My name on here states it all and maybe this will clue all in as to why I am the way that I am!
I was born in New Mexico in 1967, and at the age of three my dad was killed in in the Kerr Mcghee (spelling) yellow cake mines in 1970. My grandparents (dads side) attempted to steal my brother and I under abandonment laws (N.M.) for the sake of the social security that my mother was going to receive. I was not allowed to go to my dads funeral and my mother married and divorced 3 different men (step dads) over the next 35 years...
the first tried to run us over on the street to get the Social Security
the second physically and mentally abused all three of us
the third one verbally threatened my brother and I numerous times over spats we had with our mother and even stole from both of us in some form or fashion.
After an HONORABLE discharge from the United States Marine Corp I spent a few years in the proverbial wilderness of SIN as I had no real root in the word of God as I had attended a (fun and games) church as a child with the emphasis placed more upon (fun, games and keep the kids distracted a while) type of ministry instead of Jesus.
During my foolish years I walk in sin, drugs, sex, partying and just plain foolishness...(thank God I didn't drink) Oh I attended church during this timeframe on occasion and even was convicted for a time to quit and get right with God.
In 1989 I started attending church on a semi regular (every Sunday morning only) basis and began to be convicted by my lifestyle as I was hearing the word of God and the Lord was dealing with me heavy.
In 1990, I sold the only thing my dad had left me which was a 1961 Les Paul Gibson SG (yeah I know) which was in mint condition as it had been stored since his death in the case in 1970. I took the money, made 2 truck payments and moved to Little Rock from Missouri to change my life and get right with the Lord. I had been residing in Missouri since my dads death in 1970.
I began to attend church regularly (3 times a week) while studying the bible about three hours a day (before work, noon and before bed) while praying hard and making a diligent effort to be right with he Lord. I began to have a desire for the lost and the more I studied, prayed and walked in the light the more receptive I became to conviction and truth.
Within 4 months I met a (fine)
Christian girl (in Church) and we began to date in December 1990. Within a few months we decided to get married in MAY of 1991. My spiritual growth continued and eventually I, after much conviction and (white knuckle alter calls) I.E. holding onto the pew with a steel death grip, I decided that I was being called to preach.
By this time I was teaching a few hours a week at church and giving (20) minute devotionals HAH. The day I surrendered to the Lord was very emotional unto me as I struggled with my past and wondered how could God ever use me! The words of my brother..."God has been using imperfect men to preach his perfect word since the beginning" encourage me and immediately entered a seminary that had a language program and one that taught how to study the bible.
During this time the Lord convicted me concerning my immersion as when I was immersed as a kid (to me) was invalid as I was not saved when I was immersed the first time so I submitted myself to biblical, water immersion and have not been convicted about it since that time.
The rest of my life and how the story plays out is not without difficulties but is also filled with wonderful mountain peaks as well. Here we are now in 2014. Our first child David Paul was born with a type of muscular dystrophy (wife caries and we didn't know till David Paul was born) and spent 5 months in intensive care. Three weeks into the ordeal the surgeon did a Upper Nissan Fundoplication on my son and his small bowel malrotated 580 degrees and cut the blood supply resulting in a volvulus of his small bowel. It died, got gangrene and had to be removed. (Booger) is now 18 and has had some 12 or 13 surgeries and was not expected to live last two days as God knows more than doctors.
We have lost two other children unto the disease my wife carries, but thank God that they are in heaven. Even though there has been many a time that I wept unto the Lord while pouring my heart out unto him in desperation and the answer has been no, I will not give up on serving God! He has blessed me with a wonderful virtuous woman and a loving son that has made it 18 plus years longer than the worldly men expected him to make it. I have been given wonderful Christian brothers and sisters in Christ as well as an eternal Home not made with hands.
I have been preaching now for 25 years and in that time the Lord has used this lowly, undeserving man to preach the gospel unto numbers that only the Lord can know. No matter your past my friends, God can and will use those who will humble themselves, get right and seek God in sincerity and in truth.
I will praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever!
May God bless all who will seek his face.
I was born in New Mexico in 1967, and at the age of three my dad was killed in in the Kerr Mcghee (spelling) yellow cake mines in 1970. My grandparents (dads side) attempted to steal my brother and I under abandonment laws (N.M.) for the sake of the social security that my mother was going to receive. I was not allowed to go to my dads funeral and my mother married and divorced 3 different men (step dads) over the next 35 years...
the first tried to run us over on the street to get the Social Security
the second physically and mentally abused all three of us
the third one verbally threatened my brother and I numerous times over spats we had with our mother and even stole from both of us in some form or fashion.
After an HONORABLE discharge from the United States Marine Corp I spent a few years in the proverbial wilderness of SIN as I had no real root in the word of God as I had attended a (fun and games) church as a child with the emphasis placed more upon (fun, games and keep the kids distracted a while) type of ministry instead of Jesus.
During my foolish years I walk in sin, drugs, sex, partying and just plain foolishness...(thank God I didn't drink) Oh I attended church during this timeframe on occasion and even was convicted for a time to quit and get right with God.
In 1989 I started attending church on a semi regular (every Sunday morning only) basis and began to be convicted by my lifestyle as I was hearing the word of God and the Lord was dealing with me heavy.
In 1990, I sold the only thing my dad had left me which was a 1961 Les Paul Gibson SG (yeah I know) which was in mint condition as it had been stored since his death in the case in 1970. I took the money, made 2 truck payments and moved to Little Rock from Missouri to change my life and get right with the Lord. I had been residing in Missouri since my dads death in 1970.
I began to attend church regularly (3 times a week) while studying the bible about three hours a day (before work, noon and before bed) while praying hard and making a diligent effort to be right with he Lord. I began to have a desire for the lost and the more I studied, prayed and walked in the light the more receptive I became to conviction and truth.
Within 4 months I met a (fine)
Christian girl (in Church) and we began to date in December 1990. Within a few months we decided to get married in MAY of 1991. My spiritual growth continued and eventually I, after much conviction and (white knuckle alter calls) I.E. holding onto the pew with a steel death grip, I decided that I was being called to preach. By this time I was teaching a few hours a week at church and giving (20) minute devotionals HAH. The day I surrendered to the Lord was very emotional unto me as I struggled with my past and wondered how could God ever use me! The words of my brother..."God has been using imperfect men to preach his perfect word since the beginning" encourage me and immediately entered a seminary that had a language program and one that taught how to study the bible.
During this time the Lord convicted me concerning my immersion as when I was immersed as a kid (to me) was invalid as I was not saved when I was immersed the first time so I submitted myself to biblical, water immersion and have not been convicted about it since that time.
The rest of my life and how the story plays out is not without difficulties but is also filled with wonderful mountain peaks as well. Here we are now in 2014. Our first child David Paul was born with a type of muscular dystrophy (wife caries and we didn't know till David Paul was born) and spent 5 months in intensive care. Three weeks into the ordeal the surgeon did a Upper Nissan Fundoplication on my son and his small bowel malrotated 580 degrees and cut the blood supply resulting in a volvulus of his small bowel. It died, got gangrene and had to be removed. (Booger) is now 18 and has had some 12 or 13 surgeries and was not expected to live last two days as God knows more than doctors.
We have lost two other children unto the disease my wife carries, but thank God that they are in heaven. Even though there has been many a time that I wept unto the Lord while pouring my heart out unto him in desperation and the answer has been no, I will not give up on serving God! He has blessed me with a wonderful virtuous woman and a loving son that has made it 18 plus years longer than the worldly men expected him to make it. I have been given wonderful Christian brothers and sisters in Christ as well as an eternal Home not made with hands.
I have been preaching now for 25 years and in that time the Lord has used this lowly, undeserving man to preach the gospel unto numbers that only the Lord can know. No matter your past my friends, God can and will use those who will humble themselves, get right and seek God in sincerity and in truth.
I will praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever!
May God bless all who will seek his face.
