CHAPTER 1 (1951-2001) The Story Before the Story "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." JEREMIAH 29:11 WARNING: THIS BOOK MAY BE HAZARDOUS WARNING: This book may be hazardous to your world view. I am not sure I would believe this story if I had not lived it. This is not fiction; it really happened to me, my family, and my friends. Our story is proof the Bible is true. It is not unlike the amazing testimonies found in the Bible. Millions of Christians around the world are living similar miraculous lives. However, most Christians won't share their supernatural testimonies for fear of ridicule, rejection, or retaliation. This true account will challenge your philosophy and theology. I don't worry much about criticism. The older I get, the less I worry. So, I am going to tell our whole truth, so help me God, because it has eternal implications. I have documented in my Prayer Journals supernatural activity in our personal lives every day since 1989. Therefore, this book may be hazardous to your worldview. It is not my fault. DESTINY God knows the destiny He desires for each of us (Jer 29:11). We each are uniquely "sculpted" for His purposes (Jer 1:5). However, unlike inanimate objects, God has given humans freewill. We are like God in that we can choose, and we can love or hate. Our choices and the choices of others (good or bad) have a great impact on us. God desires that we choose His plan for our lives (Eph 2:10). Before we were in our mother's womb, God gave us a destiny (Ps 139:13). He gave us the DNA, gender, skin color, talents, intellect, and many other attributes necessary to fulfill His plan. God allows education, training, and life experiences to move us toward our destiny. In my case, God made me an artist. He trained me at the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University. After practicing architecture with the Architects Partnership in Dallas, I learned about commercial illustration, graphic design, packaging, advertising, promotion, persuasive writing, and public relations working for an international archery company. In 1977, my wife Sherry and I moved to Los Angeles, California, to work for Jennings Compound Bow, Inc. At the age of 28, we moved back to Texas to follow my dream to live in the woods and make art. We would learn that our life experiences, good and bad, would be used by God to prepare us for our destiny (Eph 2:10). I personally believe when God was designing Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant (Eph 2:10), He was also designing The Empty CrossT and The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden-a 24.5-acre Sculpture Prayer Garden built atop a 1,930-foot hill overlooking the Texas Hill Country. By the grace of God, like the Tabernacle artist, Bezalel (Ex 31:1), the LORD prepared me and filled me with His Spirit to do His God-ordained work (Ex 31:3). BORN ON THIS PLANET Despite what some have claimed, I really was born as a little baby on earth in December of 1951. My parents, Max G. Greiner and Bobbie Sue Greiner, set the course of my life. By the grace of God, I had wonderful parents like the ones in the family TV shows of the 1950s, which I watched as a child. My dad taught me and my three younger siblings about honesty, integrity, hard work, and respect for others. He cultivated a love for nature, which I never outgrew. I can't pass a striking sunrise or sunset without taking a picture. I have always appreciated natural beauty and good design in any form. My dad taught me how to tie a square knot, build a campfire, pop a bullwhip, hunt, fish, and shoot. Both my paternal and maternal grandfathers taught me by their words and example how to be a masculine man while being gentle enough to catch a butterfly, stalk a deer with a bow and arrow, love my wife, and play with our daughter when she was little. My mother and grandmothers encouraged my artistic gifts. God made me right-brain dominant, so I excelled at anything creative from the earliest age. I was building things, drawing, painting, and sculpting as far back as I can remember. These great ladies supplied me with lots of art and crafts materials during my formative years. I remember doing only one paint by Numbers oil painting as a very young child and quickly abandoned it for a blank canvas. By the age of 12, I learned taxidermy from a mail correspondence course. My grandmother, Eunice Greiner, was the only person willing to help me master taxidermy. At the time, I did not realize I was learning important lessons about design, anatomy, structure, texture, composition, gesture, and color. During my middle school and high school years, my spending money was generated from my taxidermy hobby, which I greatly preferred over mowing grass in Port Arthur, Texas. As a young child, I loved to make things such as wooden battleships, forts, slingshots, and bows and arrows. My favorite toys were art supplies and models. My architectural inclinations first expressed themselves with building blocks, Lincoln Logs®, an Erector Set®, an Etch-A-Sketch®, and a Lionel® train set. I created elaborate scale model scenery and buildings, all made from scratch. For some reason, I had absolutely no interest in team sports, which I could not explain to my father, a football star at Texas A&M University, lettering all four years as a guard. He was a respected leader and served as team captain, graduating in 1951. I have a Christmas photo of me as a two-week-old baby, wearing a Texas Aggie jersey and holding a football. I never wanted to chase a ball or play board games either. Instead, I wanted to make something, or chase rabbits in the fields and forests with my slingshot, or bow and arrow. I was the oldest child in our family, followed by my sister Carol and two brothers, Mark and Michael. We were all loved, trained, disciplined and encouraged by our parents. They told us to follow our hearts and use our God-given talents. My parents did not force us into their dreams. We were exposed to everything good but not forced into anything. Mom and Dad didn't "smoke, curse or chew," and we never saw them drink alcohol as children. They were not perfect, but they set a great example and provided a nurturing home. They taught us that the most important things were: God, family, friends, and country. I made a public profession of my faith in Jesus Christ by myself at age 7 at Calder Baptist Church in Beaumont, Texas, during summer Bible School in 1959. I still have my first little Bible. At the time, I remember promising God that I would pray at least once a day for the rest of my life. I kept that promise. As the first-born, I can remember the financial challenges my young parents faced, as my dad began his financial career in Beaumont. Our house had no air conditioning or carpet. We never ate out. I remember lots of spaghetti, stew, cheese and peanut butter sandwiches. Soft drinks were a luxury. My parents could have forced me into their dreams, but they did not. Instead, Mom and Dad observed I was a creative child. God put large amounts of imagination in my DNA. Thankfully, my parents wisely encouraged all four of their children to pursue their own God-given gifts and talents while exposing us to most good things in life, including pets, sports, music, art, reading, adventure-and Jesus. LAUNCH PAD I loved creating things. I don't remember ever being bored as a child playing by myself. I was always making something or exploring the nearby woods. When I was 8, I begged my mother to let me to take art lessons instead of piano lessons with my younger sister Carol. There I learned the fundamentals of art and design after school one day a week from a real artist, Rita Allen of Groves, Texas. While other kids were still using crayons, I was mastering charcoal, pastel, watercolor, oil, pen and ink. The Boy Scout program allowed me to expand my love for nature and all things wild. At age 11, I was inspired by an 18-year-old "Camp Bill Stark" summer camp staff member named Floyd Broussard. I respected his skills and integrity. I grew up in Port Arthur, and I went through the Boy Scout ranks with my best friend, Michael Scott McWilliams. He would eventually be my roommate in college and Best Man at our wedding. We are friends to this day. We earned the rank of Eagle Scout by age 16 and attended the Philmont National Scout Ranch. The following year, Michael and I went together to the 1967 XII World Jamboree. We came of age as America was dramatically changed by assassinations, drugs, rock and roll, free love, the space program, and the Vietnam War. DREAM GIRL When I was 13, I painted a small 4-inch tall watercolor face portrait of the most beautiful lady I could imagine. I asked God for a girl who would bowhunt, canoe, carry a backpack, and still look like a girl. In 1970, God answered that prayer. I spotted a beautiful young girl named Sherry Sorgee at Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur. She captured my heart the moment I saw her. Twelve years later, I would marry the brunette in my prophetic painting. Sherry has followed me up and down the mountains of life ever since-and probably more than once wanted to turn around. Throughout high school, art, archery, and Sherry consumed my time. We had so much fun that we saw no need for drugs or alcohol. My most inspiring high school teachers were Lionel...
