191 Anthony Drive
Wintersville, Ohio 43953 USA
blazasz@netzero.net
I was raised in a small river town in east-central Ohio, did the normal things for our town, sports, tree cabins, and rafts. I had a loving family. My father was a teacher and a coach, and my mother was a house wife. I worked summers with my father re-modeling homes. I went through high school with good grades and was a fairly good son.
When I went to college, because of my immaturity, I began to drink and get involved with drugs. Except for witnessing by certain college elements I had never really considered God as being a part of my life. Looking back now I can see he was with me every step of the way! Thank You Lord!
1983.. I remember I was working with two born again believers, and another apprentice and every day they shared God’s Word with us. My grandmother had just passed away, and because of drug use, marijuana and cocaine, I never really mourned her death, but was kind of numb to it all. I believe most of my problem then was due to a desire to know God but not a trust or belief in my heart (experientially), but only what these men told me and revealed to me in scripture. I remember for three or four days before this just being in a daze trying so hard to reason God in my mind.
On the day of the problem, I remember working on the top of the hopper aligning electrodes, with a friend and he had sensed that I wasn’t able to keep my mind on my work, so being almost quitting time, he told me to go gather our tools at the bottom of the hopper, and meet him at the gang-box at quitting time. When I went into the bottom of the hopper I remember reading John 3:5, the next thing I remember is hearing people calling my name, guys from work looking for me. So I got my coat and lunch box and ran to get out the gate, but as I got between these two silos, something within told me it was the devil and that he was going to harm me.
I began to run back to the hoppers and hid and move from one place to another as I heard people calling me, I was terrified. Finally after, friends say two hours, I had no idea of time for I had thrown my watch away and broken my glasses, figuring in God world, heaven, I ‘d have no need of either, A friend found me and told me to go to the superintendents office, everyone thought I was hurt on the job.
When I got there I realized people just sort of looked at me like something was wrong. They let me go in a room alone, and I called my parents to come and get me but they were at a basketball game. So I called my friend and he got me and took me home, but all the way home I covered my eyes and repeated over and over again, “I’m blind, I’m blind. ”When I got out in front of my home, I realized I could see, and I remember Him putting his thumbs on my forehead and praying for satan to stop his attacks on my mind. I went in and went to bed praying for a long time for myself, a girlfriend, my family, and people on the job, believing all the while that Christ was coming back using my body to preach to the lost on the job.
I woke up the next morning with my head under the covers yelling “I’m blind, I’m blind.” My parents were frantic and I wouldn’t let them in the room. They thought I might have harmed my eyes because of the scripture, “If your eye offend thee...” Finally they got a hold of my friend and he came into the room with the police chief, and I finally took my head out from under the covers because when the police chief spoke I thought it was God’s voice.
They took me to the hospital but I made them get my bible before I left I remember them taking blood at the hospital and literally thought I was going to die and Christ was going to come back in my body. I spent three days in a rubber room, the hardest days of my life, then another 25 in the mental health center.
When I got out it took three months to get through severe depression. I spent most of my time on a couch just lying there, not getting interested in anything, with suicidal thoughts but no courage to carry them out. I just got up in the morning with the only desire being that the time would pass quickly so I could go back to bed. My family would try to get me to do things, like my
dad and cousin would take me to go golfing, but I remember I’d usually just quit and go home after 3 or 4 holes, just no desire or fun.
I didn’t break this until about four months out of the hospital I started to smoke pot again and went back to my old lifestyle, but began to buy and remodel apartment buildings. I was trying to find satisfaction or significance in every avenue but Jesus.
I had to go out of town to work with my cousin Tom, because work was bad in our area. While on the road he introduced me to
Christian TV, and we watched Charles Stanley, and Kenneth Copeland every evening. I saw a sign for a small bible study in a little town of Anna, Ohio. For the first time in my life I really began to sense God working in my life and walking alongside me even though I hadn’t been saved, I knew it was God. I quit that job about two months later with plans to go back to college to obtain a teaching certificate.
When I got home, I looked into area colleges, but it seemed difficult because of finances, and I got called to go to a job for the union hall, so I dismissed those plans and went back to work. I was married for a short time and through the pain and turmoil of a divorce, the Lord Jesus came and set me free from a life of sin and death. On July 16, 1989 while watching Charles Stanley, because of the pain and the mess I’d made of my own life, I bowed down and surrender my life to Christ. Jesus delivered me that day from drugs, and alcohol, and placed a hope, (assurance) within my heart of his presence and a brand new life!
I began to look for a new church, one more based on the word of God. I searched for approximately 4 months, when a friend invited me to Word of Life Fellowship. I went to Philadelphia that weekend to see Charles Stanley, and it was awesome the way God directed every step of my trip, from a courtside seat at a 76er’s game, to touring Independence Hall with In Touch music ministries, to having a couple pray that I’d find a home church, and for the first time experiencing God’s amazing physical presence. I flew back home on Sunday, Nov. 5th and drove to Word of Life Fellowship, worship was great and they had a guest minister (Shekinah Glory) and I was so in awe at the overcoming power of God’s love.
I spent the next seven years there, under Pastor Jack Stepp, (1 year); and Pastors Don and Debra Hammer, the remainder. I served in the bus ministry, church maintenance, and as a councilmen. I remember the first day as Roxanne walked out for praise & worship, I told the Lord, “ That’s the girl for me.” Little did I know we’d start dating on October 25, 1991 and be blessed to be her husband May 9, 1992.
In the middle of 1990, while working 70hrs. a week at Weirton Steel Caster, and building the church a garage addition for a bus, I again entered the hospital, complete mental and physical exhaustion, was the diagnosis. This time it was totally different, it seemed God was illustrating to me the difference between the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness. With sin and without Jesus, the hospital was an utter hell; with Jesus it became a sanctuary, a place where there was no fear, where I knew I was getting help and had a sense I could be of help, especially in group therapy. After a few days it became a place of hope and opportunity and even looking forward to the future. Some may look at this as mania but I’ve literal seen things occur and am looking to the future for yet other things to manifest. “All things are possible to those that believe.”
Around 1995 when working at the Federal Prison in Lisbon; I injured my back at my in-laws moving landscape gravel. It was the worst pain I has experienced, the doctors took an MRI, and said I had a ruptured disc, but luckily only physical therapy was needed. After the third day of intense pain it began to ease and I remember God impressing me with the thought “I Am that I Am” whatever you need me to be for you, Here I Am. It was shortly after this that my wife was bedfast for 4 months with the pregnancy of our daughter a miscarriage nearly occurred but due to the faithfulness of our God, Roxanne gave birth to our daughter Brittany both blessed with good health at God’s hand!
After getting laid-off from after my daughters birth I dedicated a lot of my time every day to study 2nd Chronicles “Seek the Lord” and became involved passing out flyers in the Ohio Valley to promote “Praise in the Valley. ”It seemed my walk with God was as close as it ever was then, yet I remember having trouble sleeping, and dealing with the devil’s mind games of fear and confusion. Not having any thoriazine I began to worry about possibilities that could occur if I didn’t take it, so I called my doctor, and being unable to reach her, I went to the hospital emergency room to get the medication. They admitted me for a few days; later that night my Pastor stopped, and relayed a message he had heard from T.D. Jakes, about God hiding you in the palm of His hand, and our associate pastor had just preached a similar message on Wednesday, that night I went to bed knowing God’s security and safety was all about me. It was hard the next few days not being with Roxanne, but it wasn’t long and I was released.
Its now Feb. 2001 and I have given up leadership of a children’s ministry that our leadership originated called Kids Clubs that I loved, the children, the leaders, the concept. I miss it but sense God drawing me
elsewhere. I have spent the last six months pre-paring a game for children and youth ministry called Christian Character Builders, that I hope to market as an aid to children, young adults, and adults, alike to plant the Word of God in our hearts and minds forever. I am about to embark on a new calling of God to reach out to our community, to share His love with physically and emotionally challenged members of our local area.
Please pray for the overflowing of the love of God, for the Word of God to be imparted in an exciting and fun way, that salvation and sanctification occurs within their hearts, and within their minds, and the Holy Spirit guide and direct this work.
I’ve been diagnosed bi-polar (manic depression) for 19 years, I have walked the hills and the valleys, sometimes
barely trudging through, sometimes not able to walk at all, but through it all, even in the loneliest times, I know JESUS has been right along side me. Looking back, I’ve experienced the faithfulness of God in my health, in my family, in my finances, in every area of my life, if we can just trust and believe.
Lamentations 3 : 22-23
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness
Romans 10 : 9
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord," and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
Recently my doctor reported to me that I’ve been doing extremely well on lithium therapy for many years, he said I’m an exception to the norm. I accredit that to 3 things that I believe are responsible for my well-being:
Secrets to My Success
1 Peter 5 : 7
Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.
God’s Word says what he will do for me, he will do for you:
Acts 10 : 34
Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God
doesn’t show partiality.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares
the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon
me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all
your heart.
Philippians 1:6
I am confident of this, that the one who began a
good work in you will continue to complete it until the day
of Christ Jesus.
Knowing God will Bless and Keep you,
Bill Lazasz
blazasz@netzero.net
Do you know for certain that if you died tonight that you would go to heaven? This is the most important question of your life. If you are not absolutely certain, please contact me or visit this link.