Dan’s Story

An Early History (Oct 17, 08 revised Mar 6, 09)
A Change of mindset in ‘2008′

A QUICK LOOK AT 1966-67 AND BEYOND TO 2008.
(Early conversion and results)

A) EARLY SALVATION AND HOW?

At age 12, I was already in a funk and suicidal, yet not to the point of overall seriousness about it. That said I was in a desperate mindset and walking down the suburbs of Detroit, when another person my age started talking to me. Something was different in him, and I wasn’t sure what. In time, we became close friends and he invited me to his church (Wick Rd. Baptist) and in time I accepted the Lord in 1967. I remained at that church through my teen years and friends with Kieth Mungar for longer than that. Oddly enough, my whole family of 7 soon turned to Christ after that and are to this day active in their love for the Lord.

B) THE VIGOR IN THE EARLY YEARS.

I was on fire for the Lord. Learning everything I could. Sharing anytime it made sense. God was good, and even showed me to a beautiful girl which I am still married to.

C) MARRIAGE AND THE EARLY YEARS.

In Jan. 1975 I joined the Air Force. In N.J. I met up with a non denominational group of Christians and a small church was formed. They were sort of like a hippy Christian sect. Faithful and serious, but very different from my past. It was an eye opener to see the Spirit work in people’s lives. This was a first for me, even though I had visited Pentecostal churches in the past. I had seen tongues, healings and prophetic words in the past, but not up close and personal. In Sep. 1976, my now wife and I were married after 5 years of long distance dating (she was reluctant), and we were living in Ind. for the next 3 years.

D) FOUR SQUARES AND MY DECENT

Seems funny that outside influences are able to taint even strong Christians, but Satan had his way with me. I was going to a strong church. A good and faithful group and still I were falling for the things of the world. Partying and drinking started off slow. I was seeing some hypocritical actions in the church, and had never noticed it in years past. Maybe it wasn’t important in the past because I was looking at the greater good that fellowship was doing for me. Nonetheless, the slip away was starting. Hypocritical Christians were a catalyst, and I had good ammo. This is in all churches, however.

E) MY RETURN TO DETROIT metro AND MY COLLEGE DAYS

The military stint was over and I had no desire to re-enlist. Take the bennies and go to college. I went back to Detroit (Taylor Mi.) and worked for 1 year, and then enrolled in college for Architecture. No church was satisfactory, especially the fore mentioned Baptist church. I was dialed into looking for the hypocrisy, and it was prevalent everywhere. I avoided the church, and felt it was better to live without it, rather than get drug down with the problem. This was a severe mistake. This triggered a slipping of my morals. Drinking and smoking drugs was now normal, and a rapid deterioration in my overall mindset occurred. I felt it justified. This started A 30+ YEAR removal from the church world, and a distain for anything church oriented.

NOTE: To this day I find that non Christians can be more honest with you than Christians. Non Christians don’t have a God to justify to, but they also don’t have a God to ask for forgiveness when they mess up. My finding is that the Christians can mess up and go to God and ask forgiveness. That leaves an out for Christians to mess up and go on, in good conscience, and they take advantage of the fact that God will forgive (but not forget). Non Christians, to this day are more honest to me than Christians. A Sad State of Affairs. Christians need to take this thought and understand their error. I will elaborate later.

F) MOVE TO CHI-TOWN

Before I had completed college, my wife relocated to Island Lake, IL. and I shortly after finishing, followed her out here. After another year of job search, I landed my first Architectural job with ACBI, who was a church design/build firm. The Christian hypocrisy continued and they only paid $7.oo an hour. I was let go after 8 months claiming my work was inadequate. After the fact I found they were ‘Heavily’ in debt, and couldn’t afford to keep me, yet were trying to hang on to 2 of their aircrafts that they owned. My work was actually quite good. Lies! Angered I went solo. To further add to my frustration with Christians, my own mother was having similar issues with a Christian nursing home she was employed at. Poor pay and more lies. She finally quit. My belief that Christian organizations were scum was solidified. Despite all of this I went on, and hung mostly with non Christians. The friends I meet are few but close and loyal.

My Distain For Christians and their Organizations was Solid, but my Love For the Lord, wavered but was still there!!

Still there was no Christian support anymore, and that was a fault. I however still believed in honesty, integrity, helping others in need, and was always trying to be a responsible person with a good work ethic.

G) THE PAST 20 YEARS

This I will rattle through kind of fast, since the precedence of my life has already been stated.

a) The birth of my son was in 1990.

b) It wasn’t long before I was kept from my son’s upbringing

c) Issues with my wife were escalating.

d) Business choices were made throughout my life that weren’t the wisest.

e) Partying and fun were synonymous with my lifestyle.

f) Christianity was not frowned on, but Christian organizations were.

The past 20 years were fast, fun and furious. A lot of good, but too much bad came from it. In essence it was somewhat Godless and without emotion. I ran on logic and my own wits. Much good came from it, yet in retrospect too much bad. I drank at times heavily, had a bout of prescription drug use, and was basically hard on myself, and others who got in my way. My marriage was heading down a bad path, and at the end looked doomed. There were two to blame for this, and it looked at the end irreconcilable. My finances are to this day upside down as well.

My connection with God was not severed, but quite sparse. Prayer was short and direct and sparse. I hated bothering God with my issues, considering he had enough on his plate to take care of. I had a rule. 85% of things are controllable and the 15% you can’t do much about. I might bother God with the 15%, but felt responsible for the 85% that my God given wits and abilities should be responsible for. Boy Was I Wrong!!! Let me explain the 85%/15% rule.

‘2008’, WHAT WENT WRONG! (and a good spot to explain the fallacy of the 85% / 15% rule)

a) Business has slowed in the past 2 years and nearly stopped. (15% ?) Although I saw the economic indicators and was in a change mode, I moved too slow and have had the worst two years financially ever.

b) Financial issues are a disaster. (15% ?) A rental home which has been costing me out of pocket to maintain, financial overload in many respects, including credit issues.

c) A son dating on the internet. (15% ?) I found little benefit in this and it eventually was a major strain in the household.

d) Wife supporting the above action (15% ?) Whereas this in the end, turned out to be a possible positive, it was a strain in our marriage.

e) Husband left out of the picture and devious things done behind my back (15% ?) As a parent, being thought of as a non entity in a marriage is tragic. Also being left out of raising of your own child, was a disaster waiting to happen. Again the fault rests on both parties.

THE FOLLOWING EVENTS SHOOK ME TO THE BONE.

f) Al Krass, a long time friend dies at age 55, from alcoholism.

g) Tim Krauth, a very long time friend dies at age 52, from asthma (never a smoker)

h) Doug Kennedy, my best friend EVER dies at age 60, from skin cancer and other related maladies . We were like brothers, biker bro’s and were working together in a business venture for the past year. It all died with him. These 3 people died in a 3 month span from Feb - Apr “08″ . (15% ?)

i) I contracted prostate cancer in early July. Surgery was scheduled for Aug 12^th and was done successfully (praise God). (15% ?)

j) Son moves out on my birthday, the end of July to Connecticut to live with internet girlfriend. (15% ?) Mind you, he is a good Christian son, and is now married, but the stress of this was felt, none the less.

k)My marriage was done. I felt no chance of reconciling , and I was ready to walk. Nothing would change my mind except for a change in my wife’s mindset and actions. There seemed no possibility for this. (15% ?)

I HAD ENOUGH 15%s IN LESS THAN 4 MONTHS TO LAST 20 YEARS!!!

You see. God is the author of your life, and controls things, we are just Gods tools. Finally the prayers started on my part. Slowly, but seriously. Severe and quick prayers were taking place when I was lying on the ct-scan table to diagnose whether the cancer had spread. It had not.(that in itself is a story) Further prayers were already in place for turning my marriage around, but I felt there was no hope.

Too be continued…