck pulled out in front of me and I hit him at 65 MPH. That was the breaking moment in my life. The paramedics said they expected us to be dead at the scene. But that's when I remembered what a strange lady had told me while I was at a church camp service, still living in sin, she came up to me and said, "Excuse me, I dont know you, but God has great things for you." It was then I realized he must really have something for me because He kept saving me from all of these things.

I started attending a church but after a while I wasn't happy. You know it was one of those judgmental, hypocritical, follow all of these man made rules kind of churches. My wife did however find a church which was pastored by a man she knew from church when she was younger. He taught that religion is a personal relationship with God, not a wall that divides Gods people and scares everyone else away.

After going there a couple of years I decided to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I also got baptized that night. I walked out of that church that night and everything was gone. All the drinking, drugging, cigarettes, whoring around , anger, hate and foul mouth was gone. It has not been back in 4years, instead God has replaced it with  peace, joy, and happiness in my life. He has shown me how to have love, compassion, and kindness for all of mankind.

I am have been with my wife now for 11 years and have 2 children with her. I attend a small church in my town where I am the Sunday School Superintendent and also the Youth Pastor. I have rcently started my own ministry to help drug/alcohol addicts and those with family needs. I look back now and see how God kept me for the moment now. Man He is awesome.

I know to some especially the agnostic or the atheist this sounds strange and like a cult full of brainwashed people. Some people even say "wow you must really have great will power" but I always reply "If my will power was that great, it wouldn't have took 16 years to stop"

We should not seek religion but  a personal relationship with Jesus Christ  our Lord and Savior, our best friend. It is an experience like no other.

I like the song that says "You don't know like I know what He's done for me", cause you don't.

Problem is there are so many people who like to knock it but have never tried it. They don't even want to give it a chance, because they fear what they might find. They spend so many hours studying and trying to find counterdictions in the Bible to prove God wrong, without giving the experience a chance. But that is your right or free will God gave you to choose or not choose Him. It is not my calling to judge people and condemn them. It is not my calling to get into foolish argument with those who wont even give it a chance. But it is my calling to tell everyone what he has done for me, what He can do for them and the love He has for all. It is my calling to help those in need and who want to experience happiness, peace, joy, and deliverance in their life.

If you don't want that help or that relationship, that's your choice and I respect it. Its your eternal destiny not mine. I am just trying to help because I care. I pray that everyone would at least give it a chance at least once.

You don't have to be rich, powerful, or good to accept Jesus Christ. There is nothing you can do to earn salvation. Salvation is a gift from God, and like all other gifts, all you have to do is recieve it. Believe it and receive it.