Doug Anderson

As a teenager when I started smoking, the feeling that came rushing into my head felt good. I was in Jr. High School. And now I was about to enter a new world, High School! And things went down hill very fast. I was failing all of my classes. I could not seem to adjust. Nobody would listen to me. And when I asked for help no one seemed to care enough to help. I started drinking a little and smoking, and somehow passed and continued on.
Wanting to get a way from my parents. After I graduated High School, I enlisted in the army. If I remember right, I told my parents a week before I was to report for duty. And I found myself in the biggest party place that I had ever seen. In 1984, someone invited me to a Church Service. I told him if I was not doing anything that day, I would go. I already had plans to go bowling, and then I was told I wasn’t needed to bowl! The person who invited me to Church showed up again and I was out of options. This Church service was nothing like a Church Service I have ever gone to. There was an energy, an energy of LIFE. The weekend was coming up and I was invited to dinner by the Pastor and to attend fellowship after dinner. I ended up staying overnight. I had fun playing board games and laughing. I ended up staying there the entire next day as well. This was a place for service men and women to come and get away from the everyday hustle of the military activities and duties. I stayed the next night as well. I couldn’t remember the last time I had such a peaceful sleep. The Sunday morning sun came through the window and a cool breeze was blowing through the room. Ft. Polk La. had very few cool mornings during the summer time. I felt a peace like I never felt, in any other place. That Sunday morning I asked Jesus to come in to my heart.
This path in my life lasted for about 8 years, During which time I went to Bible School, studied hard and did very well. I Graduated and went to Arkansas as a helper. After a period of time, things where going slow and began to fall apart and I became discouraged. Instead of continuing I decided I was done. So I picked up the bottle, ran and started on a path that got very ugly.
1996 or 1997, I found myself in the middle of a drunken bar brawl, I was sitting on top of somebody ready to hit him. And just before I was ready to deliver this hit, there was a rush of power like I never felt before. (It was like I was in a different plain or realm, I was feeling this kind of “no one would dare touch me” type of attitude). And then these are the words I heard in my mind: YOUR LIKE GOD. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO GIVE LIFE OR TAKE IT AWAY…. TAKE IT!    Fear came over me. I do not remember how things happened. I do remember that I slowly lowered my hand, opened my bloody eyes and saw a human being looking back at me as if he saw death. This scared me so much that for the past 10 to 11 years I was afraid of me. And did not want to be around anybody for any length of time. And after this, I was afraid that Jesus might not let me come back.
On Friday, January 25, 2008, I realized that Jesus never left me on my own. Through the ministry's' and the fellowship of; Faith Community Church, OverComers In Christ and Summit Baptist Church, I did not have to be afraid anymore. And when I ask Jesus to forgive me, and told Him I wanted to come back Home. I felt that Peace, and Love of God that I have missed for so long.

(If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.) KJV 1 John 1:9