My story begins in a small upstate community in New York called "Pulaski." I was born in May of 1954, and things were much different then. My early childhood was difficult and challenging. My father was in the U. S. Army, stationed at what they called Pine Camp. Today, it is known as Fort Drum Military Installation. My mother was from Pulaski, New York.My parents were divorced after about three years of marriage, so my sister and I lived with my mother and grandparents. At the time, I didn't understand why my mother was so mean and physically abusive to me and my sister. Growing up without a father figure was a major life issue with negative effects for both me and my sister going into adulthood.I had aspirations as a young teenager to become either an oceanographer or a National Forest Ranger. Neither came about. I was gifted as an athlete, but when I was introduced to drugs and alcohol, my life took a drastic turn. My life became a train wreck. I was married at the age of 19 to a wonderful girl from Watertown, New York.
We had three beautiful boys during our 18 years of marriage that ended in divorce. The marriage could have been everything a man would have wanted. That didn't happen because of my downhill spiral into drug addiction, drug dealing, and criminality that brought several incarcerations throughout the years.I became a full-fledged hippie, buying into the hippie mantra of life consisting of sex, drugs, and Rock n’ Roll. My life became so dark and evil that it affected everything I touched and impacted all the people around me. I became very well-known in upstate New York as one of the major drug dealers, destroying multitudes of lives. Of course, with my disillusioned thinking, I didn’t realize how destructive my lifestyle was to myself and others.In the midst of all this, I committed adultery with another woman and left my wife and kids so I could shack up with this new sexual interest. Again, I didn’t realize the real damage I was doing to other people and myself. What a mess and train wreck I had become.By this time I was burned out from drugs and alcohol, mentally and physically. I didn't know that my next pursuit for something different and better in life was going to lead me to a life-changing encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ of Christian Tracts!
It is the best thing that has happened in all of my 64 years of life! My relationship with Jesus has been a long and interesting journey for sure. By my experiences in life, I have found out that Jesus is true to His word in everything. He has never left me once in all my struggles since knowing Him, even though there have been times when I have left Him.After nearly 40 years of drug addiction, He has delivered me completely. After two failed marriages, I am now married to a wonderful Christian woman that loves God and loves me. Thank You, Jesus, for another chance! I have five wonderful sons, 16 grandchildren, and one great-grandson. I am very proud of all of them, and Jesus is helping me to restore my relationship back with all of them.
In the past decade or so, I have become an ordained minister, pastored a church, run studies of Bibles Tracts, traveled to churches preaching, and been involved in jail and prison ministries. I have traveled to Israel and much, much more!I had to learn as a disobedient and rebellious man that Jesus truly loves me, and I had to accept that truth for my life! Because I have the truth, Jesus has truly set me free. The life I live now is full and rich! It is my pleasure to tell people about Jesus and how, if given the chance,He will transform and change a person's life. I thank Jesus for saving a wretch like me and loving me through all of my life. He told me, "It is not good enough to know about Me, but I want you to know Me!" This is the life I live now, to know Him and to walk in His love for me! Thank you, my Jesus!!
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