April 2019 E-newsletter

For more than 40 years John struggled with alcohol, later using crystal meth and cocaine. Habits formed early in life and a lack of moral compass led him down a path of despair.

Growing up, John found religion confusing and God a mystery that could not be solved. Not having a connection with God's Word or a personal relationship with Jesus, his mid-twenties John had lost any semblance of faith.

Marrying early and being unprepared for its responsibilities, John had an ugly divorce after only 8 years. He and his son once in a loving relationship, became estranged as John escalated his drinking, drug use, and later, drug dealing. John's life by age 28 was in a downward spiral, leading to another failed marriage, bitterness and total rejection of God's existence.

Traveling the country as a successful Ironworker, in 1981 after being hired as a field superintendent in Los Angeles, John began a relationship with a bartender who also struggled with similar addictions. Dianne though, spoke of a faith still held from her Seventh-day Adventist upbringing of which John hadn't heard of nor cared about.

Married in 1982 then separating, John was called to Utah reuniting later in San Francisco. Four years later they relocatied back to Oregon where John's conversion began.

Dianne, being convicted of her Adventist upbringing, declared one day that she wanted to keep the Sabbath. John's addictions were under somewhat control, drinking only on weekends and no longer doing drugs, he was now was being told that there would be NO DRINKING during Sabbath hours. Months of arguments and being faced with another separation, the couple came to an agreement that John would not drink during Sabbath hours, while being asked to read the Bible all the way through. Due to health issues John began walking 45 minutes a day, while downloading and listening to the Bible on an MP3 player.

Over four months with only the intention to fulfill his commitment, John listened to the entire Bible returning then to his normal life. Strangely something had changed, John wanted to continue listening. Late in 2010, inexplicably he stopped drinking and using foul language completely. His anger also curbed. Listening to God's Word through a second time, John found a God who had a plan of salvation that could love even a sinner like him. Taking two more years, then starting to attend his local Adventist church, John was baptized.

In 2014 John's wife Dianne succumbed to cancer after which John came to a crossroads. Would he now stand on his own or return to the miserable life as before? Through the love of his church family, prayer, and God's Word, John developed a real and meaningful relationship with Jesus. In 2016 John met an Adventist woman online and even though she lived across the country, they both knew it was a 'God thing'.

John and Ruth Ann soon married and now share a Christ-centered life involved in Ruth Ann's ministry as an Adventist teacher where John assists her as a volunteer aide. They are also leaders in the Macon Seventh-day Adventist Church Community Services.

John says his greatest passion now is sharing his testimony, in churches, on the street, and in his Christian blog three times a week.

From alcoholic, drug addict, and God hater to a joyful servant of the living God, John's life is a Miracle Story.