From Satanism and Sex to Redemption in Jesus

I would like to share a short and direct story of my life so far. I am a 27 year old from Waterloo New York. My parents were average people, my father a truck driver for awhile, with my mother working on and off. I was the problem, not my family. I had some Catholic up bringing, but I chose not to follow that.

I was shy as a child, and when comics make jokes about "the kid you had to beat up to pass," that was me. I only had a handful of friends, and we tried to influence each other to stay out of trouble. Here’s the rub. One of them was older with very liberal parents. We were drinking by the age of 16. This led us to a new "friend" who introduced me to Satanism. He first showed us some strange things with black jade.

Now I never really donned a cloth and worshiped, but little things kept happening. I found a perverse pleasure in hunting wild animals, my family was nothing more that someone to fight with, and my love life turned sexual at 16. I would write songs that were from some dark part of me. There were occurrences where my mother would see "demons" in our home (which became a living hell). I hurt everyone that I had anything to do with.11 years later some scars are still there.

During all this, God was setting the stage for me! I had neighbors that where born again. I still when to church once in a while to see why I was so mixed up. And I was suddenly more aware of trials and tribulations. People were praying for me and I could tell. Then God led me to a woman who was on fire for God! Her family was still intact and mine was dysfunctional (divorced). Angela taught me that there was a way out. Her family took to me and we got more serious about our relationship.

Angela's family took me to see Carman [a Christian singer] in 1993. My life has been changed since then. Now I am a born again Christian and have several gifts from Jesus. I can speak in tongues, pray, and have the love of God to guide me. God has blessed me with Angela as my wife, with Kyle for a son, and our family saying "I love you."

God is great and there is no other way that I can say it. His love has set me free. I believe that if America wants to know why kids are killing they should look at how they are taught. Are we telling them there is a hope? Are we telling them there is one true God, and he can lead them? That’s what I needed to hear! God bless you all and may his love rain on you.

Richard Bartolomay