Today I would like to share a portion of my testimony.

As a young man I did not like to read anything unless it was about sports or the Sunday cartoons. But after the Lord saved my soul on March 2, 1972, something began to change. I began to have a hunger to know God and His Word. I began to listen to cassette tapes and reading my Bible and related material.

It was around 1976 that my pastor asked me to teach his young adult class. At that time I was a West Virginia State Trooper and tried to decline but my pastor was very persistent and I finally said I would try. That sent me much deeper into my prayer life and also study time.

A couple of years later God spoke a word into my spirit and told me He had called me to teach.  Shortly thereafter I resigned from the State Police and God led me to Ohio telling me it would be for a season.

Three years later I was working for the American Shipbuilding Company in Lorain, Ohio, and at that time I was working the midnight shift in security. I will never forget that morning. It was around 4 a.m. and I was praying for Clay County. I was asking God to send someone because I saw a need. God spoke to me, in my spirit (not audible) and said “You go.” I tried to argue with God but He didn’t answer. God doesn’t argue. Knowing I had clearly heard from God, before I left work that morning I had written a letter of resignation and gave my two-week notice. It was entirely a step of faith. At that time my wife and I had five children. Two weeks later (Labor day 1981) we were moving to West Virginia. We had no agency or church supporting us and no house to live in, no job or income and no church plus no experience as a minister. God said He would go before us and provide a way and He would supply our needs.  God never fails.

My parents, Joe and Justine Paxton lived in Clay County, and our ministry began in their living room at a prayer meeting  A neighbor gave us permission to use an old abandoned farm house and God blessed mightily.

Before long we had our own building and God was always there at every meeting.

Some people said we would starve to death and others said I was not called to the ministry.  The devil tried every means he could to run us off but 35 years later we are still here serving God as best we know how. God permits me to write the Salt & Sonshine articles to share the Good News of His Word. Serving God is a joy and a privilege even though many challenges must be dealt with on this journey. I am only sharing this small portion of my life to let you know that when God calls, God makes a way and will never leave you. It is just as the Word declares.  Hallelujah!

 Maranatha!