Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Philippians 1:6 (KJV)

I was raised in a church going family but by the age of 20 had drifted away from God and became addicted to alcohol. After joining the Navy, I found a Bible Tract in my barracks one day. Upon reading it, I prayed the prayer on the back page, and felt different after that, but was distracted by the pressures of school and my schedule and never followed up with a real commitment to God.

Months later I was invited to a Bible Study and that’s when I first began reading the Scripture. Having completed the Naval Training at that base, I was transferred to an Aircraft Carrier. There I read the Bible nearly every day for the rest of my term in the Navy, but I could not understand what I was reading. Also, I could not escape the grip alcohol had on me.

A year later, out of the Navy and back at home, the Lord confronted me for a decision. Still in the hold of alcohol, I made a commitment to Him, even admitting to Him that I would fail again and again with my attempts to quit, but I promised to keep trying all my life rather than give up and go to Hell.

God saw my heart and He knew that I knew that I would fail on my own, but He granted me mercy. I didn’t know it right away, I didn’t feel any different but when Friday night rolled around, I strangely didn’t have the “irresistible pull” to go out to the bar. I suddenly felt myself FREE! Free to decide what I was going to do. I found a church and at the end of the service I went forward and committed my life to the Lord!

My life has been totally different ever since! By far, the greatest discovery I made in my life is that God loves ME! I thought God  loved the CHURCH or ISRAEL. I didn’t know how much God loves individual people.

He has taken the shambles of my life and patiently, gently, lovingly, and consistently been nurturing, healing and instructing me. He has truly brought me from the shackles of sin and made me His child. I didn’t know such a relationship was possible! I’m certainly not perfect, but He hasn’t given up on me, nor will He ever give up on YOU!