Bruce E. Smith

Snapshot of ,"What have you been up to since 1968 time line..." Worked as Distributive Education Retail Management Intern 1968 ,Thom McCan Shoes Inc. I was promoted to Thom McCan Shoes Inc. store manger at Germantown Ave & Chelten in Philly at age 19.

Left retailing in 1971. Spent next four years "Searching for Significance" in banking, executive recruiting, Upjohn Pharmaceuticals, played trumpet on weekends with the "Cashmeres R&B Funk Band". Played every nasty "Rat Hole In the Wall" bar\club in Norristown,Chester, Pottstown,Reading, Coatesville,Harrisburg,Philly,DE,NJ,NY,RI. As part of God's plan for our lives, despite our dreams, we never made it to the studio in our quest to secure a record deal.

Exited the Cover Band-merry-go-round at the ripe old age of age of 24. I was blessed to meet and wed my "Proverbs 31" wife, TWA flight attendant Beverly on September 14th 1974. Relocated to Phoenix AZ in July 1975, shortly after getting married, and continued our quest to discover the "Life Changing" plans God had for our lives.

Driving to AZ we hit a cow in our "VW 411" and should have died on the Interstate between Tulsa and Oklahoma but in retrospect it was revealed that God had a different plan ... (Jeremiah 29:11-12; 33:3)

Used my Thom McCan retail sales experience to land a job at Sears in the shoe dept, promoted to TV & Electronic Sales, promoted to Major Appliance dept left Sears after 16 yrs to work at Toyota in auto sales where I became a TOP Producer and Top Dealership "Sales Trainer". Left the car business to pursue and obtain my "Bachelor Of Science" degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry Institute of Technology.

As we rejoice in the reality that God encourages us to love and forgive each other because tomorrow is not promised . I'm fully persuaded that if I ever want to make God laugh all I need to do is to tell Him my plans! If you should hear anything about or from me please don't judge because I know that He is the "Potter" and I am the "Clay" for I'm nothing without Jesus Christ.

I'll never forget how my football coach "Mr. John Lute" offered to let me stay at his home with his family so I could attend football summer training camp . His extraordinary gesture of kindness occurred during a chaotic time between my junior and senior year. My disrespectful behavior towards my beloved grandparents who loved ,adopted and raised me in their home from the age of 5 thru HS while my dad was incarcerated. Void of respectful, coping mechanisms my ungrateful, disrespectful attitude got me "Ejected" from their home for the entire summer of my junior and the beginning part of my senior year all for being a "Knucklehead". As a result, due to my sucking attitude and lack of discipline I missed our preseason training camp never played HS football again.

I played one season of semi-pro ball as wide reciever with the " Phoenix Steelers" based in Phoenixville coached by former Philadelphia Eagles hall of famer "Steve Van Buren" but that ended after one season when the team and the league was disbanded.

I remember driving to school daily my sophomore and junior years in my green 1958 Chevy Bel Air coupe. Gus's steak shop on main street. Amazing how we ignored his nasty cigar ashes that probably fell on everyone's food (including mine!) but I was young, dumb and careless! Weren't you:-)? When I was nine I recall almost drowning at the Carver community center pool on Arch St.

At the age of 12 I made a huge mistake of allowing a small gang of older kids convince me to join their prank of snatching bags of halloween candy from innocent kids. During this prank I got stabbed me in the chest with a 12" butchers knife. Upon arrival at the hospital the ER nurse said I should have died that night but God had a different plan (Jeremiah 29:11-12). What an idiot I was for allowing myself to participate in this shameful,unforgivable act!

When I was 17 I got a severe "Black Eye" from an ex-con when I beat him and won he lost his money to me in a game of 9 ball at the Willow street Pool hall. I won the bet but lost the fight that ensued when he refused to pay up! :-)

My beloved grandmother drove me to Mt.Zion AME church every Sunday until I turned 16. Shortly thereafter I walked away from God but thankfully He never gave up on me.

Back then I had no idea that God was preparing me to get married and move to AZ where I would find Christ and volunteer to serve Him in the "Prison Ministry" at fibcaz.org. 2020 marks the celebration of my 21st year as a volunteer member of our church Prison Ministry Team where we fellowship, teach, pray with and minster to inmates weeknights at the Alhambra Prison Complex in the prison chapel in Phoenix Arizona. I've been blessed with the opportunity to passionately serve on our prison ministry team sharing the gospel with inmates culminating with an invitation to receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) :-).

Are you right with God? Do you want to be ready when He comes?