WhiteCapComics@mybluelight.com

Fax: 616-452-8666

I currently reside in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan.
Formerly of Manistee, Michigan, I graduated from Calvin College and returned to Manistee for a
couple of years. I worked on staff at The News Advocate for a time and was a driver for Manistee
County Transportation or Dial-a-Ride. And, of course I worked a couple of years for Mr. Hokanson at
Hokanson Camera and Office Equipment. Over the years I also worked as a Mausoleum Salesman,
canvasser in home improvements, pizza prep and delivery, medical courier service, and much more.
I spent more than a decade in transportation services.

Since 1986 I have worked with what is now called The Pressure Releases Corporation and since 1991
have been working in the retail portion of the company most of the time. We currently operate
The Outer Limits at 1120 Burton SW, Wyoming, Michigan, and White Cap Comics at 430 Cummings NW
Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I have always enjoyed reading. Comic books are obviously
good reading so it is natural that I enjoy comic books. I do not know now whether I first read comics or
text novels. I do know that, even as I joyously discovered Dick and Jane, I thrilled to the exploits
of Superboy, the X-Men, the Metal Men, Superman, and many more. I felt confident that I had
learned the Disney Pinochio storybook so well that I read it to other children when I was three. This
"reading" may have been simple recitation, but I am not certain when the memorization of images
turned to reading in the normal sense. I know that my mother taught me to read, but I do
not know exactly when it came together for me. I do know that comic books have been such
an integral part of my life that it is very likely that they are a part of the reason I learned to
read easily and quickly.

I was troubled and confused by the sin of the world as I grew up, but did not know what to do about it.
A teacher assigned the reading of the city newspaper to me when I was in fourth grade. I remember
reading about a couple of young girls in Britain brutally torturing and slaying an even smaller boy.
The paper went into enough detail for my mind that I could fully visualize the agonizing death of
this little boy who only wanted to play with the girls he looked up to. I am still sickened by the
images from that day.

The world around me was tulmultous. My parents started arguing
while I was in the womb...if they were not already arguing. I never quite figured out how to be neutral.
I would suddenly be on the wrong "side" of the family for my father or mother. I never figured
out a lot of things....but I don't want to get too melancholy here.

Eventually (about the fifth grade), I quit singing in the church choir because practices conflicted with
"The Beverly Hillbillies." So, without any further ties from the children, my parents quit the church.

A Baptist Pastor started showing up at our house. We had been having our own church services
on Sunday morning in the living room, but this guy impressed my mom that we needed to
try another church. It seemed very strange to have a man of the cloth show up at my house.
After a short time, we were all drafted into attendance at The First Baptist Church of Manistee.
I knew a lot about Paul's journeys and the many Old Testament tales of prophets and kings, but never
remembered hearing about the need for a messiah. I had not heard what the mission of the
missionary journeys was supposed to be. I heard that Christ had died for me, but I did not know why
he would do such a thing. It seemed like a well intentioned thing. Yet, I did not know how the
death of anyone related to my life. I guess I sort of figured he had his reasons.

At this new church, I was enrolled in a Sunday School Class with an elderly woman who knew a lot
about the bible. Her knowledge impressed me much more than our former pastor's disertations on pollution,
poverty, the Vietnam War, and all those other topics like overpopulation. I came to understand
that I was a sinner. I knew I did bad things and clearly saw that man as a species had bad desires.
But, the clear understanding that man is sinful and in need of a messiah had never been told to me.
"We have all sinned and come short
of the glory of God" was something I had never heard in church or in any of the movies I watched.
I came to realize that Christ died to provide "one sacrifice for sins forever." Only a pure offering of love
could have restored man to God so that the scriptures could declare that "As in Adam
all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive." I had known the Old Testament truth of sin. I knew about
Adam, Cain and Abel, and the separation of man from God. I did not know that the reason Christ
died was so that my sins could be forgiven. I did not know that Christ took the sins of the world
on himself. He died on the cross and descended into hell in my place. I did not know that he led
the captives free.

When I came to know that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and that I would go to hell for my sins if I did
not accept him as my Saviour, I rejected him. I did not accept the cleansing of his blood. I refused
to allow his blood to cover my sins so that the Father could look on me in love. I would not
allow Christ to be my mediator. I knew that Christ had come down to earth, been conceived of
the Holy Spirit as He came upon Mary, and was the only true God/man. He was and is the union
of these two natures. He was born of Mary without a human father and without sin. So what?

As my parents began to understand the scriptures, they began to talk about the end times.
I soon knew about the coming return of Christ. About Satan's all out bid for domination on earth.
With fear I heard about the beast, the image of the beast, the torture and punishment of all those who
refused to take the number of the beast. This was terrifying to me. Just like I did not want to accept
Christ just for what he could give me, I did not want to accept Satan or the number of the Beast
just so he would leave me alone. I continued to stubbornly refuse Christ and had
nightmares about what would happen when I would refuse Satan too. I used to roll around
so much during those nightmares that I would wake up tangled in sheets soggy with sweat. This went on for about a year.

Then, one Sunday morning during the Sermon, I suddenly realized the tremendous love of Christ.
I could feel the incredible love moving through me. I did not have a clue what the Pastor was talking about,
but I could see that Christ was not trying to force me to do something out of selfishness.
He did not have anything to gain by what he did. He died on the cross because he loved me. I really
wanted to accept that love. So, at the end of the sermon, I went forward to meet with the Pastor.

The Pastor took me into his office. He read John 3:16 to me: "For God so loved the world that
He gave his only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." He said, "Do you believe that?" I said, "yes." He read one or two other verses. I think he
may have read "the wages of sin if death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." He asked me if I believed it and I said "yes." He prayed and sent me home.

I felt like something was definitely missing. My mom asked what had happened as we were walking
to the car and I told her. But I could only say that "I guess so" to the question of whether
or not I had accepted Christ.

In our other church, I had drawn maps in Catechism Class as an indication of how
much I had learned class. It indicated nothing. In this Church, I was taught to memorize a
verse in preparation for my profession of faith or testimony that I was to give just before being
baptized and accepted into the membership of the Church. The memorization of the verse that I
chose really did not show my understanding, but the verse worked in my heart. I was confused
and felt the need to pray for the Lord to save me on numerous occasions. I had decided
to accept Christ's love, but because of insecurity I was caught by fear of Satan and his power.
The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the simplicity of my salvation by using the verse I had memorized.
"He who believes on the Son has everlasting life; he who believes not the Son shall not see life, but
the wrath of God abides on Him." (John 3:36) It was so obvious when I thought about the words.
"He who believes has"---I could not understand how I didn't get it before. I believed and
God said that he who believes has--not will have, but has everlasting life. I did not have to ask anymore.
Why should I ask knowing that he had already answered me.

I know that the scriptures say that "It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgement,
but I know that Christ has already taken the judgement for me. I am justified by Him. So, as a believer, I know that"to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" is something I count on. I am
confident in Him in a way that I can be confident of nothing else.

I could go on, but why don't I just say that if you have any questions, email me at aneternalwarrior@yahoo.com.

Last revised: January 12, 2005