The Journey Before And After 38ma

The Journey Before and After

David Spagnola

THE JOURNEY BEFORE AND AFTER

Copyright © 2021 David Spagnola

Cover Copyright © 2021 David Spagnola

Formatting by Stacey Smekofske at EditsByStacey.com

Published by David Spagnola Publishing

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This autobiography is based on the memory and opinions of David Spagnola, some names and identifying characteristics have been changed when needed.

“Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

C.T. Studd

Contents

Introduction

1. The Journey – Before & After

2. In The Army Now

3. Civilian Life

4. The New Births

5. The Move

6. The Oppression

7. A New Direction

8. The Unexpected

9. Idaho Bound

10. God’s Miracles in My life

11. The Falling Away

12. Which Road Will You Take

Debbie Dobson

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

This autobiography is my life in two parts. The first thirty-five years describes a person going through life seeking contentment in various pleasures, fulfillments, and strivings, yet always coming up void. It is described by that old song sung by Peggie Lee, “Is that all there is?” Consider something you desperately wanted, like a new car to your liking (Chevrolet Corvette). You say to yourself, “If I only had that vehicle, life would be so cool and I would feel fulfilled.” However, once you attain the coveted car, within a year the novelty wears off and you’re again seeking another object to fill the void in your life. No matter how often you try a new asset, or anything else that the world has to offer you are still discontent. In essence that was my life, going from one thing to another, with money, pleasure, and material goods being at the top of the list. It was all in vain and a dark cloud hovered over me, yet I never realized it existed. In my story, I describe what I thought would satisfy this yearning inside, but it too, was all in vain and the emptiness prevailed, (that I believe exists in every human being that was ever born). Maybe this describes you, and if so, there is hope, for the reality of a fulfilled life is available to both rich and poor, free and bond, and all nationalities. Yes, your circumstances and status in life are not what is important, rather an honest heart willing to look at truth and consider its virtue. After thirty-five years of living and playing in the world’s playground and embracing its distorted values, which are void of truth and virtue, I was led to the truth of life in a marvelous way. In this short autobiography I describe this mystery and the miraculous change that occurred in my life. As you read my story, hopefully this mystery will unfold before your eyes and you also will embrace the truth and experience the changed life that came upon me and holds fast to this day. I also will give my opinions on various topics, such as politics, religion, and the state of the United States. Some will agree and others will not, but I hope you will consider what is said. They will conflict with the mantra of our day, for our

day has changed drastically over the last fifty years.

The Journey – Before & After

The Journey Begins My journey of life began on a crisp fall day, November 1, 1944, when I was born at St. Joseph’s hospital in San Francisco, CA. Our family of four lived in a modest flat in the city. By the time I was two, my parents moved twenty miles south of San Francisco to the small town of Redwood City. After a couple of moves my parents purchased a modest home in a residential area, which would be my home for the next fourteen years. I had one brother, two years my senior. As most siblings, we played together and fought together, but being the youngest, I ended up at the short end of the scuffle. My brother matured early in life while I developed late, making childhood—in all aspects— more challenging for me. Being very short, extremely shy and immature, school was very trying for me, and I found it difficult to grasp most subjects. Because of my November birthday, I was one of youngest in my class, which made school even more difficult. My home life was one of love from my mother, but my father spent little time with my brother and me. We essentially had no male guidance growing up and became self-taught, fostering a difficult journey down the path of life. This would become more of a factor as I progressed through my teen years and beyond. My parents were both Italian, both Catholics, but that is where the similarities ended. They argued and yelled at each other often, making for a tense situation from which I wanted to escape. Dad didn’t discipline us often, but when he did, it was with the lashing of a strap. Anywhere from the shoulders down was open territory and those lashings only served to promote anger and disdain toward my father. Though times at home could be difficult, with such tension that could erupt into a yelling fest at any time, my childhood overall was filled with many pleasant memories. In the evening we would often listen to radio programs that featured the Lone Ranger, Roy Rodgers, and other story dramas. Later on, in the 1950s,

TV came into vogue and the radio was abandoned for the excitement of watching actors perform on the screen. Our family would gather together to watch I Love Lucy, Father Knows Best and other programs that kept us entertained. In those days, television programs were clean and the youngest of children could watch and not be infected with the violence, drugs and sexual perversion that taint our children’s minds today. We celebrated Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas the traditional American way with large dinners and gifts at Christmas time. Often, we would my aunt and uncle and my cousins on these holidays which made it a much more festive occasion. It was always exciting to get together with my cousins to play and have fun. Though we celebrated these special days, their significance was never explained to me, nor highlighted in the activities of the day. Everyday life consisted of going to school, coming home and then racing out the door to my neighborhood friends. We engaged in various sports, board games, bike riding and whatever else we could create to keep our interest. Dinner was around 5:30 PM and once my brother and I cleaned the kitchen, it was television time. During the summer we would our friends outside to continue our activities. When the day darkened, a good game of hide and seek was in order. Often, we slept outside under the stars, which inevitably led to mischief like throwing eggs at our neighbors’ homes. This was a poor way to seek thrills and we should have been caught and disciplined. In those early years, my only focus was on having fun and getting through school however possible, including cheating. In retrospect, it was a very shallow existence. An appreciation for the fine arts was lacking in our family, such as the reading of biographies, novels and the writing of letters or short stories. Another thing missing from my childhood was a biblical foundation, which is the essence of life for today, tomorrow and eternity. Without God’s word, one is an aimless person going through life with no real purpose or lasting hope; one is swayed by every worldly philosophy, seeking the reason for life to no avail. Spiritually we were a Catholic family, but in name only. In my younger years we went to church as a family, dres in our Sunday best, looking proper as we went down the aisle to be seated in a wooden pew. Personally, I received little from the services, since Catholic mass in those days was given in Latin and filled with rituals that had no meaning to me. I went to church out of respect and obedience to my mother’s request.

I went to my first confession at about ten years of age, to appease my mom. Nervously, I waited in line to have my turn. When my time arrived, I went into the confession room and knelt in front of a wooden board with many little holes in it. The priest sat on the opposite side waiting for my response. Instead of reciting the proper statement, I was silent and then looked around the board to the priest. That was a forbidden act and the priest responded by informing me to leave and not to return until I knew the proper procedure. So went confession, not what I had expected and surely lacking in love and instruction. The Bible states in I John I:9, “If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This confession is to be between a child of God and God himself. You don’t need an intermediary, such as a priest. My first exposure to biblical Christianity came in an unexpected way around the age of nine. Skip, my best friend, was invited by a neighbor to attend a bible study for kids and he in turn asked me to in the activity. The lady who led the study was a former alcoholic that the Lord saved and who now reached out to neighborhood kids with the gospel. She gave us all bibles, taught us stories from the scriptures and even gave us ice cream cones as an incentive to participate. To the best of my knowledge, I attended her sessions for about three months and then went on my way. At that time, it seemed I retained little, not even John 3:16 which I had memorized. I was to learn much later in life a seed had been planted that would bring forth good fruit. However, only after almost three decades of playing in Satan’s playground, the world of deceit, would that fruit appear. This wonderful saint would be the only Christian I would encounter until the age of twenty-five, when another Christian woman stepped out in faith and witnessed to me. Both of these godly women are examples of how important it is to share your faith with another, always looking for an opportunity to do so, asking the Holy Spirit for an open door. Not all of us have the gift of evangelism, but all Christians are called to share their faith and leave the results in the Lord’s hands. I was in seventh grade when I met my friend Wes. The Bible says in I Corinthians 15:33; “Do not be deceived; evil company corrupts good habits”, and that proved especially true with him. Not that my habits were good, but a darker tunnel awaited, as I allowed myself to be negatively influenced by Wes. He introduced me to alcohol, slang language and the party scene at an early age. I embraced this lifestyle more acutely as I progressed through the years.

I entered high school at the age of fourteen being short in stature—just shy of 5 feet tall. I had little confidence scholastically or socially and lacked athletic ability. School was a challenge, and my only real friend was Wes, who I spent much of my time with, especially after school and Friday and Saturday nights. In my senior year of high school, we saw less of each other when Wes dropped out. My grades were mediocre at best, but I was determined to get my diploma, and I graduated in May of 1962. My senior year was my best socially, having matured and gained some confidence, yet I was still shy, especially around girls. In those days, 1959-1962, cool cars were of the essence and I bought my first vehicle when I was sixteen. It was a red, two door 1955 Plymouth that cost about $250.00. I earned the money to purchase it by caddying at an elite country club with renowned such as Tennessee Ernie Ford and Shirley Temple Black. I packed many golf bags (often with two on my shoulder at once) up and down hills to maintain my first major possession. Once I accrued more money, the red had to go and I painted the Plymouth an off-white, a more “In” color. Now I had a car that looked decent and cruising down the El Camino Real in the San Francisco Bay area could be done in style. That was very popular in those days and if you could pick up a drag race along the way, it made for a more exciting night. My high school years ed quickly— especially the final year— and before I knew it, I was ing the festivities of senior week. I the night many of us put our cars in a circle, turned the radio on with the volume blasting, tuned to our rock & roll music, and danced the night away. This was the sound of the day for teenagers, overshadowing the crooners that had been so popular only a few years earlier. Though there were many popular rock and roll artists in those days, Elvis Presley was the most popular, catching the world by storm, causing young girls to scream at his presence. He became my idol, and I attempted to comb my hair like him and even emulate his moves. Looking back and witnessing Elvis come on the scene around 1954, achieve stardom, then die at the age of forty-two, surely caused me to reflect that life is but a vapor, especially when comparing it to eternity. This has been true of many others; individuals who seemingly had it all, but have come and gone, leaving memories that are soon forgotten. Only those things done for Christ will last forever. The Bible so vividly describes the brevity of life as a vapor-like quality. After graduating from high school, life changed, for now I had to make my way

in the world. The decision of what to do with my life was scary; I was only seventeen and had little direction or skills. My only means of income was my caddying job which had no future, but I was at a loss as to what else to do. A new opportunity presented itself when my cousin, who worked at Thom McAnn Shoe Store, told me about a sales position that was available. I applied for it and was hired. In the early 1960s, every person who came in to purchase shoes got personal service. After greeting the customer, I then measured their foot, selected the shoe desired and placed it on his/her foot. With that, at times, came an unpleasant odor, but I kept on smiling and hoping for a quick sale. After about four months I realized that my future was not in the shoe business. Being a salesman would, however, play a major role in my life years later.

In The Army Now

In the 1960s the draft was active, and it was inevitable that by the age of twenty, you would be notified by Uncle Sam that the Army was seeking your service for two active years and four years of active reserves. Having turned eighteen, with no direction in my life, I decided to the Army for three years and meet my obligation to my country completely. This way I would have no active reserve obligation. Also, volunteering for three years, versus two years under the draft, I could choose my occupation, or choose where I would be stationed. Europe was on the agenda; being restless and adventurous, the choice was easy to make. Europe it would be. Within two weeks of making the decision to enlist, I was headed to Fort Ord, California for basic training. There I would spend the next eight weeks under harassment, learning how to march in rank, shoot an M-1 rifle, run an obstacle course and many other activities including lack of sleep! We were often required to stand in the cold with few clothes on to keep one warm against the morning fog that rolled in from the ocean, which led some to the infirmary with pneumonia from such exposure. Those who went to the infirmary and missed several days, once recovered, would have to start basic all over again, forfeiting days and weeks already put in. Knowing this, I decided to avoid the infirmary, not wanting to spend more time at Ford Ord doing basic training in the winter. I do believe I had walking pneumonia, for after running the mile toward the end of my stint at Basic, I was extremely winded and spit up globs of green mucus that I had not experienced before or since. After three days in basic training, I found myself on KP duty, peeling potatoes and cleaning tables. That wasn’t so bad, for I was used to performing such duties while growing up at home. However, we had just gotten three immunization shots the day before with air guns and my arms were aching from their effect. While peeling those potatoes with two other GI’s, my arms throbbing, it dawned on me that the next three years of my life could seem like an eternity. In only three days, buyer’s remorse had already set in! Was the decision I made a wise one? Whatever the case, the die was cast, and I could only go forward hoping better days lie ahead in Europe. After completing my basic training at Fort Ord, I was on my way to my next

assignment, artillery training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Fort Sill was such a contrast to my childhood home in the San Francisco Bay area that featured lush grass, many green trees, mountains, and the large bay. Fort Sill had low, rolling hills, virtually no trees (barren of leaves in winter), and no lakes or rivers. Often the winds would blow, giving it a desert-like atmosphere. Of all the places that I would be exposed to while in the army, it was by far the least desirable. Considering I would only spend eight weeks in Oklahoma and then be on my way to Europe, I pressed on, looking for greener grass in a couple of months. However, after about three weeks of training, a few other guys and myself were called out and assigned to a different division. We were being transferred to a Pershing missile outfit. The Pershing missile had the capability to deliver a nuclear bomb from one land point to another. At that time (1963) it was still in its infant stage, and we would be one of the first groups of soldiers to be trained on it. This was a spit and polish outfit, to the point of having to wipe your footprints off the floor after getting out of bed in the morning. This surely was not my forte, for it defied logic and common sense (the army way), which became a stumbling block for me all the time I was in the military. Ultimately, being stationed in Europe was my goal and was promised in writing at the time I enlisted. This being the case, I inquired when this outfit would be transferred to Europe; to my chagrin the reply was, at least two years. The sudden reality of this dilemma and the thought of living in Fort Sill for the balance of time I had remaining in the service (about 32 months), was depressing. In despair I quickly responded by presenting my case before the officer in charge, informing him of my enlistment guarantee of being stationed in Europe. After checking the records, the officer acknowledged that my assertion was correct and that I would soon be sent back to artillery training school. That was one summons I relished, though I would have to start afresh with a new outfit. The eight weeks of training ed, and I was on to my next destination, Fort Dix, New York, where preparation would be made for my ultimate trip to . Finally, my goal of being stationed in Europe was becoming a reality. In those days soldiers were transported overseas either by ship or by plane. For me it would be a slow boat to that would take about eleven days, a great opportunity to experience being a enger on a ship that would carry me across the vast Atlantic Ocean. The vessel that would transport us to seemed to be an old cargo ship. I was dubious of its seaworthiness, which was soon to be tested.

After boarding the ship with my duffle bag on my shoulder filled with Army paraphernalia, I was led to my sleeping quarters located at the bottom end of the vessel. When we departed from New York harbor and ed by the Statue of Liberty, watching it disappear as we got further out to sea, an uneasiness came upon me, realizing it would be over two years before I would be on U.S. soil again. The second day out into the Atlantic, the test I referred to was upon us. We had entered the end of a typhoon, tossing our large ship up and down and back and forth like it was a toy. How I could relate to Peter and the other apostles when they got caught in a huge storm on the Sea of Galilee. The storm was so intense all engers were restricted below deck, as huge waves would slam against the ship’s sides and water would roll over its deck. Being in the back, lower end of the boat, the turbulence intensified, and I could feel the vessel shake with force as the propellers would rise out of the water and magnify the rumblings. At times it seemed the vessel would crack apart and only a watery grave awaited me and all those on board; a solemn thought, for eternity separated from God in a fiery place was my destiny at that time. Coupled with our apprehension of the unknown, was the acute sea sickness that overtook virtually all of us on board and the foul odor that accompanied the inability to retain food. Due to the frequency of the problem, I resigned to carrying a bag with me to accommodate the situation when such an occasion would arise. After the fourth day out to sea the typhoon subsided, and relatively smooth waters awaited us for the remainder of the trip. That old ship that I had questioned was obviously built better than it appeared, for other than sea sickness and some rough turbulence we all survived. The balance of the trip was quite enjoyable, as I took pleasure in looking at the vast ocean, observing sunsets settling over the horizon and taking in the fresh ocean air. To time we GIs would play cards, talk about our expected life in Europe and eat again now that our stomachs had settled down. After ten days on the ocean, it was a welcome site to enter the English Channel and take in the White Cliffs of Dover. Only one more day on the ship and we would arrive at our destination, Bremerhaven, . My stay in the port city was brief, just a couple of days to process my paperwork and then board a train that would take me through a number of German cities on the way to Hanau, a small city about forty-five miles outside of Frankfurt. This city would be my home for the next fourteen months. My first impression of and the city I was to live in was very favorable, as it featured many green trees, had cobblestoned streets with black Mercedes taxi’s bustling down its lanes, and old, well-maintained buildings lining the

roadways. Surely it was all German with pubs ready to serve you their brew, which is renowned for its quality, and just what I wanted to experience. In case you did not know, that beer is about 12% alcohol and is usually served at room temperature. Though Hanau was appealing, the garrison where I was to be stationed was lacking such appeal. When approaching the military base and viewing its entrance, my countenance fell; for facing me was a 8 foot wall with another foot of barbed wire extended from its top. The question arose, was this to keep us in or others out? Either way, disillusionment overtook me. Once inside the compound, five brick buildings, mostly three stories high came into focus. They formed a quadrangle with the ground all laid with cobblestone. These structures were familiar, for I had seen similar German military bases in World War II movies that were filmed in the 1950s. The insides of the buildings were as solemn-looking as the outside. They were basically made of bricks, cement, and plaster, and seemed like a cold hollow tomb. The room that I was to live in was a rectangle that housed six to seven men. We each had a locker to hang our clothes and a footlocker to store other valuables. The single bed that I would sleep on was made of a metal frame and legs that had a wire mesh that ed a thin mattress. My bed sagged drastically in the middle, making sleeping difficult; therefore, I inserted a piece of plywood under the mattress for better . I soon learned, to my dismay, that this was an alert outfit, and our sole mission was to hold off a potential invasion from Russia until the main force arrived from the states. If such an event was to occur, our life expectancy was about forty-eight hours, not a comforting thought. With this alert status came restrictions that did not apply to non-alert outfits. For example, to leave the military base you needed a that limited you to a 12:00 PM curfew and a 1:00 AM restriction on Saturday nights. Coupled with this, only 50% of the personnel could be gone at one time. With these restrictions, it became difficult to experience much of , other than the immediate area. To travel far and see other areas of , or other countries, personal vacation time would need to be taken, which was obtainable. Also, weekends could be hindered by fulfilling your KP or guard duty obligation. This was reminiscent of basic training, only this time it wasn’t for eight weeks, but the duration of my time in the Army. The mundane routine of Army life in became apparent, starting with the morning awakening at 6:30 AM, roll call at 7 AM, breakfast at the Mess Hall

and then being ready to start the workday by 8 AM. A typical day usually started with policing the grounds for any debris, marching, or the combination of marching and running in rank for about an hour on the base grounds and in a forested area nearby. Once those activities were completed, we then trained and/or performed maintenance on our own assigned self-propelled 155 Howitzer. At five o’clock our workday ended and we were free to do as we pleased within regulations. After dinner we often played various card games usually for money. Other nights we would patronize the nightclub that was on base, where we could purchase the intoxicating German beer for only 25 cents a bottle and hard liquor at 50 cents a drink. Since eighteen years old was the legal age to consume alcohol in , that law held true even on an American base. Though this liberty appealed to us young GI’s, it was a menace, for few of us teenagers could control our consumption of 12% beer and often became intoxicated, which led to slothfulness, ing out, arguments and at times, fights. The weekend presented the best opportunity to go out on the town and patronize the local night clubs. Often there would be live musical entertainment which made for more gaiety. Kent, one of my best friends, was a Country Rock N Roll song writer, guitar player and singer who at times would be allowed to the band and bring his style of music to the forefront, making for an even more festive night. The night usually ended by getting drunk, eating a bratwurst or a knockwurst, then hopping in a cab to make it back to the base before curfew. In hindsight, it really didn’t make for a very exciting night, yet how often we would repeat our folly. For some, this scene would play out nightly and within a week their month’s salary would be consumed by liquor. How tragic to witness a young person waste his life in such a manner and embrace the destructive path that leads one to becoming a slave to alcohol; a vice from which it is very difficult to be set free. Not every outing resulted in such a shallow experience, for there were a few times, I managed to see some local towns and even take a train trip to Frankfurt. My paramount adventure was experiencing the Austrian Alps with two other Army friends. This opportunity came from within the military system by a notice authorizing three people three days leave, purposely to vacation at a resort in the Alps. Hearing of the opportunity, I applied for the leave along with two of my friends and surprisingly we were selected. The trip to the resort was to be by bus and in a few days, we were packed and on our way. Road trips to new destinations are usually adventurous and this one would not be disappointing, as it gave me the opportunity to see German farms, plush countryside, and the

rolling hills of this gorgeous country. Small towns along the way were also observed, climaxing with driving through Munich, a historic city that was very long and narrow. The bus trip became more intriguing as we approached the Alps. Usually when you advance toward large mountains the terrain begins to change from a flat surface to hills and then mountains. That was not the case when nearing the Alps, as the land was basically flat until the point of entering these steep majestic mountains. They presented themselves as stone giants overlooking a lowly basin. Our bus entered this picturesque scenery by way of a road that wound through the snow-covered mountains and featured running streams, evergreen trees, and an occasional chalet, so fitting for such a Nordic setting. Once arriving at the resort where we would stay for a couple of nights, we checked into our room and got settled in. That night we went out for dinner, eager to experience Austrian food and a couple of beers to cap off the night. After a good night’s sleep and some breakfast, my two friends and I decided to test our skills on the slopes. This would be my first attempt at the Alpine sport. The procedure in those days to determine the proper length ski to use for a person’s size was to stand and extend your arm upward; the distance from the ground to your wrist was the length of ski for you. This made for a long ski, which was the concept back then. Having no knowledge of skiing, my two friends and I hopped on the first chairlift we saw that would take us up the mountain, ignoring the sign that stated, “advanced and intermediates.” In retrospect, we should have been on the bunny slope/beginner’s hill. Too late now for there was no turning back as we made a successful dismount off the chairlift. After negotiating the first part of the run we began our descent down the slope, basically out of control. The expected results occurred, all three of us crashed at different times. It was a bit embarrassing, floundering in the snow in an effort to get back on our skis, at the same time observing young kids demonstrate their skills as they whizzed by. Through a number of falls we all made it down the ski run without breaking a leg. Though we had our times wallowing in the snow, this was a great opportunity to experience skiing in the majestic Austrian Alps and to be introduced to a sport I would take up later on in life. Our time at the resort was soon over and we once again boarded the bus that would bring us back to Hanau. The remainder of my time in ed slowly, as the monotony,

harassment and confinement became depressing. Coupled with these discomforts, was dealing with the cold damp weather in winter that penetrated even your multi-layer clothing, making it difficult to stay warm especially when you had guard duty in the early morning hours. I was scheduled to be stationed in for the balance of time that remained of my three-year commitment, however, due to circumstances, after fourteen months in Hanau I got orders to be transferred to another outfit that was going back to the states. I was elated, though being in Europe was a great experience and there was so much more to see; yet I was relieved to be departing from this disheartening environment. I was not alone in my negative outlook of being stationed in an alert artillery outfit and units similar to it. There were reports that guys would even volunteer for Vietnam, just to get transferred to another place. I traveled back to the states in a ship similar to the one that brought me to Europe, only this time in calm waters making for a pleasant trip. Once arriving in New York and unloading from the ship, we then went to Fort Dix for a couple of days for processing. From New York I boarded a commercial airline heading to the west coast to visit my family in California. The visit at home was nice, always good to see everyone again and then I was off to Fort Lewis, Washington where I would be stationed for the fourteen months remaining of my obligation to the Army. I was assigned to an eight-inch artillery battery in a communication unit. Within a short time I became the captain’s driver and then a Lieutenant Colonel’s driver. After a number of months driving for the Colonel, I got reprimanded for not being available to drive the Colonel when he needed me. Shortly after that I was replaced by another who desired the position more than me. I then went back to my communications position relieved, for I never felt comfortable serving that high of an officer. The two-story wood barracks that we lived in were quite old and were to be torn down, but it had gotten delayed. The water and heating system were fueled by coal and at times black soot could be detected, especially as it accumulated on the rafters inside the building. This was obviously a health hazard and it also made barrack inspections a challenge, for cleaning the soot off the wood to meet Army standards was virtually impossible. Though these living quarters were not ideal, it was an improvement over the six-man room I experienced in . Another improvement: here we had no K.P. or guard duty, and once your work day ended you had the freedom to go off base without a with no curfew. This was similar to having a straight jacket removed from one who was bound in

it. You need to experience semi-restricted confinement to grasp its effect on a person, as was the case in . Typical of Army life in virtually any location, consuming some form of alcoholic beverage was the way of the majority. In the states a few of the guys had cars and sometimes on Friday nights we would buy a case of beer, get in the car and head to a dance that featured Paul Revere and the Raiders, a renowned band in that day. After getting partially intoxicated in the car we would the rock concert and dance the night away. When the music ended around 1 AM we would hop in the car and head back to the fort and crash in our beds. The next day the expected hangover set in, but it never had any lasting effect on us, for we would repeat our folly over and over again. One weekend, having started in a similar fashion, was to be like no other. This time I was to be the driver and we started the day early, around 1 PM. My friend got access to a 1958 Chevy Impala and, being that he had no driver’s license, he asked if I could drive. I willingly accepted his offer, anxious to drive this beauty that featured a large V-8 engine with four on the floor. In typical fashion we first picked up a couple of six packs, started drinking and then headed to our destination, a spot overlooking Puget Sound. This was a beautiful spot with a view of the inlet of the Pacific Ocean that features over 170 islands, with snowcapped Mount Rainier in the background. We stopped to take in the sight and down more beer. After a while it was time to start moving again, all the time driving cautiously until I got a notion to test the capabilities of the car. I then stopped the car at a four-way intersection, put it in low gear and pushed down on the pedal, burning rubber as the vehicle accelerated quickly. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a boy on his bike drove in front of me. I immediately hit the brakes and turned the car 45 degrees into someone’s driveway hitting the frame of the garage door. Within two minutes the police arrived and searched the car, finding the beer in the process. My friend and I found ourselves in the police car heading to jail. This would be the first time that I would be behind bars, not a pleasant situation. The jail, as you might imagine was cold, dreary, and obviously confining. After spending a restless night incarcerated, we were released the next day. However, my ordeal did not end there, for I would be facing a day in court for my foolishness. Within a few weeks my court case came up and I went before the judge to receive the verdict and sentence. My charge would be driving under the influence and if convicted, there would be a mandatory jail sentence, a fine and

my driver’s license suspended. Compounding the situation, once I served my jail term, there would be a military trial to face. The consequences of that would no doubt be severe, maybe even a dishonorable discharge, which would have been disgraceful and affect me for the rest of my life. When it was my time to stand before the judge for prosecution, to say I was nervous would be an understatement, as I approached him cautiously with apprehension. I was guilty of the facing me; there was no doubt about that. However, the judge showed leniency by reducing my charge from driving under the influence of alcohol to a lesser charge. By doing so, there would be no jail time to serve and only a fine to pay. He gave two reasons for reducing the charge, one being in the military and the other cooperating with the arresting officer. I thanked the judge for his kindness, paid the fine and then went back to Fort Lewis without the specter of a military trial looming over me. I truly had dodged a bullet, as mentioned earlier; the consequences would have been severe. Two aspects of this event have stayed with me to this very day, first, the young boy that drove his bike in front of the car, who could have easily lost his life due to my negligence, resulting in life in prison for me and guilt with shame for the rest of my life. The other is the attribute of mercy that the judge portrayed, by not giving me what I deserved, a sentence of guilty for a crime I committed. That is so similar to God’s mercy that he demonstrates to His children. He does not gives us what we deserve for sinning against Him, which is eternal separation from God in a place called Hell. As 1965 rolled in, rumors of the Vietnam Conflict turning into a full-scale war were prevalent and by late spring those rumors became a reality. An MP unit at Fort Lewis was notified that they were being transferred to Vietnam and other units would follow. Needing military police to replace those who were going to a war zone, they came to my artillery battery, asking for volunteers to fill the void left by the departing MP unit. Seeking a new adventure, I volunteered and within a few days, was transferred to a Military Police outfit. Being a rookie, training was in order, which is usually about an eight-week affair, but due to the acute shortage of MP’s, the school was reduced to two days and then I was put on patrol. I was assigned to work with an experienced partner, to my relief, since I knew very little and was anxious to receive guidance from a veteran military policeman. With virtually no training in an arena that could encom the

unexpected at any time, it was a bit unnerving the first days on patrol. The most unsettling part was not performing the duties of an MP, rather the weekly rotating shifts. There were three shifts: day, night and graveyard. You barely got accustomed to a shift, when it would change, making it difficult to get a sound night’s sleep. Working graveyard, the hours you’re usually asleep, was especially difficult. I experienced a number of different events as an MP that you probably would not be exposed to in another field. There was the day while working the graveyard shift, when a call came through to pursue a high-speed driver who ultimately crashed before he could be apprehended. Another incident was the investigation of a break-in at a government building, and then there was the inquiry into a drowning at the lake on base. Variety, coupled with the unexpected was adventurous, but my stint as an MP was to be short-lived. After about one month on duty, I was suddenly called back to my artillery battalion. They too were put on alert for Vietnam, and I was to them in this new precarious assignment. Our scheduled departure date was September 1, 1965, and I was slated to be discharged from the Army on November 11, 1965. With only a matter of days remaining in the service once arriving in Vietnam, it didn’t make sense that I would be making the voyage to the South Pacific. Nevertheless, I prepared along with all the others for the departure. There is a saying in the Army, “There is the right way, the Army way and the wrong way”; at times I thought the Army way and the wrong way were synonymous , this obviously being one of those times. Within a few weeks after the battalion received the call to Vietnam, the departure date was moved up to December 1. This was past my discharge date, and I was soon transferred to a unit that processed men out of the Army. I was now in a secretary position filling out forms for men who soon would be discharged from the service. I did this job till my last day when I filled out my own paperwork for separation from the Army. Hurray! While writing this part of my biography, I reminisce on those three long years in the Army. It surely was a learning experience that brought variety, yet boredom, toughness, yet weakness and anxiety, plus the thrill of the unexpected. I would not want to eradicate this time from my life, though I would not want to repeat the experience.

Civilian Life

Asigh of relief came over me as I left Fort Lewis and departed for California, especially having avoided Vietnam by a couple of months. An uneasy feeling comes upon you, realizing that an unexpected danger awaits you once arriving on the other side of the world. If I had gone to Nam as originally scheduled, I’m sure as the time to depart grew closer, my anxiety would have increased. I would have gone, but I thank God, that was not my lot. I have met a number of guys who fought in the Vietnam War and virtually all were affected physically, mentally or a combination of both. My new home would be in Los Altos, California living with my mother and stepfather. My mom and dad had divorced after fourteen years of marriage and my mother had remarried about three years later. I had become close to my stepfather, a very mild- mannered man who helped me attain my first job once out of the army. My situation at home was quite good, having my own room and the freedom to come and go freely. My responsibilities were to keep my room clean, help with some chores around the house and pay a reasonable amount for room and board. After being home about one month, I got a call from my old friend Wes. At this time, he was married and living in San Francisco. After talking awhile, we decided to meet in San Francisco. The following Friday I borrowed my stepfather’s car, a 1959 Edsel and drove to his home. Though married, Wes had not changed; he still spoke the same slang language, had a swaggering walk, and liberally drank alcohol in an effort to be cool. After meeting his wife and talking a while, Wes and I proceeded to a local bar. There we drank a lot and conversed about old times until around one in the morning. When it became time to leave, we both were semi-intoxicated and the decision to spend the night at my friend’s house or drive home was upon me. Unwisely I chose to make the thirty-mile drive south down Highway 101, a freeway that extends from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I drove safely out of the city and was driving well on the freeway until about halfway when I abruptly blacked out at the wheel. When I awakened, I was shocked to realize I had ed out and crashed the car in the process. The Edsel was planted on top of the chain link fence that ran parallel to the highway.

Amazingly, not even wearing a seat belt, I did not have a scratch or bump on me. Sobering up quickly and assessing my circumstances, I was in a quandary; a decision needed to be made quickly. I decided to turn on the engine and attempted to drive off the fence, but to no avail. The motor roared, the left rear tire spun, but the car would not budge off the sturdy, mowed down fence. I then got out of the car and walked to a nearby residential area, hoping to find a sympathetic responder. Considering it was about three in the morning, that would be quite improbable, however lady luck was on my side, (as I thought of it at that time). Walking down a street lined with homes, I noticed a house with a light on and decided to knock on the door. A man opened the door and before I could even get the words out of my mouth, he said that he had heard the crash. Then, a positive response came from him, offering to pull my car off the fence with his Volkswagen bug. By this time, I had sobered up and realized this would never work, but I was in no position to become logical. The effort was in vain, as anticipated, for that small Volkswagen could not pull the heavy Edsel off the fence. He then called a towing company that arrived quickly and easily removed the car off the barrier. With relief in my heart, seeing the car released, I paid the towing company and thanked the man who went out of his way to help a stranger. Then I hopped in the car, started the engine, and proceeded down the highway. On the way home, I pondered what had just transpired, realizing I had dodged another bullet that easily could have ended in the loss of my life. At that time, I wrote it off to lady luck, but today I know it was the love of God and his mercy that saved me from the dire consequences, the horror of being eternally lost after dying in a terrible accident. When I arrived home from an unforgettable night, I parked the car and quickly assessed the damage to the Edsel. It was apparent body work was in order and I would pay for the repair. The rest of the night was uneasy, bringing forth restless sleep, knowing I would be giving an of the damaged car to my stepfather. Having created a fabrication of the in my mind, I was prepared to face the consequences that came the next day. I told my stepfather that I was cut off by another motorist and to avoid an accident I veered right into a fence scraping the car. He graciously accepted the story and then made arrangements to get the vehicle repaired. Once the car was restored, with me paying the bill, the incident was pretty much forgotten. Many years later I confessed the truth to him, which he probably assumed, though never expressed. It was nice to recuperate from three years in the military; however, the time came to seek employment. Through the help of my stepfather, I acquired a job at

Lenkurt Electric as a stock clerk. The company was a telephone communications manufacturer located in San Carlos, California. Once established in my new job, I decided to move into an apartment with a friend. This would begin a life of working during the week and partying on the weekend, a road to delusion that will lead to devastation if you don’t change course, though at the time all seemed well. After working in the stock room for about eighteen months, I got a promotion to the quality control department as an inspector of sheet metal and waveguide parts. This was an improvement, but not a career-making opportunity. While in this position an event occurred that would have a lasting effect on my life, though it would be delayed. The various products that were produced in the sheet metal department were put in the stockroom and then dispersed throughout the company as needed. At times a part would not conform to specifications and the quality control department would be notified of the problem and then send an inspector to determine if the product was made to qualifications. One day such a call came from the waveguide department and my supervisor sent me to inspect the part. After inspecting the item in question and finding it to meet specifications, the lady who made the call started witnessing to me about Jesus Christ of the bible, who I knew virtually nothing about at that time. Being young and seemingly enjoying life, I was not interested in what she had to say. Her approach was using bible prophecies that were written about 1900 to 2600 years ago that were beginning to unfold at that time, 1969. After I listened to her prophetic message, she then gave me a book on the subject by Salem Kirban, called Guide to Survival. Reading was not something I engaged in at that time, other than the newspaper; however, a chord was struck in me, and I proceeded to read the book. The author gave an end time scenario that started with a seven-year peace treaty with Israel and culminated with the Battle of Armageddon at the second coming of Jesus Christ to defeat the world leader called the Antichrist and his armies, then setting up His kingdom to reign for a thousand years. The bible informs us of many signs that will occur toward the end of the age, which the writer discussed in his book, indicating this seven-year tribulation period is coming upon us sooner than we may think. During this period of time there will be a one world government led by a world dictator called the Antichrist and a one world religion led by a religious leader called the False Prophet who will cause all people in the world to take a mark on their right hand or forehead to enable them to buy, sell or trade. I was ignorant of this subject at that time, so after finishing the book, I gave it to

my girlfriend to read, wanting to get her opinion of it. When she had finished the book, we discussed it briefly, made some speculations on the identification of the Antichrist and then closed the subject. After that I put the book away and didn’t give it any thought for many years. My life had come to an ime, having run the course of the party scene leaving me empty inside and in a job that held no promising future. So, at the late age of twenty-five it was time for a stark change; that would be accomplished by starting junior college, a bold step for me, who never did well in school. Around the same time, I got a new roommate who had just been discharged from the Army and was enrolling in the same college. We were to start school in January of 1970. However, about two weeks before starting on my new adventure, I went skiing for the first time since my initial experience in the Alps. Again, I attempted a steeper hill than my skill level warranted, only this time with a different result. While descending the hill, having gone roughly two thirds of the way, I attempted a turn where my body twisted, but my skis did not, resulting in a spiral break of the right tibia, that brought instant pain! There I lay in the snow immobilized waiting for the ski patrol to notice my predicament, hoping they would respond quickly, which they did. Arriving with a sled, they put an inflatable cast on my broken leg, lifted me on to the sled and brought me down to the base of the mountain. I was then itted into the medical facility at Squaw Valley where they took an x-ray of my leg. Determining that it was a spiral break, no setting was necessary, and a full-length cast was put on my right leg. I would be in the cast for four months. At that time, I owned a 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, with four on the floor, which was fun to drive, that is, until you attempt driving a stick shift with a full length cast on your right leg. Controlling the speed of the car with a cast that allowed only my toes to operate, was my greatest challenge; nevertheless, I managed to do so without an incident. There was no viable alternative, having no one to drive me, needing to commute back and forth to work and soon starting college, driving was my only option. However, after two months a new cast was put on that only came up to the bottom of my knee. That was quite a relief, giving me flexibility to bend my leg and bring more mobility. The time to start Canada College soon arrived and I drove cautiously to the campus. Entering the building, I felt strange hobbling down the hallway on crutches to go into my first classroom. Having poor grades in high school and not doing well on the college entrance exam, I came with little confidence.

Compounding that, I was older than most and, in a cast, making me feel conspicuous. After a couple of weeks ed, my nervousness subsided, and I felt more comfortable in my new environment. I took my studies seriously, realizing a degree was necessary to advance in the business world. Though I earnestly tried, my efforts only brought mixed results. At times I would grasp a subject, do well on the test, and then a new concept would be introduced bringing confusion, resulting in a mediocre or poor grade. I found many subjects beneficial, while others had little meaning, but were mandatory to meet all the requirements to attain an AA degree and be eligible to transfer to a state university. In general, my three English classes were the most constructive by expanding my vocabulary and enhancing my written and verbal communication, which is so important in life whether conversing with a friend or a stranger, and when applying for a job. The two subjects I found least beneficial were Philosophy and Psychology, both leaving anyone who studies them in confusion. I will discuss Psychology later in this biography, which I consider a Trojan horse that denies the sufficiency of the bible. It took me two and half years and an Algebra class taken in the summer to attain the needed units to acquire my AA degree. In the summer of 1972 at the age of 28 I reached my first milestone in achieving my goal of a Bachelor of Science degree by graduating from Junior College. From there I transferred to San Jose State University, while my roommate chose San Diego State University. After spending two years together as roommates, and in the process becoming good friends, it was time to go our separate ways. Around the same time my position at Lenkurt Electric was being eliminated, as they downsized, due to reduction in demand for their products. Having lost my job, I moved further south to the city of Sunnyvale, which brought me closer to San Jose State. With no job responsibilities, I was able to devote the needed time to my studies the first year at San Jose State. Surely this was a blessing, now that I was attending a university which presented greater challenges, with a more demanding curriculum. I had saved enough money while working, plus collecting six months of unemployment insurance, coupled with money received from the GI bill, to myself the first year at San Jose State. This was possible in 1972, for the dollar then had a high value, making college tuition very reasonable and the cost of living low. At this juncture, I need to insert a warning, because of the weak status of the U.S. dollar today. The high value of the dollar that was realized in the early

1970s was coming to an end, as inflation soared in the last half of the decade. This was perpetuated by our country abandoning the gold standard under the Nixon istration and introducing a new system with the U.S. dollar becoming the petro dollar of the world. Under this new system, the Federal Reserve (private bank) over the past forty-seven years has created trillions of dollars, backed only by faith in the U.S government, amassing a debt of over twenty-one trillion dollars, and growing exponentially. In my opinion this is unsustainable and has put our country on the brink of a reset that will introduce another new system, fostering much pain for the American people. This new system could even be cashless, advancing us closer to a one world government as described in Revelation, Chapter 13. At this point I encourage all Christians and non-Christians alike to study the prophecies of the bible and compare them with the events of our day; you will be amazed how well they align. It’s not a time to sleep, but watch, be sober and act, for the hoof beats of the Apocalypse may be approaching sooner than you think. I majored in Business Management, with an emphasis in procurement, so I enrolled in classes that would prepare me for that vocation. Having the time needed to do my studies, I applied myself, but with the same results as before. At times I did well and at other times, not able to fully grasp a concept, received a mediocre grade. While attending a business ing class, I met a Christian who befriended me and when an opportune time came, he talked to me about his faith in Jesus Christ. Being somewhat fascinated by the subject, I listened to what he had to say, bringing some interest to my inner man. In our conversation he encouraged me to see a Christian film by Billy Graham that was showing at a local theater. After pondering the idea awhile, I decided to check it out. I drove to the theater by myself, paid for my ticket, then sat down and watched the film. The movie was somewhat entertaining, though lacking the spiritual inspiration I was seeking. My outlook at that time was: I went to the movie as my friend encouraged me to do, nothing happened, it’s time to move on. I had better things to do, including obtain my degree, start my career, make money, and buy a house; the American dream. King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes, says all is vanity, realizing it only lasts for a short season and then eternity awaits. The sooner a person comes to this reality, the sooner he can prioritize his life and put God first through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world. But I was not quite ready for this reality.

My junior year was over, and I was delighted, having ed all my classes. Not working, with free time on my hands and a whole summer before me, I decided to take a bus trip through much of Canada and the United States. At that time, you could pay a flat rate of $200.00 for a Greyhound bus ticket that would allow you to travel any place in the two countries for one month. Having made the decision to venture out, I made the necessary arrangements for traveling and in a few days purchased my ticket and started my new adventure. First, I decided to head east to Salt Lake City and from there north through Montana and into Canada to the city of Calgary. Once arriving there, I took in some of the sights, taking pictures along the way. After spending the night and much of the next day in the city, I boarded a bus heading for the picturesque town of Banff that was nestled in the mountains. Again, I took in the sights, drank a few beers at a lodge and engaged in conversations with the local Canadians. This was the pattern, going from one city to the next making my way across most of Canada, at the same time meeting different people along the way while traveling on the bus, or spending time in a city. This was one of the most interesting aspects of the trip, the various conversations with a variety of people. Each person is unique, yet we all share similar ions, pains and emotions. When I arrived in Toronto, I stayed a couple of nights experiencing their subway system, while exploring the area. Next was the old French town of Quebec City, the most distinctive of all the places I was to visit. When I stepped off the bus, it was like going back in time and landing in a small town in . The streets were made of cobblestone, lined with buildings resembling those in the old country; the restaurants served French food and the principal language spoken was French. Needing a place to spend the night I walked the streets of the old city until I came upon a family that had a room for rent. After discussing the price, I rented the room and enjoyed a good night’s rest after enjoying some night life in this old town. I spent the next day exploring this gem, climaxing the day at Fort La Citadelle. Being that far east, seeing the renowned Niagara Falls was a must and that is where I headed, crossing over the United States border into the “honeymoon city.” Niagara Falls is a magnificent and spectacular sight. You witness tons of flowing water roaring over the cliffs and its intense impact crashing down on the water below, sending large sprays into the air. No wonder honeymooners for decades have made this their destination to celebrate such an occasion. From Niagara Falls, I decided to see part of the south and made it to Georgia. Having arrived, I stayed in a small town next to one of the larger rivers that runs

through the state. The weather was a typical hot summer day, fostering the highest humidity that I had ever experienced, making the air heavy and bringing forth perspiration over my entire body. Taking showers was futile as the relief they gave was temporary, lasting only a few minutes. The scene reminded me of Huckleberry Finn’s adventures on a raft drifting down the Mississippi River. Spending one night in Georgia was sufficient; therefore, the next day I caught a bus that was heading west to Denver. While traveling on Highway 84 through the Plains, I had a rude awakening. The bus I was on stopped in a small town and there all the engers that were continuing were transferred to a double decker bus. I found an aisle seat on the first row of the upper deck. It was evening and as the night wore on, coldness set in making it difficult to sleep. The driver wasn’t able to get the heater to function, so he stopped at the next bus depot to get it repaired. In a relatively short period of time the repair was made, and we were back on the bus heading west. It was about midnight, and I was settled in my seat, comforted by the heat and in the process of falling asleep. Suddenly the bus began to rumble, bouncing up and down and jarring me awake. I noticed dust flying in the air and then the brakes being applied hard, in the process jolting me out of my seat, thrusting me down the stairs where I landed next to the driver. The bus at that time came to a halt, with all seemingly intact. Startled at what had just transpired, I asked the driver, “What happened?” He gave a quick excuse, but I did not receive it, believing he had nodded off, causing the kerfuffle, an easy thing to do. Again, my life was spared, for if this had not occurred on flat terrain, the unimaginable could have transpired. Once the people settled down from the commotion, the driver attempted to start the engine and continue the trip, but to no avail. The motor wouldn’t start, leaving the only solution, wait for the next Greyhound bus to come our way. Within an hour a bus arrived, which most of us boarded to then proceed west. I visited a couple more cities on the way home, Denver being the largest, but after twenty-six days on the road, sleeping in motels, rooms at the YMCA and nights on the bus, I was ready to end my journey and get home. It was a memorable trip, visiting places I had never seen and meeting people that became a part of my life, though only for a short time. After arriving home from my extensive trip, a couple of days of recuperation were in order. With a few weeks left before starting my final year in college, I used the time to seek out part-time employment in order to supplement my income from the GI bill. Through help from a friend, I got a job at Safeway that worked out well. The store manager was willing to schedule my work hours

around my college commitment. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the exposure to the grocery business that I would receive by working at Safeway would be advantageous in obtaining my first job after college. My final year at San Jose State went without any mishaps, being able to take all the needed classes to obtain my degree and ing them all. While the final semester was coming to a close, it was time to think seriously about setting up interviews with companies to ultimately obtain a full-time position that would be a career-making opportunity. In those days representatives from various companies would come on campus to interview students for potential hires, and being convenient, this would be my first place to seek out employment. In 1974 the country was in a recession, limiting job opportunities and having the effect of reducing the number of recruiters. However, I did manage to obtain two interviews, one in procurement, and the other in sales. The sales interview was followed by a second, leading to an offer which I accepted. They gave a start date that allowed me enough time to give two weeks’ notice at Safeway. With great anticipation of starting my new career, I received a call from Armor & Dial informing me that a moratorium had been placed on all hiring. Wow, one day before my start date and locked out! My situation was disheartening, having quit my job at Safeway, expecting a sales career that never materialized, and struggling with the country in a recession. Back to square one, as they say, which meant returning to the college recruitment center to search out potential job listings. I did find two that were promising, both in sales. One was in grocery sales, working for a food broker, while the other was selling window coverings, basically to department stores. I ed each company and, in the process, secured an interview with both of them. While being interviewed by representatives from the food broker, I was encouraged to spend one day in the field with their rep to evaluate if this type of work would be compatible with my personality. Having agreed to their recommendation, I rode with a salesman as he serviced his s. During the ride-along we arrived at an where we had to wait to see the buyer. While waiting, I got in a conversation with another salesman named Tony from Kimberly-Clark Corporation. He informed me they were looking for a rep and that I should apply. After finishing my day with the broker and informing them I wasn’t interested, I pursued the Kimberly-Clark position. Through a series of telephone calls and interviews, I was offered the position, accepted it and started within a month. This was a new world for me, and it would take time to learn the products, the customers and the detailed paperwork involved. Also, learning how

to make a professional sales presentation to convince the customer to buy and promote my products was essential. After about six months with my new employer, I felt fairly confident in all facets of my new job. At this time in my life, I met my future wife, Jan, through my roommate’s girlfriend. We were introduced, were attracted to one another, and started dating. Over the course of time, we became close and decided to move in together. Not a wise thing to do, but being worldly (lacking biblical values), caught up in the Cultural Revolution that was birthed in the 1960s, our consciences were seared so we made the decision. At that time, I had bought a new condo in Campbell, California for $35,000.00; there Jan and I began our living arrangement. We were stable in our relationship and after six months together I sold the condo and bought a house. Having made $5000.00 on the sale of the condo, I applied that to the purchase price of the house, which was $50,000.00. Houses were still affordable in the Santa Clara Valley then, however over the past forty years they have skyrocketed in price, making them unaffordable for most potential buyers. That 1,400 square foot tract home I bought in 1975 for $50,000.00 goes for about 1.4 million dollars today, who could have imagined. At this point in my biography, I’m going to deviate from my journey and briefly expound upon the 1960s, the decade that changed the direction of our country forever, having a devastating effect on my generation and the generations to follow. As the Civil war changed the South forever, (so vividly depicted in the 1939 movie, Gone With The Wind) so did the Cultural Revolution change our country forever. This upheaval began in the 60s, with the seeds of sexual perversion and civil protest having been planted in the 50s. Yes, the “Happy Days” decade where rock and roll music was born, along with the explosion of television on the scene, combined to influence the populace and quickly and efficiently lead down a road to spiritual and moral decay. Rock ‘n’ Roll is a term coined by Alan Freed, a Cleveland disc jockey. From its inception rock and roll music was sensual, a ghetto expression that was sometimes used to mean sexual intercourse. I grew up in the 50s and Elvis Presley’s debut on the Ed Sullivan show, the largest TV audience of its day. There was Elvis belting out two of his earliest songs,” Don’t Be Cruel” and “Hound Dog Man”. Millions heard this Elvis sing, but the gyrating movement of his hips, considered so carnal at the time, was not accepted, so they had to televise him from the waist up. Though parents, moralists, clergymen, and critics railed against him, the teenagers flocked to him. Other early rock superstars like

Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis brought their rendition of the new music, with the common thread of sensuality expressed in sight and sound. How things have changed, from those who once brought an outcry in those early years of Rock ’n’ Roll to now, where silence prevails and many embrace a music that is twisted, filled with raucous noise, and even has Satanic influence. Enter the sixties, a decade that questioned authority, with the theme, “If it feels good, do it” and the underlying slogan, “live for today and don’t worry about tomorrow”. This was the attitude many in society adopted at that time (solemnly to some degree me). It sounded so tantalizing, but as Eve bit into the forbidden fruit which tasted good at the time, yet had devastating consequences, so America embraced a lifestyle that has brought her to the eve of destruction. The sixties were marked by free sex, with the saying, “Who says we need to be married to have sex? It’s a natural emotion, I’m not hurting anybody, let’s do it.” Fast forward to 2021 and the fruit is apparent, divorce is a plague; millions living together in adultery, single parent homes, rampant venereal disease, millions of babies silenced in the womb. Sin is never ive; once you allow sex outside the bonds of marriage, it opens Pandora’s box to unmanageable sexual appetites. Consider our nation’s present condition, we embrace, or turn a deaf ear to pornography, incest, group sex, homosexuality, bestiality, pedophilia, sadism, and transgenderism. The Bible says in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” We have sowed the seeds of rebellion against God and now we are reaping its decayed fruit. From its sensual connotation, rock and roll progressed to songs of revolution, to addicting music, to worship of its performers, where we find ourselves today. The 60s fostered rebellion against society, bringing marijuana from the hidden places to the open. Protest marches assembled across the nation with people marching down the streets of cities from Los Angeles to New York with signs that proclaimed their various rights, from free sex to smoking dope. Some marches turned into riots, smashing car windows with clubs, throwing rocks through store windows, and burning of buildings. Colleges like UC Berkley had their own protests and riots, in the process shaming our learning institutions. This was an ugly time in the history of our country and one you would like to bury in the halls of time. However, the saga continues, for many of those who wore tie dye clothes and protested by participating in marches, have changed their attire to suits and dresses and entered our nation’s government with the same humanistic philosophy, pushing their agenda on an unsuspecting society.

Aiding and abetting those who desired to banish God and His laws from society were those in government who ed a law in 1962 prohibiting prayer in public schools. Following this law, many schools started banning the posting of the Ten Commandments and ultimately teachers put restrictions on the bible being read in public schools. In essence the United States took three major steps in turning its face from God and rejecting Christian values as defined in the bible, at the same time embracing Secular Humanism, a sure formula for ruin. With biblical values and laws in the process of being abandoned, society then followed its natural course away from God, guided by its sin nature that is within all humans, inherited from Adam, the first human created by God. We can see this by looking at history. Starting in 1963, when the law to ban prayer from public schools went into effect, we began to decline scholastically and at the same time crime in schools started to rise. This was a regressive step that began to turn a Christian-based nation to that of a pagan-based society, embracing those things that are contrary to God and rejecting those things He considers right. We need to take heed to God’s word in Isaiah 5:20 that say, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Does this not describe the United States today? I will leave that for the reader to decide, for me it’s clear: repentance and a return to the Lord and his ways are the only solution, while there is still time. Much has been written on the Christian roots of America and the fall that has overcome this blessed country. I encourage you to research the subject from good sources; you will probably be amazed how what you read will conflict with what you have been taught in the public arena. I need to refute an assertion that also was fostered in the 1960s, the idea that people are born homosexuals, just as individuals are born a certain nationality. This is disinformation, for a lifestyle is a choice that people make whether it be fornication, adultery, sodomy, etc. Often one is seduced by a homosexual at a young age (though other factors can contribute to this way of life) and a lifestyle is initiated, which becomes difficult to be set free from, yet possible by the power of God working in a repentant sinner through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Twice in my life a homosexual approached me with this intent and on both s, I rejected their overtures. Let me share one occurrence that happened at the age of sixteen that gives an example of this attempted seduction. In 1961 I took a vacation with my next-door neighbor, Donny and his parents. They had gotten access to a lakefront home on Lake Tahoe and invited me to come along. Two vehicles were to be taken and I was to share the driving of one car, a 1957 Oldsmobile, with my friend’s mom. My responsibility would be

driving the second half of the trip over Donner Summit to our destination. At that time a novice driver and a bit uncertain, but wanting to go, I accepted the offer. Though the car drove like a truck of the 50s, heavy and hard to steer, I made it over the summit to the home on majestic Lake Tahoe. My friend and I enjoyed the area, walking down the sandy beaches and swimming in the clear brisk waters of the lake. We took in the local activities, including a dance that featured a rock band. One night after a full day’s activities, Donny and I came back to the house, ate dinner, and then relaxed. As the night wore on, I got in a private conversation with the owner of the house who was about thirty-five years of age, clean-cut and masculine. He was a smooth talker and made a persuasive attempt to seduce me into a homosexual act. When I refused, he got mad and the encounter ended abruptly, to my relief. How many unsuspecting boys had he approached and been successful in luring into such an act, I don’t know; but probably a surprising number were drawn to starting down a path of sorrow. Now back to 1975, where Jan and I are living in a home in Campbell, California. After two years of living in an unconventional arrangement, we made the decision to get married. We planned a full wedding with a lot of help from my mother. Our wedding took place at a Methodist church on May 15, 1977, where Jan and I took our vows, making our relationship complete. She looked pretty walking down the aisle in her wedding gown with all guests’ eyes upon her. From the church, we had a caravan to the reception hall where we celebrated the event with champagne and music from a hired band. Following the reception, we changed our clothes and traveled to a western guest ranch that featured many activities from horseback riding to singing around the campfire at night. However, due to the time of the year, many of the activities were not in operation and our stay was cut short. We then went to Disneyland for a couple of days and from there to Pismo Beach to round out our honeymoon. We had a nice time and felt better about ourselves, now married making our union together complete. At this time 1977, both Jan and I were working full time and enjoying life, though seemingly never being fully content; something was missing, though we were clueless as to what that could be. The most natural answer would be children and in January of 1978 Jan informed me of her pregnancy. This brought an anticipated joy to our life that came on August 9, 1978, with the birth of our first daughter who we named Sabrina. She was a delight, bringing new life and joy into the home. With new life comes responsibility that novice parents are never fully prepared for. One of those areas was dealing with a colicky baby. We discovered early that Sabrina suffered from this condition. Her discomfort

became ours, for her loud cry could happen suddenly and at any time of the day or night. This lasted a good year and finally subsided during her second year of life. Even so, we truly enjoyed this bright and beautiful new addition to our family. My job with Kimberly-Clark was going well. I enjoyed calling on customers, selling them new products when they became available, selling display quantities and resetting shelves to enhance K.C. product exposure to the potential customer. At this time the most challenging aspect of the job was adjusting to constant price increases. No sooner did you get a new price established than another price increase would follow on its heels, starting the process all over again. Unbeknownst to me at that time, as mentioned earlier, the United States had come off the gold standard, causing this rapid inflation. Though the cost of consumer goods was rising rapidly, real estate was still reasonable, and it was time for Jan and I to go for our dream mountain home at Lake Tahoe. To make this feasible, we went into partnership with our best friends, Phil, and Pat. The four of us first found a lot in a beautiful mountain setting at Incline Village, an ideal location for a mountain home: close to the lake, ski resorts, gaming casinos, fine restaurants, and a golf course. This surely would be a place to satisfy all the human desires. Once the purchase of the property was complete, we set out to determine what type of mountain home to erect and who should build it. We decided on a package that featured the foundation, framing, roof, and enclosure of the home to be built by the manufacturer who we purchased the package from with all the other materials we needed supplied by them, with us having the responsibility to finish the project. This included the plumbing, electrical, external siding, sheet rock and other finishing work. Once the contractor completed his portion of the home, Phil and I proceeded to work on the rest of the home. This would take many trips to Tahoe on the weekends and many months to complete. Though Phil and I did much of the work, we ultimately concluded in the latter half of 1980 that there were certain areas we did not have the expertise in, so we hired a friend who was a contractor to finish the job. He worked on the house full time for at least a week, finishing the project efficiently. It was worth the cost to have it finally completed and done properly.

The New Births

The year 1980 was eventful, bringing in a completely new way of life for our family. It also was a year that humbled our nation with perplexing events bringing despair upon the American populous. A trend that started in the later 1970s but intensified in 1980, was the deterioration of our military and U.S. world dominance. This was brought forth in the Iran hostage crisis that actually occurred on November 4, 1979. It happened during the Islamic revolution when Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s line took over the United States embassy in Tehran taking fifty-two diplomatic citizens hostage. This was an embarrassment to our country, and our leaders seemed to be at a loss as to what to do. Finally on April 24, 1980, President Carter ordered the military to take action in an endeavor to rescue our citizens. It was a futile attempt resulting in the deaths of nine servicemen and loss of two helicopters. This crisis lasted 444 long days until January 20, 1981, when our diplomats were released, the day President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. The Iranians must have perceived the new Commander-in-Chief was one who spoke softly and carried a big stick, similar to an earlier president, Teddy Roosevelt. Corresponding with the Iran crisis was an oil embargo that caused a petroleum shortage across the nation, setting off sharp price increases. Long lines at the pump soon became common, also leading to limits on the amount of gas that could be purchased. This brought frustration to the American people, and, at times, tempers would flare. To resolve the gas line problem, the government went to a schedule of odd and even days to purchase gas, which helped bring relief at the pump. Inflation could be seen in virtually all areas of the economy, causing pain for the American consumer. Though wage increases in those days were common, they still could not keep up with the cost of living. To strengthen the dollar and reduce inflation, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates drastically to historic highs of about 20%, which was a saver’s delight but a nightmare for those who wanted to obtain a loan to purchase a car or a home. Having obtained a reasonable loan to purchase our home in 1977 and having some savings, this worked out well for us, but the country overall suffered from this policy.

Another event that clouded the picture was the massive eruption of Mount St. Helens in the state of Washington. The explosive eruption caused a landslide and created a large crater that changed the landscape forever. There was even a dome created in the middle of the crater over a six-year period of time. The mountain spewed out ash thousands of feet in the air spreading over eleven states reducing visibility drastically. Fifty-seven deaths were recorded from this historic event. Harry Truman, an eighty-four-year-old man, was probably the most renowned. He was the owner and caretaker of the Mount St. Helens Lodge, who, despite the fact that he was given evacuation orders, refused to leave, resulting in the loss of his life. This natural eruption added to the sense that the country was on a road to ruin. As these events unfolded, presenting a bleak picture, I recalled the book, Guide to Survival that was given to me eleven years prior. Being stirred up by what was taking place in the world and especially our country, I decided to search out this forgotten book. Having found what I was looking for, I began to read it again, only this time with much more interest. Once I started reading the book for the second time, it caught my attention with great fascination. The book based its prophetic predictions on the bible which was written 1900 to 2600 years prior to its publication, and some of those prophecies were unfolding before my very eyes. To mention a few that impelled me to seek the truth as to the validity of the Bible, consider the explosion of population (in the last days), the increase of lawlessness, increased usage of drugs, and earthquakes occurring with more frequency and intensity, all of which were prophesied in God’s word. Also, the gathering of the Jews back to their land, forming the nation of Israel on May 14, 1948, after they had been scattered throughout the earth for over 1900 years was undeniable and unprecedented in the history of man. To deny these events were taking place, as predicted in scripture, would be like refuting evidence that could be upheld in a court of law. Once I completed the book for the second time, the reality struck me, if the bible was accurate in describing end time events, there must be validity in it being God’s word and in the central figure of the scriptures, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Though this gripped my soul, I had no idea what to do. However, God is faithful and through His hidden hand, in His time, He would lead me to the right person who would direct me on my quest for truth. While I was experiencing this revelation, Jan informed me that she was pregnant with our second child. Life was becoming complex with a number of major

activities occurring at the same time. We were in partnership with our friends at Lake Tahoe, at work we were in the process of introducing the most important product line of the company, probably ever, Jan was pregnant again and there was an underlying tug in my inner being that the Bible held the truth of eternity within its pages. Anxiety was building and pressure was coming from many directions, but the Lord used all four of these events in a special way. The first came while promoting our new product line. I called on an that was relatively new to me, an upscale independent grocery store in Saratoga. My was with the owner’s son, who was running the business for his elderly father. His name was Dick Giomi, a fellow Italian - coincidence, right? I introduced myself to him, with the objective of obtaining distribution of my new product line. I’m not sure how it came about, but the dialogue changed from my original intent to Christianity. Dick proceeded to tell me his testimony, the story of how he became a Christian. After listening with interest, my response reflected the negative outlook I had on life in 1980, that went something like this; “It’s a dog eat dog world and man will do anything to climb to the top”. He responded with, “I know people who are not like that”. Dick then told me of a church to visit and a Christian radio station to listen to. After our conversation had come to a close, I thanked him for sharing with me and went on my way with great excitement as to where this would lead. Oh, by the way, Dick gave me distribution on the new product line. Once I got back to the car, all my thoughts were on what had transpired, and the radio station he gave me. Quickly I turned on the radio and tuned it to the correct station, where Christian broadcasting came forth, and wouldn’t you know it, the program was on Bible prophecy. I listened intently to absorb all that was being said, looking for proof of the Bible’s validity as the word of God. Once the program concluded, the host offered three books on bible prophecy that could be acquired for a modest price. I took down the information and that night, I mailed in my order. When the books arrived, I read them with enthusiasm, looking for more prophecies that were written hundreds of years ago that were occurring, at least partially, in 1980. The more I read the more excited I became, to the point I was driving my poor wife to the brink, for the subject of end times consumed me and she was the main person I was expressing it to. Finally, she said, “if you want to attend church, I will go with you.” That sounded good to me, and I informed her of the church that Dick told me about. It was a large Christian church in Los Gatos, but I was uncertain exactly where it was. For Jan, this would not be a strange encounter, entering a Protestant church, for

she attended a Methodist church most of her childhood, learning many basics of the faith and singing the hymns of renown. For me it would be foreign, having no idea what to expect, not knowing any hymns, nor having any knowledge of the scriptures. The following Sunday, Jan, Sabrina, and I, drove to the church, arriving on time for the third service. It was larger than I anticipated, with the sanctuary holding close to 2000 people and filled nearly to its capacity. As we walked down an aisle to find seats, I felt a bit strange at first and unclean spiritually. Realizing these were Christians and knowing I was not, having lived a life marred with sin, I felt (spiritually) dirty. Shortly after we were settled in our seats the service started with a choir singing a Christian song backed by many musicians. All those in the pews stood and sang along with the choir to make a song of praise to the Lord. A number of songs were sung, all new to me, yet joy filled my heart. Jan was moved to tears as she heard the old familiar hymns from childhood. Following the singing of songs came communion and then a number of people got baptized by immersion. I just observed, not understanding anything. Following the baptisms was the sermon. The pastor walked to the podium, opened his Bible to the text of the day and said a prayer, asking the Lord for His guidance before preaching. He read a number of verses from the Bible and then went back and explained each verse, making its meaning clear. This resonated with me; for the bible could be understood, with sound meaning. It was not a man-made philosophy filled with confusion and gibberish. When the sermon was finished the pastor had an altar call, with a number of people responding. The service ended with an announcement and then a prayer. The announcement was informing the people of the special night service, encouraging all to participate. I left the church building with excitement in my heart, informing Jan that I was going to the night service, hoping she would attend with me. However, she was at the end of her seventh month of pregnancy, feeling poorly and not wanting to go. I understood, but still went on my own. I arrived at the church for the evening service, in great anticipation, though not knowing what to expect. The night service was a video by the late Jerry Falwell entitled, “America, you’re too young to die.” The following information is stated as best I can it: This video depicted how America was founded by Christians leaving England to settle in a new land to have religious freedom, setting in motion the principles of Christianity to guide the new settlement. Also brought forth were other truths. Most of those who wrote the constitution were Christians, using the Bible as their main source of information. The bible was used in the early schools as the main book to train our children to read. On our dollar we put “In God we trust.” The three main institutions that make up a

society, the church, the family, and the government had biblical roots. However, over time all three had eroded, bringing us to 1980 when this video was produced. This erosion has continued to this day, to me, to the point of the collapse of our nation, signaling God’s judgment is at hand. Psalm 11:3 says, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The only hope I see, is that God’s people fast and pray, repent of our sins and worldly ways, asking the Lord to send the Holy Spirit in power for true revival. This presentation was meeting me right where I was, watching end time events being played out. It was showing the United States’ sharp decline spiritually and morally, bringing the leader of the free world to weakness as the process of destroying her was occurring within her own borders. (God’s timing is perfect, for Jan and I attended the church for over five years, and this was the only time they had a message of this type.) After arriving home, I couldn’t wait to tell Jan what transpired in the service and that we needed to continue going to the church. She was in agreement with me, wanting to give our children a Christian foundation. From that time on we started attending both morning and evening services on a consistent basis. Each time we went to church, our minds were moved to some understanding of the Bible and the salvation message, though my main concentration was more focused on Bible prophecy than anything else. This was a very evangelical church, where altar calls were always given, with people responding by going forward at every service I attended. The other constant experience was that water baptisms took place at almost every service. Being new to the Christian church, I thought this was common in many churches. Through the years to follow and visiting many churches, I came to realize how special this church in Los Gatos was. The Lord was surely moving in this body of believers, like no other that I have ever experienced. After we had attended the church for four weeks, two men from the visitation team unexpectedly came knocking on our door on a Monday night. Once they introduced themselves, I welcomed them into our home. By this time, I had acquired some knowledge of the Christian faith, yet underlying doubt persisted, lined with questions that needed to be answered. For the next hour and half, we had a fruitful conversation and Jan and I presented many questions to these two men, who graciously responded with sound answers. My final comment reflected a dubious heart, though truthful. It went something like this: knocking on the coffee table before me, I said, “This is made of wood which I can touch and feel, but I can’t believe in a God that can’t be seen.” One of the men replied, “I encourage you to read the gospel of John and pray before and after every

chapter.” I then thanked them for the time spent with us and said I would do as he suggested. Jan and I really appreciated the visit and the opportunity to get answers for areas of concern. Tuesday night I started reading the book of John, praying before and after every chapter as instructed. Wednesday night I picked up where I had left off and Thursday night finished reading the gospel around 11 PM. This is where it gets interesting, Jan had already gone to bed and once completing John, I did likewise, but as my head hit the pillow, my heart started racing about triple time. I became restless and felt the time had come to repent and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. So, I slipped out of the bed, went to another room, knelt down and said the sinner’s prayer with all my heart. Jesus said in John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” That is what I had done, by faith received Jesus Christ into my life and instantly I became a child of God. Jesus also promises His children peace that es all understanding and that is what I felt within, remarkable peace, and when I went back to bed, sleep came upon me quickly. Also, unbeknownst to me at the time, Jan asked Jesus Christ into her life as her personal Lord and Savior the same night and then prayed for my salvation. This was quite a night, July 17, 1980. Both my wife and I began a new journey in life, made possible by our new life in Christ (born-again). There is no doubt the Lord works in mysterious ways, and He had another blessing for us that night. I was sound asleep, then about 1:00 AM I was suddenly awakened by Jan, informing me she was in labor, and we needed to get to the hospital. This was an unexpected surprise, for Jan’s due date was three weeks out, but who is to argue with a pregnant mom? So, we quickly packed what we needed and headed to my mother’s house first to drop off Sabrina and then proceeded to the hospital. Once we arrived and checked in, we were directed to the maternity ward. There they examined Jan to determine if her time had come. The nurse who did the checkup concurred that indeed she was going to have the baby, but also discovered that the baby was in the breech position. When the doctor came, he confirmed the nurse’s diagnosis, ordered an IV anticipating a probable C-section delivery and went to take a nap. Hearing this news and very concerned, now that I was a Christian, I decided to pray. I noticed a small prayer room in the hospital, entered it, knelt and said a simple prayer, asking the Lord that all turn out well. After finishing my prayer, I left the room and discovered they were wheeling Jan into the delivery room. Things were happening very quickly and within an hour our

second daughter was born, who we named Tamara. It was a breech birth, though no C-section was needed; highly unusual, a natural birth. Tamara was small, weighing only 5 lbs. 7 ounces, yet perfectly healthy. Quite a night, three new births, two spiritual and one natural, which was the beginning of a completely new way of looking at and living life. The Bible says in 11 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have ed away; behold, all things have become new.” By a new birth, the Christian has undergone a fundamental change; he is a new creation in Christ Jesus. God supernaturally changes a person and gives him/her the Holy Spirit to indwell them. Through this miraculous birth and the person of the Holy Spirit, you look at life in a completely different fashion, wanting to please God and having the power through the Spirit to do so. This does not mean you will never sin again and walk a perfect life; however, your desires, your actions and your words will change. In my Christian life, I was set free from certain sins very early, while finding freedom from others has been a long, slow process. Up to that moment of salvation I had a very vulgar tongue and was unable to express myself without profanity. The very next day I noticed a supernatural change, as conviction would come upon me before I was about to curse, and I wouldn’t swear. The Holy Spirit set me free from this vile sin. Smoking was another area of total victory, for the desire to use cigarettes was taken away and I have not smoked since. Many people have quit smoking; I for one had done that while in the Army. At that time smoking almost two packs a day, I quit cold turkey and never smoked again for a number of years. However, the craving never left and getting the best of me, I started back again, smoking about six cigarettes a day. When the Lord came into my life, He gave me the desire and the power to quit completely, with no craving to ever start again. The same held true for drinking liquor, gambling, partying, and the like, for when the Lord sets you free from something, you’re no longer a slave to a vice that once held you in bondage. I the day Jan and I emptied our cupboards of all the various liquor bottles we had and threw them into the garbage can. It was a great day and no longer did I need that drink to settle me down after a bad day at work. It wasn’t that difficult times at work did not come; in fact, the opposite was true, life at work intensified greatly. It started about two weeks after my salvation while working with my manager, Jim. We had had a productive day, with all going well, that is, until he asked me to do something that I could no longer accommodate him in. We had daily paperwork to fill out and Jim asked me to

put him down as working with him the next day, even though we both knew that would not be the case. I told him I no longer could do that, for I had become a Christian. He replied, “You will have no trouble with me on that.” Nothing could have been further from the truth, for from that time forward he made life extremely difficult. Through these trials came three areas of sin that have taken years to get victory over: bitterness, revenge, and temper, all being revealed by a manager who aroused my flesh (sin nature). Seven years I was to be under Jim and the Lord used him to help mold me into the person He would have me to be. Though revenge never became more than a thought, victory over bitterness and temper has taken many years to overcome and still I have moments of weakness. I’m thankful for Philippians 1:6 that says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” The process of sanctification starts at the time of salvation and continues until you go home to be with the Lord. God continues to mold His children into the image of Christ, usually through trials and testings in the Christian life. Being in sales afforded me the opportunity to make with many people, both those who worked in the retail trade, sales representatives from other companies and my peers at K.C. On all s, opportunities opened for me to share the gospel. Often, I would come home excited, telling Jan that I had witnessed to someone that day. My desire to share the gospel was ionate, however at times, though my motives were pure, I overextended myself, probably causing some to shutdown mentally. These opportunities presented themselves throughout the many years I was in sales. In time I learned to be more sensitive to the person I was conversing with, toning down my presentation. Due to my sharing the gospel, abstaining from gossip, and drinking, my relationship not only suffered with my manager, but in time, I began to be ostracized by my fellow sales representatives. At first it did not trouble me much, however over time, it became trying. Spiritually, Jan and I were growing in our faith, participating in various functions and ministries that the church offered. First, I got baptized, which I did about two weeks after my salvation; Jan followed about three weeks later. In retrospect, I should have waited for Jan and have been baptized on the same day with her, but being anxious to fulfill this ordinance, I went it alone. After being baptized, we signed up to be discipled by a member of the church. Rich was the name of the man who came to our house once a week faithfully and guided us through a workbook where we learned some of the basics of Christianity,

coupled with verse memorization. It is of such importance for new Christians to be grounded in their faith by someone mature in the faith. Learning sound doctrine is very important, so you’re not swayed by every whim of teaching that may come your way. Having a great desire to share my faith, I ed the church’s calling club that met on Monday nights. We would meet at the church, have a meal together, pray and then go out in twos, or at times threes. The church had many visitors, who were encouraged to fill out a card that would give us basic information, including their address. Many cards were available, and each team would select two or three homes to call on, usually being in a similar geographical area. Then we would make the s, being ready to reply to any questions they may have. Usually people were very receptive, inviting us into their home, leading to a constructive conversation. Other times, some people were less responsive, and the call was quick and not too productive. I did this ministry for quite a length of time while at the church, until a small group of us decided to do cold calling. This brought new challenges, for now we were engaging in conversations with people of all types of belief systems from Christianity to atheism. When you knocked on the door, expect the unexpected, everything from a blunt negative response and the door closing on your face to that of a fellow believer, who welcomes you in with a warm smile and friendly conversation. There were times when I had shared the gospel and the ultimate where a girl said the sinner’s prayer. Was it for real? Truly I don’t know, but at least, a seed was planted. I’ll always the lady who answered the door and after my partner and I introduced ourselves, left us momentarily and came back with her purse and said, “How much money do you want?” We assured her with a smile, money is not what we seek, rather the opportunity to share the gospel with you. At this time, I was growing in my faith, yet had so much to learn, so when another Christian suggested something to enhance my knowledge of Christianity, I considered his suggestion and at times put it into action. Such was the case when a brother in Christ said, if you are seeking to know what the Lord wants of you, close your eyes, open the bible, point your finger on the page and start reading. The next day after coming home from work, I decided to give this a try. The scripture that presented itself was Ezekiel 33 which makes reference to a watchman. A watchman in the days of ancient Israel would be a person (usually a soldier) who stood guard on a wall or tower that protected the city from invaders. When the watchman detected any intruders, he would blow the trumpet to warn the people of an invasion. Today, spiritually, a watchman would be a

person who detects error in the church, or in a ministry that is heretical and then sounds the trumpet, so to speak, usually by addressing the individual personally, or by letter. It also could include perceiving an intruder who is contrary to the good of the church. This has been my calling, for many times throughout my Christian life I have detected major error, mind you, not by me looking for it, but by it being revealed to me. As I write this autobiography, examples of this will be brought forth. To make this calling more assured and not just a onetime whim, this is what transpired. The next night, I felt led to repeat the process. Therefore, I went and pulled out the same bible, asked the Lord to guide me and blindly opened the word of God. Yes, it was Ezekiel 33 that I opened to again! With enthusiasm I told Jan what had happened, though her response was less ionate than mine. Again, I was moved to repeat the process and about two nights later that is what I did, with the same results. I concluded this was no coincidence, telling Jan that Ezekiel 33 is the scripture that I opened to for the third time. Her response was different than I anticipated, she said, “You have opened that bible up to that chapter so many times, it just falls open to that spot.” I replied, “If that is so, you try it and see what happens.” I then closed the bible and handed it to her. She shut her eyes, opened the bible, getting a different result. The skeptic became somewhat of a believer and as the years progressed and she witnessed events in my life that exhibited this calling, Jan became my advocate. Though this method of finding God’s calling in an area of my life appears to be valid in this situation, I’m not endorsing it as a routine practice. I suggest, before even considering opening the bible blindly, seeking God’s will in your life, first pray for wisdom from above. The first time this discernment came forth was in a street ministry that I had ed. It was led by a man who carried a large wooden cross while walking the streets of downtown San Jose on Friday nights witnessing to people, often to those who were homeless. He would alternate every other Friday with the city of Los Gatos who’s populous were those of means, rather than the underprivileged seen in San Jose. A number of us ed him in this ministry witnessing to a range of people. San Jose brought out the alcoholic, the hardened heart and even the demonized. One night I was talking to a homeless man when another guy approached us, who growled, made unusual facial expressions, and tried to intimidate the man I was conversing with. This went on for a while and I could detect he was demon oppressed, probably demon possessed. Being still young in the faith, I was not sure what to do and about that time the leader of our group

came and dealt with the situation. I learned from this and other times while witnessing, the devil will use anybody or anything to disrupt the gospel from going forth. He does not care about religion, only the true gospel of Jesus Christ’ death, burial and resurrection to saving grace will he intrude upon; false teachings he will embrace and use to advance his cause of deception. This ministry was exciting, one in which many seeds were sown both to the poor and those that possessed material assets. Our outreach extended itself to people going to rock concerts where we would hand out tracts to those entering the music festival. This was a hard looking group of people, reflected in attire, hairstyle, and facial expression. The influence of hard rock, probably drugs and who knows what type of lifestyles, takes its toll on people, hardening their appearance and putting up a protective wall difficult to penetrate. Some would take the tract, while others ed you by like you did not exist. The most aggressive crowd we encountered was in San Francisco at a rock concert. Our leader was carrying the wooden cross he had made and at the same time was preaching on the sidewalk with a microphone in front of the entrance to the concert. People circled around him, called out derogatory words and made a feeble attempt to light the cross on fire. This went on for about ten minutes with no more than outbursts of anger being expressed. I was in this ministry for about four months, when the leader informed us that he was going to stop the street witnessing temporarily and begin teachings on Inner Healing. I had never heard of this term before, though willing to attend classes on such matters. Jan and I both participated in the first class not knowing what to expect. After one class Jan discerned error, having been hypnotized one time in her early twenties, she detected similarities to that which was being taught and would not return. I was on the fence and continued for a short time, even participating in an Inner Healing session. After that event, it was time to disengage from this ministry, warning the leader and his wife that they were teaching unbiblical practices and that I was leaving. They disagreed and continued in the heretical teaching. Months later I received a letter from them, informing me they were wrong, Inner Healing was contrary to sound Biblical doctrine, and they had stopped the practice. I rejoiced and was glad the truth was revealed to them. We all can go astray, for the devil is the master of deception and uses this art to tempt Christians to bite into the appealing apple that shines on the outside yet is filled with worms on the inside. Such is Healing of Memories, (or Inner Healing) a practice introduced to the evangelical church by Agnes Sanford. The idea is that through the help of a counselor you can go back

into your past life, say 4 years of age and even into the womb of your mother, to determine what your problem is. At the same time the counselor is telling you Jesus is talking to you. This is what I experienced as I sat in on an Inner Healing session. There are good books written on this subject that will define all aspects of this dubious practice. If you are currently practicing or considering this exercise, I encourage you to pray for wisdom from God and research the subject before proceeding any further. Even a cursory investigation will reveal that Inner Healing does not align with scripture. This teaching was also brought into the church we were attending; again, the watchman came out in me and being compelled, I sent a letter to the pastor informing him of its error. I got a response, but not what I had hoped for, or expected. Jan and I were growing in our Christian faith, attending Sunday morning bible study at church, regular service, and night service, in an effort to absorb the truths of God’s word. I coupled this with my daily devotion of reading the bible and prayer. We also ed a shepherd group that met once a month in people’s homes where we had a potluck meal, a devotion and then time of prayer. In time I was asked to lead the group, which I did until leaving the church. Jan and I also saw God’s hand in our lives in what I would call the miraculous. Such was the case when our daughters were two and four years of age. I wanted to take the family on a vacation; however, the funds to do so were not sufficient. At that time, I got a call from my mother who invited us to visit her and my stepfather in Pasadena. My stepfather’s nephew was a movie star who had an extremely large home there and asked my stepfather and mother to housesit while he took an extended time away. They willingly obliged and invited us to them. We were elated and scheduled our trip to Pasadena, planning to take the kids to Disneyland while there. When the time came to leave, we packed the car and headed out. After about four hours on the road, we stopped for lunch. We ate our meal and then while walking back to the car I noticed that my wedding ring was not on my finger. Realizing my dilemma, I went back into the restaurant in an attempt to find it, but to no avail. Giving up on ever finding it again, we continued our trip. When we arrived in Pasadena, we drove through an exclusive community that featured very large old homes, most had been renovated. Then arriving at our destination, we noticed the home was enclosed by a wrought iron fence and a large gate that was locked. It had a call box on it; I pushed a button and heard my stepfather’s reply. The gate then opened, and I drove our car around a large circular driveway to the front of the house. The grounds were well-landscaped featuring lush grass, flowers, trees, and an upscale swimming pool. My mother and stepfather greeted us at the door, anxious to see us and us

them. The home was very well decorated with fine furniture. The rooms were large with very high ceilings and the entry way and great room had black and white marble squares on the floors. Elegant best described this two-story house that had at least five bedrooms all specially decorated with their own designer color. We were to spend five nights there, enjoying the amenities the home had to offer. The second day, we went to Disneyland, a first-time experience for the girls. At that time, Space Mountain was relatively new, wanting to give it a try, Sabrina and I got in line, anticipating an adventurous ride. When our turn arrived to board, we hopped on and in no time off we went. It was quite an exciting ride through the darkened enclosure, being jarred left and right, up and down at high speeds in a roller coaster atmosphere. When the ride came to an end, we unloaded, and I asked Sabrina how was it? She replied, “It was good, but I don’t want to go again!”. From there, we went on tamer rides enjoying the time at the park. The next day we went to Knott’s Berry Farm taking in a number of the activities offered there. It was enjoyable, but a bit quiet compared to Disneyland. The balance of the time we spent at the house, swimming in the pool and relaxing in this comfortable atmosphere. The days went by quickly and it was soon time to depart. We thanked mom and my stepdad for having us and then headed for home. The trip back to Campbell was uneventful, arriving safely. The next day, I needed to get the car cleaned and went to the local car wash that I had used in the past. While driving up to pay for the service, I noticed a sign that said, “Ring found on a certain date.” I thought about it and realized that was about the time I had the car washed prior to the trip. I inquired about the ring, informing the person that was about the time I had washed my car at their facility. He asked me to describe the ring, which I did. The person who found it and put up the sign, then made two profound statements. First, he described how the ring while emptying the trash, just rolled to him. Then he said, “Two weeks ago I would have kept it, but I had become a born- again Christian and couldn’t, in good conscience, keep it.” A changed life is a true mark of a Christian. I thanked the brother and rejoiced in retrieving my wedding ring in a miraculous way. Even more than recovering it, was seeing the Lord work in a new believer’s life and His hand in my life in an unexpected way. The bible informs us, that Christians are like pilgrims living in a foreign land temporarily. The Christian’s ultimate home is in heaven where he will spend

eternity with his Creator God, making life on earth but a brief time. We also learn in Hebrews that God’s children are like strangers living here on earth. This became clear to me when I attended a professional football game as a new Christian. My brother Sam and I held season tickets for the San Francisco 49ers for a number of years. We would go with two of our friends to the games, and at times have a tailgate party and then enjoy the game. When the Lord saved me, I gave up my season tickets to my brother, for my interest in football had waned. I never attended another game, until the playoffs came, and my brother asked me if wanted to go with him. Though my interest in professional football had declined, there still was some desire to see the 49ers again, watching Joe Montana perform his quarterback skills in a playoff atmosphere, so I agreed to attend the game with my brother. The game was to be played on a Sunday afternoon at Candlestick Park. My brother rode with me to the game in my company car, but he was to ride back with our two friends since I had to travel that night to Sacramento, to conduct business the next day. We arrived at Candlestick at least an hour early, yet we had to park the car outside the main parking lot. The strange occurrence began when my brother and I walked through the main parking lot on our way to the gate entrance into the stadium. It was surreal, as I ed by the tailgaters drinking their beer and listening to their music; I felt like a sojourner, a stranger out of place. This was the guy who participated in and loved this scene for years. Now I did not feel in harmony with this worldly atmosphere, for Jesus had changed me from the inside out and the things of the world had become foreign to me. This bizarre feeling lasted the entire time while at the game. When people yelled when their team performed well and cussed when a seemingly unfair penalty was called against the 49ers, I just sat there indifferently and wanted to leave the scene. When the game ended, Sam went his way, and I went to my car. However, I could not find the company vehicle, leaving me in quite a kerfuffle. Time ed quickly and night was approaching as the parking lot emptied, leaving me with few options. I approached a policeman and told him my situation, hoping for some assistance, but only getting directions to the nearest bus stop. That didn’t seem like a viable option, considering the bad reputation of the surrounding area. Then I saw a cross fixed on top of a small building and proceeded toward it. When I arrived, there was a man preparing to leave and I told him my predicament. He offered me a ride to the Greyhound bus station in San Francisco, which I accepted. After arriving at the depot, I thanked the man for helping me and we went our

separate ways. I soon discovered the bus station was closed for the night and my other option the train, was closed due to a strike. I looked around, noticed a hotel nearby, checked in and got a room for the night. The next morning, after checking out of the motel, I walked to the bus depot and bought a ticket to Campbell. The ride home was quite long, with the bus making many stops along the way. Though this would not have been my choice for how things unfolded, I got in a conversation with a young man sitting next to me on the bus and was able to witness to him, making the entire catastrophe worthwhile. The next day I investigated to see what happened to the company car, finding out it had been broken into, with minor damage being done. The car was repaired and returned to me within a week. Three weeks later I needed to travel to Sacramento for my job to complete the task that was thwarted the first time. I left on Monday about 5PM traveling on Highway 680 listening to Christian music on my radio. After driving for just over an hour and ing by the city of Walnut Creek, I was shaken from my seat by a half ton pickup that rear-ended me on the highway. The crash was so sudden and harsh it buckled my little Plymouth Reliant, blew out the back left tire which sounded like a shotgun being fired, giving me a severe whiplash to the point of seeing stars. Though the impact was great and ultimately totaled the vehicle, I was able to control it, steering the car to the side of the highway. Dazed, I got out of my car and approached the truck that rear-ended me, not knowing what to expect. The driver was a man in his twenties with a young boy about two years old next to him. I asked him what happened, but he gave no appropriate answer; in essence, he really didn’t know. I soon discovered he had no valid driver’s license and no insurance. There was a witness who stopped and informed me that the guy driving the truck had almost hit him and was making a beeline right toward me. The Highway Patrol arrived and got the facts, but basically did nothing, other than giving me a ride to the nearest city where I could make a phone call. They also called a towing company to remove the company vehicle. The unlicensed driver drove off unaffected. There seems to be something wrong with this scenario. Shouldn’t his car have been confiscated and he given a ticket to appear in court? As I think back on this event, I believe it was the enemy of darkness directing this man to take me out, for at the time of the crash I was singing and rejoicing in the Lord. Satan hates praise that goes to Jesus, for that is exactly what he himself desires and he will do what he can to stop praises to God. To this day, I bear the effects of that crash, with neck problems that cause me imbalance at times.

Life as a Christian changes most everything, affecting relationships, some for the better, while others will deteriorate, or even end. Jan and my relationship with our best friends and partners in the mountain home in Tahoe was one of those that was on the wane. It started rather early in our Christian life, when our friends Phil and Pat were going to have a house party which we would normally participate in. Knowing what to anticipate, (drinking, secular music, worldly jokes), I did not want to attend, but Jan did. I told her, okay we will go, but it will not be the same; we will no longer fit in, nor will we want to be there. When the night of the party arrived, we went and as anticipated from the onset, discomfort set in. The new man in Christ no longer desires and relishes the world’s playground. You no longer need liquor as a stimulus, your interests have changed, and it becomes apparent to others that a difference has occurred. As we began making our rounds greeting people and engaging in a few small conversations, drinking our non-alcoholic beverages, while others got high, we began to feel uncomfortable and decided to leave early. With this change in the relationship, something needed to be done with our t venture in Lake Tahoe. Since the project was completed, it was time to discuss personal usage along with the renting out of the mountain home. Phil and Pat had one plan, while Jan and I had another. No matter how flexible we attempted to be, they would not deviate from their original idea. It seemed best to dissolve the relationship, with them buying us out. We negotiated a price and after a few bartering sessions we arrived at a figure that was amenable to both parties. There went my dream house that I had longed for, thinking at one time that it would satisfy the desires of my heart. I’d come to the conclusion awhile back after I finished building the wood rail on the second-floor deck overlooking the picturesque pine tree-covered mountains, that something was still missing. It’s like that old song, sung by Peggy Lee, “Is that all there is?” At this time in my life, I had found the missing piece of the puzzle and nothing that this world had to offer could fill that void, only Jesus Christ was able to satisfy my soul. The guilt of sin was lifted and the real hope of eternal life with God in a much better place than this, heaven, awaits me. With my new outlook on life, releasing the Tahoe home became relatively easy. After completing the final paperwork and receiving our payment for the home, we parted from Phil and Pat amiably. My situation at work did not improve, with Jim my manager applying the pressure, to the point of belittling me before my peers at a business meeting. Also, he took my major wholesale from me, replacing me with a relatively new employee whom he liked. This returned me to calling on the retail

trade again, though I did not mind, other than my ego being deflated through a demotion. I stayed in this position for about nine months, when surprisingly Jim asked me to take back the that was taken away. Along with the reinstatement of the wholesale house, I was asked to supervise the part-time merchandisers. I was delighted and accepted his proposal. Once I got back the records of the and made my first call on the customer, I realized what had happened; the was in disarray, with many unauthorized deductions taken by the customer. It was my job to clear the deductions and build the rapport back up that was torn down by the previous sales representative. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and this surely was one. I got my old position back, plus a supervisory position, with a substantial raise that came after being in the position for a number of months. Getting the in order, clearing most of the deductions and building a rapport with the buyer took time, but I was able to do so. The job was going well, I enjoyed the variety of calling on a major and supervising merchandisers which brought me back into the retail sector that encomed much of San Francisco and the Bay Area. However, my manager, Jim never relented, for he found ways to make life difficult. Most of the time, by the grace of God I made the best of it, yet there were those moments of anxiety that set in and I wanted to quit, just to get away from Jim. Home life was going well with Jan not working in the public arena, taking care of our two young daughters at home. When Sabrina started kindergarten, Jan began taking care of first one child and then two children, which paid for Sabrina’s Christian schooling. We were both growing in the Lord; our faith was increasing, and we were active in our church. All was well, that is until tragedy struck in an unexpected way. It started when Jan was walking down our street with Tammy, while stopping in front of a house with the garage door open. Unbeknownst to her, a suicide had occurred in that garage the day before. This seemingly should have had no effect on Jan, but it did, for an uneasy feeling came upon her and she quickly walked away from the house. Two days later Jan took the girls to Burger King for lunch and while sitting in the restaurant, fear and oppression came upon her. Not even finishing lunch, she left and drove home. After the Burger King incident, Jan’s oppression got steadily worse so that it was difficult to just get through the day. Despair and hopelessness overwhelmed her, and I would often leave for work with her sitting at the table in tears, with no apparent reason for them. We were praying and seeking God for answers when a lady in our home bible study group mentioned a friend she knew that had been

through something similar and offered to give her our phone number. Seeing Jan in tears again and so broken one morning, I told her God had the answer for us and we must not give up hope. Right after I left for work the lady called and shared some bible verses that had ministered to her. She was very empathetic and had experienced suicidal thoughts and felt like she was losing her mind, just as Jan had. One of the scriptures was Jeremiah 29:11 which says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (NASB version). This verse was a lifeline to Jan that she grabbed a hold of and clung to until the Lord delivered her from this oppression over the next few months. To this day, Jeremiah 29:11 is her life verse. During this time the Lord was also dealing with Jan about forgiveness and bitterness she didn’t realize was still in her heart. Our friend who was involved in street ministry called and asked to pray with Jan. She agreed and he prayed saying that God was going to reveal to her someone she had not completely forgiven. Immediately her father came to mind, confessing this bitterness and unforgiveness released her from the hold it had on her, giving her peace. The enemy of our soul had used fear and unforgiveness to oppress Jan. Around that time, we had also heard a testimony by Johanna Michealson from her book The Beautiful Side of Evil sharing how you need to call on and pray to Jesus of Nazareth when praying against heavy oppression. This all may sound strange to the reader, but these experiences really happened, and God was, and is, faithful to bring us through them victoriously if we trust in Him completely. I realize Christian theology has various views in respect to the degree Satan and his numerous fallen angels (demons) can have on a Christian, with some theologians expressing virtually none at all. However, I believe this to be in error having experienced severe oppression myself (that I will detail later in this autobiography) and observing other Christians in similar conditions. Even the apostle Paul had a messenger of Satan to buffet him, to keep him from being excessively exalted (See 11 Corinthians 12:7-9). Ephesians 6:12-18 informs us, our battle is not with physical opponents, rather with a hierarchy of demonic beings, informing the Christian to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Having such a worthy adversary we must put on the whole armor of God. The Christian life is a battle, having three opponents, the flesh, the world and our enemy of concern here, the Devil. To take him lightly, or deny his existence, is in sharp contrast to scripture which I have witnessed. However, to fear him and think he has power over a Spirit-filled Christian, is to deny the authority of Jesus

Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. The sin of bitterness toward her deceased father was Jan’s problem that allowed the enemy to gain a stronghold in her life, but once dealt with through the confession of sin and forgiveness, the stronghold was broken, and the healing was forthcoming. Today we have substituted the sufficiency of the Word of God and the authority and power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for humanistic psychology with a Christian title that will set no one free from the bondage of sin and the enemy of darkness that entraps him/her. At times, after a counseling session or two the counselor prescribes a form of tranquilizer to his client to help ease the oppression. It is often no more than a bandage, with the root cause going undetected and a cure not realized. I had a close Christian Brother named Bob who had a grown daughter who suffered from anorexia and bulimia, the addiction of gorging yourself with food and then expelling it from your mouth. They may also take laxatives to clean out their system. The longer a person stays in this pattern, the more they are injuring their digestive system and severe loss of weight occurs. Often, they will look into the mirror, believing they look good, while being emaciated. She was a severe case and in the process of destroying herself. My friend did not know what to do and wanted to send her to a renowned Christian psychology clinic that cost thousands of dollars, which I don’t believe he had at the time. I had moved out of the area around that time and hadn’t seen my friend for about two years. However, we made and after catching up with our lives, I asked him about his daughter. He said she was doing fine, and I assumed she got cured at the clinic. He did send her to the institution but did not get the relief they were anticipating. Bob said she got cured by a country preacher. He never told me what the preacher did, but I assume he counseled her from the Word of God, discussed her problem, maybe hidden sins, and took authority over the oppressing demon. Again, I reiterate, this is my speculation. How many Christians have spent good money, as my friend Bob did, only to be disappointed at the end results? Our Lord and Savior ministered for over three years, healing the sick, raising the dead, kicking out demons in a multitude of people and never charged one denarius. This is something to ponder. This area of spiritual warfare and the Christian’s vulnerability to attacks from the enemy of darkness is quite extensive, with much research and prayer needed to fully understand in its entirety. However, I will relate another experience of mine that occurred at an evangelistic crusade at our church. The church we attended in Los Gatos had invited an evangelist to lead a crusade that would be a week in

duration. Much preparation was done in anticipation of having a good response, with the hope of many people coming to Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. One of the areas of preparation was choosing counselors to be there for those who would come forward for any type of biblical question, from salvation to demonic warfare. I was asked to be a head counselor and willingly accepted the position. When the time came for the crusade to get underway, everyone was ready. Prayers had gone forth, the musicians and choir had practiced, a prayer team had been formed for those coming forward who desired prayer. These and other ministries were all prepared for the event. The evangelist was a gifted speaker with people coming forward when the gospel was presented, and an altar call was given. On the third night a number of people responded, and I was ready to counsel when and if a situation occurred. About fifteen minutes after the altar call, one of the counselors came to me with a young man who had suicidal tendencies, not knowing what to do. He tried to convince the man to go into the prayer room to be ministered to by the prayer team, but he refused. I wasn’t sure what to do, yet an attempt needed to be made. He did not have the typical background that would open oneself to demonic oppression (such as playing with Ouija boards, entanglement in the occult, drugs, abnormal sexual pursuits, etc.). In fact, he had become a Christian at a young age and been raised in a Christian home, yet suicide became a real option in his life. At first, I talked to him in an effort to allow the prayer team to lay hands on him and pray for him, but to no avail. Then I asked if I could pray for him, which he allowed. Though I was not that experienced in spiritual warfare, yet having gone through Jan’s episode with oppression, I ed her advice on being specific in using Jesus of Nazareth when dealing with spiritual warfare. Therefore, while praying with this Christian brother, I asked in the name of Jesus of Nazareth that Satan be bound. Once the prayer session was over, the young man seemed to be more normal and immediately said he would allow the prayer team to pray for him. I believe 1 John 4:4 gives us insight into who has greater power, the Holy Spirit that indwells every born-again believer, or the spirit of the world. It says, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world.” I realize a doctrine cannot be built on one verse or a couple of experiences, but scripture bears out that at the name of Jesus, demons recognize who He is and understand His authority (See Mark 1: 22-24 & Luke 10:17). At this juncture of my biography, it seems appropriate to reflect on another

occasion that demonstrates the power of praying in Jesus’ name. The church I attended broadcasted its Sunday service on television. They had telephone counselors that would be waiting for anyone who wanted to call in with any questions they had regarding the sermon preached, salvation, or virtually any subject relative to Christianity. The counselor would also pray with them, if they desired, which often was the case. I ed this team of counselors after attending the church for four years. It was an exciting ministry that presented a variety of challenges, as each caller was unique, having different personalities and concerns. Most people were sincere in their enquiry, yet on occasion you would receive a person who called in to give you a bad time. Probably one of the most memorable s I received was from a young man who I will call Greg who had a problem with smoking marijuana. After talking with him for a while, Greg informed me of his desire to abstain from the drug, but he had had no success, for the craving was too great. I asked Greg if he would allow me to pray about the problem and he agreed. Again, I prayed in Jesus’ name for Greg to be set free from this ion for marijuana. After we ended the prayer, I asked him for his phone number, so that I could call him to inquire how he was doing. He was in favor of that and gave me a number to call. About a week later, not knowing what to expect, I gave Greg a ring. The phone rang a few times and then someone answered. I introduced myself and asked for Greg. The person on the phone was him, but he was surprised to hear from me, because seldom was he at this place. Greg was pleased I had called him and said, “After praying with you, my craving for marijuana ceased and I have not smoked any pot since”. I was elated, talked to him briefly and then we said our goodbyes. The enemy of darkness can influence a person in many ways, from craving for drugs, to sexual perversion, to even eating disorders, but Jesus Christ can set you free from all. John 8:34-36 says, “… Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Freedom given by Christ is the only true freedom, for He can deliver you from the shackles and the bondage of sin. Just as He set this young man free of marijuana, and me of liquor, cigarettes and other vices, He can set you free from all your sins, if you call on His name in faith. After attending our church for five years, subtle changes started occurring that were troubling to me. The ultimate act that brought forth the decision to leave the church occurred at a leadership dinner. Anybody in the church who had a leadership position was invited; this included me, for I was the leader of our

shepherding group. All spouses were included, making for over two hundred in attendance. The purpose of the function was to present a proposed building project on another piece of land that the church owned. It was an extensive project that would include buses to transport people back and forth from the main property to the secondary campus. This was a big undertaking, bringing with it a large sum of money. A motivational speaker was called in, sadly, to sell the idea to the lay leaders. After the invited guest spoke, he then asked everyone to bow their head in prayer, telling us to visualize the proposed project. At this point the watchman came out in me and I raised my head refusing to continue in this unscriptural practice. I was dubious of the plan before the call to visualize came forth, however this confirmed my doubts. Sadly, as I raised my head and looked around; the other attendees seemed in harmony with the procedure, for all heads stayed bowed. At this point Jan and I decided to leave the church we loved, the church where we were baptized and received solid grounding in the faith, a large fellowship that offered so much. At times we as Christians are called to make difficult choices and surely this was one, though I believe it was the correct decision. Not long after we left the church, it was revealed a major sin had been committed by the pastor, resulting in many people leaving the congregation. The expansion program they sought never was realized and new leadership was sought and eventually found. The years that followed were difficult and lean, however today through many trials the church is once again vibrant and a voice for the Lord. At this point we were unsure where to attend church and decided to a home bible study that met on Sunday mornings. It was led by a young couple who had two children the same ages as ours, which worked out well. The husband did the teaching while his wife led us in songs of praise. They were more mature in the faith than us, having come to the Lord early in their life. An area they both talked about with warnings was the ministry of the so-called faith healers. This brought us to a book written by Dave Hunt, Seduction of Christianity, which I read in amazement, having a sobering effect upon me. Dave Hunt exposed many false teachings that had entered the church and those who taught and promoted such heresy. After reading this book, it was difficult to comprehend the vastness and the extreme error being perpetuated, even that of teaching you are a god. Was Mr. Hunt correct in his writing, were so many of these renowned teachers seen on television leading thousands of people astray, while getting rich from people who absorbed their lies, sending them money in a false hope? To my dismay, in time I found it to be true. Since then, I have attempted to warn people

of these and other false teaching, not wanting any to be deceived, with mixed results. I have learned that you can only correct a person who is willing to be taught the truth. What really convinced me of these charlatans was attending a service of one of the most renowned promoters of the Word of Faith movement. We were invited to attend this crusade by the very couple that had warned us against this type of teaching. It didn’t make sense, an oxymoron, they cautioned us of its falseness, yet they couldn’t resist the lure to participate in their folly, inviting us to partake with them. This we did, ing many others who came expecting healings, or some other miraculous experience to happen. Similar to other Christian outreaches, first came a number of Christian songs that were quite uplifting, followed by a convincing sermon from the Word of Faith preacher. After the message was presented and an altar call was given for those who wanted to come forward to be prayed for, with emphasis on healing, we observed the unscriptural practice of “slain in the spirit”. This begins with people responding to the call to come forward and lining up for prayers. The istering preacher then puts his hand on the unsuspecting soul’s forehead and then prays for him/her. Behind the person are two men ready to catch the one being prayed for, anticipating that he/she will fall backward sometime during the prayer. As I observed most did fall backward, with some needing encouragement with a nudge from the ministering preacher. This is called “slain in the spirit”, for they say the Spirit of God comes upon them in power, causing the fall. I’m sorry, but scripture is conspicuously absent of such a practice. After the person is caught and gently laid down on the floor, they may stay there for a few minutes, or longer, seemly in a trance, with some of them mumbling. This is what Jan and I observed while witnessing this procedure and one of the people was a woman I knew ten years prior to this event. After she came out of her state of being “slain in the spirit” we talked to her briefly; she seemed somewhat normal, yet somewhat confused. Jan and I then departed, coming away with more knowledge of this erroneous teaching. Not long after our exposure to the Word of Faith movement we started attending a small Baptist church that was very sound, with a pastor who had a shepherd’s heart. We attended there until we left the area and moved to the city of Redding, California which is about 400 miles northeast of Campbell. It was a challenging transition that would change our family’s life drastically. Through much prayer and the pursuit of another job in the Redding area, the door opened to make the move possible. Another company needed a representative in that area, and I decided to pursue it, asking the Lord to open

and close the door and His will be done. I made my initial with the sales manager of the other company and expressed my desire to apply for the sales position in the Redding area. He was willing to interview me, and an appointment was set. The interview went well but a second meeting with the Regional Manager was needed before a job offer could be made. After both interviews were completed, an offer came forth, which I accepted with some trepidation. This decision did not come easy, for it came with a price. For me it meant giving up twelve years with my current company, a supervisory position and major responsibility, to become a sales representative traveling by car throughout much of rural Northern California. This would also come with a substantial reduction in pay. The question arises, why would we make such a move? The advantages would be raising our young daughters in a much less congested area where Christian values would be more a factor in society, and the beauty of the area that featured majestic Mount Shasta to the North and scenic Mount Lassen to the East, that offered outdoor activities including snow skiing, mountain hiking, camping, fishing, etc. Another advantage was monetary, becoming debt free by owning our home outright and at the same time, improving the quality of our house.

The Move

Now that the decision to move had been made, selling the house was in order. We prepared the home for sale and decided to wait until January 1988 to list it with a realtor. Not knowing how long it would take to receive a bonafide offer, this would allow about five months to complete the transaction and move to Redding. I had to start work for my new employer in December of 1987 which allowed me about five weeks to prepare for the transition. Our plan was for me to move to Redding in December and live in an apartment for six months, while Jan and the girls stayed in Campbell through May of 1988. This would allow Sabrina and Tammy to complete their school year at the Christian school they attended and Jan to fulfill her commitment as a Kindergarten teacher there. We needed to act quickly so we soon took a trip to Redding to find an apartment for me to live in and at the same time look for promising areas to purchase a home. We first secured the apartment, with a six-month lease and then surveyed Redding for potential residences to purchase. After a brief time looking, we discovered a new housing development that was in its infant stage that caught our attention. It was located about four miles north of Redding situated in rolling hills on a golf course. We ed the listing agent and got all the information on the development. We learned that the contractor was selling the parcels of land individually, with the buyer being responsible for having the house built. The next day we viewed the available parcels and purchased the lot that would meet our needs and budget. After g all the paperwork, we then drove back to Campbell. December soon came and after taking care of all areas of concern at home, I drove to Redding to start my new job. Being away from the family would be difficult, but the plan was to come home virtually every weekend so the time of separation would be limited. This was a new world for me, having lived in the bustling Santa Clara Valley for the last fifteen years and now making my abode in rural Shasta County. Once arriving in Redding, I drove to the apartment complex where I would be living for the next six months, checked into the office, got my key and then settled in for the night. The next day I awoke early, got ready for my first day on the job and waited for my new supervisor, Brett, to

pick me up. He arrived as scheduled and we put in a full day together, with Brett giving me an overview of the policies and expectations of the company. Brett was a fine young man and very professional. We would spend a number of days together calling on various s from Redding to the coastal city of Eureka. In time I was able to share the gospel with him and hopefully later he received the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior and one day I’ll see him again in heaven. When the end of the week arrived, I drove home to be with Jan and the girls. This would be the routine for the next five months, with me staying in Redding about one weekend a month. The selling of the house seemed to be going well, with an initial offer coming in within the first three weeks on the market. However, it fell through, and we waited for the next offer which came soon after. It was a sound offer that came to fruition with a closing date at the end of March. This meant we needed a place for Jan and the girls to stay through May. The Lord provided through a lady from our church who lived in the same neighborhood. When the school year had ended, we made our move to Redding. I rented a large U-Haul truck and loaded our furniture on the vehicle with help from my brother and his son. The next day after saying our goodbyes and thanks, I drove the truck, while Jan and the girls followed in the car on our way to Redding. I had moved out of the apartment and rented a house, which we stayed in for the next six months while our home was being built. This house was in a wooded area, with a number of problems that included a faulty air conditioner. Redding is very hot in the summer, with temperatures reaching up to 115 degrees on extreme days. The summer of 1988 was extremely hot and dry, igniting fires in a number of areas, causing dense smoke to form in our part of the city. Though at times it was uncomfortable, we made the best of it, with the girls enjoying our stay there. They spent many hours riding their bikes and building forts on the empty lot next door. While in the rental house, we went through the process of seeing our new home being built. As the building progressed, decisions needed to be made, such as the color of the house, flooring, carpets, cabinets, etc. Often our Saturdays were spent looking for the needed items to be installed in the home. It was exciting to see the home come together with all its stages from the foundation being poured to the carpets being installed. The contractor finished our home in November, which allowed us to celebrate Thanksgiving there. Again, I rented a U-Haul truck, getting help to load and unload it from people at the church we were attending. Similar to most moves, the garage got filled with boxes that needed to be unpacked. After a couple of months, we managed to complete the task,

getting the home in some semblance of order. Since this was a subdivision where each homeowner hired his own contractor, the fence, front yard, and backyard were done separately, leaving that responsibility on me. I could have had it all done by hired workers, but with limited finances, the burden fell on me. I first built the fence that fall/early winter which went well and then in the summer, the front yard was next on the agenda. This was more of a challenge, especially due to the hot summer days in Redding. The day I rented a rototiller to till the yard, the mercury hit 115 degrees, making the potential for heat stroke high. Not giving it much thought I continued the work, until my neighbor came by, instructing me to douse my head with water before I fainted. Taking his advice, I turned on the faucet, took the hose and ran it on my head, receiving immediate, refreshing relief. I finished that portion of the job that day, taking breaks, drinking water, and cooling my head by running water over it. I finished the front yard that year and the backyard the following year. It was good to complete the projects, though owning a home, there always seems to be something that needs to be done. As they say, “It’s part of the territory” and I was thankful I could do the tasks and had a house we could call our own. During the summer Jan had sought a job as a teacher at a Christian school, which she attained. Though her salary was small, the school gave free tuition for teachers’ children making it possible to put the girls in a private school, with Jan driving them to and from the facility. This worked well through eighth grade, until they started high school and needed to transfer to another school that offered the upper grades. Christian school was a good choice for the girls with a solid curriculum that emphasized the basics of education (reading, writing & arithmetic) coupled with Christian values. This made for a more rounded person and prepared them for college when the time arrived. The church we attended was moderate in size with fundamental teaching. In time we participated in the various ministries it offered for adults and kids alike. In the seven years we were at that church, we went to family camps that featured solid bible teaching, various outdoor activities and even a day canoeing down the Russian River that was nearby. They were always refreshing spiritually and a great outing for the families at the church to in fellowship. The two ministries that I got involved in were the calling club and leading a home bible study that met in our home. These met the two areas in the Christian life that radiated in my inner being. Number one, learning the word of God better, then

putting into practice what you have learned; in essence, becoming a disciple of Christ, which is a life-long endeavor. The other is sharing the gospel with those who have an ear to hear, hoping the seed planted lands on fertile soil that brings forth a new birth, bearing much fruit over the course of time. Once again Jan and I felt led to leave a church, impurity being the reason and the subtle encroachment of liberalism. Unbeknownst to me at the time, a movement was occurring in the evangelical churches that would change the way church services were being conducted. Probably the first to go was the manner of dress. It began with the elimination of the tie, next the sport coat, then the slacks, until we have reached the point of despair (shorts, tee shirt, sandals). I realize the bible says in 1 Samuel 16;7b, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Surely a suit and tie does not make one holy, for some of the greatest shysters are decked out in thousand-dollar suits preaching from the pulpit. I’m not advocating wearing ties, but we have gone too far in casual dress. We have allowed the world to influence us, instead of being salt and light. Our world in the United States and all of the western world have become pagan, influenced by Hollywood which is the antithesis to Christianity and dress is one of many areas we can see the descent into paganism. Question, how many men wear a suit and tie to work, or sport coat and slacks to work, yet they go to church in jeans and a polo shirt, or some other combination, even including Bermuda shorts. Where did we ever get the idea that Jesus gets less than the workplace. This slackness in dress has also infiltrated the women, with many females having abandoned the call of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:9 &10, “Women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.” Much of the attire worn by women attending church today is anything but modest and at times seductive. About a year ago I was attending a church where I became embarrassed to look at a woman at greeting time, for her top was conspicuously exposed. Another sobering time came when Jan and I were working in Awana’s and noticed a young woman helper wearing short shorts. What type of an example is this to these children to whom God’s Word is being taught? In today’s world can we even define modesty? The next area that was drastically changed was music, with the introduction of rock ‘n’ roll that has Christian lyrics which makes everything all right. The hymns of old have basically been abandoned in lieu of lyrics that have little spiritual value, with words you repeat over and over again accompanied by loud

rock ‘n’ roll music. Often the lights are dimmed, strobe lights are lit up putting the emphasis on the song leader, instead of Jesus Christ, the One we are to worship. It so often reminds me of the night clubs I once frequented. Let me clarify something. There are many contemporary songs that bring praise unto the Lord with meaningful words which I embrace, but much of what I hear today especially on radio, sounds like secular music, so loud that the words are indistinguishable. I realize most people attending a Christian church will disagree with me on this subject; therefore, I encourage you to research the history of rock ‘n’ roll and pray for wisdom from God. Also, read and study your bible and you will see that all Christian music should direct one’s attention to Christ, not someone on stage. The next area to be changed has been the Word of God, or should I say, watered down. Today we hear much about God’s grace, God’s love for you, God’s forgiveness, and God’s mercy. These are all true, for without these attributes of God, there would be no hope for any of us. However, God is also holy, God is righteous, and He is a God of wrath who created hell and those who reject His Son who died on Calvary’s cross for the sin of man are destined to go there. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. To repeat, today, often the sermons are filled with God’s love, mercy, grace, forgiveness (hallelujah), but frequently void of His righteousness, holiness, and judgment for sin. We do not want to hear this, but God’s word is replete with warnings about eternal judgment, and they need to be taught, for silence will not make reality void. Just this last Sunday the man who preached in the church Jan and I are attending gave a short testimony on how he came to the Lord. He said in a dream, he saw himself heading for a fiery, smoky hell that depicted misery. He realized his sins were not forgiven and only Jesus Christ could save him. Soon after this experience, he trusted in the Lord for salvation. I call much of what is happening today, casual Christianity, seeker friendly, or the purpose-driven church. The reason given for conducting service in this manner is to make the non-Christian feel comfortable when entering the church building, and once they start attending the church on a regular basis they will change. The opposite holds true, when a non-believer visits a church; he should see a difference in the people, to include dress, language, attitude and most of all, God’s love demonstrated through His people, who welcome them despite their dress. If biblical truth is being preached from the pulpit and the Spirit is convicting people of their sin and the need of the Savior, that unbeliever in time

will either repent and receive the Savior or leave for a fellowship that presents a compromised message. What has occurred over time is the church in most cases has emulated the world and become carnal. With our culture abandoning Christian values over the last sixty years, embracing secular humanism and every unimaginable pagan belief, the gulf between the world and the church should have enlarged; instead, it is the opposite and the distinction has been marginalized. Numerous houses of worship are filled with programs, but they lack the power that comes exclusively through the Holy Spirit to His people who are obedient to Him and have reverence for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. This is a silent proclamation by a movement that says the previous two hundred years of Christians had it wrong in our country and they finally got it right. Or they may say, God is working in a new way, we cannot put Him in a box. It is true God can change His ways or methods, and can do things differently as He pleases, but He will not bless a movement that is contrary to His word. Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus is using this and other scriptures to illustrate that all have sinned. Today polls have been taken and the results are shocking; over 70% of the men who go to Christian churches have a problem resisting pornography. I understand anyone can fall into sin and should seek help for victory over a vice. However, we have a plague of filth infecting the church, fruit that is rotten from the core out. The new way is a failure and true repentance is the only cure. Today emphasis is on growth (numbers) while Jesus stressed making disciples. What I believe we are witnessing is the falling away as prophesied in II Thessalonians 2:3 which says, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away (apostasy) comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.’ In other words, there will be a departing from God’s truth in the past days prior to the appearing of the Anti-Christ. It seems to me based on scripture and what is occurring in Christianity, we have arrived at some point in this last days’ apostasy. The next church we were to attend was small and the pastor was the husband of a lady Jan worked with as co-kindergarten teachers. At this church I was to receive training to become at pastor, a desire of my heart that was not to be realized for a number of years. After attending there for a couple of years I became close to the pastor and in time he allowed me to present a short introduction at each service to include scripture that was about five minutes in length. The next bold step was preaching a sermon when the pastor was absent

due to another obligation. I prayed, I studied and took hours to prepare; however, when Sunday arrived to give the sermon, nerves gripped me. I became tonguetied, with dismal results. I learned that preaching is a calling and if the Holy Spirit does not bless, the outcome will be flat and fruitless. There would be other opportunities to preach at our little church, with improvement coming with each sermon, though I never felt satisfied to the degree of fulfillment. My training would also include teaching a Sunday school class, instructing a discipleship class, and visiting those who visited the church along with calling on people who lived in the same neighborhood. All was going well until a new couple came into the fellowship that had a profound effect on the church. Their influence, especially the wife’s, could be detected at an early stage and through the course of time they virtually took over, relegating the pastor’s portion to a secondary role as to authority. Seeing this develop over time and the negative effect it was having on the congregation, I had a conference with the pastor. After our meeting, we could not resolve the issue and Jan and I decided to leave this little church that meant so much to us. At the same time, two other families gave notice to the pastor that they were leaving. This had nothing to do with Jan and I, for we never mentioned our intentions, except to the pastor and his wife. About a year later the pastor was removed and another man was brought in to replace him. The fellowship dwindled even more, resulting in the closure of the church. Such a sad commentary, having been part of a small congregation that grew, then fell and ultimately closed its doors. During this time, I also lost my job at American Home Foods. Due to a transition in the industry from local decision-making to centralized buying and the demise of the independent store and independent chain stores, the need for a direct sales force was greatly reduced. Due to these reasons and to reduce costs, American Home Foods decided to hire a broker to market its products and in the process laid off most of their sales force. Many of the sales representatives got job offers with the various brokers; however, I did not, for my geographical area did not warrant one. I did get severance pay from the company for the seven years of service, which would meet the family’s needs for a number of months. This would give me time to look for another job; however, the area of California I lived in was lacking opportunities for good employment. Jan and I prayed for a job opportunity, seeking the Lord’s direction, and immediately I sought employment. An opening was available with a broker out of Oregon, for which I applied and received an interview. The interview went well, but the broker’s reputation was poor, and I decided not to pursue it any

further. Some time went by, and I had no prospects until I got an unexpected call from a man representing a company that was unknown to me. It was a broker in Oregon who got the American Home Foods and was looking for a representative in Northern California to sell multiple lines of products they represented. When I talked to Del, the man who ed me, a peaceful feeling came over me and I felt this would be the job the Lord would provide. I was to learn later that Del was a Christian which made this relationship pleasant. After a couple of interviews, I was hired, but only part time for the first four months. Del worked with me a number of days, teaching me about the various products this broker represented. We drove the mountains calling on stores, doing resets from the frozen food department to the canned goods department. In a short period of time, I was on my own calling on stores in much of the same geographical area as before, but a number of the s were new to me for they purchased their products from Oregon rather than California where I serviced with my previous employer. The other major difference was the number of stores called on in a day. With a much-expanded product line with the food broker, only two or three calls per day were required, versus seven or eight with American Home Foods. Most days on the road were very typical with no eventful occurrences, but on occasion something would happen that was memorable. Such was the day I was traveling to a small store that was about twenty-five miles into a forested area. The two-way road that took me to the store was narrow and winding, lined with large boulders at times, that also followed a river most of the way. This was not unusual for Northern California; for it is marked with much mountainous terrain, with the road often meandering along the river’s edge. I was traveling at a modest speed in a very curvy area when suddenly, after coming around a bend in the road, a rock appeared in the middle of my lane. I had no time to slow down, nor room to sway out of the way, so I made a fast decision to straddle the rock with my car. As I drove over the obstacle the rear axle hit the rock, causing the car to bump. I immediately pulled over to the side of the road to check for damage. Not detecting any, I started the engine and proceeded down the lane, but the car was very squirrelly, making it difficult to handle. From that point to my destination, I had to drive the car very slowly or else it would begin to go out of control. Having reached the supermarket safely, I entered the store and commented to the store clerk that the road seemed a bit slippery. She responded, “Didn’t you hear, a big rig spilled its entire diesel on the road making it very slick and causing a couple of cars to go into the river.” That was a wakeup call to me, having realized that the rock which I thought caused my problem, actually

saved me from a similar outcome. After analyzing the situation in my mind, the placement and size of that rock was crucial. If I had reached the rock much sooner than I did, I would have stopped, then took off feeling no effect of the bump, entered the slick part of the road at regular speed and probably lost control of the car with a dismal outcome. If the rock was further down the road, I would have entered the spilled diesel area at regular speed and the results would likely have been three cars in the river. To this day I believe the Lord Jesus placed that perfect-sized rock at the right place and the right time, for He knew in advance that I would be on that road at that time heading into a disaster. I truly believe the Lord holds our lives in His hand and in this case, He chose to keep me alive by using a rock in the road. Another time while working for American Home Foods, God saved me from a head-on collision. I was traveling home from work on a two-lane highway. It was late afternoon, and I was getting tired and instead of pulling over and taking a walk, I continued to drive. Wrong decision, for my eyes got heavy and I nodded off with the car veering to the left toward oncoming traffic. Suddenly and for no apparent reason the car bounced, awakening me in time to avoid a head-on collision. Again, the Lord saved me from sure death and that of others. His mercy is beyond description, My position with the Oregon food broker took some adjustment, but in a few months, I was confident and doing well, being grateful to have a job that met our family needs. However, after three years with this company, I was laid off again due to a change in the marketplace. God’s timing is perfect and at that time I had a friend who was retiring from S & W. He recommended me for the position. I anxiously sought this opportunity and was soon hired after two interviews. S & W was a fine company to be employed by and being familiar with virtually all the s that I was expected to call on, I adjusted quickly to my new employer. Around the same time Jan and I ed a new church with a dynamic pastor who preached the Word of God well. While attending this fellowship I met a brother in the Lord, named Neil, who became my close friend. Neil was a student of the Word of God, especially on Romans, Chapter six. This chapter details the Christian’s identification with Christ Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. It is a teaching that needs to be studied and may take time to grasp and apply to your life. Neil was emphatic about this biblical concept, believing it held the key to having a victorious Christian life. Whenever the opportunity arose, he taught this

precept and that being the case, we nicknamed him, Romans Six. If you are interested in learning about this teaching, I suggest a book by Miles J. Stanford, The Green Letters, Principles of Spiritual Growth. It will give you a better understanding of the Christian’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. However, first you need to read and study Romans six yourself, for there is no substitute for the Word itself. Neil and I could spend a long time discussing the things of the Lord, His Word and especially Romans six. He was an inspiration to be around, though our time was very limited, since his job kept him away often. In time he moved to Paso Robles, CA and while there, he started his own business. We kept in touch by phone, but there is no replacement for personal . Therefore, when I accrued some vacation time, Jan and I and our daughter Tamara visited Neil and his wife in Paso Robles. During our stay we visited Hearst Castle at San Simeon which is located by the ocean. Being a historic landmark, we decided to take a partial tour of the old mansion that celebrities once patronized. Though the tour was interesting and enjoyable, it reinforced the reality of the brevity of life and the temporal pleasures of the world. Just consider the fact that those who once enjoyed this place and embraced its luxurious lifestyle, are no longer here and have entered the hereafter for eternity. I was to lose this close brother who died due to leukemia in 2004 and went home to be with the Lord one week before the death of my mother. At this time, 1998, my oldest daughter, Sabrina was attending Simpson College in Redding, CA. At that time, she met a young man named Frank on a mission trip to the Ukraine. They really got to know each other as they ministered together at a camp for orphans. They started dating each other not long after they arrived home from the Ukraine. In time they fell in love and desired to be married. Frank had one year left of college and Sabrina would graduate that year. They decided to get married in the summer of 1999. Sabrina would work full time and Frank would attend college and work part time until graduating in the spring of 2000. Much effort went into the wedding preparations. Jan and I led the way in preparing for this grand event, receiving much needed help from various friends of ours and of Frank & Sabrina. When the day finally arrived, there were anxious moments, with excitement filling the air in anticipation of the bride and groom being married and one in Christ. The wedding ceremony went well, and Sabrina looked beautiful in her white gown as I walked her down the aisle. Frank looked handsome in his

tuxedo waiting for his bride-to-be as she approached the platform. They said their vows, Frank then kissed his bride and a celebration followed. The reception lasted about two hours, with the usual traditions; music, good food and fellowship. At the close of the celebration, Frank and Sabrina departed to Monterey for their honeymoon. Today, twenty-one years later, they are living in Boise, Idaho with their four children, Natasha, David and Meagan, and their new arrival, baby Evangeline Grace, a late blessing. Following a year later my youngest daughter, Tamara, got married to a young man she met in high school, named Hudson. Jan and I again found ourselves preparing for a wedding. They were to be married by the pastor of the church we were attending at that time, whose name was Bill. Tammy made a beautiful bride, dressed in white, and once again I found myself walking my daughter down the aisle. A reception followed and Hudson and Tammy departed the next day on their honeymoon. Tammy’s marriage to Hudson lasted seven years, but circumstances led to divorce. We are all able to God for our sins, yet He forgives, if we truly repent. The Bible is full of such examples, both in the Old and New Testament. Tammy remarried and she and her husband Todd have been married eleven years and have one daughter, Madelynn Jan, who we truly enjoy, as we do all our grandchildren. It was an unusual time for Jan and I, for in one year both of our daughters got married and the empty nest syndrome set in. This is one of those milestones of life. For twenty years you’re responsible for raising your children and having them live in the house with you, or close by, as was the case with Sabrina while living on campus the last three years of college. Now it’s just the two of us, a bit quiet at times, a bit lonely, but over the course of time you adjust and move on with life which brings forth advantages and disadvantages. We both were working then, and I had started another new job with a dairy company as a salesman. This was to be the most pressure-filled position I had ever encountered. My job was to maintain a good rapport with current customers, acquire new s, at times check the paperwork of the delivery truck drivers and then close the office, making for a long day. I also attended sales meetings in Fresno, CA about every six weeks where virtually everyone drank liquor but myself, which made socializing difficult since I was ostracized. After about two years working for the company, they bought out another dairy distributor that had customers in the city of Chico, sixty miles north of our main office. I was sent to Chico to help establish the new business. Besides building rapport with the customers, I had to attempt to recover funds from delinquent customers. This

was stressful for the service they had received was marginal or poor and two of the clients became belligerent. The golden thread that went through this trying position was the opportunity to witness to people when the door opened, or seemingly opened. This was a course of action I had applied throughout my Christian life on all previous positions of employment without any repercussions. However, this was to come to an end, for a potential customer who I had witnessed to, took offense and reported me to my manager. My superior reprimanded me. I apologized and said I would not repeat my action. However, that same week two opportunities to share Christ opened and I could not contain myself. From that point on, I concluded that if another complaint was ed, I would it my flagrant disobedience and put in my resignation. Though that did not happen, the day came after much pressure and long hours, that I gave my two week’s notice after 2 1/2 years of employment. I was so relieved and felt it was time to take a new direction in life, but I was not sure what that would be.

The Oppression

This part of my story is one that is difficult to relate, and my desire is that it never would have happened, for its pain was deep and long with a sense of hopelessness that brought on despair. However, as I look back, though painful, I can see its positive effect in molding me into a child of God. Similar to Jan’s experience with oppression after a few years as a Christian, I experienced the same thing, only to be more severe with a longer recovery period. It first occurred in the Christmas season of 2003. My mother came to Redding that year to spend the holiday with us. She was having problems with pressure in her head, caused by a brain tumor that was diagnosed after her return home. Shortly after mom departed for home, an oppression came upon me that was to intensify over the course of time. I will not elaborate on all that occurred, rather bring forth some events that transpired and practices that I applied to obtain relief. Having experienced Jan’s prior experience and her ordeal, I decided first to go to the Lord in prayer and apply 1 John 1:9, confessing any sins that the Holy Spirit revealed to me. I was not in any overt sin (adultery, pursuit of money, power, drugs, etc.), my sins were more subtle, ones that only God could detect (bitterness, pride, anger, etc.) which needed to be confessed and worked out over time. I really needed to be broken and eventually that is what happened; having a contrite heart that was poor in spirit, I recognized only the Lord could work this out of me. Oh, how great salvation is, that day I was justified, sanctified, cleansed of all my sins, and sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of my redemption. However, that is the beginning of the Christian life and then the sanctification process begins, the process of molding us into the image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A process that is performed by the Holy Spirit over the balance of our life. It comes in ways and by means that we don’t anticipate, unique to each child of God as the Spirit sees fit. For me the oppression would come and go, even affecting my ability to drive my car. One memorable event occurred when Jan and I had gone to the Eureka coast in northern California to spend time at the beach. While driving back from Eureka to Redding, it came upon me and my ability to drive was impaired, with fear gripping my heart. This was extremely unnerving, for the road was only two

lanes with many curves and steep cliffs. After going awhile, I stopped at the first place to eat, welcoming the relief from driving. We had a good lunch, giving thanks to the Lord for His provision and asking for the oppression to be lifted. Once on the road again, the relief came, and we made it home without another occurrence. Thank you, Lord, for answered prayer, however there would be more similar instances to follow. One of these occurred while I was having lunch at one of my favorite deli’s. While entering the restaurant, I felt the oppression come on, yet I continued to order my food. Having received my sandwich, I sat down at a booth and gave thanks to the Lord for the food He provided. Around that time the oppression was lifted and when that happens, it’s similar to a 100-pound weight being lifted off you, only this is spiritual and the relief is much greater. After finishing my lunch, I drove home with much joy having experienced this alleviation. That night, Jan asked me if I had felt something around twelve thirty? I told her what happened around that time and asked why she inquired? Jan then informed me, she and another teacher had prayed for me at that time. Never underestimate the power of prayer when two of God’s children come together in prayer and supplication unto the Lord on behalf of another. In the spring of 2004, my mother was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. After discussions with the surgeon, my brother, and a close friend of mom’s, it was decided that an operation was needed in an attempt to save my mother’s life. Jan and I drove to Mountain View, California to my mother during this most trying time of her life. We arrived a few days prior to the operation in order to encourage and pray with mom. I was still having my bouts with oppression, but not as severe and at this time I needed to be stable. Mom was glad to see us, but was anxious, which was to be expected under such conditions. After staying with mom in her home for three days, she was itted to the hospital the day before the operation. God works in mysterious ways and at times we least expect it and such was the case when Jan and I visited my mother in the hospital the day before the operation. Mom was in her room when we arrived, and we were permitted to visit her. After talking to mom awhile, I asked her if she would want me to read from the bible? Before she could answer, a voice called out, “I would.” It was from Gertrude, mom’s roommate. I was a bit surprised, not expecting a comment to come forth from an unknown source yet delighted that someone wanted the Bible read to her. At that point I responded to Gertrude saying I would return

that evening and read the Bible to her. After staying with Mom awhile, Jan and I left and came back later that night. When we arrived, Gertrude was asleep, and I read the Bible to Mom. After I finished, Gertrude woke up and said, “I thought you were going to read the Bible to me”. At that point I went to Gertrude and conversed with her for a while. She was a lady that had encountered many difficult challenges in life and now in her later years had a number of physical infirmities. She was quite a character and I enjoyed talking with her. After our conversation ended, I opened the Bible to the gospel of John, chapter 3 and read to her. Once I finished the chapter, I went through the Four Spiritual Laws, explaining the plan of salvation. Gertrude, with enthusiasm, said she wanted to receive Christ into her life as Savior. In delight we both bowed our heads and I led her in the sinner’s prayer. The next day I was to visit Gertrude one more time and then she proudly told me she had read through the Four Spiritual laws again on her own. I smiled and was glad for her, surely believing she had become a child of God, expecting to see her again in eternity. What a blessing this was for me at a dark time in my life. When the day of mom’s operation came, Jan and I arrived early at the hospital, giving me an opportunity to talk to the surgeon before he went into the operating room. I asked him, what was the likelihood that this procedure would be successful? His response was shocking, “None,” he replied. With zero possibility of saving my mother’s life, why would you put her through a false hope and the anguish that goes with brain surgery? It was too late to stop what was to occur, so the surgery was performed, with the expected results. When mom recovered from the operation and was able to speak, she had no idea that the procedure was futile. A few weeks later when she realized the problem had not been resolved, she had to face her fatal consequences a second time, compounding her anxiety. My heart went out to mom, she had been deceived and I was at a loss for words. What has happened to the integrity that once existed in our society, a culture that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles; in this case putting the welfare of the patient first and not lining pockets by a useless operation? Can I say, it begins when a nation dismisses God, His principles, and laws, in exchange for human values that are flawed at best, for man has a sin nature that all have received from Adam, the father of mankind? We saw this played out in this country when prayer was banned from the public schools in 1962 and soon to follow, the elimination of the Ten Commandments, with the Bible being virtually banned from the government schools. What a tragic end to the book that was once used in our schools to teach reading. Starting in 1963 we witnessed two immediate

negative consequences of this decision; the scholastic scores in the government schools started to decline and crime began to increase. We never looked back, and today many of our schools have become a haven for crime, drugs, and sexual promiscuity, producing students who can no longer do basic math problems, read fluently, or write a cursive letter. It is not their fault, for their curriculum is not designed for such basics that formulated our education system for over 200 years prior to the initial major downturn in 1963. Secular Humanism has replaced Biblical values and the result has been nothing short of tragic, with the endorsing of the killing of a child in the mother’s womb, sexual promiscuity, including homosexual marriages and now transgender, where a person can no longer determine his/her natural birth. Sodom and Gomorrah is the epitome of a culture that allowed such immorality to permeate its society. God being righteous, waited for them to repent, but realized it was not going to take place, therefore He destroyed these two cites and all their inhabitants by fire, rather than allowing them to spread their sin to others. Have we in this country come to the point where God’s judgment is at hand and Romans 1: 28 is in motion? “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;”. Here God gives man over to a reprobate mind that no longer can discern good from evil, nor truth from error. One of the greatest lies bestowed upon modern man is the theory of evolution, which is now taught as fact throughout the entire government school system in the U.S. from grade school through college. Once you eliminate God who created all things in six literal twenty-four-hour days, then you need a substitute to explain how it all started; thus we have evolution, pioneered by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace and then adopted by Carl Marx, one of the founders of Communism and an advocate of atheism. Could it be, from its inception, this theory was not contrived and used by those who didn’t realize that the universe and all it contains was created by God, but rather initiated by those who did not want to be able to God? (Only the Lord knows for sure) Therefore they needed a basis to replace Him, making The Almighty nonexistent. This being the case, he could lead a life of self will, eliminating all ability to the Creator. This is self-delusion, for Romans 1:19-20 informs us that “…what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God had shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Could anything be more clear? God is saying that we can recognize there is a God by the things he created, the precise things they are denying

through evolution. If you are confused on this subject, there are books, materials and web-sites that will give you a thorough and scientific explanation on creation versus evolution. Mom would die about three months later, in May of 2004. Having received the notice from my brother that mom’s situation was getting desperate, Jan and I traveled back to Mountain View and arrived about three weeks before her ing. Once there, Jan, my brother and I, did our best to comfort her. When mom’s condition deteriorated to the point of her inability to function, we hired two aides in off-setting shifts to care for her personal needs. The closer it came to an end, the tumor was having an effect on her entire body and mind, inhibiting her ability to speak and communication with her ended. She died about three weeks after the hiring of the two aides. Mom has been gone now for over seventeen years, though like Gertrude, she too had made a confession of faith, going forward at a Billy Graham Crusade. She was an elegant lady and worked hard to provide for my brother and me in our youth. Jan and I, along with our two daughters have fond memories of her. When the time came, my brother and I planned the funeral, working closely with the pastor of the church that mom attended regularly. Her funeral went well, with many of mom’s friends and relatives attending the service. Some that came to honor Mom I hadn’t seen for years.

A New Direction

After going through this difficult time, I continued a new path that I had pursued before mom’s ing away. Having free time and a desire to obtain a better understanding of the Bible, I had enrolled at Shasta Bible College in Redding, CA. The curriculum consisted of thirteen classes that would deepen my knowledge of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Each subject was taught at night on Tuesday and Thursday, lasting six weeks. My first day attending class was memorable, for it had been decades since I was in a college environment. I was a bit anxious, not knowing what to expect, especially being in my late fifties, while many of the students would be in their early twenties. The Lord knew I needed encouragement, for when attempting to open the door to the building, a fellow student greeted me, saying, “Follow me, the older guys sit here.” I was to learn later that he was a pastor taking classes to obtain his degree in bible. My time at Shasta Bible College would take two years to complete the required classes needed to attain the certificate that I was seeking. During that time I did my best to learn the material that covered an array of books of the bible, doctrines and history of the Old and New Testaments. My efforts were rewarded with very positive results, having received A’s in all my classes. I state this not to boast, rather to give the Lord the glory, for these grades were a sharp contrast to those I received in my secular college classes. The Bible certificate I received would not be sufficient to become a pastor in most churches, yet I had the desire to be a pastor and felt led to pursue that path. A couple of months before graduating I ed the person who was over a district of Southern Baptist churches. He informed me that there were a number of churches that needed a pastor and recommended one that was about sixty miles south of where I lived in a small town called Orland. After speaking with him, a time was set for me to be interviewed by the church . This again would be all new, having only spent a small amount of time in the pulpit, having never baptized a person, never presided over a wedding, or conducted a funeral service, which are all expected duties of a pastor. My hope of fulfilling this calling rested completely on the Lord. When the day arrived for

the meeting, I was a bit uneasy and did not know what to expect. Jan and I were interviewed by a few people, and all seemed to go well. I also interviewed them, having two key questions that needed clarification, (ie: What authority would I have?), hoping to ascertain if they were willing to negotiate on these issues. If not, I probably would have refused the position, if offered to me. They did offer me the position a couple of weeks later, to my delight. The church was extremely small and needed help, however I never realized how troubled this fellowship was until I became pastor. My first indication of inner tension came two weeks prior to my starting date. One of the lead women in the church called me, informing me on some of the activities of the church, with our conversation lasting about forty-five minutes. I had no trouble with this, being new; it was a way to gain some insight into the church affairs and get acquainted with one of the . However, her phone calls continued until the time I started pastoring. She would repeat the same areas discussed in the past, not having much meaning. One time after talking with her, I told Jan, I’m not sure if this lady is for me or against me. Later, I was to find out she was against me, not me personally, but any person stepping into the position. She wanted the church to close, reorganize and then reopen. Actually, this was a viable plan and if I had known how troubled this church was and the number of splits they had had prior to me becoming the pastor, I would have ed with her in at least evaluating her proposal. Once I got established, she and her husband left the church. I could give a number of events that occurred over the thirteen months I pastored this church, with virtually none that I experienced in previous churches I attended, however it is best that I keep it to myself. Though difficult, it was rewarding, for in this small Baptist church I got valuable experience in preaching God’s word, verse by verse and chapter by chapter. Though I had age on my side, I lacked the needed experience to pastor such a divided and troubled church as this. I left with a sad heart having seemingly failed in my first effort as a pastor, yet relieved to be set free from such a difficult conundrum. Needing a break from my thirteen months of mixed blessing and consternation as pastor, Jan and I decided on a road trip to visit our daughter Sabrina and family who were living in Texas. After four days of travel, taking in the Grand Canyon on the way, we arrived at our destination at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. Sabrina’s husband Frank was stationed there, and we spent eight days with them enjoying our time together and taking in the local sights. After saying our goodbyes, we traveled to Branson, Missouri, where we stayed a couple of nights. Since this city is renowned for entertainment, we took in one

show that depicted a patriotic theme of America. From there we traveled to Muskegon, Michigan, a city near where Jan spent her childhood years. There we stayed six days with Jan’s sister Joy and her husband Ray, enjoying the visit and exploring the area. We also visited Jan’s brother Larry who lives on White Lake in her hometown of Montague, Michigan. We had fun riding jet skis with Larry around White Lake, enjoying the beauty of the area and observing new large homes being constructed among older, smaller homes built in years past. It was such a contrast, so indicative of many things of today compared to days gone by. Again, we said our farewells and then went on to our final destination, visiting Jan’s other sister Nancy and her husband Dave in Columbus, Ohio. Jan again enjoyed her reunion with her sister. Dave and I took in a game of golf one day enjoying the game and our conversation that revolved around our previous employer (a company we both worked with for many years). On another day we all took a trip to an Amish community located in the country. This was quite unique, for their religion restricts them from using cars and many other modern conveniences, relegating many things to be made by hand. You could buy their fine quality wares in local stores. It was like going back in time where people enjoyed a much simpler way of life and were relieved of the hustle and bustle brought about by modern-day technologies. Again, we enjoyed our stay and now it was time to return home. Our drive back to Redding went without any major event. Jan and I were glad to be home after being on the road for about a month. Shortly after that, I was approached by an Elder of a small church to be considered as the pastor of their fellowship. The church was in a mountainous community about fifteen miles east of Redding and was basically occupied by those of means and those of poverty. The town featured a small grocery store, grade school, boy’s home, fire department and the small church that I would pastor. The homes were mostly spread over a vast area and the community was also known for growing marijuana which was illegal at that time. I had interviewed for the position prior to leaving on our trip but was uncertain as to its outcome. After another interview I was offered the position, which I accepted. This fellowship, though similar to the previous church I had pastored was quite different. The people ministering in this church were four young families with all the husbands and wives possessing college degrees and some having had some bible classes. The prior pastor was one of the husbands and would be a residing Elder. This was not conducive to a workable situation for reasons that would manifest themselves as time transpired.

I would pastor this fellowship for almost two years. Through this period, I obtained invaluable experience in areas I had never ministered in, prior to this tenure. This included conducting funerals, weddings, ministering to the poor and engaging in the unexpected! My previous pastorship had given me some exposure in dealing with the unusual, but as head pastor of a small church in a mountain community, the unexpected can occur at the most inopportune time. Such was the case my second week at the church. Prior to my arrival, a shooting took place, where the husband shot his wife in a confrontation. They had attended the church occasionally, though their relationship was marked with disputes. Due to this tragic event, the husband was being held in the Redding jail waiting for his case to come to trial. His daughter was in church that day and asked me to visit her father, whose name was Jim. I agreed to do so, knowing this was one of many services that a pastor was to provide. However, being a relatively new minister in my second week in an unknown community, an uneasiness settled over me. Two days later, Andy, the previous pastor and I went to the jail to visit this poor soul who was charged with murder. Once we arrived and ed, we were allowed into the jail. We would be given five minutes to console a man behind bars that I had never met before, hardly enough time to minister, especially to a person in such grave circumstances. After waiting awhile, Jim came out dressed in a prisoner’s outfit and confined behind bars while talking to us. Understandably, his demeanor was that of fear, with him doing most of the talking. Sadly, Jim could only talk about being released and gave the impression of innocence. I was hoping he would have a contrite heart, expressing guilt, coming to the Lord, confessing his sins, and asking for forgiveness. That was not to be the case as our time quickly elapsed. Andy and I left disenchanted, with little to say. I never found out the outcome of Jim’s trial; hopefully he will repent and be saved before his time on earth is over. My time as pastor was quite different than my last experience, with ample help in all areas. My main role was to preach on Sunday, give communion and address any situations that occurred unexpectedly, from the least to the more significant. A major event occurred after about three months pastoring this small church. It was a typical Sunday assembly with no unusual circumstances, other than Carmen, a faithful attendee, the senior member in age and tenure, was not present. Once the service had ended, we attempted to her by phone, but to no avail. Therefore, we drove to the home she had lived in many years and for

some time, alone. Once we arrived, Carmen was found in her backyard where she had died. We were saddened to lose her, this faithful servant of the Lord. Proper arrangements were made to attend to the body and the family was informed of their loss. Once notified, Carmen’s children acted quickly, and I soon found myself in a meeting with the family to arrange the funeral. This being my first encounter with such, it was a bit unsettling. It intensified when I quickly detected that those present were testy and reluctant to give me the needed information to perform a proper memorial service. While asking questions, the eldest son said, “just do it”, not a normal response in such circumstances. Most memorial services have a time where people attending are given an opportunity to express their memories of the deceased, but this they declined. Once I gathered all my information from the family, I prepared for the service using a book designed for giving memorials. After finishing my preparation, having coordinated with others involved with the service, such as the person leading music, I was ready for the memorial. When the day arrived, I didn’t know what to expect, as the first with the family was tentative. People started arriving about a half hour ahead of time filling our small sanctuary and soon overflowed into the foyer. This time the family was more calm and friendly, having gotten over the initial shock of their loss, making for a better relationship. The memorial started with a hymn and then I proceeded through the service. All went well with the family being very satisfied with the outcome. I thank the Lord for it all and was relieved to have finished this with a positive outcome. Being situated in a community where many were poor, reaching these underprivileged people became a desire, but knowing how to do it was the question. An opportunity to partially meet this need came from Carol, a member of our fellowship. She donated a thousand dollars to the church to be used for such a cause. I was overjoyed and now needed a list of families who were most needy in the community. I went to the local school, thinking they would be a good source. Knowing the families, the representative of the school gave me a number of families and their addresses. After assessing what we needed, Carol went to Redding and purchased food and clothing. Once she acquired the merchandise, we went together and delivered the goods to the families, except one which I did myself. All the families were surely needy, and all were grateful. In each case we invited them to church, hoping at least some would attend and be fed the food that would have eternal consequences. Though that was not to be, at least we showed God’s love and a seed was planted.

When first encountering anything new, the people you associate with are unknown, but over the course of time you learn things about them. Thus was the case with a couple who were attending the church I was pastoring. It has been said that timing is everything and I had just learned this older couple were cohabitating. The bible clearly informs us that fornication is a sin and as pastor I needed to confront this couple on their lifestyle. That opportunity came very quickly, for the woman involved gave me a call, reprimanding me for not visiting them after missing church a couple of weeks. Being sick, she expected this, though I never realized her condition. Instead of informing her of her sin of fornication on the phone, I thought it best to apologize and write her a letter explaining the dilemma she put me in. Sadly, this is common in many churches today; people calling themselves Christians attending church while living in fornication. This is an allusion, for the Bible is replete with verses that clearly state fornicators and adulterers God will judge or will not inherit the kingdom of God (Please read Hebrews 13:4). Though that is a sobering truth, the good news is, God will forgive any person who repents and turns from his/her sin and accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Once I constructed the letter explaining the biblical view of fornication, I mailed it to the couple. Not knowing what the response would be, I waited in anticipation. The reply came within a week, and it was very positive, for the lady was repentant and expressed herself with tears. After counseling the couple, they agreed to be married. I helped them get the license and in a few weeks, they were married with me conducting the ceremony in their home. God is gracious and will forgive and restore a person back to Him. This is at Calvary’s cross, the place Jesus the Christ was crucified, His blood cleansing us from all unrighteousness. To think grace covers it all and you can continue in a sinful lifestyle is another gospel, which is no gospel at all. It is amazing to me how people will justify sin to sanctify their actions. This was illustrated by a man named Rodney who approached Andy wanting to park his vehicle in the church’s parking lot for one night. Andy asked my opinion, and I gave my approval, not seeing any harm in helping someone in this manner. Rodney claimed to be a Christian and lived in the mountainous area of the community. After allowing him to park his vehicle in our lot without any repercussions, he ed me about a week later. He needed a ride to Redding and back to enable him to do some shopping. I agreed to help him and found Rodney to be a very likable man. While traveling with him back and forth to Redding a couple of times, I got to know him better. During one of our

conversations, he informed me that his pit bull had five puppies. I assumed he was going to sell them, or give them away, but I was wrong. He planned on keeping them all; with that being the case a red flag went up in my mind. Why would anybody want six dogs, especially pit bulls, known for attacking people? My presumption was, Rodney was growing marijuana and wanted the dogs to ward off any intruders. I decided to confront him on the issue, which he never hesitated to deny. He justified his position, saying marijuana came from plants and was a natural drug unlike others. It didn’t matter that it was illegal to grow in California at the time. There was no consciousness that this drug affects one’s ability to drive, jeopardizing the lives of others and yourself; a drug that numbs the mind and is often the gateway to more potent narcotics that destroy lives. It was time to separate from Rodney, who was not wanting to repent, only willing to justify his actions to continue in his wayward ways. After almost two years being pastor in this little church, it was time to step down. Real authority was with Andy, the previous pastor and it became a factor. I truly am thankful to the Lord for the time I spent at this church in the country. During that time, I got more experience in the pulpit, having preached almost through the book of Revelation and a couple of other small books. I also officiated at two weddings and two funerals, helped the poor and performed other activities of a pastor. It surely was a phase of my life that I will cherish. The Lord had given me the desire of my heart and that was to be a pastor. Though only for a short season, it was marked with both rewards and disappointments. Now that Jan and I were no longer in the ministry, we needed to find a church to fellowship in. After visiting a few churches, we decided on a nondenominational church situated in a small community about ten miles from our home. While there we ed a home bible study that met weekly in a member’s home. Jan also helped in a small pregnancy help center that counseled woman to consider having their baby, instead of the alternative. Abortion is a plague that has cursed our country since 1973, the ing of the law that allows the taking of the innocent life of a child in the womb of the mother, one of the many travesties that have overtaken our country over the last 60 years. Our country has forsaken God and His ways and unless we as God’s people repent, the consequences will be devastating. I got into a ministry that was quite unique, responding in the Redding newspaper in a column entitled, “Voices of Faith.” On a weekly basis the paper would present a religious question and the representatives from the churches who had

applied to the newspaper would respond to the question. I was the representative from our fellowship. The responses involved came from a vast array of religions, from Biblical Christianity to that of Islam, Catholicism, Zen Buddhism, etc. You can imagine the various replies that were written, that at times harmonized in some areas with other religions, while most often conflicted with biblical Christianity. In essence, you could generally summarize the differences with exclusive grace that Jesus Christ provides by His sacrifice at Calvary’s cross, versus that of good works that represents all other religions. It is not that Christians don’t do good works, rather it is the purpose behind good works. Once a person is saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, he or she then does good works that God provides, not for salvation, rather because of salvation (Please read Ephesians 2:8-10). Virtually all other religions are a workoriented salvation, not grace, which conflicts with the Bible and presents a false hope. The questions presented were varied, yet all had a religious theme. Here is an example of such, that was printed in August of 2013. Do you believe in a divine plan for everyone? Our responses were limited to 150 words or less, a challenge at times to express a clear view. Often, I would spend much time with my wife’s assistance in reducing my answer to the 150 words. Here is a response I gave to this question. I believe God has a Divine plan for everyone. He made each person unique with talents to be used for His glory. We know from the Bible that God is loving, good and merciful; wishing that none should perish, but all come to repentance. However, God never designed man as a programmed robot, rather gave him/her the ability to choose. Adam and Eve made the initial wrong choice and man became separated from God. Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, God provided a way to bridge the gap between Him and man. However, each person must make a decision to trust Jesus as his/her personal Savior. Until that decision is solidified in an individual’s heart, he/she walks in rebellion against God. Once implemented, the Divine plan goes into effect with variations, in accordance with our obedience to God, as He conforms us into the image of Christ. I did this ministry for about two years until Jan and I left and went to another small church in which I became an interim pastor. This call to pastor came unexpectedly, for I was not pursuing this, though within me the desire to preach

was present. A friend of ours gave my name to a couple who were overseeing a church whose long-time pastor retired. The husband gave me a call and asked if I would come and preach. I gladly accepted the invitation and prepared accordingly. The night before I was to give the message, a sharp pain occurred on my right side while lying in bed. Immediately I recognized the problem, a kidney stone; having had a number of them in the past. It was too late for cancellation, but the pain from such a plight is unbearable and will sideline the most robust of souls. Jan and I prayed, and the pain subsided, allowing me to sleep. The next morning, I felt fine and we drove to the church. After a few announcements and a number of hymns, it was time for me to give the sermon. I stepped into the pulpit, introduced myself and proceeded with the message. The people seemed to have received it well; I then went back to my seat. Once I sat down the kidney stone acted up, and great pain gripped my right side, which would be the beginning of four weeks of carrying this stone before a procedure could be performed to break it into pieces, making it able. The Lord had given me the grace to be pain-free while preaching, for which I was so grateful. After the stone incident, I started preaching in this church on a regular basis, but then another major physical problem occurred. I needed a heart valve replacement, which I underwent and will describe later in a chapter entitled “miracles”. At this time, I will say, the operation was a total success, and my recuperation went well. Once back and preaching again, the of the fellowship held a meeting and decided to ask me to pastor the church. I felt more confident than in the past and had a desire but was reluctant for there was division among the people and the elderly couple who directed the church controlled all aspects of it. I agreed on a six-month trial basis. The first week in the position, I was approached to do a funeral for someone outside the church. Feeling led to accommodate, I agreed and started the preparation for the service. They wanted the memorial to be held in the church which often is the case, however I never realized how dilapidated and dirty the building was. In an effort to make the place presentable, Jan and I went on a mission to clean it up, which we did over a few days, yet it was marginal at best. The building really needed a total renovation, or to be demolished. When it came time for the service, with help, we had the building looking presentable under the circumstances. The memorial went well, with the family being pleased with the service. My six-month commitment to the church went along as I had anticipated, with me doing most of the preaching as expected and ministering to the few people that were in the church. One of the highlights of the year was the Valentine’s

Love Feast where would invite guests to a meal. The turnout was good, enjoying new people and seeing the church well-attended. Before the six months was over, my hesitation for pastoring this church came to fruition. The division was acute and the couple who ran the church resisted everything I attempted to do, from replacing stained chairs with clean ones which we had in storage to even a Wednesday night bible study. I gave them ample notice that I would be leaving after my six-month commitment was over. A common thread that ran through the three churches I pastored was that of authority. In all cases they wanted me to preach and do the other functions of a pastor, but they held a tight grip on decision-making in the church, from monetary spending to that of music. It is called congregational rule, versus Elder and Deacon directed, which is the biblical model. Again, I was pleased to have the opportunity to share God’s word, but relieved to leave under such conditions.

The Unexpected

At this time my oldest daughter Sabrina and her family decided to make a major change in their life and move from Lodi, California to Boise, Idaho. With them gone and our closest friends moving to Idaho in the summer, Jan and I considered doing the same. Combine this with the surge in homelessness, crime, drugs, taxes, and cost of living, spurred on by a state out of control steeped in progressive policies, Idaho became a viable option. California, the grand state I lived in for seventy years, deteriorated before my eyes; a sad commentary and the epitome of a place that has abandoned God and His values. However, before Jan and I could consider this move more seriously, we got an unexpected call from our daughter Tamara who lived in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was a message left on our answering machine. She was rightly beside herself, for she was informed that her husband Todd and seven-year-old daughter Madelynn were in a plane crash. At that time, she had no details as to their condition, only knowing whenever a plane crashes the outcome is usually very bleak. Todd, who was a Navy jet instructor with nineteen years of flying experience, having flown the U-2 and various military jets, had borrowed a single engine plane from one of his fellow Navy comrades. He was flying from Corpus Christi, Texas to Austin with his daughter. That is all Tamara knew at that time, other than the fact that the plane went down about a mile from its destination. Jan and I were stunned, anxious to know more on Todd’s and Madelynn’s condition. Were they alive? Alive but in critical condition, we had no idea. When we heard from our daughter, she was preparing to drive to San Antonio to be with her daughter who was in a children’s hospital. Her condition was good considering what had transpired. Madelynn had second degree burns on eight percent of her body and in time would make a full recovery. However, Todd’s condition was life-threatening, having received third degree burns that covered fifty-one percent of his body. He was in a hospital that specialized in burn victims, which was in San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) located on the other side of San Antonio from where Madelynn was hospitalized. With this the case, Tamara stayed with Madelynn, making occasional trips to SAMMC to visit Todd.

Jan and I prepared to fly to San Antonio, anticipating to stay a number of weeks. We arrived four days after the accident occurred. Thankfully our oldest daughter, Sabrina had been able to be with Tamara the first few days. She had to leave the day after we arrived. Todd’s closest friend, who he met while in the Air Force, Tommy, picked Jan and I up at the airport and took us to the hospital where Madelynn was itted. We met Tamara, who gave us a review of what happened and the current situation. Being there helped Tamara, having family , since she was trying to comfort Madelynn and Todd, who was heavily sedated in an effort to reduce the severe pain that racked his body. When we were allowed to see Madelynn, she had gauze bandages on part of her head and her hands were wrapped. She was in a state of light shock and in some pain, but doing well, considering what she had encountered at the young age of seven. After being with Tamara and Madelynn two days, it was time to see Todd. Tamara drove Jan and I across town to SAMMC on a freeway system that would test the best of drivers. After arriving at the hospital, we went to the intensive care unit which was on the fourth floor. There in the waiting room were a number of Todd’s family . After meeting his father, mother, and siblings we waited to visit Todd who was limited to only two visitors at a time for only a short period of time. When my time came to enter the room where Todd was being cared for, I first had to put on a gown, gloves, and a mask to protect him from any type of disease. When I entered the room I saw Todd, who was subdued by medication, with his body and face wrapped in gauze-like material. He could not move, and it seemed as though he was fighting for his life. My stay was short, with little I could do to communicate and encourage him. While leaving a male intern informed me, that if it wasn’t for Todd being in good physical health, he probably would not make it. The situation looked bleak, but the Lord is able. Jan and I stayed in Texas living in a home with Tamara and Madelynn that was offered rent free from one of Todd’s many ers. He had prayers going forth from Christians throughout the United States and abroad. Also, a “Go Fund Me” was started by two of his closest friends who were both fellow pilots. The response came quickly, with many contributing accruing a substantial amount of money to aid Todd and his family through the long journey of recovery that awaited them. I was to stay in Texas for three weeks and Jan for six weeks. During that time, I visited Todd again in the ICU ward. This time he was more cognitive of his situation, giving him the ability to communicate on a limited level. Todd expressed being extremely thirsty, for he was denied liquids

due to medical reasons, except for ice chips that I gave him, by putting a spoonful at a time in his mouth. I earned top prize when he told me “you were the best ice-chip feeder of all; never missed a beat - you just kept ‘em coming for over an hour!” My knowledge of burn victims was very limited. However, after three weeks of observing Todd’s situation firsthand and hearing of others who had experienced similar burn calamities, my understanding of what Todd could expect, going forward, was greatly improved. A severe burn victim will face intense pain that can come and go for years. Also, burn skin becomes itchy, sensitive to high/low temperatures, and needs extra protection from the sun. Other challenges include possible infection, the need for lotions to be applied several times daily and during the first two to three years, custom-made compression garments are worn for 23 hours per day (one hour for bathing and changing out garments) provide the exception.) To compound the situation even further, the injured skin shrinks and pulls as it heals, causing limited function in the affected body part. Then, there are many skin graft operations following the initial, life-saving procedures. Laser treatments, to help soften and heal the damaged skin, are also prescribed in the years to follow. Although quite a list, it is still incomplete; only the victims themselves could ever give a complete description of life following a traumatic burn injury, which would also include changes in the social, family, and career aspects of their life. It was difficult to ascertain what had exactly transpired from the time Todd took off from Corpus Christi to that of the crash. Only Todd could describe the accurately, but that would not be possible for some time. Later, I would get second-hand details from Tamara, but I hoped to hear it from the person who had experienced it. Almost three years would before the opportunity to hear Todd’s presented itself. Below is a retelling and paraphrasing of what he shared - obviously second hand. One day, we are likely to find his version of the experience in writing and offered to a large audience. With that in mind, here is what I’ve come to know. Todd had borrowed a small, single engine prop plane to fly from Corpus Christi to Austin, Texas so that he could watch his son participate in a high school crosscountry race. Madelynn ed Todd on the flight, with Tamara deciding it best not to go (I’m thankful she did not). All was going well, and they were enjoying the flight until just a few miles from their destination.

Approaching the airport, Todd had performed normal pilot maneuvers and checklists, which included reducing power. At the point where he would normally add power back, there was none available. The engine was frozen at near idle. It would be similar to a car with the engine running, but unable to go forward because it was stuck in neutral. By the time he realized he had no power, Todd had descended to around five hundred feet above the ground. Combining this with nothing but trees below him, presented a very bleak scenario. From such a low altitude, there was no ability to glide to a safer landing area. Compounding his dilemma, high-voltage power lines now lay just below and ahead of him. Fatal disaster would have been certain had he come into with them. The choices were to either fly over the lines by holding the nose of the aircraft up, which would slow the aircraft to speeds barely sufficient to remain airborne, or under them which would sacrifice the ability to see far enough to find the best landing spot - both precarious. Todd made an instant decision to go over the impediment and was able to successfully clear the wires. Now for the most challenging task, the landing of the plane with no power, little altitude, and into a heavily wooded area. A last-second find - a small break in the trees, was the only option he had. Todd maneuvered the plane toward the opening and prayed for Divine help. After barely making it, the wings were snapped off by the surrounding trees just after the plane ed the ground. The fuselage continued to slide forward until a barbed wire fence brought things to a halt. Fire broke out immediately and Todd acted quickly, first turning toward Madelynn to protect her from the flames with his body, then throwing her out the door next. She was out almost instantly, just before an eruption occurred and the plane became an inferno. Todd moved quickly, but it was too late. The flames grew heaviest just as he stood to get out. He was burned severely as he exited. Once out, Todd took Madelynn by the hand and headed toward a road, half in shock, and with his body in excruciating pain from the burns. Along the way, he noticed a small pond and jumped in, hoping to relieve his agony. Once out of the water, he continued for over a mile and at one point lifted Madelynn over a fence. Finally reaching the highway, he sat and struggled to remain conscious. A friend of Todd’s, a fellow airline and military pilot, had observed smoke while waiting at the airport. Knowing this was not good, he got into his car and drove toward the rising black plume. Miraculously, he would find Todd and Madelynn after just a few moments driving, Todd sitting with Madelynn hunched over beside him. Todd was able to speak briefly before collapsing from the shock and

pain of his injuries (he has almost no memory of the next three weeks). The first responders arrived soon thereafter and quickly put Todd and Madelynn into ambulances, taking them to the nearest hospitals. Todd would subsequently be taken by helicopter to the San Antonio Military Medical Center’s (SAMMC) world-renowned burn unit. It is hard not to understate the outcome even by saying that it is a miracle Todd and Madelynn are alive today.

Idaho Bound

When Jan arrived home after being in Texas six weeks, we started considering a move to Idaho. With California deteriorating quickly before our eyes and the cost of living in every aspect continuing to rise, moving to Idaho and being next to one of our daughters and her family seemed to be a viable option. Having previously taken a quick trip with Sabrina and her family to the Boise area, we had some idea what to expect and it was very promising. However, to better assess the area, another trip was needed. This would be a ten day stay, to give us ample time to evaluate the housing market and consider different areas to live, that were in our price range. During our visit we enjoyed being with the family, where we stayed while there. As stated earlier, our main objective was to decide if the Treasure Valley was a feasible area to live in and the cost of purchasing a home was preeminent. The housing market was very active, being that Idaho was one of the fastest growing states in the country. With this the case, current inventory of used homes was low, and houses sold very quickly. We were looking for a community for fiftyfive and older that was gated. This really limited our selection, for there are few in the area and a scant number of homes on the market, if any, in these communities. After looking about five days with no success, Sabrina found a home online that had potential in the city of Nampa. She ed the realtor and set an appointment to view the home. The walk-through went well, and we liked much about the home, especially the backyard that overlooked open grounds and a golf course. Our hesitation in putting in an offer was the condition of the home, which was marginal, and our current home was not even on the market. For the next two days we continued to search around for homes, to no avail and then decided to take a second look at the house in Nampa. This time, we decided to put in an offer contingent on selling our home in Redding. I asked the listing agent if he would give me ten days to sell our house and then take the contingency off. He graciously gave us two weeks and with that, an offer was made which the buyer accepted. We needed to move quickly for we wanted to sell our house without a realtor, which was very feasible, as our current home was in a community of great

demand. I then asked Jan to call her best friend Sheila in Redding, to put up a For Sale by Owner sign on our property. It was time to fly back to California and hopefully we would be back in Idaho for good within forty-five days. Once we arrived home we started preparing for the move, repairing anything that needed fixing on the house. We also hired a handyman to repair parts of the home that I could not do myself. Of course, our biggest concern was the sale of the house. We did get a couple of early inquiries, but no offers. After about seven days on the market, we got a serious looker, and an offer came forth. Not having the expertise on writing a contract, I hired a realtor to do all the paperwork for $1,500.00, a real value. Jan and I worked every day packing and doing all the preparations needed for the transition to Idaho. Though we had moved a number of times in the past, going out of state entails even more transactions than one anticipates. One of those considerations was that of driving the twenty-six-foot Penske truck that I rented to haul our belongings, while pulling a trailer that would carry our second vehicle. Frank, our son-in-law, volunteered to do that and the issue was resolved. There was so much to be done, so every day was spent in preparation for the move. Home inspections, house appraisal, packing, disconnecting utilities and many other things filled our days. When the final day came and all the paperwork was complete on the selling of our home, we were relieved. We had hired two men to load the truck and they arrived the day before we had to be out of the house. They were proficient at what they did and loaded the truck in about six hours. Frank flew up from Sacramento to Redding that night. We picked him up at the airport and drove him to our house. Instead of staying the night with us and getting an early start in the morning, Frank decided to drive part of the way that night and stay in Alturas about 110 miles away. This would be a challenging drive through the mountains with a large truck pulling a car on a trailer, but he decided to go for it. Frank made his initial destination to Alturas, stayed the night in a motel, and the following day drove to Boise, Idaho safely after about ten hours on the road. Jan and I stayed that night with our friends John and Sheila, who would move to Boise about a year later. The next morning, we said our goodbyes, though we knew it would only be for a season. We had two quick stops before departing for Alturas. First a final clean-up at the house and then to the realtor’s office to pick up a check. Once that was completed, we were on our way, departing about twelve noon. The trip went fine, and we arrived in Alturas around 4 PM. There

was a lot of activity in town, which was unusual for a place out in barren country. We had no trouble getting a motel room, which was unusual, for it was the beginning of hunting season, making most motels booked. The Lord took care of us, He even considers those things we overlook. The next day after having breakfast at a local restaurant, we were on our way to Idaho and our final departure from California, the state I called home for over seventy years. This would be a new adventure for Jan and I, not knowing what to expect, however feeling confident it was the right decision. After eight hours on the road we arrived at Sabrina’s house, where we spent the night. The next day we drove to our new/used home with Frank driving the truck and trailer. We had arranged for two men to unload the truck who arrived promptly after us. They did a good job unloading the truck and putting everything in the places we desired. Once everything was unloaded and everyone departed, Jan and I did what was needed to get some order in the house and fell into bed for a muchneeded sleep. Anyone who has moved a few times knows what lies ahead, the usual unpacking, organizing, and arranging of furniture that takes at least a week to get some semblance of order. Though this can be tiring at times, it was expected, and all went well. The more challenging agenda was that of obtaining an Idaho driver’s license, state license plates, insurance for the vehicles and insurance for the house. You also have the utility connections for the house which include telephone, internet, gas, electric, water and garbage. Then we needed to change banks, closing out the old and the transferring of funds from one to the other, which took a number of phone calls, signatures and weeks for the final transaction to be finalized. Jan and I have been in Idaho now for two years, ten months, at the time of writing this part of The Journey. In that time, we have had a number of guests stay in our home. Three sets of those people who visited Jan and I have also made Idaho their home. My youngest daughter Tamara, her husband Todd and their daughter Madelynn have been here eighteen months. It’s the first time in years that both of our daughters and their families have lived in close proximity to us. It is a blessing to have us altogether, especially on those special holidays and birthdays. Also, two of our closest sets of friends from Redding are in the area, with one of them living in the same neighborhood. The Treasure Valley has much to offer. The weather here has the four seasons,

yet not to extreme most of the time. The people are more polite and respectful, with many adhering to the Christian faith, a great blessing in itself. You also have a relatively low crime rate, with homelessness a fraction of what I experienced in California. If you’re an outdoorsman, it possesses some of the finest areas to fish, hunt, golf, ski and camp - much of this made possible by a state that is still conservative in its politics, though I can see the liberal persuasion attempting to make inroads. Hopefully they will be thwarted in their effort to do so. After about four months attending a Brethren Fellowship (church)), I met a brother named Stu Mitchell, who had been a full-time missionary in South Korea with his wife Linda. They also were missionaries in Alaska and California for many years, but now are retired from that calling. Stu, though no longer on the mission field, is not the type to quit doing the Lord’s work and with that being the case, he started a ministry in the Treasure Valley. He first bought an old 1947 Nash and refurbished it to bring to car shows (which there are many of in the Boise area) that start in early spring and go through summer. These shows are throughout the Treasure Valley with some receiving high attendance. This being the case, Stu designed a gospel tract that describes old cars being restored to their original state and relates that to human beings who need a complete makeover from the inside out. Once completing the tract, he has gotten thousands printed that have been handed out at the car shows. Since his initial tract, Stu has helped design others that are used at these events. Having spent a number of years in evangelism, I still had a desire to participate in an outreach to the lost. Once I heard of the ministry that Stu was engaged in, I approached him to see if he would desire my partnership in handing out tracts at the car shows. He welcomed me into the ministry, and I have been partnering with Stu for four years, in this exciting service of the Lord. Each car show has its own dynamic, with different locations, some on city streets, others in parking lots, while another is in an enclosed building. The one held inside features some of the finest classic cars in the state. Often, there are vendors throughout the show selling their wares, from tee shirts to hot dogs, making for a most festive time, and an opportunity to share God’s word. However, what is constant, are the old, refurbished cars. Obviously, our main goal is to hand out tracts and engage in conversations that will lead to the sharing of the gospel. During my four years partnering with Stu in this ministry, together we have handed out thousands of tracts and have gotten into a number of productive conversations. This is all good, but the response from people replying to Stu by E-mail, which is on the

tracts, has been negligible. Though we both desire positive replies, or inquiries, it does not discourage us, and we continue participating in the car show ministry. God’s Word says,”It will not return void, but go forth to accomplish its purpose and intent.” Having been given a book on bible prophecy in 1969 and negating it for eleven years, then rereading it, which God used at that time to lead me to a Bible-teaching church and ultimately to salvation, I’m a strong advocate of putting the Word of God in people’s hands, while leaving the results to Him. As I pen this section of my biography, we are caught up in the restrictions of the COVID-19, which has modified our way of life both here and abroad. I became a victim of the virus, having a severe case and going to the emergency room for treatment. Thankfully (though diagnosed with pneumonia), my oxygen level was 92 and I was sent home with a prescription to fight off any potential infection. I had virtually all the effects of Covid-19 and my full recovery took eight weeks. To aid me in my recovery I took extra vitamin D, Zinc, and vitamin C. To keep my oxygen level above 90, I used a nebulizer that I filled with Sovereign Silver that was effective in sustaining and increasing that level. This was a great recommendation I got from my son-n-law, Frank. I’m seventy-seven years old and have experienced many unusual events in my life, from the Cuban missile crisis in the early 1960s to that of the toppling of the Twin Towers by two enger liner jet planes, manned by terrorists, yet nothing compares to what I’m witnessing in this current pandemic. This has affected virtually every country in the world, infecting millions of people with this virus and killing many. Restrictions have been put on the masses, limiting their mobility, while some are even quarantined in their homes. Many businesses have been closed, causing mass unemployment and people caught without a paycheck and unable to pay their mortgage, or rent. The list is endless of the hardships to humanity this pandemic has caused throughout the globe. Thankfully after twenty months of being in this dilemma, there is some semblance of normalcy. However, the Covid shot is being pushed upon the world’s populace, with billions of dollars being spent in the U.S. alone, to persuade the people of its virtue. Vaccine ports to enable people to travel, to buy, sell and do most anything are in the offing, a prelude to the Mark of the Beast as mentioned in Revelation 13. Surely perilous times are upon us. The question that besets us is, what really is occurring and what path is the United States and the world being led down? If this continues indefinitely, as some advocate, the Great Depression of the 1930’s will be mild in comparison to

the economic and social unrest that awaits us. After reading many articles, listening to various commentaries, and witnessing some of the repercussions of this pandemic, I’m going to express my opinion (and that is all it is) on the source of the coronavirus and the path that it could be leading us down. When planning an event, whether for good or bad, timing is everything, such is the case here. When Donald Trump was elected president, the leaders of the Democratic Party indicated they would impeach him before he had an opportunity to implement any of his policies. Arrogance displayed openly, they were confident they would succeed, but all their efforts failed on every . Liberals accused the president of imposing tariffs that would cause inflation and shortages, but time has proven them wrong. They tried for months on end to say there was Russian interference in the election, yet again to no avail, for the truth prevailed. There were threats from North Korea, also from Iran, problems in Syria, all turning out to be nothing but smoke screens, for our position as a world power was much stronger under President Trump than it is now under Mr. Biden. Then there was the effort to convince the American people that a recession was imminent, while the unemployment rate was at one of its all-time lows with many Americans set free from welfare, for they were able to attain jobs. The stock market was roaring, setting new highs one after another. The last effort was the failed impeachment and President Trump was heading for re-election and four more years in the White House. This was unconscionable, for he must be stopped; it was time to pull out the big event. Yes, I do believe we are witnessing that event, called COVID-19. Think about it, President Trump was thwarting all their efforts to eliminate him anyway they could, but all in vain. In the meantime, he was in the process of cleaning the swamp and reversing many policies that were implemented over decades by his predecessors that hindered the United States and its citizens. Two of the greatest hindrances were bad trade agreements with other countries and restrictive laws on manufacturers, making production of physical products too expensive to produce in the U.S. Ultimately this led to an exodus of manufacturing of products to other countries, basically China, which turned the U.S. into a service-oriented country versus a once manufacturing powerhouse. This caused huge trade imbalances over the decades and was the prime reason for our huge national debt. In the meantime, China has prospered, being the biggest recipient of manufacturing of products and trade deals that favored them. In the four plus years of Donald Trump’s presidency, he was reversing these

policies, bringing manufacturing back to the United States. The end result: China was losing trillions of dollars and something needed to be done. What would be an effective weapon to stop this erosion? Biological warfare, disguised as a flulike virus that went undetected until it was too late. The economy of the U.S. and the world would collapse. Then they could blame President Trump for the poor handling of the virus and his re-election would fail. Am I advocating that this form of coronavirus came out of a lab in Wuhan, China? Though we cannot be certain, there are indications it was so. However, could it be this was a coordinated event with the Globalists, who also desperately want Donald Trump removed from the presidency? We know one of the biggest players pushing for a global government is George Soros, who has close ties with China. If they were successful in preventing Donald Trump from being elected for four more years in the White House, both China and the Globalists would get what they desire - a puppet president who will bring back all the policies that hinder U.S. manufacturing and benefit China, as it has been over the last forty years. In the process they will bring the U.S. down to a third world country, which is exactly what they desire, so they can march on to their One World government and totally control the masses. What has been accomplished for the Globalists from this pandemic? I believe many things, even if they fail at this time in their ultimate goal of ushering in a one world government. Just consider the response from the world’s population to an invisible enemy that has paralyzed the economies of the world by restricting the functions of the people, even to the extent of quarantining many in their homes. Could this also be a test to evaluate the response of the masses in preparation for a potential second wave of the same virus, or a more potent one? (Which I do believe will be the case within the next eighteen months - a guess). Could they use this to ban currency (money is dirty) and usher in a cashless system, a form of crypto currency using block chain technology, or another cashless system backed by gold? Then there will be a reset of the monetary system that is currently backed by oil (petrodollar) that is on the brink of collapsing after fifty years since its conception in 1971. There is also another solution being used, an immunization shot that is being promoted as the solution to the virus, with mixed reviews. Bill Gates is a strong proponent of such, who is calling for global cooperation, warranting the vaccination of seven billion people. That almost covers the population of the world, but would that include Mr. and Mrs. Gates who also are advocates of

population control? Could they use the vaccine to control the people who refuse to take it by not allowing them to board planes, see doctors or even purchase basic products at your local Walmart? If this does come to , pray for discernment and wisdom from the Lord, for there is nothing hidden from His sight. As stated earlier, I believe this is the prelude for total control of the populace of the world that is leading to the Mark of the Beast as described in Revelation, Chapter 13. It will be a world system, led by a world dictator, called the AntiChrist who will control all aspects of mankind, including man himself. If a virus can disable a world society as we have witnessed, can you imagine what a world dictator could do with a cashless society, enforced by a mark in your body to buy or sell anything, even pay your taxes? Couple that with today’s technology that tracks all aspects of your communication, featuring millions of surveillance cameras, multiple bioweapons, robots that exterminate people, drones of all sizes that spy on us, also capable of killing multitudes and genetic engineering that can change a person permanently in various ways and more, it becomes clear; the stage is being set for the world dictator to emerge from the suburbs and onto the world scene. How long that time frame will be, only the Lord knows. If President Trump would have been re-elected, we probably would have had more time. (Voter fraud). Preceding the Man of Sin coming on the scene as a world dictator, is the Rapture of the Church, that is, the catching away of God’s people from the earth to heaven where forever we will be with Him. Though this seems unimaginable to the common person, to those who know the Lord, it is totally real and is the blessed hope that believers look forward to with great anticipation (Titus 2:13). We also have Enoch, who is an example of one who God took to heaven while still living. Genesis 5:24 states, “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Surely a type of rapture that occurred before the flood of Noah’s day that destroyed all inhabitants of the world but eight, due to the wickedness of man that prevailed throughout the entire earth. Similarly, I believe God removes His people (The church) before His judgments are unleashed on the sin-saturated world of our day. What needs to be stressed are two points that are so important in these days, especially to those of us that live in the United States. We as a people live in a country that has been blessed beyond our imagination and for the most part have never experienced poverty, or persecution to the point where our lives are taken

for the name of Jesus. We haven’t experienced on a broad scale, persecution to the point of being thrown into jail and beaten for His name’s sake. This could very well happen before the rapture occurs, for this is occurring throughout the world at the present time and why are we to think we will be exempt from such action? Therefore, it is time to draw close to our Lord in prayer & praise and abide in Him. We also need to be in His Word daily, applying the onitions put forth in the Bible that guide us to live a life pleasing to God. Just consider the following scriptures in I Thessalonians 4:9-12, “But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” In these four verses alone, the Apostle Paul gives us six directives for Christians as they anticipate the coming of the Lord Jesus in the air for His saints. You see, the following verses, 13-18, describe the rapture of the church. What is the point? If we believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ for His church, then it should have a purifying effect on our life, being pleasing to God in all we say and do, having a proper walk among those who are lost. This is only made possible through God’s grace by the power of the Holy Spirit working in a submissive spirit unto Him. Thank you for reading my life’s story that is still in the process as I continue to learn the ways of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My time on earth is running out, for at the age of seventy-seven, there is not much sand left in the top of my hourglass. Hopefully this short autobiography will inspire you to run the race and cross the finish line with your head up, looking for His blessed return.

God’s Miracles in My life

When considering the miraculous, we probably think of Jesus walking on a stormy sea, feeding the five thousand or raising the dead, (which are just some of the multitude of miracles Jesus performed while on earth). However, the Lord’s greatest, most astonishing act was the salvation He provided for man. For God (Jesus Christ) to become man, walk on the earth thirty-three years, being tempted in all ways, yet not sin is beyond my wildest imagination, though I know, without a shadow of a doubt it is true. Jesus did not have the sin nature that all mankind has, however neither did Adam and Eve, yet they fell for the least of temptations. Our Lord humbled Himself on the cross of Calvary, enduring excruciating physical pain. He underwent spiritual ridicule, even to the point of separation from the Father who He knew from eternity past. Our sin went upon Him and for that moment of time, God could not look upon His only begotten Son. Jesus who knew no sin, became sin for us. The Bible says that Jesus Christ became the propitiation for sin. He fulfilled all the law and met all the requirements of the Father, to be the perfect sacrifice to cleanse mankind of his sins. That to me is the miracle of miracles and what Jesus meant when He said, “It is finished,” and then gave up the ghost. The other aspect of His ultimate sacrifice is what transpires in a believer’s life when a person applies God’s cleansing blood to their life, by repenting of their sins and inviting Jesus Christ to come into their life, as their personal Lord and Savior. When a person sincerely receives Christ into their life, a fivefold miracle by God occurs. It is called “being born-again” as expressed in John, Chapter 3:7, where Jesus uses this term when dialoguing with Nicodemus, a leading teacher of the law in Israel. At that point in time, all the sins that you have ever committed and ever will commit, are forgiven and you’re cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Corresponding with that, Jesus Christ’ righteousness is imputed to the believer. Supernaturally the sin nature that we received from Adam, our first earthly father, is separated from us; at this point, it no longer reigns as king over our mortal body. Let me clarify something here; the sin nature is not eradicated from us, it’s still present, but it no longer needs to control our life as it once did before the new birth. Also, we are given a new nature, created according to God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). This is the reason for the

internal battle that occurs within each believer, the conflict to do good, or do bad as the Apostle Paul describes in Romans, Chapter 7:13-25. Finally, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit until we are home with the Lord by physical death, or are blessed to be alive when the Lord comes for His church (Ephesians 4:30). A great transition occurs in a person when he/she becomes a child of God. It is a great spiritual makeover that occurs within a person and will be manifested outwardly in word, deed and and lifestyle. Paul said in II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have ed away; behold, all things have become new.” How true this is, as I expressed in my salvation experience. After the new birth, you have the desire to stop sinning, the power to resist sin and the awareness of sin, even before it occurs. The result, you will sin a whole lot less, for you are no longer a slave to the sin nature, as you once were before salvation, but actually are slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:18 states it this way, “And having been set free from sin (nature), you became slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:22 goes on to say, “But now having been set free from sin (nature), and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” Let me make it clear, I’m not asserting sinless perfection, where you come to the place in your Christian life where you never sin again, a claim of some in the Christian faith. What I am asserting is that the sin nature should no longer be your master, where you obey its ions. Those who claim to be Christians and sin willfully and often, have something drastically wrong, redefining grace that is not Biblical, for the Bible refutes such action. Romans 6:1-2 makes this clear, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly (absolutely) not! How shall we who died to sin (nature) live any longer in it. “Could the Apostle Paul make something any clearer, yet I’ve heard the statement, “All Christians swear!”, a sad commentary and a terrible witness. What I do see in the Bible, is spiritual cleansing for the Christian when he does sin. That is, I John I:9 that states, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is such a wonderful promise and a practice that needs to be applied to our lives when we do sin (not habitually). Though the greatest miracle in a person’s life is the new birth, God also does other extraordinary feats in a Christian’s life. In the balance of this chapter, I will bring forth events in my life and in my family’s lives where God’s hand was evident. Hopefully I will be able to convey them to the reader clearly without

embellishing the truth. Some of these types of events I’ve already expressed in my biography. In the early part of my Christian life, my faith was strong, and the Lord did things to encourage and enhance my trust in Him. One of those occasions came unexpectedly within weeks of our conversion. Being a young family, budgeting our finances, I tried to be wise when buying items. We needed a table and chairs, so my eye caught a substantial promotion on various furniture items being discounted by Penney’s. It was on a first come, first serve basis, a week from Saturday. I mentioned it to Jan, who was interested and left it there. I prayed to the Lord, saying if Jan does not mention the subject, I would not pursue the purchase, but if she does, I felt it was the Lord’s hand in giving His approval. I guess you would call that a fleece, similar to that of Gideon. The week progressed, with Jan not mentioning the subject and Saturday morning arrived with me considering it was a closed door. Then, suddenly, Jan asked if I was going to consider the sale. I told her what I had prayed and then proceeded to Penney’s, as the doors opening to receive the people was only minutes away. I got there just in time and proceeded to the area the sale was to take place. I was one of many people looking for desired items. I noticed a table and chairs set that would meet our needs and quickly held on to them, waiting for the time of purchase. However, there was one problem, only three chairs were available in that spot, and I was not able to look for another and still retain what I had. I stayed there for awhile holding on to what I had, not knowing what to do. Finally, I made the decision to release them and go home. At that moment, the man next to me offered me his sole chair, which I accepted. I then purchased the set at an excellent price and rejoiced in the Lord. Getting the table and chairs was enjoyable, however the greatest pleasure was seeing the Lord’s hand in the entire process. This may seem insignificant to most, but for me who had the experience, it was substantial, a blessing and a faith builder. Another blessing that occurred happened on a vacation when we traveled back to Michigan to visit Jan’s sister and brother. The trip was enjoyable, visiting Jan’s family and experiencing Michigan’s great outdoors. After spending about a week with her sister Joy, we traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to visit her other sister, Nancy. There we stayed five days taking in the local sights. I even got in a game of golf with Nancy’s husband, whose name also was Dave. It was time to head home, which is about a four-day trip from Ohio to our home in Campbell, California. The trip home was going well, with no incidents, that is until the third day on the road. We had stopped at a rest stop in a remote area to stretch

our legs. While Sabrina, our seven year old daughter (at that time) was getting back into the Ford van, she put her hand on the cross bar where the sliding door shuts; Jan, not seeing her hand, closed the door. In the process, one of her fingers got caught in the closure and she began to cry. Seeing the situation and one of her fingers protruding outside the door, I opened the door, which freed her finger. Though released and not severed, the finger began to swell and turn color. Being far from any medical facility, our first response was to pray. Through a prayer of faith, we asked for God’s healing hand upon her. The Lord answered that prayer, with the swelling receding and the color going back to normal. Another praise to the Lord for answered prayer and a memorable event, even to this day. Christmas as a Christian is a special time, celebrating the birth of our Savior. Jan and I have more than one nativity scene, but we desired an outdoor display. Therefore, we set out to purchase one, to no avail; there were none to be found. You could find every other type of holiday display character, from Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer to Santa Claus, yet the true purpose of Christmas, celebrating the birth of the Christ Child was nowhere to be found. A sad scenario, a strong indication Christmas in the United States has been turned into the main economy booster and the central figure and only true purpose for the celebration, is virtually eliminated, or is a co-host with Santa Claus. Leaving Orchard Supply Hardware, the last store that we attempted to find a manger scene, we drove home. Before going straight to our house, I decided to drive around our neighborhood. While doing that, I noticed a home with a nativity scene displayed in their front yard. Anxious to know where they had purchased it, I stopped the car and went and knocked on the door. The owner of the home opened the door and I introduced myself, telling him the reason for my visit. He was gracious and informed me that Orchard Supply Hardware was the store where he had purchased the display, the last place we had visited. Desiring to find one for ourselves we went back to OSH. In the store, Jan and I made a thorough check, thinking we may have missed it the first time around. We did notice an empty space in the display area where a nativity scene could have been. That being the case, I approached a clerk and inquired about the item. He said, “I have one on my cart that I just found in the back room, hidden, it’s yours if you want it.” Jan and I were delighted, purchased the product, and put it up when we got home. We used that nativity scene for years, until it was time to replace it two years ago. The Lord said He would give us the desires of our heart; He is even concerned about the seemingly smaller things.

Romans 8:28 is a verse that is well known, for it is used often when a Christian is in the midst of a difficult trial. It says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” At the age of seventy I needed a heart valve replacement. I had stenosis of the aortic valve, where the opening had closed from the normal size of a quarter to that of a pencil. When considering such an operation that is four hours in duration and one and half of those hours, you’re on a cardiopulmonary by machine that circulates your blood and breathes for you while the surgeon operates on your heart, fear can come upon you. Fear is a lack of faith in our Lord; though I knew that, application of the truth at times is difficult. Overall, I was doing fair in this category, but the closer it got to the time of the operation (night before) anxiety set in. I had to be at the hospital early in the morning to sign in and be prepped for the operation. Once settled in and ready for the surgery, various of the team came in and introduced themselves. At this point my fear increased and I decided to claim two verses of the Apostle Paul. Philippians 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The other verse that’s similar is II Corinthians 5:8 that says, “We are confident, yes well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” In essence, once a Christian dies, he/she goes straight to heaven and forever will be with the Lord. My life was in the Lord’s hands and once reciting those verses in my mind and believing them, God’s peace came upon me, and I was ready for the operation. Not long after that, two male nurses dressed in white gowns put me on a gurney and started rolling me into the operating room. During this process I got in a conversation with one of nurses and was able to share my faith with him quickly. Hopefully a seed was planted. Titus 4:2a say, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” Once they rolled me into the operating room, I was soon sedated and five hours later awoke in the ICU. Once my head cleared, the doctor who performed the operation came in to see how I was doing, informing me that the operation went well. As the night progressed, it was only me and the night nurse, who was gruff, similar to a sergeant in the army. I did my best to appease her, feeling very vulnerable with an eight-inch incision going down the middle of my chest and various tubes coming out of my body. At that point, we lost all regular power, and the lights went out for about ten minutes. When the power came back on and the lights glowed, an angel appeared in the form of a new nurse, who replaced the other. She was wonderful, such a contrast to her predecessor. Another blessing from the Lord. The next day I was slowly walking down the hospital

aisles and after two days there, I was released to go home. My recovery went well with no incidents and I’m doing well to this day. The last short story I would like to convey is not my own, rather that of my youngest daughter. Tamara, in her twenties was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. A difficult illness to deal with, for there is no cure, only medicines that give temporary relief. If the situation intensifies an operation can be in order, taking out part of the infected area (ie. colon) with mixed results. The person can go for months, or even a year or more without an attack. Proper diet can help, along with being stress-free, for tension often agitates the disorder, triggering a flareup. Tamara was feeling stress from her work, coupled with other responsibilities of life and an attack occurred. After tests were taken, her condition was poor, and an operation was a viable option. She chose to use medicine and the condition subsided, but it surely was not a cure. Shortly after that, Todd’s plane crash happened, and life changed quickly and drastically. She immediately got a leave of absence from her job and ultimately had to quit in order to take care her husband, which was stressful and made for many long days and nights. For about two and half years, she did it all, living in a Fisher House with Todd and her daughter Madelynn. Through that entire timeframe, she never had a flare-up, under more stress than any time of her life. Surely a blessing from the Lord, knowing she needed to be healthy during that demanding time. I would classify it as a miracle! Before I close this chapter, there was one other blessing that occurred, that I would be remiss, if I did not mention it, or should say, her. This involved Sabrina, our oldest daughter, who informed us about two and a half years ago, that she was pregnant. It was a surprise to all of us, for she and Frank had three children, with the youngest being ten years old at that time. Sabrina was also forty years old and not anticipating another child. Her pregnancy went well, and baby Eva came into the world at the anticipated arrival time. Evangeline Grace is her full name—Evangeline means “Bringer of good news”— as she certainly was. Eva was healthy from birth and is to this day. She surely has been a blessing to the entire family and now at two years of age, is very active. She is a child that seldom cries, smiles, and laughs a lot— A joy to everyone in our family! The Lord is faithful, trust in Him and obey His calling on your life, who knows

what He will do in your life.

The Falling Away

Of all the chapters in my biography, this final one, in many ways, I do not desire to write. However, being called to be a watchman, I feel compelled to do so. I’m going to express some of what I have seen in U.S. Christianity. Many will disagree with my analysis; however, I encourage you to study the scriptures and then compare them to the teachings and practices of the different Christian churches of our day. I will only express some of the misgivings and outright heresies that I have experienced that so often are routinely overlooked by most. The falling away that I have witnessed within the church reflects that which took place within our society in the secular world. It seems the world seeped into the church about thirty to forty years ago. To this claim, let us consider some trends that first befell the world, with Hollywood as its engine and the populace embracing their lead. Following the secular world’s example, the church then also began endorsing that which the Bible does not . Being of the older generation has its advantages, especially in these times, since I can what this country once stood for as a whole and how far we have departed from its virtues, formerly so highly regarded. For example, honesty, sanctity of life, marriage until death, courtesy to adults, respect for all, and a good work ethic were embraced, etc., - homosexuality and other alternate lifestyles, abortion, pornography etc. were not condoned - but today all these virtues and more have vanished. Tolerance is the mantra of our day and anything less, you’re labeled as a hate monger, or have a phobia (i.e., homophobia). No longer can we distinguish right from wrong, for the guideline for a virtuous life, God’s precious Word, has been marginalized. What is my point in relation to my topic? I can clearly see the deterioration of our society that started in the early 1960s and that of the evangelical church which began in the 1980s. Though many worldly values and virtues have been embraced by the church, the two most distinct and overlooked are rock ’n’ roll music and worldly dress. Let us first consider the music that was introduced to America in the early 1950s by the likes of Bill Haley and His Comets, with his hit song, “Rock Around the Clock”, along with many others. In 1956 making his debut on the Ed Sullivan

Show, came the “King of Rock and Roll”, Elvis Presley. I this show on TV and realized something new was happening; a star was born that would turn the young teenage girls into hysterical screamers, as they watched and listened to this new entertainer. Not that he was the first to have a response like this, but not with the multitudes and ion that he would arouse. Elvis had movements that would be considered mild today, but in those days were considered sensual. That being the case, his guitar was banned while on TV and for a while he was only filmed from the waist up. The first stage of rock ’n’ roll was to arouse the sensual senses and surely that beat appealed to the flesh and America embraced this new sound and message. Within a decade American youth put the beat into action, via the sexual revolution that was born in the mid-sixties. We haven’t looked back and now every type of sexual perversion is embraced from fornication, to bi-sexual, to homosexuality. Was rock ’n’ roll the sole reason? No, but the beat and the messages conveyed from the artists went a long way in promoting this promiscuity that we have witnessed over the last fifty-plus years. In the book, The Facts On Rock Music, by John Ankerberg & John Weldon, copyright 1992, says, “Today the different kinds of sexual behavior that are highlighted in modern rock music include premarital sex (fornication), adultery, sadomasochism, homosexuality, and even bestiality and necrophilia.” He goes on, however there is no need to continue, the point has been made, from its conception this brand of music is sexually oriented and is now, and has been for decades, promoting total sexual perversion. Also included is the message of rebellion, drugs, addiction and more. , sin never stands still, it can only go forward to greater depths of depravity and rock ’n’ roll is a case in point. I encourage the reader, to find a book that details rock ’n’ roll, for its evils are widespread. The world, though difficult, I can understand, they are in spiritual darkness led by the prince of this world, Satan, the great Deceiver. However, that is not so for Christians, for we have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to guide us through this fallen place and the ability to discern truth from error and good from evil. Though this is biblical truth, rock ’n’ roll music started coming into the church in the 1980s and now is the main type of music played and embraced in most churches today. The lyrics have been changed to Christianize the beat, if you can distinguish them above the loud noise called music. In some churches the songs are so loud, earplugs are handed out to the people as they walk in the door, if

desired. Then to set the mood, in some buildings, ceilings are painted black, and the lights are lowered to give you a good feeling. My first experience with this type of atmosphere came many years ago while visiting a new church. At first, I couldn’t figure it out, something was wrong. It so resembled the nightclubs I once patronized; low lights, rock music, lacking only the liquor and dance floor. Today it has gotten closer with strobe lights, smoke, and the bizarre, i.e., gold dust falling from the sky and laughing hysteria. These are the extreme yet being embraced by many and growing. Back to the music, yes, there are some “Christian” rock songs that are pleasant with good lyrics, but few, compared to the multitude that have been written. However, even there you must use discernment, for those who sing such songs often have a lifestyle that denies what they proclaim in lyrics. This music gets the people going, with clapping of hands, swaying of the body, the lifting of hands. However, is this of the Spirit, or of the flesh? It is something to contemplate, overall, I’ve made up my mind, but most important how about you? And let me say, I’m not opposed to lifting of hands, or clapping of hands, nor am I a “hymns only” person. The question is, do they glorify our Lord Jesus Christ and put the focus on Him and not the one leading the worship, which is often the case. Does the song and sound stir the Holy Spirit within to praise the Lord, or does the song and beat stimulate the flesh? My many experiences with such music are that of the latter. I know most who read this will disagree with me, even to the point of anger; however, consider the fruit of such music. Has such music brought forth holy living that glorifies God? Has it brought forth a commitment to live for Jesus, denying the world and its lust? Has it helped to make disciples, which is the great commission? On all s, the answer is no. I realize music is only one element that enhances these virtues, for there is preaching, teaching, prayer, etc. that combine to make disciples. Now let us look at dress/attire, again history needs to be considered. When people went to church as a whole, they put on their Sunday best, realizing who they were going to worship was God, the Holy One who sits on His throne. There was a reverence for the Lord, who deserves our best in all aspects of our life. This was common knowledge even among infrequent worshippers. When I got saved in July of 1980, men wore slacks, shirt and tie with a sports coat/suit and the women dressed modestly as a whole wearing dresses, or other modest apparel, complying with I Timothy 2: 9-10. However, as time progressed through the 1980s the situation began to change and a gradual, yet consistent,

dress-down in the church began. It was subtle with the tie going first, then the sports coat, slacks replaced by khakis and today jeans. Now we have morphed to jeans with tee shirts; for some, Bermuda shorts with sandals or flip flops. The sports coat has made a comeback, worn with jeans, for it is cool, just like CEOs of major corporations. Consider where the influence is coming from! Let me state, if a person wears a suit and tie, it surely does not make him a Christian in right standing with God. Our Lord Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees for such action in Luke 11:39 which says, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.” However, what I have observed with this dress-down mode, overall, is that it has a direct correlation with a lack of holy reverence for the One who sits on His throne and will one day judge each of us. Going along with this is a message filled with God’s grace and love, but conspicuously void of His righteousness and holiness. There is something drastically wrong, yet this is the path the majority of the churches in the United States have pursued. A puzzle I cannot fathom is those who wear a suit and tie to work, yet on Sunday, it’s jeans and an untucked shirt. Wall Street gets the best, while Jesus receives the everyday clothes. Maybe the worst example I witnessed was at an evangelical church where an usher wore running shorts while taking the offering. We should be crying over such debauchery, yet silence prevails. I’m not advocating a suit and tie, however clothing that reflects our honor to the Savior of our souls. Now let us contemplate the clothing of women, which I alluded to previously, with the need to be modest, based on I Timothy 2: 9 & 10. Modest means unpretentious, humble, or unassuming. Again, through the course of time we have witnessed the regression in the dress worn by women in most churches of our day. If you just consider what modest means and observe the dress worn by women today in churches, the conclusion is obvious. The sorrowful reality is, most cannot even discern the immodesty and those who do, are silent, even most pastors. Therefore, we continue down this path, assuming all is well, but if I understand scripture correctly, it is not, and God’s discipline or judgment will come forth in His time and His way. The world’s influence is apparent with sensuality being displayed and modesty denied. There are many more subjects I could delineate that are occurring in the church which are contrary to scripture, but I will only speak briefly of psychological counseling, supplemented with prescription medication, versus biblical counseling that is the true solution to spiritual problems. Obviously, there can be

physical ailments that need to be addressed by medical expertise. Scripture clarifies that our warfare is not with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness and in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Yet is this considered while being counseled, is the whole armor of God being instructed to be put on and how to do it? Does the counselor instruct his/her client about forgiving those who they have bitterness toward, confessing sin (I John I:9) that could be causing the depression, or oppression of the person? Hopefully there is still some biblical counseling in some churches, but if I were to speculate, based on what I have observed, Christian psychology has replaced biblical truths. The bottom line, probably precious few are obtaining the desired results and being set free from the plague that besets them. If you are interested in more depth on this subject, I found the Berean Call ministry to be most helpful. Truthfully, I am perplexed by what has transpired and is occurring in the Christian church in the last forty years. Having read and studied God’s word and then observing what is taking place in most U.S. churches, I see a conflict with true Biblical Christianity. I hear many sermons on the truth of God’s love, His grace, His mercy, and the many promises He has for you, however the areas that are just as true, though not as well received, are overlooked or cursorily covered. In most cases sin, the fear of God, God’s wrath, holiness, righteousness, separation from the world, etc. are in this category. These subjects are so needed to be preached and taught, for we need all the counsel of God to live a life pleasing in His sight. One may ask, what has precipitated this social gospel in the U.S. church? It appears we are following our Mother England, who once was a bastion of Christian truths, but now only a shadow of truth remains, with Islam having made many inroads and spiritual darkness and oppression covering the land. About 100 years ago Communism targeted the U.S. for internal dominance/control in virtually every aspect of our country. Four of the primary targets were the news media, entertainment, education, and the Christian church. The first three have been achieved with the church about 90% attained. The mainline denominations were infiltrated first and today are steeped in liberal theology and promoting a social gospel, which is no saving gospel at all. Then in the 1960s the evangelical seminaries were targeted and virtually all today are now dominated by liberal theology professors, potentially producing likeminded pastors. When pastors retire, or away, they’re usually replaced by those schooled in a social gospel, perpetuating the deterioration. I have

personally witnessed this occur in more than one church. This is heart-breaking to witness, seeing church after church follow the seeker friendly, purpose-driven model that is destroying sound doctrine and leading masses astray, with few standing up, crying out, “Ichabod”, (the glory of the Lord has departed.) I would be totally dismayed, if the Lord Jesus had not said in Matthew 16:18, that upon this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Though the current situation in Christian churches throughout the U.S. appears dismal, God’s promise of His church prevailing, even with the full force of the devil and his demons coming against it, cannot be denied, because Jesus is able to fulfill all He proclaims. We must , the church consists of all born-again believers throughout the world and though it appears dark in many places, God’s church will ultimately triumph. As we see the signs of the end times converging upon us at lightning speed, with the New World Order developing before our eyes, surely our redemption draws near. This is the blessed hope of the church being raptured out of a world that is being prepared for the Anti-Christ and a dictatorship system that will enslave the masses. Surely the Bible teaches that the catching away of the saints before the Tribulation begins is a true doctrine. This period of time begins with a peace covenant with Israel, initiated by the Anti-Christ for seven Jewish years (360 days each), which I embrace and have taught for years. However, with that being said, there is nothing in the Bible that indicates any group of Christians in any country will be exempt from persecution before that glorious day comes. It also does not indicate that all will be persecuted to the degree of torture, imprisonment or martyrdom before the rapture takes place. I mention this, for often I hear, “I’m not concerned, for I’ll be out of here before the Tribulation occurs.” King David said in Psalm 11:3, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” We do not need to look at our country under a microscope to detect that all the foundations in this country are being or are destroyed. They were targeted by the Communists about a hundred years ago and in every case, they hit a bullseye. This could be construed as cynical, but just consider reality. The family, the government and the church are three foundations founded by God and all are crumbling in America. There is no need for me to delineate this here, for many already have written about these casualties and if you’re old enough, you have witnessed the tragedy. Sins that once were hidden and to be ashamed of are now in our face and if one points out their sinfulness, he/she will

be labeled as one who hates. Pornography is rampant both in and out of Christianity and many are addicted to this filth, yet silence prevails. Both prescription drugs and illegal drugs are flourishing, enslaving millions to this addiction. Homelessness can be seen throughout U.S. cities with drugs being the perpetuator of most situations, yet even in a court of law which I witnessed personally, “That is the way it is”; pathetic, especially when I heard this from a presiding judge. The list could go on; however, the point is made, our country is saturated in sin and the foundations have crumbled. Is there hope for the United States, a nation founded by many Christians and established on Biblical principles; a country though not perfect, that once shined as a beacon of light throughout the world, a country that once honored Jesus Christ as Lord and Creator of all things? The Bible that was once honored as the Word of God and used in our public schools to teach the children how to read, now is basically banned in the government school system. Now they deny its truth through the false theory of evolution, instead of the fact that God created all things in six literal days, and renounce its virtues, by teaching values contrary to its precepts. Have we gone to the point of no return, similar to the days of Noah or that of Sodom and Gomorrah? Only God knows, who is loving, long suffering, patient, kind and full of mercy. By studying history, especially that of Israel, I believe we are at the point of judgment and the only way we will be able to divert God’s verdict is by repentance of the church in the United States, a call for prayer, repentance, confessing the sins of our nation, the sins of the church and our personal sins. Not for a day, not for a week, but until we hear from heaven and the Spirit of God comes down upon us in power, convicting us of our wayward ways. If He stopped judgment upon Nineveh (a wicked city) by the preaching of a reluctant prophet named Jonah, who knows what God will do if His people, called by His name, humble themselves in prayer with a contrite heart (II Chronicles 7:14). We are at a crossroads, time is running out, it can’t be business as usual, action is needed, and that movement is to fall on our knees. Today is May 27, 2021 as I type these last words in my autobiography and about four months into the Biden istration - a presidency that should never have been, as we witnessed the greatest voter fraud in the history of the United States. President Trump won the election by millions of votes, yet Mr. Joe Biden resides in the White House. Just consider this man who seldom campaigned, stayed at home, protecting himself from COVID-19, and when he did come out from his

shelter to campaign, few people turned out to hear his socialistic message. On the other hand, President Trump campaigned with fervor in various cities throughout the U.S. Throngs of people came to hear the president, ing his message of patriotism and the sovereignty of the United States. Such a contrast in turnout and a strong indication that the people were behind the president, and he would win the election handily. Yet, President Trump sounded the alarm before the election that voter fraud was real, advocating it would alter election results. Sadly, his prediction came true, and he did not retain the presidency. Through the course of time, reports of massive voter fraud came from many people throughout the country. Viable attorneys (Lynn Woods, Sydney Powell, Rudy Giuliani) had massive proof of voter fraud, yet the Supreme Court would not even consider a hearing. What a travesty, the highest court in the land betraying a standing president and the people of the United States! Can I say, we do not have a Supreme Court and hence, a lawless society? Just grasp that reality, America the Beautiful has become America the Barren. President Trump had his faults, as we all do, but he has fought for patriotism and the sovereignty of this nation under insurmountable opposition. This is why they hate him so, for he opposes everything they want to accomplish, the demise of the United States and a One World government. Since Donald Trump did not become President for four more years (betrayed by the Supreme Court, the Vice President & most of the Republican Party) I see no hope for America, for those who oppose him and America as a sovereign nation under God, will come after us with a vengeance, forcing their Socialistic world view upon the populace. Even if President Trump would have been re-elected, they would never stop, until they achieve their goal of a One World government, One World religion and a world controlled by the Anti-Christ and his master, Satan. This is inevitable, for the book of Revelation informs us of its absoluteness, but for only seven years, then Jesus Christ will come back and put an end to the Man of Sin’s reign and set up His kingdom for a thousand years. Surely, I hoped and prayed that President Trump would get four more years in the White House, but my ultimate hope is in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who died on Calvary’s cross for Dave Spagnola’s many sins and anybody, (no matter what your transgressions may be), who will put their trust in Him as their personal Savior and Lord. To make this possible, you must confess to the Lord that you’re a sinner and you

cannot do any deed to save yourself. You must believe that Jesus is the unique Son of God, who came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life (sinless) died on the cross for your sins, was buried and arose from the grave. He said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Me.” He is exclusive, no religion, no other person, but Him alone can save you. I encourage anyone reading this biography that is not saved (born-again) to invite Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Savior. Once you do, you will never regret it; I’m not saying all will be easy, in fact life can become more difficult, as you live for Him and say no to the world and its evil deception. Eternity waits for all, either with Jesus Christ in Heaven, or in the Lake of Fire that never ceases. I urge all, choose life, choose Jesus Christ. He loves you, that is why He shed His blood on the cross.

Which Road Will You Take

Debbie Dobson

Your choice of life’s road will determine your destiny. Jesus said there are only two eternal destinations–heaven and hell. Many people think they are on the right road but are really traveling the superhighway that leads to hell and destruction. “There is a way that seems right to a person, but in the end, it leads to death,” Proverbs 14:12. Jesus said, “The Broad Road leads to destruction and there are many going that way. The narrow road leads to life,” Matthew 1:13-14. Perhaps you are traveling on the Broad Road in the “Unbelief Lane.” People in this lane have simply chosen NOT to believe in Jesus. To them, life is but a race on the road to success. So , “The food has said in his heart, there is no God,” Psalm 14:1. Those in the “Morality Lane” believe that if they just live a good life and try to help others, they’ll end up in heaven. The Bible says there is nothing you can do to earn your way to heaven. “All our good deeds are like filthy rags,” Isaiah 64:6. “There is none that does good—” 2 Timothy 3:16. God saves us on the basis of mercy, not good works. See Titus 3:5. If you travel the “Religion Lane,” you likely assume that any religion will get you to heaven. Not true! Religion is man’s futile attempt to reach God. Salvation is God reaching out to us by sending His only Son, Jesus as Savior. “God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes on Him, will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the work, but that the world through Him might be saved,” John 3:1617. We all start out on the Broad Road, but the Bible teaches us we need a change of direction. When we “Repent and turn to God, He will forgive your sins,” Acts 3:19. “U-turn” is a perfect description of what the word “repent” means. One moment you’re doing things your way, but when you turn toward God, your life takes a completely new direction. You must it that you’re a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. Believe that Jesus died to pay the price for your sins and receive eternal life. Heaven is secured. “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance,” Romans 2:4. “If we confess our sins, He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9. Jesus is the only way to heaven. Trust Him today.

To learn more about God’s plan of restoration for your life, [email protected], or www.GotQuestions.org

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my wife, Jan, who was with me every step of the way in writing my autobiography. She was there to encourage me when I became complacent and set the work aside for months on end. She also had the task of doing the initial editing, often going over one page three or four times in an effort to get it right. She is also the one who experienced and ed my efforts as a pastor and other ministries I engaged in. When my life came unhinged by an ongoing attack from the enemy, she was there to lift me up in prayer. Without her, I could not have finished this work. Also, thank you to my daughter Tamara for correcting my computer glitches and synchronizing chapter titles, font size, and letter style. Her encouragement to go forth was a blessing. I would be remiss not to recognize Mary Ann, a sister in the Lord that I met about two years ago in our neighborhood. She did the final edit on the work, coming forth with good changes to enhance the flow and clarify the subject where needed. Most of all, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, who changed my life and made the second part of The Journey possible. Though the first thirty-five years of my life I was walking in darkness, especially from age eighteen to thirty-five, I can reflect back and see His guiding hand of protection, especially in the darkest of times. I can truly say, “Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.”

About the Author

David Spagnola was born in San Francisco, California and spent his boyhood years in 1950s Redwood City enjoying the best weather (by government tests). He has a Bachelor of Science degree from San Jose State University, a secondary Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Shasta Bible College, and is an ordained pastor. After being saved at the age of thirty-five, David was called to be a watchman as expressed in Ezekiel 33. Most of his Christian life up to this day, he has been fulfilling this calling. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, studying the Word, (especially Bible prophecy), leading a home Bible study, and playing golf. David and Jan, (his wife of 44 years) have two adult daughters and five grandchildren. They are blessed to live near both of their girls and their families where they all reside in the Treasure Valley of Idaho.