Post by pitbull on Aug 24, 2006 5:02:02 GMT -5
I was born on March 2, 1971 at Lawrence County General Hospital in Ironton, Ohio to the David [d. 2001] and the Jane [d. 2003]. Our home was on Marion Pike in Coal Grove, Ohio. We moved to Deering, Ohio when I was five. This was now at a different elementary school in the same school district – Dawson-Bryant. It was at this elementary school that I was placed in Special Education for my learning disabilities – speech impediment, reading difficulties, and poor short-term memory.
I accepted Christ as my personal Savior during a Junior Church service on March 2, 1980 in fellowship hall of Zoar Baptist Church in Coal Grove, Ohio. I don’t remember what the lesson was about, but I went up to a worker and told him that I realized I would go to Hell right now if I died and asked him how to get saved. Afterward, my father came to get me from Junior Church and I told him what had happened. His response: “What do you want? A hug?”
Right after getting saved, God put on my heart that I wanted to share the Gospel with others. The problem? No one took the time to teach me how to be a soul winner. I didn’t learn about soul winning for almost two decades later. Yet, the week after I was saved, God gave me T.J. He is a little bit younger than I. We became like Jonathon and David. We have been best friends ever since.
I didn’t get baptized until April 11, 1981. Why did I wait so long? No one took the time to explain to me that I needed to get baptized. No one took the time to disciple me as a new Christian. Yet, God put it on my heart. I studied the Bible and found out what it said about baptism and went to the pastor for baptism.
It was in the spring of 1985 that I was set up for a gang rape by two girls and four football players. This began an emotional tailspin. I had always been a very emotional person – very strong emotions. Now, they went out of control. I also witnessed people dying around me and was not handling it well. One girl that I had a crush on died from bleeding to death internally as her capillaries all ruptured in her lungs. Because of my emotional stress, I began to study and implement the Stoic philosophy in my life and repress my emotions. Due to this, I became a walking bomb that would explode into fights and violence. I also didn’t understand that I was “gifted” with empathy – I was absorbing the emotions of those I was talking to. Later in life, I learned to use this as a tool to communicate better with each individual by adapting to that specific person’s current emotions.
In 1985, I was awarded the Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts. I had already been award the God and Country award as well as other honors. I had already been made a member of the Order of the Arrow, an honor society within the Boy Scouts, as well the Brotherhood, the elite group within OA. I was burying myself in stuff like this rather than dealing with what was going on inside me.
It was during the summer between junior high and high school that I attempted suicide due to feeling like I was disgrace to my family. Donald and Angie both stopped me before I finished slicing my right wrist. Angie was one of three young people that God put in my life who were living by Biblical standards in a public school, including Aaron and Melody. The thing is that I didn’t learn my lesson back then.
In May 1989, I graduated from Dawson-Bryant High School with a 3.48 GPA. During the previous four years, I had become involved in Advanced Dungeon and Dragons as well as dabbling with other forms of the occult. Stephen, a Methodist Sunday School teacher, was a “white wizard” who got me involved. I witnessed him cast actual spells. I was also an invited guest during high school to a Satanic “church”, where I witnessed two separate services. I was also a friend with a “white witch” during high school.
Also, in my junior year in high school, one of the powerlifting coaches [also the Bible study advisor] got me to come out for the team because he saw how much of a frustrated youth I was. He told me to take my anger out of the weights since I could hurt them, but if I could we would go on the road and makes lots of money!
During my senior year in high school, I had to write a research project. Those in the college prep track had to do one that counted for both English class and Physics class. The English teacher graded the grammar and the Physics teacher graded the content. I decided to do it on evolution and creation. Turned out that I was completely impartial, since I believed in theological evolution at the time, and my notes and paper ended up exactly 50/50 on each side of the debate. As I did the research, my opinion changed though. As I looked the evidence as well as the theories for both sides, I realized that the only logical conclusion is the young-earth creation model.
For the summers of 1989, 1990, and 1991 I served as lifeguard at the Ironton City Pool [a.k.a. Mitch Morgan Memorial Pool] in Ironton, Ohio. The last two years, I served as head lifeguard and acting manager when the manager went on vacation. I was certified as lifeguard via the Red Cross and the Boy Scouts. I also served as a lifeguard from Aug. 1989 – May 1990 at the University of Rio Grande pool.
I attended the University of Rio Grande from Aug. 1989 - May 1993 in Rio Grande, Ohio. It was across the street from THE Bob Evan’s farm. His ancestors actually originally founded it and my academic scholarship was named in their honors. During the day that I was moving in to college, my grandfather went home to be with the Lord. He had gotten saved just a year before that. That day, he told me for the first time that he loved me and made me promise to graduate from college since he knew he wouldn’t see me graduate. My parents waited a day to tell me because they knew how close we had been. Shortly after this, I began dating Becky Webb, a senior. After 10 weeks of dating, she told me that she really didn’t have any attraction for me but had just transferred her feelings for her former fiancé to me.
While training at Knight’s Gym [off campus], I became exposed to bodybuilding. The owner, Johnny Knight, a medical doctor and Mormon convinced me to give up powerlifting and give bodybuilding a try. I did this for a total of 8 years, competing in three different bodybuilding federations.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science [3.059 GPA] - Mathematics Major; Computer Information Systems Minor. During my times there, I was involved in two different ecumenical Bible study groups which caused me to move from secular country, rap, rock, etc. to the “Christian” alternatives. This only allowed me to justify and reinforce my backslidden condition. It was also during this time at this secular college that I began to study the Bible to start to understand what I really believed.
This is where I met Julia via one of the Bible study group. Her comments when she first met me were: “He is the strangest person I have ever met. For any woman to go out with him must be out of her mind.” We got engaged on February 14, 1991 and married on August 1, 1992. I finished my last year at college while she was working as a teacher. She had graduated in May 1992 due to being about a year older than I. God had been working in my life to start to clean it up and get me back in touch with my emotions. I thought it was for Julia, but it turned out to be for different purpose. God called me to preach in October of 1992 and I surrendered – but not unconditionally yet. I was more like Jonah than Elijah.
The next fall I began Adult Bible Studies Certificate [3.303 GPA] from Moody Bible Institute
I accepted Christ as my personal Savior during a Junior Church service on March 2, 1980 in fellowship hall of Zoar Baptist Church in Coal Grove, Ohio. I don’t remember what the lesson was about, but I went up to a worker and told him that I realized I would go to Hell right now if I died and asked him how to get saved. Afterward, my father came to get me from Junior Church and I told him what had happened. His response: “What do you want? A hug?”
Right after getting saved, God put on my heart that I wanted to share the Gospel with others. The problem? No one took the time to teach me how to be a soul winner. I didn’t learn about soul winning for almost two decades later. Yet, the week after I was saved, God gave me T.J. He is a little bit younger than I. We became like Jonathon and David. We have been best friends ever since.
I didn’t get baptized until April 11, 1981. Why did I wait so long? No one took the time to explain to me that I needed to get baptized. No one took the time to disciple me as a new Christian. Yet, God put it on my heart. I studied the Bible and found out what it said about baptism and went to the pastor for baptism.
It was in the spring of 1985 that I was set up for a gang rape by two girls and four football players. This began an emotional tailspin. I had always been a very emotional person – very strong emotions. Now, they went out of control. I also witnessed people dying around me and was not handling it well. One girl that I had a crush on died from bleeding to death internally as her capillaries all ruptured in her lungs. Because of my emotional stress, I began to study and implement the Stoic philosophy in my life and repress my emotions. Due to this, I became a walking bomb that would explode into fights and violence. I also didn’t understand that I was “gifted” with empathy – I was absorbing the emotions of those I was talking to. Later in life, I learned to use this as a tool to communicate better with each individual by adapting to that specific person’s current emotions.
In 1985, I was awarded the Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts. I had already been award the God and Country award as well as other honors. I had already been made a member of the Order of the Arrow, an honor society within the Boy Scouts, as well the Brotherhood, the elite group within OA. I was burying myself in stuff like this rather than dealing with what was going on inside me.
It was during the summer between junior high and high school that I attempted suicide due to feeling like I was disgrace to my family. Donald and Angie both stopped me before I finished slicing my right wrist. Angie was one of three young people that God put in my life who were living by Biblical standards in a public school, including Aaron and Melody. The thing is that I didn’t learn my lesson back then.
In May 1989, I graduated from Dawson-Bryant High School with a 3.48 GPA. During the previous four years, I had become involved in Advanced Dungeon and Dragons as well as dabbling with other forms of the occult. Stephen, a Methodist Sunday School teacher, was a “white wizard” who got me involved. I witnessed him cast actual spells. I was also an invited guest during high school to a Satanic “church”, where I witnessed two separate services. I was also a friend with a “white witch” during high school.
Also, in my junior year in high school, one of the powerlifting coaches [also the Bible study advisor] got me to come out for the team because he saw how much of a frustrated youth I was. He told me to take my anger out of the weights since I could hurt them, but if I could we would go on the road and makes lots of money!
During my senior year in high school, I had to write a research project. Those in the college prep track had to do one that counted for both English class and Physics class. The English teacher graded the grammar and the Physics teacher graded the content. I decided to do it on evolution and creation. Turned out that I was completely impartial, since I believed in theological evolution at the time, and my notes and paper ended up exactly 50/50 on each side of the debate. As I did the research, my opinion changed though. As I looked the evidence as well as the theories for both sides, I realized that the only logical conclusion is the young-earth creation model.
For the summers of 1989, 1990, and 1991 I served as lifeguard at the Ironton City Pool [a.k.a. Mitch Morgan Memorial Pool] in Ironton, Ohio. The last two years, I served as head lifeguard and acting manager when the manager went on vacation. I was certified as lifeguard via the Red Cross and the Boy Scouts. I also served as a lifeguard from Aug. 1989 – May 1990 at the University of Rio Grande pool.
I attended the University of Rio Grande from Aug. 1989 - May 1993 in Rio Grande, Ohio. It was across the street from THE Bob Evan’s farm. His ancestors actually originally founded it and my academic scholarship was named in their honors. During the day that I was moving in to college, my grandfather went home to be with the Lord. He had gotten saved just a year before that. That day, he told me for the first time that he loved me and made me promise to graduate from college since he knew he wouldn’t see me graduate. My parents waited a day to tell me because they knew how close we had been. Shortly after this, I began dating Becky Webb, a senior. After 10 weeks of dating, she told me that she really didn’t have any attraction for me but had just transferred her feelings for her former fiancé to me.
While training at Knight’s Gym [off campus], I became exposed to bodybuilding. The owner, Johnny Knight, a medical doctor and Mormon convinced me to give up powerlifting and give bodybuilding a try. I did this for a total of 8 years, competing in three different bodybuilding federations.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science [3.059 GPA] - Mathematics Major; Computer Information Systems Minor. During my times there, I was involved in two different ecumenical Bible study groups which caused me to move from secular country, rap, rock, etc. to the “Christian” alternatives. This only allowed me to justify and reinforce my backslidden condition. It was also during this time at this secular college that I began to study the Bible to start to understand what I really believed.
This is where I met Julia via one of the Bible study group. Her comments when she first met me were: “He is the strangest person I have ever met. For any woman to go out with him must be out of her mind.” We got engaged on February 14, 1991 and married on August 1, 1992. I finished my last year at college while she was working as a teacher. She had graduated in May 1992 due to being about a year older than I. God had been working in my life to start to clean it up and get me back in touch with my emotions. I thought it was for Julia, but it turned out to be for different purpose. God called me to preach in October of 1992 and I surrendered – but not unconditionally yet. I was more like Jonah than Elijah.
The next fall I began Adult Bible Studies Certificate [3.303 GPA] from Moody Bible Institute
in Chicago, IL but didn’t complete this one-year degree until March 1998. I was acting like Jonah and dragging my feet on my calling. God was working on me.
From Aug. 1993 – Aug. 1997, I taught at East Liverpool City Schools in East Liverpool, Ohio. During this time period, God was again pruning me. Just like at college, He pruned me on my knowledge of the Bible to get me doctrinally stronger, now He began on my behaviors and actions that would affect my testimony for Christ. I began to start to see the “fruits” of being ecumenical and not having standards in my life. Being in government school, I began to be mocked and ridiculed by administration and faculty for being a Christian, including false allegations being made. Even the assistant superintendent apologized to me after I left for what I went through. The good thing is that it made me into a stronger Christian.
On December 2, 1995, God blessed me with Kaylea. We named her after her grandmothers, whose middle names were Kay and Lea. The fall before her birth, I heard an interesting interview on Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson. He was interviewing Joshua Harris, who had just authored “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”. I thought this man must be an extremist and began to study the Bible to disprove his views. After two years, God won the argument and I had to admit this man was right. This was one of the first Biblical standards that God introduced to my life. I apologized to Julia for dating her prior to our marriage as well as apologizing to her parents for not asking permission to court her prior to our engagement and apologized to my parents for dating in high school and college. Only my father outright rejected this apology.
After working that summer at Belmont Tech. College, I moved to Columbus, Ohio for 13 months. I would go there on Sunday evening and come home on Friday evenings. I worked for Ohio Department of Education and then for Nationwide Insurance – both times as a computer programmer. While there, I would serve at North Columbus Baptist Church as the unofficial assistant pastor under Pastor Matthew Ewing. During these 13 months, God began to really work on my heart about soul winning, standards, separation, and the KJV. I came out a lot stronger in the Lord because of it.
Due to being submissive now to the Lord, He allowed me to become the Assistant Pastor of Bantam Ridge Baptist Church in Wintersville, Ohio from Nov. 1998 – Aug. 2000 under Dr. Michael R. Shuman. As this, I taught the adult Sunday School class, lead the Junior Church, and oversaw the VBS programs. Through the Bible Institute at the church, God blessed me with the following:
• Bachelor of Biblical Studies [3.61 GPA]: Sept. 1997 - July 1998
• Master of Biblical Studies [3.733 GPA]: Jan. 1999 - Oct. 1999
• Master of Sports and Exercise Studies [3.778 GPA]: Jan. 2000 – July 2000
After Dr. Shuman stepped down as pastor to accept a pastorate in Virginia, God moved the congregation and me to become the next pastor. I served in that capacity from Sept. 2000 – May 2003. God blessed with salvations, baptism, church growth, expansion of the Bible Institute to even an international level, increased missionary support, etc. When I took over as pastor, I took my weight training as Abraham did Isaac before the Lord. That soft still voice of the Holy Spirit said to my spirit, “You can still train and compete. All I wanted to know if you were willing to sacrifice it for me.” God blessed as I competed in NASA [Natural Athlete Strength Association] Power Sports. In December of 2001, I completed my H.I.T.S. Personal Trainer Certification.
In February of 2003, God began to work on me to go into evangelism. I argued with Him for two months, losing each argument. When I surrendered to this calling in April, I came home to a shocker – Julia told me that she didn’t love me any more. Turns out, this was at the end of her “friendship” with Randy who went back to his wife. For a month, I struggled and almost gave up serving God completely. God strengthened my soul. I then developed God’s Pitbulls Strength Ministry to serve through. Through this ministry, God allowed me to write over two dozen tracts to edify the saints and win souls to Christ. When I stepped down as pastor to go into evangelism full time, the church voted to dissolve in May of 2003. It was truly a sad but expected act. God allowed me to rebuke the congregation during my last sermon for each of their excuses they made for why they wanted to dissolve.
For two years, I thought Julia and I were working things out. Then April 2005, she told me:
1. I was not the same man she married.
2. She didn’t sign on to be a preacher’s wife.
3. She no longer loved me and may not had any feelings for a decade.
4. She would never be happy again as long as she was married to me.
She also didn’t deny her “friendship” with a married man named Greg. His wife even had a miscarriage due to being stressed out over this “friendship”, and they had been trying to have a child. Our divorce was legally final in June 2005. He got her parents permission to officially begin to publicly court her less than 2 weeks afterwards. His divorce hearing was final in September 2005. They got married in February 2006 and are now expecting their first child.
God began to work on my heart to become a chaplain for the Ohio Army National Guard. I already had a heart for those who serve in the military, perhaps because of my father having an honorable discharge from both the Army and Army Reserve. I saw what the ANG is going through with the War on Terrorism and with the hurricane. I saw where they were literally in the “shadow of death”. I saw the need for them to hear the Gospel and told the Lord, “Here am I. Send me.” So that is where I am now – in the appointment process.
And now, God has blessed me again. He has allowed Jessica to be my wife and co-laborer in the ministry. We are serving together at a church in East Liverpool, Ohio, primarily with the youth ministry. The Lord has blessed with going from 1 young person in August of 2005 and now with 20, just not all at the same time. The Lord has also allowed me to win about nine of them to Christ. He has also allowed me to write more tracts.
From Aug. 1993 – Aug. 1997, I taught at East Liverpool City Schools in East Liverpool, Ohio. During this time period, God was again pruning me. Just like at college, He pruned me on my knowledge of the Bible to get me doctrinally stronger, now He began on my behaviors and actions that would affect my testimony for Christ. I began to start to see the “fruits” of being ecumenical and not having standards in my life. Being in government school, I began to be mocked and ridiculed by administration and faculty for being a Christian, including false allegations being made. Even the assistant superintendent apologized to me after I left for what I went through. The good thing is that it made me into a stronger Christian.
On December 2, 1995, God blessed me with Kaylea. We named her after her grandmothers, whose middle names were Kay and Lea. The fall before her birth, I heard an interesting interview on Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson. He was interviewing Joshua Harris, who had just authored “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”. I thought this man must be an extremist and began to study the Bible to disprove his views. After two years, God won the argument and I had to admit this man was right. This was one of the first Biblical standards that God introduced to my life. I apologized to Julia for dating her prior to our marriage as well as apologizing to her parents for not asking permission to court her prior to our engagement and apologized to my parents for dating in high school and college. Only my father outright rejected this apology.
After working that summer at Belmont Tech. College, I moved to Columbus, Ohio for 13 months. I would go there on Sunday evening and come home on Friday evenings. I worked for Ohio Department of Education and then for Nationwide Insurance – both times as a computer programmer. While there, I would serve at North Columbus Baptist Church as the unofficial assistant pastor under Pastor Matthew Ewing. During these 13 months, God began to really work on my heart about soul winning, standards, separation, and the KJV. I came out a lot stronger in the Lord because of it.
Due to being submissive now to the Lord, He allowed me to become the Assistant Pastor of Bantam Ridge Baptist Church in Wintersville, Ohio from Nov. 1998 – Aug. 2000 under Dr. Michael R. Shuman. As this, I taught the adult Sunday School class, lead the Junior Church, and oversaw the VBS programs. Through the Bible Institute at the church, God blessed me with the following:
• Bachelor of Biblical Studies [3.61 GPA]: Sept. 1997 - July 1998
• Master of Biblical Studies [3.733 GPA]: Jan. 1999 - Oct. 1999
• Master of Sports and Exercise Studies [3.778 GPA]: Jan. 2000 – July 2000
After Dr. Shuman stepped down as pastor to accept a pastorate in Virginia, God moved the congregation and me to become the next pastor. I served in that capacity from Sept. 2000 – May 2003. God blessed with salvations, baptism, church growth, expansion of the Bible Institute to even an international level, increased missionary support, etc. When I took over as pastor, I took my weight training as Abraham did Isaac before the Lord. That soft still voice of the Holy Spirit said to my spirit, “You can still train and compete. All I wanted to know if you were willing to sacrifice it for me.” God blessed as I competed in NASA [Natural Athlete Strength Association] Power Sports. In December of 2001, I completed my H.I.T.S. Personal Trainer Certification.
In February of 2003, God began to work on me to go into evangelism. I argued with Him for two months, losing each argument. When I surrendered to this calling in April, I came home to a shocker – Julia told me that she didn’t love me any more. Turns out, this was at the end of her “friendship” with Randy who went back to his wife. For a month, I struggled and almost gave up serving God completely. God strengthened my soul. I then developed God’s Pitbulls Strength Ministry to serve through. Through this ministry, God allowed me to write over two dozen tracts to edify the saints and win souls to Christ. When I stepped down as pastor to go into evangelism full time, the church voted to dissolve in May of 2003. It was truly a sad but expected act. God allowed me to rebuke the congregation during my last sermon for each of their excuses they made for why they wanted to dissolve.
For two years, I thought Julia and I were working things out. Then April 2005, she told me:
1. I was not the same man she married.
2. She didn’t sign on to be a preacher’s wife.
3. She no longer loved me and may not had any feelings for a decade.
4. She would never be happy again as long as she was married to me.
She also didn’t deny her “friendship” with a married man named Greg. His wife even had a miscarriage due to being stressed out over this “friendship”, and they had been trying to have a child. Our divorce was legally final in June 2005. He got her parents permission to officially begin to publicly court her less than 2 weeks afterwards. His divorce hearing was final in September 2005. They got married in February 2006 and are now expecting their first child.
God began to work on my heart to become a chaplain for the Ohio Army National Guard. I already had a heart for those who serve in the military, perhaps because of my father having an honorable discharge from both the Army and Army Reserve. I saw what the ANG is going through with the War on Terrorism and with the hurricane. I saw where they were literally in the “shadow of death”. I saw the need for them to hear the Gospel and told the Lord, “Here am I. Send me.” So that is where I am now – in the appointment process.
And now, God has blessed me again. He has allowed Jessica to be my wife and co-laborer in the ministry. We are serving together at a church in East Liverpool, Ohio, primarily with the youth ministry. The Lord has blessed with going from 1 young person in August of 2005 and now with 20, just not all at the same time. The Lord has also allowed me to win about nine of them to Christ. He has also allowed me to write more tracts.