I grew up in a Christian home. My parents were married for seventeen years before "God blessed them" as they described my birth. As many only children, I had the "run of the walk," so to speak. My father's job moved our family regularly so I spent the first fourteen years of my life in several cities. Even with a father who punished me for "breaking the rules," as a young fellow I tried everything - I got into fights at school, stole milk while I was delivering papers on my paper route, I even snuck the family car out, and it seemed I got caught at each and every time. I started smoking at age twelve and I pushed real hard to get into every situation I could. I had to touch each eye of the stove to make sure each was hot. I worked so that I could have extra money to do those things that I wanted to do. I cut grass in the summer for neighbors; delivered a morning and afternoon paper route; was always asking my parents to do odd jobs to earn extra money, so that I could go to the movies, or buy a new bicycle, or purchase other material items.

Moving to Kentucky during high school, I was exposed for the first time to peer pressure. I went out for the high school football team, made new friends, and started dating all within a month's time. In high school I worked as a lifeguard in the summer and picked apples on the weekends. I loved sports such as hunting and fishing and learned very quickly that I had to study hard in high school because the courses were not easy like junior high had been. Trying beer and driving fast, I found parental restrictions not to my liking. Rebellion resulted in further restrictions. Prior to my junior year in high school, my parents felt that I was getting a little too close to a certain young lady in the sophomore class, so I reluctantly agreed to go to a college preparatory school in another state. This experience of being alone and learning what being homesick was all about and my having to make it on my own, taught me a lesson I would never forget.

My decision to go to college was a way that I could accomplish my life long dream. From an early age, I had always wanted to fly jet planes. I turned to college as a means to that end. My parents were middle class who had to save and scrape all of their lives to make ends meet. My decision to go to a private college caused a severe financial strain on my parents, but they willingly sacrificed so that their son could have a college education.

After nine months in college majoring in a Greek fraternity, I was perplexed with what I really wanted to do. I had worked part-time in a farm implement company and had driven a school bus; but I drank and partied with my fraternity brothers and barely made my grades to stay in college. I decided that I wanted to get through college as quickly as I could so I could get in the Navy Program after 2 years of college, so I went five straight quarters, which resulted in a college burnout. I took a quarter off from college and went back to my parent's home in Mayfield, Kentucky, to get away from it all. After seeing some friends working on a farm, at a tire manufacturing company, and at a drugstore, I decided that the college life was not so bad after all.

During this time my parents moved again, which resulted in new friends and a decision to go to a new college. Majoring in television and co-eds, I failed my first college course.

The realization of large salaries for graduate students convinced me to study in earnest to pursue a graduate degree with no real consideration of the sacrifice and the financial hardship such a decision would cause my parents. You see, the dream of becoming a pilot/navigator waned when a debate coach encouraged me to consider law school. With the Vietnam War building and an opportunity of getting into the Georgia National Guard coming available, I was able to graduate from college and enter law school.

During my first semester in law school, I finally understood what sacrificing of time meant. I was determined to get a law degree. I had experience by working part-time for an attorney in Macon, and I worked driving an emergency ambulance at the Macon Hospital during my last two years at Mercer University. Competition was fierce.

Little did I know that all of this time my parents were totally sacrificing financially and otherwise, so that their son, their only child, could secure a degree and have an opportunity they had never had.

I married in my third year of law school and moved to Valdosta after graduation. I worked twelve to fourteen hours a day. My job and the money that the job produced meant all to Steve Gupton.

After a ten-year marriage, two children, and going up what I considered several rings of the ladder of success, I filed for a divorce and left a law firm that I had been with for ten years. All of this time, my father talked to me about the Lord and encouraged me to do the right thing, but I rebelled against the principles that my parents had taught me as a child.

You see my father was the Minister at First Christian Church, Valdosta, Georgia. My father graduated from high school in Nashville, Tennessee and started selling sporting goods. At age thirty-three, he surrendered to God's call and entered Vanderbilt Divinity School. My father's ministry had taken us from Tennessee to Virginia, to Kentucky, and then to Valdosta, Georgia in 1964.

I was successful in the professional world and in the business world. I had acquired assets but I had done so in an ungodly and unhappy way. My selfish decision to get a divorce completely devastated my parents and my children. I had turned my back on so many people who had supported and had confidence in me during my early professional years in Valdosta.

I was a very selfish and promiscuous individual. All I cared about was advancement, success, and a good time. I did not care how many fingers or toes I stepped on as I tried to climb the ladder of success. Money, money, and making more money, that's all I cared about. Having a good time, long weekend fishing trips, flying to Las Vegas to gamble, or who knows where all in the pursuit of the "God of Happiness".

You know, God sends us warnings. In 1981 a friend's father died unexpectedly of a heart attack. God keeps showing each of us the way and all of us at times turn our back even on God. My father had a part in Mr. Scrugg's funeral. On the way to the gravesite, I talked to dad about his health, as my mother and I had seen certain signs of medical problems that daddy was not sharing with us. My father broke down and said that he had been experiencing pains in his chest and was fearful of going to see about this situation. Two days later, mother and I were in the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital waiting for the heart surgeon's report. My father had 95% blockage on the right side of his heart and 85% blockage on the left side, resulting in quadruple bypass surgery.

I can recall like yesterday, running early one morning from the Holiday Inn to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with tears streaming down my face asking God to give me more time with my father, so that I could show him how much he meant to me. For so many years I had taken my parents for granted. For so many years I had not realized what they had given me for my education. For so many years I had devastated my parents because of my decisions and my worldly pursuits. This was the first time in my life I realized how much I needed and loved my parents. I always knew they would be there if I needed them. When you believe you are going to lose someone close to you, you realize his or her worth.

My dad's surgery was totally successful and God gave me the chance to become the son that I had never been. I honored my father and my mother for a short period of time, but within six months I was back to worldly pursuits.

I have always tried to do everything myself. I always felt my way was the best way. Since I was all alone on that football field in the college preparatory high school during my junior year of high school, I have always been independent.

The real turning point in my life was in the early eighties when I went up for a basketball shot in our "Over Thirty Lunch-Basketball Game" and tore my right crushit ligament. You see, I had never been where I couldn't do anything for myself. I had been living alone for several years taking care of myself and all of a sudden I was on crutches. In an instant I became dependant on others.

I sincerely believe God sent this humbling experience, this caused me to reevaluate, to reassess, and to see life through the eyes of a handicap. I never realized how fortunate I had been, but with such realization, I knew that I had utterly failed God and failed my family.

The result of this injury caused me to rededicate my life to God, caused me to become involved in the Gideon's International, and caused me to become involved with the Georgia Advocacy Program which helps those with physical and mental disabilities. This injury coupled with the realization of the sacrifice that my parents had given to me, along with the realization of how much time and love I needed to give to my daughter changed my life.

During the time that I was on crutches and in rehabilitation, the forty years of my life passed in front of me one night. All of the guilt, all of the emptiness, all of the depression had built up. God had sent me signals and I had rejected them all.

I firmly believe that this injury was God's way of getting my attention. I had to get spiritually bankrupt with worldly things before I realized that life is absolutely worthless without the Lord. I looked back at my younger years and how I have squandered. I look back at how many thousands of dollars I had spent on worldly pleasures, on alcohol, on trips, on gambling, on all sorts of things that didn't matter.

I now realize that how we handle our family, whether it be our children, our parents, our spouses, our brothers or sisters, how we handle our jobs, how we handle our relationships with others, how we handle our prayer life, how we handle our bible time, all are barometers on our spiritual lives.

You know, money is no different. The credibility of our Christianity is manifested in the handling of our funds. This is a difficult area because we are constantly being bombarded by the world to spend our money stupidly. Our money is a qualifier of our Christianity, whether we are single or whether we are married, we have to think of the money we have as a stewardship.

During the time that I was on crutches, I thought of the example that my parents had been to me in regard to handling of their finances. You see, my father never made more than $1,000.00 dollars per month. He gave 15% to the church. He called this "First Fruits Giving". He paid the insurance agent for he said if something happened to him he wanted to make sure mother and I were taken care of. We lived on the balance. So when I commited to redirect my life, I saw a wonderful example in my parent's giving to God. I had to start somewhere. I started by dedicating a portion of my wages to God. I prayed to God to make me a good steward of my time and his money. Seeing my Dad's commitment caused me to start my discipline, my rededication, by giving to God. You cannot out give God. The more you give to his work and to those less fortunate, the more blessings you receive.

During the time of my recuperation from knee surgery in the mid-eighties, I met a young lady who changed my life. Sue Baker Wills moved to Valdosta taking a job with the Mental Health Department as a psychologist. We began to see each other in the mid-eighties and after much prayer, discussions of goals and aspirations for life, consideration our children, and of our respective obligations to our children and to our professions, we married on June 1, 1989. One of the many blessings God has given to me, is allowing me to have Sue as my best friend and my wife.

I am further blessed to have two daughters, Stephanie and Julie. Stephanie has given to us our first grandchild, Jarrett and Julie is planning to be married soon. Sue's son, Hunter Wills, became the "boy" that I never had. I attempted not to be a father but to be a friend and to assist Sue in the nurturing and raising of Hunter since the time of our marriage. Hunter, like Stephanie and Julie, are further blessings received of God. God is faithful for those who seek His face and honor His word. It is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.