This story could be pages long, but I will break it down into short paragraphs because it could take forever to go over...but this is how I came to Christ, before Christ, and up to today.
2000- Not saved yet, but i knew there was a God that loved me. Coming home from concerts in August early one morning around 6am or so, I fell asleep at the wheel and started going off the road..was awakened and miraculously got back on the road and avoided the markers I was going to hit. I pulled over to rest for a minute..next thing I knew, a man was coming toward my car from the road..he was somewhat tall, olive kinda skin..he asked me for some water and I gave it to him..he said he had "missed his ride to work" and thanked me for the water..I looked away for something and he was gone. I couldn't explain it at the time, but I now believe that was an angel. Also learned later that at the same time, my mother was worried about me and said a prayer for my safety.
2000- Around september of this year, I was given a vision/dream, what have you. I was still not saved, but I did have some sort of faith in a higher power. The vision was this : New York City, New York, I could see a red dot blinking there and it soon covered the world: The only thing that i took from this 'vision' was that it was gonna happen in New York and it would affect the entire world.
2002- fast forward two years and I'm living with my then girlfriend. We had been through an abortion recently and things were not happy. I had something happen and I needed a Savior. I accepted Christ as my Savior in early 2003 (january).
2004- this is where it gets tough. get in trouble and end up in jail for 5 days in February. My nephew who was a marine is killed in iraq in april (on good friday of all days)..In June, I had completely lost touch with reality and ended up in a psych ward..put on all kinds of drugs...girlfriend leaves me, and I gain a ton of weight and become super depressed...I still had faith that Christ was there with me, no matter how little I believed.
2006 - things start to look up for me in May when the weight starts to come off..by July, i feel good, and by the end of the year I feel so good that I stat to drink heavily and go off my medications. by the end of the year into 2007, I am totally manic and end up in another psych ward until February 2007. I'm back in the same psych ward again, 6 weeks later in April..but by the time I get out, I am doing a lot better. Get a DUI on Mothers day of 2007..one night in jail (8 hours) and I'm back out again.
2007-2010 - things are going great up until about September of 2009, when I kick my roommate out for something stupid...it goes downhill again from then on until I confront my ex roomie and beat the living crap out of him..didnt get in trouble for this because no charges were pressed..by May of 2010, I am arrested for tresspassing..spend 3 weeks in jail, lose my apartment, have to start over.
June 1, 2010 - leave jail with just the shirt on my back literally..no shoes...first thing that happens when I get out of jail, a guy offers me a ride since he sees I have no shoes and no way to where ever i was headed. he drops me off at the library and I end up getting online to see whats going on..walk to a restaurant and call my parents..tell them the story and they let me stay there.
April 4, 2011 - I manage to find a job for a gym membership.I clean the gym and I get a free membership...which I parlay into my own business in october 2011...
June 4, 2012 - I saved enough $$$ to buy my own vehicle again, I now have a succesfull business that makes me money, and I have my own land and a place to stay with food to eat.
So you see, I was a total slacker from Gen X..smoked pot, played video games all day, cruised around town, barely got by and didn't appreciate what I had. once it was all slowly taken away from me and I was locked up in psych wards 3 times, and jail 4 times for a total of 2 months ( I know, not much), but enough to learn it looks like.
but during that whole time, I knew that Christ was with me and at times I could actually feel him with me (hard to explain).
I am a living example of how Christ can take lost souls and turn them around..even if it means going through the fire of these tests like jail, pysch wards, breakups, mental illness, drug abuse, alcoholism, depresseion, death..etc, etc..
It was actually a lot worse than I detail here, but you get the jist.
It really does feel like I am a Phoenix..rising from my ashes time after time after time after time..and not because of me, but because of HIM and HIS MERCY and GRACE..HE Carried me through all this and brought me more than I ever imagined or wanted.
THANK YOU JESUS CHRIST
2000- Not saved yet, but i knew there was a God that loved me. Coming home from concerts in August early one morning around 6am or so, I fell asleep at the wheel and started going off the road..was awakened and miraculously got back on the road and avoided the markers I was going to hit. I pulled over to rest for a minute..next thing I knew, a man was coming toward my car from the road..he was somewhat tall, olive kinda skin..he asked me for some water and I gave it to him..he said he had "missed his ride to work" and thanked me for the water..I looked away for something and he was gone. I couldn't explain it at the time, but I now believe that was an angel. Also learned later that at the same time, my mother was worried about me and said a prayer for my safety.
2000- Around september of this year, I was given a vision/dream, what have you. I was still not saved, but I did have some sort of faith in a higher power. The vision was this : New York City, New York, I could see a red dot blinking there and it soon covered the world: The only thing that i took from this 'vision' was that it was gonna happen in New York and it would affect the entire world.
2002- fast forward two years and I'm living with my then girlfriend. We had been through an abortion recently and things were not happy. I had something happen and I needed a Savior. I accepted Christ as my Savior in early 2003 (january).
2004- this is where it gets tough. get in trouble and end up in jail for 5 days in February. My nephew who was a marine is killed in iraq in april (on good friday of all days)..In June, I had completely lost touch with reality and ended up in a psych ward..put on all kinds of drugs...girlfriend leaves me, and I gain a ton of weight and become super depressed...I still had faith that Christ was there with me, no matter how little I believed.
2006 - things start to look up for me in May when the weight starts to come off..by July, i feel good, and by the end of the year I feel so good that I stat to drink heavily and go off my medications. by the end of the year into 2007, I am totally manic and end up in another psych ward until February 2007. I'm back in the same psych ward again, 6 weeks later in April..but by the time I get out, I am doing a lot better. Get a DUI on Mothers day of 2007..one night in jail (8 hours) and I'm back out again.
2007-2010 - things are going great up until about September of 2009, when I kick my roommate out for something stupid...it goes downhill again from then on until I confront my ex roomie and beat the living crap out of him..didnt get in trouble for this because no charges were pressed..by May of 2010, I am arrested for tresspassing..spend 3 weeks in jail, lose my apartment, have to start over.
June 1, 2010 - leave jail with just the shirt on my back literally..no shoes...first thing that happens when I get out of jail, a guy offers me a ride since he sees I have no shoes and no way to where ever i was headed. he drops me off at the library and I end up getting online to see whats going on..walk to a restaurant and call my parents..tell them the story and they let me stay there.
April 4, 2011 - I manage to find a job for a gym membership.I clean the gym and I get a free membership...which I parlay into my own business in october 2011...
June 4, 2012 - I saved enough $$$ to buy my own vehicle again, I now have a succesfull business that makes me money, and I have my own land and a place to stay with food to eat.
So you see, I was a total slacker from Gen X..smoked pot, played video games all day, cruised around town, barely got by and didn't appreciate what I had. once it was all slowly taken away from me and I was locked up in psych wards 3 times, and jail 4 times for a total of 2 months ( I know, not much), but enough to learn it looks like.
but during that whole time, I knew that Christ was with me and at times I could actually feel him with me (hard to explain).
I am a living example of how Christ can take lost souls and turn them around..even if it means going through the fire of these tests like jail, pysch wards, breakups, mental illness, drug abuse, alcoholism, depresseion, death..etc, etc..
It was actually a lot worse than I detail here, but you get the jist.
It really does feel like I am a Phoenix..rising from my ashes time after time after time after time..and not because of me, but because of HIM and HIS MERCY and GRACE..HE Carried me through all this and brought me more than I ever imagined or wanted.
THANK YOU JESUS CHRIST
