Testimonies is the page where we will share what God is doing in our lives to build up each other in faith. We don't want to be bragging except to have the Lord glorified. The following is an excerpt from my autobiography. I am currently working on a second book called God Grew Beauty from Ashes. I hope you enjoy this excerpt. Remember that I will be offering this book free on cd through the Foundation to anyone with a motor neuron disease. We want to encourage those with disease that there is hope through Jesus Christ. Just give us a request by e-mail on our contact page.

 CHAPTER TWO
THE MILITARY YEARS

In April of 1971 I had been concerned about the draft and the fact my number would come up. If that happened then I would end up in a service that I might not want to be in. So I decided that I would join the United States Air Force. As things ended up my number ended up never being called. I was immediately sent to Lackland A.F.B. in San Antonio, Texas. It was here that life started not being fair. You only seemed to get a break from standing in ranks if you smoked. It seemed that every time you turned around someone was getting on your case about something. I couldnt understand why they were always picking on me. I soon learned how the system worked and would go to sick call for a break. While at sick call I was exposed to someone who was sick and ended up sick myself. I spent two weeks with pneumonia. When I went back to my squadron I ended up in an argument with the sergeant and as I was leaving his office he grabbed me from behind and I turned in reflex and knocked him out with one punch. He was a small man about 120 pound so he went down quickly. Realizing that I might be in trouble I then raced past the barracks guard and ran outside over to the instructors duty shack. I ran inside past the guard and right into a holding cell and locked myself in. Right in time as the sergeant had come to and was on my heels. I ended up going to a hearing and it was determined that I needed a little Correctional Custody. Another term for, last chance for you buddy. While in CC I learned what real boot camp was about. We ran to everywhere we went. We could only speak after permission was given, likewise for using the latrine or showers. We had to always look straight ahead as if we had blinders on. We also had to run the obstacle course every day and you had to do better than the day before. I decided that maybe I could be a better soldier than I had been so I did what was required to end my time in CC. I found out latter that graduates from CC were very much sought after as squadron leaders when sent back to the regular basic training. So I became a hard nose just like the sergeant I punched out. This then made a new set of problems. Because I seemed to have trouble find me, or maybe I found it, I began to look for another solution. I had noticed a fellow G.I. that always seemed to have it together. So I asked him how he did it. I would get my first experience with a personal religion. He told me God helped him and that I should join his church. So after a little explanation I joined the Mormon Church which I diligently began to study. Somehow my troubles seemed to continue. I was then sent to my first duty station at Davis Monthan A.F.B. It was here that I began training as a cook. This was not my idea of fun. I had wanted to be in photography. No matter how I tried to convince the service they had made a mistake on my orders I was still a cook and they werent changing anything. I also decided since my troubles were still with me that I didnt need the church either. Besides I couldnt agree with all their religion said it was. They seemed to want to stress the book of Mormon over the Bible. Something deep inside said this didnt seem right so I quit going. Soon I turned back to smoking and took up drinking with friends. I also became an opportunistic thief. If something wasnt tied down or locked up and I thought I would like to have it I took it. After all if someone didnt take care of what they had they didnt deserve to have it. My life though was to soon take a turn for the worse. A buddy of mine and myself received orders for Vietnam. I had to go through retraining on weaponry to qualify which I passed with expert marksmanship. Then the sergeant in charge gave me a pass for three days before we were to leave. He also told us that if we were not back on base by midnight he would consider us A.W.O.L. Since we were close to the Mexico border my buddy and I went to do some souvenir shopping. When it was time to report back to base we caught the late bus back to town. When we saw that we were going to be back later than expected, we asked if the driver could let us off near the back gate of the base so we could be on time. As we got off the bus we realized we had time to make our curfew. We only had a ¼ mile to walk in 15 minutes. No problem we thought. We then came to a divided road with a signal light. We waited for the green light and began to cross over. It was as I was turning to say something that we were struck head on by a drunk driver in a 66 Lincoln doing 50 m.p.h. I was thrown out of my shoes 165 feet. I landed on my head and back but was still conscious. I realized that I needed to get out of the road so as not to be struck again. I got up and staggered a few feet to the median. When I stepped onto the curb my right knee dislocated and twisted causing me to fall. As I fell my knee twisted further until my foot was laying by my hip where I could see the sole of my foot. The pain was excruciating to say the least. I was bruised from head to toe. My buddy ended up with a broken leg and a bump on his head. Needless to say we were late. They took us to the base hospital put casts on our legs, sewed us up and released us for light duty the following day. There was no way I felt well enough to work so I began to find every way out of work from sick call to eventually going A.W.O.L. from duty. I would end up hiding from work right on the base. While hiding on the base I returned to my barracks after hours so I wouldnt be seen. It is at this point that I ask the reader to be patient as I would like to finish my military chapter in the next chapter.

CHAPTER THREE

LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD
SAY SO

While I was hiding in my room my friend showed up. I had just sat down to watch 2001 A Space Odyssey on my stolen TV. My friend Don had showed up to invite me to a revival at a church that he was going to. He told me I had promised that I would go with him and tonight was the night. I told him that I wasnt going anywhere with him tonight and he insisted that I was. I told him that he would have to tie me up in order for me to go. He said no problem and flipped off my t.v. I got up mad and tried to push him out of the room when he grabbed my arm. Next thing I knew I had my arm twisted far up my back and was forced out of the room. I insisted that he was breaking my arm and to let go. He said that only if I promised to go with him to church. I said o.k. and he let go. I then said that I lied and I ran from him. I thought that no one could force you to go to church. My friend happened to be determined and also ran faster than I did. Next thing I found myself sprawled on the floor having been shoestring tackled. Finally I gave in and went peacefully but angry. I let him know in no uncertain terms that after tonight we would no longer be friends. He just grinned from ear to ear as if he knew something I didnt. When we arrived at the church we even fought about an aisle seat. I wanted to sit inside and he shoved me out of the way forcing me to sit on the aisle. I had had enough and began to raise my voice in disapproval. He reminded me that everyone was watching me throw a fit so in slight embarrassment I sat down with my arms crossed. To cross ones arms in anger means you are close minded to all that is around you. That is exactly what I was. I didnt want to hear from any preacher, friend or let alone from God. As the service progressed the evangelist sang one song after another. Pretty soon I began to feel something strange. Feelings and emotions I did not want to feel as I was too tough for that. Besides where had God been through all my problems. He never gave me what I wanted. Soon I had a tear roll down my cheek but I just brushed it off as emotionalism. Then the preacher began to sing a song; Jesus, There is Something About That Name. The next thing I knew I began to weep uncontrollably. Then the preacher told us that we couldnt join that church that night. In fact he was not inviting us to join a church or believe in a philosophy or doctrine of man or an idea. He simply wanted to invite us to know Jesus as our personal saviour. Before the invitation was even fully given I fell to my knees before the altar and asked God to forgive me of all my sins. It seemed as if the burden of my sins just rolled away. This happened in August of 1972. I found a Saviour. He found me and Ive been redeemed. Glory to the Father in heaven. On the way back to the base my friend Don had even a bigger grin on his face. We arrived late and since I was  still officially A.W.O.L. I would decide that I would prepare to turn myself in that morning. It was know 1:00 a.m. and I proceeded to cut my hair and clean my uniform as I would report to the chow hall at my regular time. I had now been hiding from the military, under their noses for almost 2 months. By the time I finished getting ready for the morning it was 4:00 a.m. and I needed to report at 5:30 a.m. I decided to lie down for an hour, but then jumped back out of bed to get on my knees and to tell God that I wasnt sure what happened that night but thanks for what you did for me. The next hour of sleep was the best I had ever had. I reported to work and surprised everyone. All they could say is youve been A.W.O.L.  They wanted to know why I came back. I told them that I had gone to church the night before and that I had gotten saved. They just shook their heads in disbelief. Soon the officer that was in charge of food service showed up for breakfast. When he saw me he got angry and wanted to know why I came back. I saluted him and told him that I had received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and that I was back to receive my punishment and to serve God and my country as I contracted to do so. He just turned to leave and told me that I was to report to him after chow and that my God couldnt  save me from what he would do to me.{It was some months later that as I was witnessing to my roommate how much God saves us from. When I began to share how I had become saved to my roommate and how light my sentence was he said he already knew about it. I said how is that possible you werent there that night. He then told me how he had just arrived to the base that morning that I had returned and was waiting for food service officer in his office. He told me that he watched as my commanding officer showed up fuming mad mumbling about an airman that had gotten some kind of religion. He then watched as he tore up the orders on his desk to send me Leavenworth Federal Prison for 4 years and a dishonorable discharge when they found me. He said he guessed he would give me another chance. I rejoiced in knowing a great God when I heard that. I was able to see that officer come to know Christ as his saviour too as well as many that I worked with.} When I reported to him later that day he had decided that I would serve time and work. Every day I would have to go to jail after work. Every day I was subject to a body cavity search without complaint, since I had a pocket Bible I read everyday and prayed for my bosses. Soon the jailer said youre a Christian arent you? I said yes and that I had made some mistakes and Jesus had come into my heart. I asked if he had invited Jesus to be his Lord yet? He said he didnt know how so I told him what I did and he was saved soon after. I was no longer subject to the searches either. I was able to see the chaplain while I was in jail.

       Soon he saw that I really had been transformed and saw to it that I could be released for time served but I was confined to base. Within days I would be able to go off base to a Christian mens retreat held every weekend by a small church in Douglas, Arizona. He made me promise I went nowhere else and showed up to work on time. My boss even had to have a note signed by the minister, which he did. Because I worked at the front of the chow hall taking the money for meals and greeting officers I had a lot of opportunity to be a witness for the Lord. Soon a Bible study was started with a few that the Lord had me witness to. Then we had 12 and nicknamed ourselves the Disciples. What a privilege to bring the Word of God to the lost. Before my discharge in 1973 I had the honor of watching God use all of us to bring over 250 G.Is to Him. Even the Mormans when they found out had my name removed from their book of life. I thank God I have a new name written down in glory in the only book that matters. The Lambs book of life in heaven. More and more men were taken to the weekend retreats. Pastor Thomas E. Fisher and his wife Jean worked tirelessly to feed, house and bring the Word of the Lord to all of us. Some 30 years later after helping me to know exactly what it meant to receive Christ he is still preaching in Quartzsite, Arizona in an Assembly of God Church. Soon after things got real busy for the Lord on base I received orders to go to Montana. I was to drive so I loaded my car with Bibles, tracts and myself and headed north from Arizona. About 25 miles north of Douglas, Arizona I had a roll over accident where my car rolled 4 ½ times at 70 miles an hour. I received all kinds of cuts and bruises. I  had called out to the Lord as I rolled and I know he had his angels round about me. I crawled out and saw that my car might drive if I could put it on its wheels. I pushed and found out my arm was broken. I then began to wait for help and began picking up the tracts that were everywhere. I tried to find my Bible but it would be found later. Soon a lady passed by and took me to the hospital. The whole way back I kept thanking the Lord out loud. In the weeks following my Bible was returned by the tow truck operator who thought it was a miracle that anyone would live through the accident. He found my Bible open under the car with a drop of blood on the numbers of three verses in the book of Psalms 119 verses 75,76 and 77. They say: I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight. This alone caused the tow truck driver to receive the Lord. I also found out the woman who I never thanked properly rededicated her life to the Lord.  So many more miracles of His love and grace happened while in the service. Because of all my injuries I was soon honorably discharged from the service in December of 1973.