By T.R. Michels

I was born to unwed parents, a sixrteen-year-old girl, and an eighteen-year-old boy. I was then adopted by Dr. Roger Michels and his wife Pat, and grew up in Willmar, Minnesota, where I attended St. Mary's Catholic Church. After high school I enrolled in St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, with plans of going into wildlife research. But, I left college to work as a horse trainer and trail guide on a guest in ranch in Loveland, Colorado. After several years jumping from job to job I moved to Cheyenne Wyoming, where I managed a pet store and sold men's clothing. My life was fairly settled; I had a good job, I dated occasionally, and on the outside I appeared happy. But, I felt alone, and I was depressed.

While I was in Cheyenne my parents had become "Born Again" Christians. Learning of my depression they flew to Cheyenne and shared their newfound knowledge of Jesus with me. Shortly after they left I found myself in a Catholic church for the first time in years, and I knew I had found what I was looking for, a relationship with God.

I began to attend church regularly, and a few months later I was invited to attend a "Charismatic" prayer meeting by one of the nuns from the Catholic church. Within weeks I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I received "the Baptism of the Holy Spirit" and I became a "Born Again" Christian.

For the next several years I was on fire for the Lord, and I became the leader of the prayer group in Cheyenne. When I moved back to Willmar, I became the leader of a prayer group at the local Junior College. In 1977, I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to manage a pet store. I was also trying to start a new business as a pet wholesaler, and working as a musician. Then my girlfriend broke off our relationship. I became depressed and attempted suicide by placing the barrel of a 12 gauge shotgun under my chin and pulling the trigger.

I don't remember much about the incident, except putting my hands to my face, feeling that it was sticky (with my own blood) feeling something sharp (the shattered bone of my left jaw), and realizing that I couldn't see or speak. I reached for the phone and dialed the operator, but because I couldn't speak, I couldn't tell her what was wrong or where I was. I thank God that she realized something was very wrong.

Because I couldn't speak the operator tried to trace the phone call. When she couldn't trace it she tried to find out where I was by asking me questions and having me tap on the phone receiver; once for "yes" and twice for "no".

Meanwhile, my sister Debbie had been trying to reach me on the phone, but she kept getting a busy signal. Because she was worried she called the operator and asked them to cut in on the phone line. The operator told her she couldn't cut in because it was an emergency situation, and they were trying to trace the call. Debbie explained who she was, and promptly gave the operator my address.

The next thing I remember was the sound of the ambulance coming down the street and the operator telling me that help was on the way. By this time I had been lying on the floor, bleeding to death, for twenty minutes.

When the paramedic finally reached me, he picked up the phone and I remember him telling her, "We're here. It's bad, I don't think he's going to make it." When I heard those words I gave up, and thought to myself, "Well God, here I come. I haven't been real good, but I haven't done anything real bad either. I hope I make it to heaven."

I don't remember the ride to the hospital in the ambulance, or the paramedics trying to get me to lay down on the stretcher, so they could put a tracheotomy tube into my throat to help me breathe, because I was drowning in my own blood. I don't even remember the emergency room doctor asking me if I wanted him to help me. I was in such bad shape that the doctors didn't know if I would live.

Two months later, as I stood in front of the mirror in my hospital room, I saw my face for the first time after shooting myself. What I saw was a swollen, mutilated, grotesque face, with a plastic brace screwed onto the outside of my shattered jaw to hold it together. At first I felt like I was in a bad dream, and that everything would be all right when I woke up. When I realized that what I saw was real, I tried to jump out the window of my hospital room. Thank God it was locked.

In the following months I had several surgeries to repair the damage I had done to myself. Some of the surgeries were so difficult that I was given the Last Rites. At one point I had seven major surgeries in thirty-five days, one of those surgeries lasted 14 hours. When I awoke from the last of those surgeries I had new incisions on my face, both of my legs, my chest, my left side, my left arm, and my left wrist.

While I was in the hospital my parents had flown back from Guam, where they lived. They, along with my sisters, prayed that I would live. They witnessed to me about God's mercy, and told me that they were sure that God had a plan for me. In spite of several failed surgeries, I somehow kept my faith in God.

Over the next ten years I had major surgery every six months. Muscle was taken from my upper arm, my side and my chest to repair my face and the roof of my mouth, which was no longer there; blood vessels were taken from both my feet, and the top of my head to provide blood for the muscle transplants to the roof of my mouth. Bone was taken from both my hips, the left side of my pelvis, and a rib from my right side to repair my upper and lower jaw; skin was taken from my upper thighs six different times to transplant to my mouth and sinuses. I barely recovered from one surgery before I went in for another one. After I had my twenty-first surgery I decided not to have any more. Even though the doctors told me they could do more, I had had enough.

During the first years of our marriage the family had attended church regularly. But, we had not been attending prayer meetings. After Diane left I felt the need for Christian fellowship, support and prayer, and I began attending a Catholic Charismatic prayer meeting in North Saint Paul, Minnesota. Within six months Diane returned home and our family began to regularly attend prayer meetings, with a renewed faith in the Lord.

One night, while we were praying in tongues at the prayer meeting my son Dallas whispered to me that he wanted to pray in "tongues" too. But, he said he didn't know how. I told him, "Maybe you don't know how, but the Holy Spirit does, just let him do it for you." While I was talking to him I noticed that my youngest daughter Tawnya was praying in tongues, which she had never done before. And then Dallas began praying in tongues. I know now that they had both accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and that on that night they received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; Dallas was eight years old, Tawnya was six. My oldest daughter Melissa gave her life to Christ later that same year; she was thirteen.

By the grace of God I began writing my column Maximum Effort Hunting System, which was published in several Midwest publications, in 1987. I began giving seminars at sport shows throughout the Midwest in 1988. I designed Konifer camouflage for the Cabela's catalog in 1989, and Field "Stalker" for the Herter's catalog in 1992. I wrote my first two books Goose Addict's Manual and Elk Addict's Manual during that time. In 1997 I began writing for the National Rifle Association's American Hunter magazine.

Since that time I have written for the National Wild Turkey Federation's Turkey Call, Petersen's Bowhunting, Buckmasters, Bow and Arrow Hunting, North American Whitetail, Fur-Fish-Game, Midwest Outdoors, Big River Outdoors, Midwest Bowhunter and several other regional and state publications. I wrote the "Deer Management and Nutrition & Deer Research" column in the Rub-lines magazine, and the "Deer Biology and Behavior" column in the Whitetail Fanatic magazine. I have also written articles for the Christian Bowhunters of America Speaking Out magazine, and the Christian Deer Hunters Association newsletter. I also author most of the articles in Trinity Mountain Outdoor News magazine and the T.R.'s Tips talk forum on my web site at www.TRMichels.com.

In 1999, Melissa became engaged to Greg Boehmer, who she had been dating since she was 13 years old. Later that year a local evangelist, Lowell Lundstrom, invited me to speak at the 2000 Wild Game Dinner at Celebration Church in Lakeville, Minnesota. Greg accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior at the dinner that night. Then, the night before Palm Sunday of 2001, five weeks before he married Melissa, Greg was baptized and confirmed, and he celebrated his first communion in the Catholic Church. I am proud to say that I now have another "Born Again" son.

I thank Jesus for dying on the cross for me, for coming into my life, for saving my life, for returning my speech and sight, for saving my marriage, and especially for saving my soul.

Jesus is my God, my Lord and my Savior.

T.R.

I try to live by Romans 10:9, which states, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." I try to tell every one I meet that I am a Christian, and I try to live like a Christian. If we, as Christians, don't try to do those things how can we expect to reach out to those who don't know Christ? And how can we expect to get through to them? If we are really trying to live as Christians we have to "Proclaim the good news." Every once in a while I get confirmation that, through me, God has touched someone's life, and gotten through to them.

Of all my children, my youngest daughter Tawny (fifteen at the time of this writing) is probably the most like me. She is confident in her beliefs about God, Christ and the Holy Spirit; and she is very outspoken about it. Several of Tawny's friends come over to the house regularly, but the one who is here most often is Kayla. Kayla's parents are divorced; her father is an alcoholic who has remarried; her mother lives with a boyfriend. Kayla lives with her mother on weekdays, and stays with her father on weekends. When things get difficult at her father's house Kayla usually asks if she can come and stay with us, and of course we let her.

About six months after first coming over to the house to visit Tawnya, Kayla began calling me "Dad." I didn't think anything about it at first, because when I was young I called several of my friends mothers "Mom." Then one day I asked Kayla why she called me "Dad." She said, "Because you're the Dad I never had when I was little." (Kids can make you cry at the worst of times.) I told her, "That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me." Kayla is like a daughter to us, and we love her.

On December 22, 2001 Kayla called at 12:30 PM and asked if we could come and get her. So my wife Diane drove five miles to pick her up. While she was waiting for Diane and Tawnya, Kayla got on the computer and wrote a letter, which she read to us the next day. I think her letter clearly explains why I keep saying that as Christians we all need to confess with our mouth's that "Jesus is Lord."

Following is a copy of Kayla's letter to Tawnya.

Dear Tawny,

Over the past years you have been so good to me, even when we were upset with each other. But you know what? That just proves what kind of a friend you really are. And the little things you do show what kind of a person and friend you can be. Your personality and determination of religion can really inspire people. I know it has inspired me. And I hope that it continues to as the days go on.

I am truly grateful for what you and your family have done for me. You gave me a warm and caring home when I wanted to get away from my own. You gave me love and hope. You and your family gave me something to believe in when I thought that I had nothing left to believe in. And as I sit here and think of the important people in my life, you and your family come to mind. And I now know why. God has truly blessed me by being able to have more than one "family." I am so grateful that your family is the other family in my life.

I really don't know what kind of a person I would be without the love that I have from you and your family. And I don't know where I would be without you and your dad. You both have impacted me in a way that no one else could ever do. You were there (and still are) for me when I needed to "talk," when all I really did was cry. You were more than willing to stay up till all hours of the night just trying to get through to me, and help me through whatever I was going through. Your father (and mine now) gave me the love of a dad that I never had when I was little. He cared for me, and he still does. He's behind me all the way, and when I fall you and he are there to help me pick myself back up. And all I can say is THANK YOU.

What I am even more thankful for is that you and your family have helped me believe in God more than I EVER had in my life. And I do believe in Him with my whole heart! And I believe in you, your Dad, your Mom, Dallas and your grandma's. It was all of you who helped me see who I really was and what I was really doing with my life, and how to fix it. Even though I am still working out a few things, I am happy to say that all the advice that I have ever received from you has been helpful. Thanks a million, God Bless!

Love Always & Forever

Kayla Jean Amundson

Jake Lynn, age 20, has been in love with rap since the 3rd grade. "I remember poppin' in some Bone Thugs N Harmony, Tupac, and Coolio during reading time!" Jake recalls. At the young age of 12 he started writing songs and poetry. However, that wasn't enough for the young music prodigy, he soon started deejaying for his father's company, KJ'S Sound & Light Show (kjsgv.com) "Music has always been my life, I didn't choose music--it chose me!"

He was raised in church and baptized at the age of nine, so he knew about God. However, during his early teenage years he headed down the wrong path--he abused drugs and alcohol. His actions did not show that he knew God. During those years he was around a lot of secular local rappers and fell in love with rap even more. He started rapping at 16, nothing serious, but not for Jesus.

For the longest time he struggled with suicidal thoughts, he hated the world and himself, and really questioned God. He always knew there was a God but he didn't know Him intimately.

The Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:12, "I know whom I have believed..." Notice he did not say, "I know about whom I have believed." Many people say they know about God, but all they really have is head knowledge, they know stuff about God; but you cannot really know God without a face-to-face encounter with Jesus Christ.

Jake truly experienced God for the first time when he was almost 17. He went to a pizza party at a local auditorium, which to his surprise was also a youth revival. He recalls wanting to flee out the back with his friends but the leaders would not let anyone leave. Somehow he experienced God's touch for the first time that night. Simultaneously he felt God calling him to the ministry!

"Once you truly experience God in His glory, you can't turn away from Him or forget His touch. Sure you may slip up and make a lot of mistakes now and then. But once you feel His touch, you are never the same." Jake says.

Jake Lynn is a prophetic voice to the Church and an evangelistic voice to those who have yet to come to Christ. He unapologetically laces Scripture throughout most of his songs, which is a primary source of their power. Yet don't think that Jake is just another 'Bible-thumper' or street preacher yelling at folks as they walk by to "Repent or die!" ... no, he's quite the opposite! He is a skilled communicator who has learned in his young age to speak the truth in love - as Jesus did. Jake speaks from both God's Word and personal experience and skillfully translates them into a language that his generation easily grasps.

Whether you listen to his music or attend a performance, you will find Jake Lynn a high-energy, enthusiastic young man with a genuine heart for his audience. Jake's songs range from being challenging, thought provoking, inspiring, encouraging, worshipful, to being downright fun and silly! Don't be surprised to find people jumping, dancing, nodding their chins and pumping their fists - or even twirling Hoola-Hoops! - at one moment to lifting their hands with tears running down their faces in adoration to the King as they are led into the very presence of God! It is not an exaggeration to say that Jake's performances are life changing.

As to image and style, Jake is unlike many other hip hop artists. He doesn't feel that you have to fit into any certain mold to do hip hop and do it well. You'll find him wearing his American Eagle with his hair styled. In other words by looking at Jake you can't see a "rapper" in him but you can see "Jesus" in him. Undeniably, Jake is breaking down barriers and killing stereotypes without compromising.

Jake Lynn is a highly motivated young man. At age 18 he started Crossin' Tha Bridge Records with the power of God, hard work, and dedication. The name Crossin' Tha Bridge symbolizes the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to bridge the sin gap between Man and God. CTBR exists to accurately spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and to enhance the Kingdom of God through hip hop. CTBR is an independent holy hip hop label with an innovative style and sound. As a short term goal Jake is seeking major distribution for CTBR.

Jake is a positive role model for the youth of America who stands for being true to yourself and God's Word. Don't be surprised if you start hearing people refer to him as "Pastor Jake" ... because he has been called by God and entrusted and commissioned by the leadership of The Gathering International to start and lead a new fellowship: The Gathering in Madisonville, Kentucky.

Current production credits include EMI Gospel artist/producer k-Drama (manCHILD of Mars Ill, Rob Hodge, Bobby Bishop, Japhia Life) and upcoming producer Foolish of Prophetic Productions (3-D Remedy)

He has worked with and opened for several national recording artists such as John Reuben, Ricky B, David Manning, k-Drama, MC Till, Ason, Theory Hazit, 2:Eleven and more.