Through two feet in casts, I watched a Southern preacher struttin' his stuff across the stage."Not for me" I said and turned the channel. Another preacher. I guess it was Sunday...you kinda lose track when you almost lose your life in a head-on. But the eloquence of the second preacher prompted me to send for the tape. Long story short, this was January and by late summer I was a born-again Christian.

Now what do you do? I started to go to the church my wife used to be a member of in the 60s. One thing I found out quick. Church isn't easy. You have to put up with all kinds of sinners. I'm not being judgemental, just making an observation. Jesus was known to hang out with "sinners" as the religious leaders called them. Like Jesus said, and I paraphrase, you can't have a doctor -patient relationship if you never make an appointment.

It was 26 years ago that I was diagnosed. The prognosis wasn't good.Death. But this doctor said"Don't worry,be happy. Put your trust in me and we'll hang out forever.

It wasn't a big fish that this modern day Jonah encountered at 2:22 in the morning of January 5, 1985 but some kind of ranch wagon driven by a drunk. It was the loudest sound I ever heard as I attempted to avoid a head-on collision. When I awoke several seconds or minutes later, I realized that I was still alive but I wasn't going to walk away...my ankle was severely broken. I remember thinking defiantly "you're not going to get me" to God. He had other plans. The 12 days I spent in the hospital gave me a chance to think about my life and I had an encounter with God that changed my life.

I started reading the Bible, but I had to wash away all the propaganda from the Watchtower in order to see the truth. My jw mother found out and sent me the latest publications with the cool illustrations and I was beginning to think I might go back. Then my wife suggested that I read the other side of the story from those who were critical of the Watchtower. That opened up a can of worms that showed me how false that organization was. If I had only known all of their history of lies and cover-ups, I never would have joined in the first place.

So I abandoned the thought of returning, but still had their poison inside of me until one day I encountered the family pastor and like Goliath I was going to easily dispose of his arguments with my arsenal of Watchtower scriptural weapons. But like David of old, he dropped me with one smooth stone...Ephesians 2:8-10.

Shortly thereafter I gave my heart to Jesus. The next question was....NOW WHAT? Tune in next for Church Wars!

I had this sinking feeling (no pun intended) when they lowered me into the pool to get baptized. I was 13 and was symbolizing my dedication to Jehovah by water baptism. What was I getting myself into? Looking back, it was fear that was my primary motivation, not dedicating my life to God's service. A bible study for several months made it clear that all so-called Christians were really pagans. Reading Watchtowers by flashlight under the covers at night convinced me that the End was right around the corner. So, without telling my unbelieving dad in Michigan what I was doing, I secretly got baptized in Milwaukee.

  Life back in Michigan would now mean door to door preaching and 5 meetings a week. After graduation, I went into the full time ministry...then in '66 it meant 100 hours a month of service. That year, the Organization came out with a publication stating that 1975 would be a significant year...probably the end of 6000 years of man's existence and ushering in the promised New Order on Earth. Guess what,they were WRONG!!! But I had already become disillusioned with their double-talk before that date fiasco that caused many to leave Jehovah's Witnesses. I left, a disillusioned prophet. But was God through with me? Tune in next time for the thrilling Bar Wars!