I was not raised in any particular church, I have attended many denominations. I served in the Military for 10 years and got out in 1985. I met my wife Brenda while on a weekend "party run" with some friends. Shortly after we met we were married, and have been happily for 17 years. We have one daughter 16 years old.

My life was a real mess before I met my wife, I had been riding Harley's for several years, and running with bikers where ever I was stationed. I was like most outlaw bikers, into drugs and booze. I slowed my pace a bit after I was married but not completely.

In 1987 I was fired from the fourth job in 6 months, I went home and told my wife and we had a "discussion" about it. I decided to walk out to the field behind our home to think. As I stood near the fence smoking a cigarette, I looked to the sky and spoke to God. I had always believed he was real but never figured I needed him. As I spoke to Him I felt a hand touch my shoulder, it was soft but firm. That convinced me that God heard me.

I returned to the house and apologized to my wife and told her that I wanted to find a church to start going to. I didn't tell her abut the touch I felt on my shoulder. During the week as we drove into town we would look at different churches. We finally chose one to attend the next Sunday, well Sunday came and my wife got sick the day before, so we postponed it till the next week, Satan knew something I didn't.

Sunday came and we went to church and set on the back pew, I don't remember what the Pastor preached about but by half way through his message I was broken and in tears when he gave the invitation to except Christ, I was down at the alter on my knees begging God's forgiveness, one of the deacons took his Bible and showed me how to be saved. I was a changed man. On Jan. 1988 I became a child of God by His amazing Grace and through the blood of Jesus Christ. My wife for years thought she had gotten saved as a teenager, last year she found real salvation in Christ.

Since then I have attended Bible College and evangelize when ever possible.

There are many stories I can tell about my past life, but I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. The old man is dead.

My favorite verse is Phillipians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me".

Rick Jones