Chapter 4

The Downward Slide

There was an area of John’s life relating to women that I could not bless. This also led him into a prodigal background. It came from an early introduction to unclean pictures. Sadly it started in his early teens. Many don’t understand this unclean path is a downward spiral to the bar life, alcohol, drugs, and more impurity.

John’s “religion” was strong enough to keep his virginity, but weak enough to allow just about everything else. The unclean lifestyle would lead John to realize that he truly was a sinner and a prodigal. When the gospel was revealed to John, he readily understood the need for a Savior. As we go past the summer of 1977, John enters college at Iowa State University. John became confident about meeting girls and also being a superior student. His father would be grieved over John’s growing pride. His first quarter of college found John as a Physic major. John had a creative desire to be an inventor. In this quarter John would try as hard as he could to study and learn. John’s pride about his intelligence would be broken as he received a C+ grade average.

John fully entered the bar life and dorm parties after the first quarter. This lifestyle took over John’s life. This was pretty much how John’s life went, with his only change being choosing an easier major. In the fall of 1978, he changed his major to Psychology. John earned a B average, despite the constant drinking and bar hopping.