Barry Gaugler:  

here really is a God who cared about me and my feelings. It wasn't until I hit rock bottom that I finally cried out to God and asked Him to make Himself real to me. I asked Him to deliver me from my rebelliousness and save me. He did. He made Himself so real to me that there could never again be a shadow of doubt. It has taken many years to understand that it is not all about me. It is all about Him and His purpose for my life in this world. In teaching me His ways, I have had to reject much of the Greco/Roman/Protestant/Hellenistic/Modern/Western understanding about God and what He wants for our lives. I had had to learn to understand the Scriptures from the ancient Eastern/Hebraic understanding and perspective from which they were written. I could have never learned this lifestyle in the majority of churches today. God led me to walk after the manner of worship which the original believers in Messiah walked immediately following His departure from this earth. God has been teaching me to walk in the same manner in which the early disciples walked before the Council of Nicaea, under the direction of Constantine, made that form of worship illegal. All things that appeared to be Jewish were made illegal and pagan ways were adopted by the church. Instead of Christianity coming against paganism they adopted their ways to increase church membership. The Feasts of God were replaced with pagan feasts. God's appointed times and seasons were discarded and replaced with pagan festivals. The God given dietary instructions were tossed out and Scripture were twisted to say all things declared unclean by God were now clean. Christians were not permitted to marry Jews. Today I follow after teachings of Messianic Judaism from an independent Hebraic understanding. I am more complete in my worship than ever before in my life. Life in Messiah Yeshua is fulfilling beyond my wildest dreams and I would never desire to return to my old ways. Glory to God. I pretty much dress the way I did in my teens if it pleases me. I don't hold to fashion. I am a leader not a follower. My style is ageless. We share our home with whomever we can trust. It doesn't belong to us. It belongs to God. It is not uncommon for us to share our home with those in need of a place to stay until they can get back on their feet. We are only residents here until God has us move on to someplace else. Trophies are only dust collectors. Sure I have a few, but the memories are worth much more than the plastic, metal, or paper. The excitement soon fades and the glory is gone in an instant. You get no do-overs in life. You either learn from your mistakes, or you live to regret them forever. There is no going back to change the past. I sometimes wish I could, but I can't. If I were a pencil my eraser would be worn out long before the lead is gone. To bad. So sad. If you do not learn from your mistakes, you will go through them again. Now get on with your life and live. I am just thankful for the life yet to come. In 10 years, I hope to be fit and healthy. That means both spiritually and physically. I'm going to get there by doing what I know to do. It's all in the hands of the Almighty. I guess what would surprise everyone at my class reunion, is that I am not the selfish, self centered person I was growing up. I love Yeshua with all my heart soul and mind. I KNOW what He brought me through, and even though I have a long way to go, I know where I have been. I am nothing like what I was in my teens. Except for dancing. I still love to dance. There is no woman on Earth that I would chance losing Cecile over. She is everything I had ever wanted in a woman and much more. She is way more than I deserve. She is not only my wife, but my best friend. She is certainly a living, breathing Proverbs 31 woman. I know a blessing when I see one. Yeshua ha Mashiach (Jesus Christ) is real in my life. He saved me just the way I am. He loves you just the same. The childhood memory I will never forget, is learning History from teachers who still taught it. I am amazed how much I have learned and retained on this subject. When I read things today I can honestly say, "I remember being taught that in elementary school." It's a shame that today even college graduates don't know some of the things we were taught in grade school.. I also cherish the memories of going to Church School on Wednesdays. The public schools don't do that anymore. That is a shame. Then there was the dances. Loved them dances.