When I first met my wife Dale, her dad and mom was going to Apostolic Outreach Center in New Orleans, LA. Her dad often attempted to talk to me about God, but I was young and wasn’t interested in hearing anything about religion at that time. The more I visited my future wife, the more her dad talked me about God. He and I would sit and talk in the living room as I waited for her to get ready.
One day her dad pulled me aside on the porch, “do you want to live?” he asked. He asked me that because God showed him what I was doing in the streets. My girlfriend Dale didn’t tell him anything, yet he knew. He told me that I wouldn’t live long or see my unborn child grow up if I didn’t change. In the process of my illegal activities, I had an argument with a group of guys. We really disliked one another. Looking back on the situation, it was very petty and childish. Nevertheless, there was an altercation. That altercation resulted in them seeking to kill me. My intention was to kill them before they killed me. All of a sudden I was able to understand the words of Dale’s dad. Our conversation kept replaying in my head, so much so, that I eventually told him that I wanted to attend church with him.
I use to listen to certain music that would encourage me to do wrong. There was a song that had the word murder in the title that I listen to and loved. Even then, I was not the type to take a human life, but I was not going to allow my life to be taken either. Every time my life was threatened, I listened to that song and it motivated me to strike first.
One day I was listening to that same song and I just began to weep. I remember turning the song off and telling God that I didn’t want to live like this anymore. I had grown tired of hiding and running. By this time, Dale and I had already gotten married and our second child was on the way. I realized that we needed a new start, so we moved to Mississippi. After moving to Mississippi, I stopped listening to rap music and I gave my life to God. The year was 1998.
We eventually moved back to New Orleans and began attending Apostolic Outreach Center. It was there that someone reminded me of the many in depth talks I’ve had about God. I was reminded that truly living for God meant getting baptized in Jesus name and receiving the Holy Ghost. I was baptized in April of 1999 and received the Holy Ghost in December of that same year.
