I Traded Beer for Bass and Jesus

I always felt like I believed in Jesus from an early age.  I remember going to church with my mom and dad as a kid.  I remember getting baptized in the river.  I can’t say I have a date that I remember getting saved like some people have it marked on their calendar.

But I know I fell away from Jesus.  I joined the Air Force and got married at a young age.  I remember talking to my wife about Jesus while I was at Technical School and thought we were on the same page, but we weren’t.  We didn’t find a church and I wasn’t reading my Bible.

Anyway, that marriage didn’t work.  I am a firm believer that you must put God first in everything you do (now).   We ended up getting a divorce and I got remarried…blah blah blah, get the to good stuff. 

Basically, I drank a bunch of beer while stationed in Germany and did things I shouldn’t do. 

I got married again and moved from Germany to my hometown, a small town in Arkansas.  My wife started working at a Homestead cooking, she loves cooking.  The owner invited her to church, and she came home with a pamphlet from their church, saying we should go.  I was like, “I don’t know if I am ready for church” (that’s a commitment.)  Thank God, we started going to the church.  Then my wife started reading the Bible at night, while I was watching TV.  It didn’t take long, and we both were reading the Bible together.  A marriage is so much stronger with three cords twined together, as opposed to just two.  A man and woman united with God can withstand challenges and endure difficulties together. 

And after a while, The Lord told be to quit drinking beer and I listened and I am so glad, I did! 

We got into camping, bought a camper and now I am addicted to fishing.  I traded beer for bass and Jesus. 

 We got plugged into church and I truly believe I (we) have a fruitful relationship with God.  I am the president of the Men’s Brotherhood.  I take care of the message on the sign every week.  I believe the Holy Spirit gives me messages to go on the sign and it’s my prayer that they touch people’s lives. 

Our daughter was baptized on her own free will.  We just try to shine our light and live for Christ, sharing the gospel any chance we get.

I started a Non-profit organization called Love Pray Fish EIN# 99-1525820.  We give fresh fileted fish to needy families.  I am looking for veterans to fish with, to support my fishing addiction and to get them out in the outdoors to improve their mental health and well-being. 

I also applied to volunteer to take hospice patients fishing. I set up a table at a military appreciation day, trying to get vets signed up for fishing and I was approached by two hospice organizations asking if I would consider taking their patients fishing.  They told me that some of their last wishes are to go fishing. 

Anyway, God is good, and I am so blessed that God first loved me and that He chased me down.  I was the prodigal child and now I am back home where I belong.  I traded sin and shame for Jesus and forgiveness.  You too can come back home, stop running and give your life to Jesus.  He will set you free.  Now, I am addicted to Jesus and fishing, instead of beer and sin. 

Update: I may have a boring testimony, and I am ok with that.  Our pastor spoke last night at Kid’s Camp, and he said that he had a boring testimony. (It’s awesome how the Holy Spirit works, I was working on this article, and Zack spoke about some of the same things) He said nothing really bad happened to him, God spared him.  He didn’t fall into drugs, or sexual immorality, before making Jesus the King of his life.  He said that his parents took him to church three times a week and he was baptized at an early age, but he wasn’t really saved.  He wasn’t living for Christ; he was just trying to please his mom and dad.  He was baptized again at 17 and this time it was for all the right reasons.

 I’ll take a boring testimony over all the bad things that could have happened.  Zack went on to say that 94% of Christians say they were saved at an early age.  And his prayer was that during Kids’ Camp, that children would be saved from the wrath of God at an early age, right here at Kids’ Camp, that God would spare them also from all the bad things they could fall into, that they too could have a somewhat boring testimony and say that so many years ago I was saved at Kids’ Camp. That’s a great prayer.  I hope Zack’s right and there are a lot of kids saved right here at Kids’ camp.