Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
and Abundant life...
in Southern California

Why are there BAD memories? 
What are the GOOD memories? 
Is ABUNDANT LIFE possible?

 
 
the BAD-

Obviously difficult things happen in each of our lives...the saddest time in my life was when I lived my days as an  altheist and experienced the ups and downs of life... I only had the simple perspective of what I thought of each situation...what a sad way to live

the GOOD-
Joy, Steve, Phyllis, Jack...dear friends for many years through CBMC



Rich, Mary, Tudi, Ted...very special SoCal friends for 61 years!


As Tudi and I flew to California last week...thanks to the hospitality of our longtime Christian friends Steve and Joy...My mind swirls with thoughts of great joy too... looking through my lens of what I deemed important


SO-

Growing up in SoCal had both wonderful and sad memories...the area and environment personifies DO YOUR OWN THING! Whatever you think is right...is right! That was my philosophy as an atheist growing up in one of the most beautiful areas in the world...the beaches of Southern California 



BRIEF SoCal HISTORY:

SPORTS dominated my life, especially basketball and baseball...I had great friends...In fact, on this trip I've seen   Rich, who's a longtime friend going back to our freshman year in high school and forward...we played baseball together non-stop...very special memories

I loved to RUN 
on the beach and often did...with my good friend Brian the founder and genius song writer of the BEACH BOYS

I MET TUDI
...shortly after it was decided my baseball career was over as a result of unsuccessful arm surgery by the chief physician of the ANGELS....I was a baseball pitcher and had aspirations of a long career in baseball...Obviously it didn't work out! BUT THE GOOD NEWS. ..Tudi came into my life

GOOD NEWS COMING:

During my middle school, high school, college years, and a few years out of college...only 3 people encouraged me to go to church- and no one ever told me about their faith in Jesus Christ 

How sad...



HOWEVER

A Chaplain gave me a Bible to read...
As an atheist I read it for over two weeks...
went to a chapel, made sure no one was around, got down on my knees and with great emotion claimed Jesus Christ as my Savior 

MY LIFE WAS TOTALLY AND DRAMATICALLY CHANGED 

TUDI and I were married...



CBMC (Christian Business Men's Committee) 
SAVED MY Life 
as a Christian!

...Here's how

For the first year I was Christian...I WAS TOTALLY CONFUSED

I tried to discuss and find out more about the Christian life in all areas and especially in the business world...I would ask men active in the church for their insight....they would change the subject

30,000  names to the RESCUE !!!

I was working for the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau ...marketing the city of Long Beach (including the Queen Mary) 

I thought "...there must be an organization of Christian Business Men"...There was. I got a directory of 30,000 organizations and sure enough I found a listing for CBMC...a nd a file on the local chapter in Long Beach, CA.

 
FINALLY ! 
 
I went to the weekly meeting in Long Beach and heard a young man my age share his life
before he had faith in Christ
... when Jesus became his Savior, and what has happened since...I went up to see him immediately after his presentation...and asked his name...he said JOSH MCDOWELL 

I got into my VW and screamed for joy...I would  phone Tudi after every CBMC meeting and tell her-  "THE VW ROCKED"... She knew I had been to another CBMC meeting and heard someone's testimony

I started inviting and taking my friends to the meetings...and very soon two of my closest friends- Bruce and Gene- came to faith on Jesus Christ 


BRUCE a successful young businessman in his mid 20's, who had a drinking problem...
on the golf driving range!

...a man named Bill spoke at a Long Beach CBMC meeting and told how he became a Christian as an alcoholic...his testimony so inspired me that after the meeting I asked him that night to meet Bruce and me at the golf driving range in Seal Beach, CA. While on the range in between hitting balls Bill told Bruce about faith in Christ, including his being an alcoholic.

The driving range was packed...and as a result of Bill's encouragement to Bruce to personally claim Jesus as Savior...


The three of us got down on our knees as Bruce prayed out loud to make peace with God by claiming Jesus as His Savior

 
GENE...had an orthodox Jewish background...I invited Gene to a CBMC banquet in Santa Monica, CA...during the banquet as the speaker talked he started to tap his fingers loudly on the banquet table...
I shushed him...
Gene continued...
After the banquet in the hallway I punched him in the mouth and told him I was so embarrassed by his actions. We yelled at each other, all the way back to my duplex apartment in Manhattan Beach...finally in disgust I slammed a Bible in stomach and pushed him out our front door...and said "I never want to see you again until you claim Jesus as your Savior "

A few months later Gene told me that as he drove across AMERICA doing drugs with his girlfriend...he ended up picking up a hitchhiker who also shared Christ with him- Gene and His girlfriend claimed Jesus as their Savior and their lives were changed dramatically!


 
CBMC TO THE RESCUE 
from some church leaders-

THREE CHURCH LEADERS came to me and said, 
"We recommend you talk about Jesus on Sunday but not at work!"

***

 The PASTOR a few months later in our weekly Bible study said, 
"Ted, YOU'RE IN SIN by being involved in CBMC because they all don't have the same doctrine...so you are unequally yoked!"
       


     TIME has passed...
and here's what I have hopefully learned from the WORD...

JESUS is the way, truth and the life...He will never let me down

     God is not the author of confusion but of peace... 
and  AGAIN always look to Jesus the 
author and perfecter of our faith.


   THE GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY in SoCAL were a reality...
but were all replaced by the ABUNDANT LIFE in CHRIST...in SoCal

Ted Sprague
Hebrews 12:2

P.S.
Please check out the new WB website
for more insights into the ABUNDANT LIFE of  being a witness where you live, move and have your being...Acts 17:28