Stack’s Story

I was born and raised on a South Dakota farm. My father was a farmer, growing all his own feed and raising cattle from calf to sale barn.  My mother was a homemaker and helped my father with the chores.  I started helping my parents when I was 6 years old— driving the tractor, feeding chickens, weeding the garden, etc.  As I grew older, I was plowing, haying, and eventually worked right alongside of my father doing all types of farm work.

My parents were good Christian people and we attended church regularly— two or three times a week.  They taught me the Bible and the gospel, and as a young teenager, I accepted Christ as my personal Savior.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)

After college, I became an officer in the Air Force. Completing navigator training, I volunteered to go to Viet Nam.  During that time, I got to fly combat with Col. Chuck Yeager (later, General).  What a thrill!  He was the best pilot I have flown with throughout my Air Force career.

However, during these years, I started to drift away from God and His Word.  I did not heed the instruction of the Holy Spirit, but instead, began to listen to the world and developed some bad habits.  It got to the point where my alcohol drinking sent me to the hospital ER.  I was told that the life path I was on would lead me to an early death.  This warning was my Heavenly Father giving me a “spanking” and telling me to straighten up and fly straight.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)

I turned to Him and asked for forgiveness, and I immediately felt the presence of His Holy Spirit. What a wonderful Heavenly Father I have!  He allowed me to stray, but He did what any loving father would do to a wayward child.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians.5:16) 

I now fly with a Pilot much better than any human pilot.  His name is Jesus.  We fly straight, we don’t crash, we no longer fly to the old destinations, we don’t turn down the airways of greed and lust. No more flying into the clouds of pride, bitterness, lying and cheating.  We fly in the Sunshine— the darkness is for the wicked.  What a wonderful course we are on!

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.  The way of the wicked is darkness: they know not at what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:18-19)

I am well into the 4^th quarter of my life.  I don’t know what tomorrow brings, but as the song says, “I know Who holds tomorrow”.

From the fields of South Dakota, into the USAF, and upward to my heavenly home…

My name is “Stack”, and this is my story.