8/2/2019 Unashamed to Be a Christian

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The Epiphany PlayersDrama Ministry is present-ing its 10th anniversaryproduction of  Children of Eden, through July 19, atEpiphany LutheranChurch, 6430 Far Hills

venue in Centerville.Based on the first nine

hapters of the Book of Genesis, the show features

dam and Eve, Cain andbel and Noah and his

amily. More than 70 localperformers, including 30area children, will helpbring to life these stories

f the first families.“This show is good for

the whole family becauseit illustrates the humanstruggles that every family

oes through from the firstamily through genera-

tions to Noah and for allfamilies to come. It speaksabout love and that thehardest part of love is theletting go,” Director KayFrances Wean said.

To help other families

around the world, thisyear a portion of the adver-tising and ticket proceedswill support LutheranWorld Relief. LWR workswith partners in 35 coun-tries to help families growfood, improve their health,strengthen communities,end conflict, build liveli-hoods, and recover fromdisasters.

“The final song tells ust hat each s tep i s onceagain our first. ‘We holdthe promise of the earth inour hands. Our hands canchoose to drop the knife,our hearts can choose to

stop the hating, for everymoment in our life is thebeginning. There is no

 journey gone so far, so farwe cannot stop and changedirection, no doom is writ-ten in the stars, it’s in ourhand.” Wean said

Showings are at 7:30 p.m.on July 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18.Matinees at 2:30 p.m. arescheduled for July 12 and19. Ti cket s are $15 f oradults, $10 for seniors 60and over and $10 for chil-dren 12 and under. Groupdiscounts are available. Toorder tickets, call 433-1449ext. 101.

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Merge Wright Unashamed to be a Christian

The text message read”Mom I loveyou.” He then hit send on his cellphone, emptied several contain-

rs of pills 200 or more, swallowed them

ith a glass of water and laid back ined to quietly end his life. A life heelieved had no purpose or meaning.

He origi-nally cameout of Cleveland,Tn., worldheadquartersof the Churchof God. Achurch thathe and hisfamilyattendedwhen he was

youngster. He was successful in severalusinesses and at the time was the gen-ral manager of a Tequila Bar in Palmeach, Fl.

From all outward appearances he wasotally together. He ran with the rich andamous, had an elegant ocean frontondo, was surrounded by beautifulomen but there was a thorn. He wasnhappy, his life seemed totally con-

rived. Alcohol, cocaine and designerrugs were in abundance producinghort empty feelings of euphoria. Andhen that question: “Is this all there is”?

A couple weeks before, dad had visitedalm Beach and the two met for break-

ast. A request for his girlfriend’s cellhone was provided when dad asked forback up number in case he couldn’t

each him.When his mother received the textessage she immediately expected

omething was wrong. She called andhere was no answer. His father received

phone call with a garbled message andhen nothing. He called back and there

as no answer. Dad called the girlfriend.he would run next door with her dadnd check, he was probably just in thehower. It took a while to gain entry.inding empty pill bottles and unable toaken him they called 911 immediately.Paramedics arrived within minutes

nd transported him to the medical cen-er. When he woke up later that night heound his body covered with needles andubes. The prognosis wasn’t good. Hisiver had been severely attacked. It

ould be several days before they’d beble to tell if he’d get a second chance at

ife. Dad flew in from Springboro and saty his side praying his son would survive

his horrible mistake and with out longerm disability.

God was with him as he fully recov-red and was given a clean bill of health.ad asked if he’d be open to gettingelp. He was extremely strong willed

and any demand or suggestion couldhave been met with an emphatic no. Hesaid he’d think about it.

His Uncle Paul offered up Turning

Point in Alabama. His uncle a musicianhad attended the facility and had greatpraise for what it did for his life. The 12-step program would last 90 days at apeaceful farm facility located in aserene valley.

He thought it over thinking his prob-lem really wasn’t the drugs and alcoholit was his belief that nothing mattered inlife, that all the phony people he met inchurch growing up were just like all thephony people he met in Palm Beach.

Where was the love, the care and con-cern for each other that God had prom-ised when he was a young lad. Childhoodtrauma in his formative years and hisparents divorce were never understood.Why me God was still churning in hisheart. He was carrying a lot of luggageand it’s weight had nearly destroyed

him.After much consideration he agreed to

attend Turning Point. Hopefully it wouldsomehow help but he wasn’t 100 percentsold that he was going to find the answer

Several weeks into the program he anda fellow patient went to the chapel onenight. They talked and prayed for threehours. He finally opened his heart andsoul and let it all go to be reborn in thespirit of the Lord.

It was like a million, maybe a billionpages that he’d been writing for twodecades were instantly deleted. He for-gave all, blessed those that hadremained true along the way and walkedin a peace he hadn’t known since child-hood.

Unashamed he would be from that dayforward. Unashamed to stand up for his

Lord and Savior, unashamed to say he isa Christian, unashamed to help the fall-en, unashamed to proclaim how God hadsaved him and gave him an understand-ing that day that he had been seeking forso many years.

Today you can find Paul Steele at theGarage 1919. He’s the director there andon every Tuesday night he presents“Unashamed” to the youth of our com-munity. The program starts at 7:30.

I attended last week to interview Pauland highly recommend his ministry. TheGarage 1919 is funded by a handful of business owners, community leaders andseveral churches in Springboro and thesouth Dayton community. There are noagendas from any of the donors. It’spurely a ministry to help teenagers and

young adults walk in God’s light as theyenter a life of adult hood, marriage, chil-dren, careers and being a good citizen of their community.

DonWright

ColumnistSpringboro

Sun

Contributed photo

PFC Michelle Witzel and PFC. C. Allen Witzel will deploy in July. PFC AaronO’Bryant wil head to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for training.

Michelle and Allen Witzel

heading to AfghanistanAaron O’Bryant continuesfamily tradition by joining

service after graduating SHSPFC. C. Allen Witzel (O’Bryant) and his

wife PFC. Michelle Witzel are preparingto deploy in July. The two are currentlyserving as communication technicians.

Allen and Michelle recently marriedduring their training in February and arestationed in Ft Hood Texas. Currentlyhome in Springboro on leave before theyship out.

The two will be part of the large deploy-ment President Obama promised to sendto Afghanistan. They both enlisted during

the Iraq/Afghanistan conflict to servetheir country. They both knew the proba-bility of being sent to the conflict, butwere prepared to serve.

PFC. Aaron O’Bryant joined the ArmyNational Guard and completed his basic

training last summer. He graduated thisyear from Springboro High School andw il l s hi p out t o F t L eonard WoodMissouri this August to finish his trainingas a Combat Engineer.

Aaron was a cadet with the SpringboroAFJrROTC for the past three years andenlisted during his Junior year.

The brothers share a mutual respectand pride for the armed service sincetheir father Sgt. Mike O’Bryant served inthe US Army. Mike a resident of Ohioserved during 1986-92.

Three arrested

in anhydrous

ammonia theftThree Clermont County

residents were arrested inconnection with the Burglaryof the Southwest Landmarkfertilizer facility in PleasantPlain in southwest WarrenCounty.

At around 12:45 a.m. July 1,Warren County Deputies andHamilton Township Policeresponded to a report of aburglar alarm at the facility.After observing a large cut inthe security fence, two menwere found within the fencedarea of thefacility. A propanetank filled with AnhydrousAmmonia was found nearby.The female suspect wasfound in a nearby vehicle. All

three were arrested.Matthew Paytes, 38, of Loveland, is charged withbreaking and entering, theft,and possession of criminaltools.

Adam Williams, 28, of Goshen, is charged withbreaking and entering, theft,and possession of criminaltools.

Kathleen May Johnson, 41,of Milford, is charged withcomplicity to breaking andentering, complicity to theft,and possession of criminaltools.

All three are being held atthe Warren County Jail.

Anhydrous Ammonia isusedin farming asa source of nitrogen fertilizer. It is fre-quently stolen for use in theillegal manufacture of methamphetamine.

‘Children of Eden’ on stage

at Epiphany Lutheran Church

To the Editor:If you stand outside my house tonight

ou will hear the sounds of fireworks allround you. I spent a year listening to

that and it was not fireworks. Every popnd boom left you wondering eternity.

Now tonight as I celebrate my freedom

’ve earned (rightfully mine for the serv-ce and sacrifice I have made for myountry) one of my neighbors who proba-ly doesn’t even know the meaning of suf-

fering calls the cops.Why did they call the cops? Because my

ireworks were disturbing their peace.

Their peace oh you mean the safety andpeace they enjoy because I earned it forthem? Well you’re welcome. I am glad youare having peace because I spent a yearaway from my family, because I got shot atinstead of you, because I slept outside formonths, and was dehydrated because we

could only have three liters of water a daywhile outside exposed to 120+ degreeweather.

You’re welcome.

Major Ron Weneck,Springboro

Letters to the Editor

Sorry to disturb your peace

THE

SPRINGBOROSUN