My Testimony; My Witness; My Conviction. Chapter 1: I saw as the wise; and become a fool to wisdom.

Early on in life, I was always very curious and I had some pretty big dreams.  I was going to be a Teacher, a Father, and a Husband. In reverse order. I was so excited about everything. I would ask the typical questions, like "Why is the sky blue?" When I got an answer, I would always have the same follow-up question. "And how do you know that?" Well, I had the right idea I suppose. Except, I trusted when somebody said they learned it in school. Not that I had reason to doubt them, but rather the school. Even the idea that one person's blather on an expensive piece of paper being upheld by the signature of another person, because one time somebody thought that other guy had a good idea ... that is insanity. An entire society of information, based on a few basic assumptions, and no truth. And I never caught on, because it worked. All of the numbers basically just worked. Until I realized ... it's a rabbit hole. A deception. And here on these pages of this very not expensive book are the words to tell you how I learned how to get out of the rabbit hole, the bottomless pit itself.

I grew up in a class I'll call upper-lower. By that, I mean we ate meals, small ones. We took full advantage of the free school lunch and breakfast programs. Those were something people didn't mind a few cents yearly property taxes for, in the late eighties. I had been excited to start school for a long time. I never did understand why my Mom was always trying to get me to enjoy the very same things that I thought were baby stuff. I didn't understand anything at that time, of course. I couldn't see past my own mind. So I got there, I got to school. I was very upset about it, when I found out that they don't teach you anything, beyond memorized dates of things that make me think about western sun-baked film and sepia dust. I had no interest in any of this. It was missing something vital.

Dissatisfied for what life appeared to be, I took to the same hobby as all my contemporaries. I played video games. I was always very into the Role Playing games, and a bit of adventure. But a story with a good, an evil, a triumph, and most importantly a tragedy, was key for my enjoyment. A few years into this monotony, a game was released called EarthBound. I didn't have any possible way to know this at the time, and it even sounds ridiculous now; but that game lead me to the pages of the Bible quite directly, and quite beautifully. So, in the following flood of tangentially connected parables and stories, I hope that you can find the new with which to comprehend His Word, if you have been seeking to. I will tell you three stories at once. And you will hear the one you most need to hear.

This book is dedicated to my lights; who lead me to my Light, who lead me to His Life, Way, and Truth. Jesus Christ, and the friends of his he sent to me, so patiently. Thank you.