My life for the first 24 years could be summed up by the lyrics of a little known folk singer named Alex Bevin "skinny little boy from Cleveland Ohio come to drink your women and chase your beer". To say I lived a carnal existence would be understating the fact.

Then jobless and without direction, I decided to pull myself out of the rut. With little in the way of career prospects I turned to Uncle Sam. The Army would be the vehicle to give me direction and a future.

That it did and more, so much more. God was already actively working in my life, I just couldn't see it. I was sent to Germany right out of AIT (advanced individual training) where I had trained as a medic. First it was to a city called Aschaffenberg where I was to meet my kindred spirit and best friend Brian. We were out of control back then. Not to say we are in control now, but we are better, with Gods guiding hand.

Maybe a year in Aschaffenberg and the whole battalion move to a little base located in a sheep field near the town of Giebelstadt. The base, a former Nazi army compound was so well hidden that the Allied forces found it after WWII was over!

It was in Giebelstadt that things started accelerating. Brian introduced me to a beautiful blue eyed young women named Carole. I literally couldn't take my eyes off of her. We engaged in a torrid love affair for the next few months. Then as happens in the military, she left Germany. It looked like the end of our relationship, but God had a plan for us.

We kept in touch via letters, the old fashion kind. When it was time for me to leave Germany I was faced with a choice, visit New England a place I had never been to or catch a flight home to Ohio. Flying into a New Jersey air base the name of which escapes me, my intent was to catch that flight to Ohio. We got into New Jersey late on a Sunday, the flight crew put an NFL wrap up show on just before we landed to much applause.

By the time we got our luggage everything was shut down for the evening not to re-open until the following morning. Here I was stuck at the airport without any accommodations. At this point even I could see it was time to go to plan B. I would hop on a bus and go visit Brian who lived in Ellsworth Maine. Little did I know just how far Ellsworth was by bus from where I was.

The first bus took me to New York City, Grand Central Station, where I was to catch another bus. This bus would take me straight to Bangor Maine. First I'd have to wait the four hours until the bus was to leave, no small feat when you consider it was midnight when we got there and I was dressed in army dress greens. The very first thing someone said to me upon arrival was "watch your bags". I thought, OK, this looks promising. I met some very colorful people during my four hour delay.

The bus came and took me to Bangor where Brian picked me up and we spent the next week catching up. At the end of the week we decided to drive down to Portsmouth New and visit Carole. We spent a weekend recreating our time together in Germany.

After we concluded our visit and I was flying home to Ohio, I was depressed. This was the second time I had to say goodbye to this lovely woman. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was falling in love with Carole. At some point I made the decision that this time she wouldn't get away. I invited Carole to spend a week with me in Ohio.

The week passed quickly and blissfully, leading to a mutual decision to continue the relationship long distance. Carole from New Hampshire and I at my next post of service Fort Campbell Kentucky.

During the year I was to spend at Fort Campbell, I flew back to New England four times and Carole visited Kentucky once. On my visit during the days leading up to Christmas, I popped the question. Carole responded with a delighted YES! We were to be married the following fall. October 26th 1985 to be exact. God had provided the woman He had created for me. Of course I was ignorant of the fact and that might have been the end of the story, if not for God.

We had the same ups and downs as most young couples. We were kind of just cruising along when at some point during the first few years of our marriage our friend Brian was saved. Brian came up from his new home in Maryland and witnessed to us. We were not very receptive to his testimony. In fact we were kind of rude.

A few years passed and we were going through a bit of difficulty with Carole's job situation when I ask God to intervene. To make an already long story short, He did so I accepted Jesus into my life. It took me a couple of years to even admit to Carole that I had become a Christian.

She didn't get upset, as I feared. She was even willing to go to church with me. After visiting a chuch that really did not suit us, our daughter Richenda came home from school asking to go to a local churches youth group.

She went and had a blast. She wanted to continue going. Carole and I decided we had better check this place out to insure our daughters safety. So we attended Grace Community Church for the first time. Grace is a great church were God is glorified through praise, proclamation and preaching. We started to attend on a regular basis.

Within a year both Richenda and Carole came to know the Lord and we were baptised together. Carole and I are now involved in teaching Sunday school to 2nd and 3rd graders, leading a Home Bible study that has grown to fourteen members and last summer had the pleasure of coaching one of our churches softball teams.

God in His infinite love for me has given me a life, a career, a daughter and my wife. I have much to be thankful for, far to much to list here.

Computers & Technology > Online Shopping & Trade How to choose a auction site

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With sites offering low bid auctions popping up like daisies in the spring time, how do you choose the one that is right for you? To name a few, we have "Bid Clever", "Bid Low", "Bid Nation", "Bid 4 Prizes" and "Mr. Bid Low". There is "e-Lot Bidder", as well as "Low Ball" and Silver Tag Auctions." I am sure there are plenty of others out there that have yet to become aware of them.

As with any on line business you transact, make sure the vendor is reputable and the site is secure. If the site does not use a secure transport protocol such as https, don't even consider them. There are...

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