My name is Tom Bacon.

I was born in Prescott Arizona and raised about 60 miles west of there. I was so far out in the sticks I went to a one room school house. When I was a kid I went to Church occasionally so I knew who Jesus was, I just never developed a relationship with Him.

My Dad left when I was very young. After that I only saw him a couple of times, but I will get back to that. I smoked my first joint when I was about nine or ten and did my first hard drugs at around seventeen. I kept rolling until I was thirty-five. I guess you could say everything else I've done had a base in either drugs or alcohol. I committed two armed robberies when I was nineteen, got caught and did 8.5 years.

I was doing drugs and getting in trouble most of the time in prison. I was released in 1994 and went back in 1995 for possession of a stolen vehicle. That cost me another 4 ½ years. More drugs and more trouble. I was released again in 1998.

I was out for about five years when I met someone who is very special to me today, Debbie, my fiancée. We had a little girl named Briana Lee. She was born on January 1, 2002. We were together almost three years before everything caught up with me and I went down again, this time for possession of drugs. I was fortunate however, to have been able to spend time with her before going back to prison for another 4 years.

About a month after I was picked up I found myself on my knees in my cell with tears running down my face asking JESUS into my life. I wanted to make a change and began reading the Bible. I spent that time developing a relationship with Him…studying the Bible and attending church services. It was at this time I learned about Along Side Ministries. I figured I hadn't been able to do it on my own before, so now with God and a mentor I had hope.

I got out on November 8, 2006 and I did the smartest thing I could do. I took my Bible with me. I keep it close and don't let it collect any dust! I can't say enough about how Along Side Ministries has been there for me and helped me learn how to walk with God on the outside. I had a great mentor in my friend Gabby, who was also a graduate of the Along Side Ministries program and many other brothers at the Discipleship Training Center who helped me live as a Christian through my transition.

It was hard not to go live with Debbie, but that wasn't what God wanted me to do. He provided me with a good job and I was able to buy a car and save some money. Now Debbie and I are officially engaged and I am returning to Texas where we will soon be married.  can't tell you the blessing of having my family restored after all this time and the chance to raise our daughter in the Lord. To add to this I just recently started talking to my Dad after 30 years! I'm really looking forward to finding where that goes.

Well that's not even close to all the blessings I've received since accepting Christ, just the biggest ones! There are not enough pages to cover them all!

God Bless, Thomas Lee Bacon