Redeemed Music Ministry

Testimonies from Mike, Bill, Dave and Lloyd

Jump to Dave Sheil
Jump to Lloyd Buntele
Jump to Bill Shaw

A brief Testimony from Mike:

I was born in the Bronx N.Y. on December 12th 1961. I come from a very strict, very dis-functional Italian family who thought that I was the greatest thing that ever happened. I was born on Frank Sinatra's birthday, I was the first born son, so I grew up never wanting for anything.

On my 16th birthday I was given a brand new fully loaded (1978) Trans Am. We always had money and nice houses. As I got older I would wonder where the money and nice things came from, because my family wasn't like most others around me. They seemed to be very different from my friend's families. My dad didn't get up in the morning and go to work and come home at a certain time, it appeared he did what he wanted when he wanted to, and I liked that. I always knew that my dad worked for my grandfather, I just never knew what he did, I heard rumors and things but never really knew. I eventually went to work for my grandfather and found out that my family was full of bookmakers and mobsters. I was taking bets over the phone by day and working the crap games at night. This is the environment I grew up in. I thought I was cool.

At this time I started to drink and experiment with drugs and I really liked the way they made me feel. I started stealing booze and money from my mom and dad's home, buying marijuana, smoking and drinking everyday. This went on for awhile then I started using cocaine and pain killers that I used to steal from my dad's medicine cabinet. Then I found heroin, man I really liked heroin, I loved heroin. (or any other kind of opiate) I felt like I could conquer the world on it, without a care in the world and nothing else mattered when I was high. That high would go on for years until I experienced the Love of Jesus Christ. There is no greater high in my life today.

During this time my girlfriend Renee was standing beside me. They say opposites attract and man was this true with me and Renee! She never did drugs or got high, she was always good to me. She always saw the best in me. She tried her best to stop me from destroying my life but I pushed her aside, I lied to her about everything so I could get my drugs, but I wasn't fooling her or anyone else. Renee has been shot, stabbed, and verbally abused because of my drug induced actions. She always believed in me when no one else would. I was blessed by God and didn't know it as Renee has been my wife for 27 years and the mother of our three beautiful daughters.

Even with a wife and my three daughters who I love more than anything, I could not stop using drugs. I was using drugs daily at this time. I was physically addicted as well as mentally "hooked". It was my god, drugs were my god for a long, long time. It was what I lived for, and it was what I almost died for. I came close to death several times from overdoses over the years. I knew I had to stop using heroin and other opiates so I decided I would try the methadone program and that became my worst addiction, however I thought that was ok because I wasn't sticking needle's in my arms anymore, by the time I finally got clean I was taking a minimum of 300mg of methadone daily. Health care professionals could not understand how I was alive and as I look back on my life the only answer to that is the LORD had other plans for me and kept me alive through it all knowing that someday I would be doing work for HIM. Thank you JESUS!!

In March 2002 a friend of mine asked me to go to a 12 step meeting at a local church and I met a man Pastor Gerrie who I believe the LORD put in my life, this man showed me nothing but love and accepted me, didn't judge me and I had never seen that before in anyone and he was so happy and I wanted that, I wanted what he had. This man became and still is like a father to me you see the LORD knows everything and the LORD knew that I would trust this man when I didn't trust anyone else including myself. That Sunday I attended his church service and just started to weep and cry like a baby. I could not stop! I mean I was hysterically crying for the entire service and when I got home something was going on inside me that I had never felt before. I knew it would be different this time. I remember that day, it was March 24th 2002. It was the day I confessed with my mouth that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour and the very next day I went into a detox center and only by the grace of GOD did I make it through, only by the strength of the LORD.

I kept going to church and got involved in different areas and just kept learning about Jesus, I was like a sponge. I just wanted to soak up and learn all I could about Jesus. I have learned alot and I am still learning each day. One of the most important things I have learned and its been proven, that In my strength I can't do anything, In his strength I can do all things. I learned that I am a new creature in Christ and that old things have passed away. If I make a mistake I am quick to recognize it, confess it and keep moving forward keeping my eyes on Jesus, never looking back.

The biggest change in my life came in the form of Praise and Worship music. Music has always been a part of my life and now through church and teachings I learned why music was created, I learned that "God inhabits the praises of his people", and part of my daily routine for sometime now, is to start every morning with Prayer and Praise and Worship to JESUS. I go get my guitar and I worship the Lord in song. I do this faithfully and I see miracle after miracle on a daily basis. God doesn't run out of miracles, he has plenty and they keep coming but we have to keep seeking and worshiping our Lord. Let me add that God doesn't need anything, however there is 1 thing God wants from us he wants our worship, there are plenty of Pastor's and Teacher's however what God wants more than anything is a worshiper, That's what our band REDEEMED is all about. We are all recovering alcoholics and drug addicts or have been through some other kind of sickness and we have all been redeemed through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

My intention is not to tell you what I did or how many times I did this or that. It is to paint a picture of my life before Jesus Christ and the transformation that has taken place in my life. What He did for me, He can do for you too!

Don't look back if you fall get back up keep fighting I have a saying " The difference between the winners and losers is the winners keep getting up, they keep fighting the losers stay down, they give up "

May God Bless You and Yours!

Psalm 107:2 it says "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

Testimony of Michael DeRienzo 45 years of age born in the Bronx N.Y., father of 3 beautiful daughters and husband of 27 years to my wife and mother of our 3 girls Renee.

A brief Testimony from Dave:

Dave was born and raised to the age of 7 in Levitt Town New York (That's on "Lawn-Guy-Lind"). At age 7, his family moved to a town in Maine called Windham, just outside of Portland. Music has always played a large part in Dave's life, his Dad played guitar, accordian, piano...whatever... about anything he would pick up. His Mom played piano, his oldest brother, Ken, played trumpet and keys, and his older brother, Ron played sax. It was a natural, that Dave would take up drums in fourth grade, and complete the family band.

All the Sheil boys were active in their respective school music programs, the Windham town Marching Band, Band, Orchestra and Stage Band. Ron and Dave both enjoyed several sessions at summer music camp in Farmington Maine, and enjoyed doing half times at the High School Basketball games with the Stage Band.

For many years the Sheil family would simply play in their home, and at an occasional party with the parent's friend. Dave shares that he started drinking at about the age of 10, and smoking pot around the age of 12. by the time he was 16 he had begun to experiment with harder drugs, mushrooms, acid, speed and more. After graduating high school In 1978, Dave sold his drum set to purchase a dependable car, and began his "adult" life as a "regular Joe" (or Dave...as it were).

Dave, at age 20, lost his mom to cancer. As she lay in the hospital bed for several weeks before passing, the cancer had effected her brain to the point that she was unable to utter an intelligible word. The family was called in to say their goodbyes, and as Dave and his maternal grandmother and uncle stepped into the hospital room, they were pleasantly surprised to see his Mom coherent and very aware of her visitors (this after three weeks of unintelligible gibberish). Dave remembers her final words, "She looked right at us, thanked her mom and brother for being there and then looked me in the eyes and said, 'I know where I'm going...Go find God and come be with me.'" "I ran!" Dave says solemnly, "I just lived and partied harder trying to soften the pain of my loss."

"I continued to run and eventually I developed quite a dependency on drugs and alcohol." In 1984 a friend invited him to 'hit the road' and 'see the world'. As the living situation in Maine wasn't so healthy, Dave decided to take his friend up on the offer, and traveled the country for about 6 months before landing in Florida... broke...still using drugs, drinking, and living day by day.

Fast Forward to 1984...summertime...relationships came and went...too many of them...Married, divorced...and once again dejected in another unhealthy relationship, now, even more experienced in the ways of the world, he found himself alone, depressed and unable to find anything meaningful in his existence.

He didn't understand why he kept getting into relationships with girls that just would not work...he'd try harder, and harder, yet still it seemed the relationships would end devastatingly, and leave him feeling crushed completely. Finally, one day a friend gave him a book called, "Codependent No More" by Melody Beattie. The book sat on a shelf for months, and over about three months he cried himself to sleep with depression and screamed himself awake with horrible nightmares of insecurity and fear...but eventually he read the book...the first few chapters enlightened him. This was a stepping stone in his life. Reading the book helped him to begin a journey...and lead him to an awareness group called CODA (Codependents Anonymous) where he made a confession that went like this..."You people all talk about giving it all to God to let Him handle it....(sob...tears...break down)...I don't even know who God is!". That night, a woman next to him told him that if he really wanted God's help, he should go home, get on his knees, and ask God out loud...for help.

He cried all the way home and continued to wonder how he was going to heal over all these rejections and hurts in his life. How he was going to "get better"...How he was going to sleep and get rest...what He had to do now!

Before the meeting he had placed several items on the dining room table...a pistol, three bottles of pills, a razor blade and a set of car keys. He had made up his mind that if something didn't change by the next day, then he was going to check out. He looked at the instruments of death, reaffirmed his decision and headed into the bedroom to sleep. Before getting in to bed the thought of praying entered his mind...so he kneeled beside the bed and said, "God...if you're really up there...then you're going to have to do something ...I don't want to keep living like this...and if YOU don't make a change ...then I will."

"I still to this day don't remember my head hitting the pillow," Dave confesses, "I'm don't know HOW God did it, but I was sure THAT God did it....there was a great change in me, and I knew it HAD to be GOD...because that's the only thing that was different between last night and this morning." He knew God had done something, and he became hungry to find out more. He finally saw that he had a real problem, and that the problem was that it was him...TRYing ....instead of TRUSTING GOD.

Today, Dave is an ordained minister, he serves the Lord doing Sunday Services on the open air deck of a biker bar called Archie's Seabreeze under leadership of Pastor Craig Bridgers of The Crossing Community Church in Ft Pierce, Fl whose ministry is "being in the people business". He loves worshipping God and sharing "The Truth that will set you free". He is now the Front man for REDEEMED Music Ministry using the vocal Gift that God has given him to witness to others who may have been where he was...lost, confused, and looking for a new direction. Dave will openly tell you the way...."JESUS Said it himself...'I am the WAY...the TRUTH and the LIFE' Let there be no mistake...if you're tired of TRYING to figure out your troubles...and you're looking for a WAY out...JESUS is IT!"

God Bless You ALL!

A brief testimony from Lloyd

I was born and raised in Middletown, NJ, into a middle class family. I'm the youngest of 5 children. I have 3 sisters and a brother, who was born developmentally challenged and lived in an institution most of his life.

Dad was a sub-station operator for Con Ed, and mom was a civilian worker for the US government. My father was what some might call a functioning alcoholic--I think he was just a workaholic as well. He was a difficult man to be around. He had an extremely short fuse. He never seriously beat me, but the screaming could make anyone cower and wish they were somewhere else. Mom just did the best she could to keep herself glued together, with such dysfunction. It seems all my relatives were heavy drinkers as well. It was just the norm for our lot. My oldest sister was out of the house at 17 and living with an abusive man, who kept her in fear and pregnant for years. It was a confusing time.

I did manage to become good at sports and loved baseball--I was a mean pitcher and a hot dog short stop.But for the most part, the first ten years of my life, I was pretty much left to my own devises. My sisters weren't really interested in having to take care of their little brother.
It was the Seventies and they were in their teens--Need I say more?

Life wasn't all bad. I had a few sitters I that I remembered, but no one significant to watch over me.I had neighborhood friends--and became close to a few--But closeness wasn't one of my strong suits. Dad was always working or at the bar or passed out. Mom worked full time. She came to my games to cheer me on, and Dad took us out on the boat to fish--Those are some of my fondest memories.

Time for the teen years (Hold on to your seats--the ride gets really bumpy here)

I gravitated towards the party crowd. I was smoking pot at age 12, and stealing the liquor from home any chance I got. And of course there was a barrel party somewhere every weekend. I was trying acid and other things shortly afterward. I was stealing money from my parents for the sole purpose to get drugs--funny thing (or should I say sad) , I really had no conscience. Just as long as the means were met, it didn't matter what I did.

I also started playing guitar around the age of 13. And this is what I wanted--
I wanted to play like Jimi (Hendrix)
Party like Jimi
Die Like Jimi.
Like I said--Pretty sad.

I loved Heavy Metal Music, especially that with dark overtones--I wasn't a Satanist--How could I be--I didn't even believe in God. Lets get into that a little more.
Mom became Born Again, when I was between 13 and 14. Shortly after my Grandmother died and my sister got married. She became acquainted with a Methodist Pastor, John Koch (pronounced Cook). He was a great preacher and a little charismatic, even for a Methodist. But Mom found that part of her that was missing, and tried converting everyone in the family.

Now picture this--Here I am--beginning stages of Alcoholism and Addiction--and here she is beating me over the head with the Bible, and making me go to church. But won't let me go to an Aerosmith concert. Talk about a rebellion. I went the other way as fast as the speed of light.
I was partying--not coming home--running away--living with my sister and her abusive husband--dropping out of school--partying---trying any drug that passed before me--partying yadda yadda yadda....I was in Yardville prison for 10 months before I was 20. Though I now know, it was her prayers that were heard, that saved me.

I managed to get a girl pregnant in 1984--Susan--we actually got married--after my first daughter, Heather was born on January 20, 1985. I lived with my Mother in law. Lord knows I couldn't support us. It was a tumultuous marriage at best--I was not a good husband or father--I never abused them--But I did neglect them--I was extremely selfish. My partying always came first. I became addicted to cocaine. I did manage to hold on to a job for almost 5 years--don't ask me how. We had another daughter, Michelle on January 18,1998. Things didn't change with me and Susan eventually left---Things only got worse for me. I had no idea how to be responsible. And it showed.

I was in several bands, playing in NY and NJ--I managed to get kicked out af a heavy metal band, because I partied too much--Imagine that.
I went to my first rehab in January 1992---I was there 28 days--I was drunk 48 hours after getting out. I moved to Oregon wherer my mom had retired, and got addicted to heroin. I just wasn't done yet.

I ran from there 8 months later to end up in a place called Faith Farm. I had learned of it from my sisters pastor Jack Woods--He had taken an interest in me and tried to help me the best he could. Faith Farm was a Christian long term rehab located in Bridgeton NJ. It was run by Eddie Torres, an pentecostal Christian, and his wife Gigi. I was there for 10 months--I thought I had turned my life to Jesus then--But I think I had a problem with taking my will back, and letting God into my life. I thought I could think my way into good living. For the next ten years I struggled to get clean. I was in and out of jail, rehab, detox, AA, Church, psych wards, and even tried committing suicide in 1995--I almost succeeded.

I Moved to Port St Lucie in May 2002. I was living with a good friend in the AA program, Gordon. He was my first sponsor in NJ, when I started getting serious about recovery after my last prison stay in 2001. I stayed clean for 2 1/2 years, but just didn't get that connection with God. I relapsed again in early 2005 for 15 months.

I was, and still am with a wonderful woman,Sydria and her 2 children. Matt who is 20. And Brandi is age 12. I love them all dearly.
I have been clean again since April 16, 2006. On that day I had finally hit the bottom I needed to hit. The spiritual one. I felt like I was dead and dying. There was nothing alive inside, and the body was soon to follow. I had that one honst prayer--It went like this " God.... Please...."I had no other words to say--
The obsession was lifted--I have not wanted a drink or drug since.
I do ask Him for strength each morning--And I end each night with "Thank You".

I have always maintained playing music over the years and met the other members of this great group of guys called REDEEMED back in 2003--I met Bill when he first got sober. We played at some of the same events on occasion, and I admired their talents. It was only recently that after everyone seemed to be taking a break, that our paths crossed again.

Funny how God works--I had been praying for direction to grow spiritually--My faith was struggling. I wanted to get closer to Him and asked what I was supposed to do--Where was I supposed to be?

The answer is-- Right here!

I've re-dedicated my life to the Lord and Savior who rescued me from the pits of hell.
I know, in Him I can do all things. Jesus has and always will be my Redeemer. For He Lives!

"All things come together for the good of those who love God....

God Bless Brothers and Sisters

Your Friend in Christ

Lloyd

A brief Testimony from Bill:

I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1962 but came to Florida when I was two. So I guess I would qualify as a Floridian. I was raised in the small town of Jensen Beach, right next to the big city of Rio, which is a suburb of Sewall's Point. I know those who know the area have got to be laughing!

Music has always been a part of my life. I can remember my mom playing the ukulele and my dad strumming his guitar when I was very young. I wanted to be like my dad so I picked up the guitar and learned to play while in my teenage years.

I came from a loving home of 3 brothers and 2 sisters and a very strong religious upbringing.

I grew up with an alcoholic father. I really never thought anything was out of the ordinary. He was always a good provider, took us fishing, spent time with us, even told us he loved us! I figured every dad drank like my
dad did, just blowing off steam, taking the edge off etc. So what if he wanted a few beers! My mother would always tell us that my father had a problem and everything would be ok. I thought it was a self-control issue, or lack of it. Anyway, after seeing what this did to my father and mother, and the effects it had on our family, there was no way I would ever pick up and drink like that! Not me! My father struggled with alcohol addiction for many years, I was determined to be different.

Fast forward years later.

I've been married to the same wonderful person for 22 years, I've got a beautiful daughter who a year earlier gave us a grandson. But I also have a problem..........I have been unable to stop drinking for many years and the fun and joy had left my life. I have lost several homes and businesses due to my drinking. The only thing I still had was my wife and that was crumbling before my eyes. I'm sitting alone, in the dark, on the edge of my bed with a drink in one hand and a gun in the other. Trying to decide if I should kill my wife first, or maybe just take myself out and leave her. I had become what I said I wouldn't.... an alcoholic.

I played music with a few guys who talked about Jesus every so often. Didn't bother me as long as I had something to drink. One of them had arranged our three piece band to play at an event a local church was
sponsoring under a tent. They were going to feed the hungry and give a message, and we got to play the music. Sounded great as we were going to be fed and make a few dollars....The catch was...the music had to be what was termed "praise and worship". We had a few practice sessions and I'd never heard Christian music quite like this before! I mean it really "rocked". If you didn't hear the words, you'd think it was a song off the radio. Anyway, it had a positive message and I liked that, as opposed to the dark, cheatin', drinkin' songs I normally played in the bars.

There were 50-75 people there that cool evening. Some were obviously homeless, or between jobs, some looked as if they hadn't eaten a good meal in awhile. We were to gather together for prayer before we began that evening, but no one told me about that and they finally found me sitting in my truck downing a few before the service. Needless to say I was MAD because they had interrupted something very important in my life. MY ALCOHOL!!!

As we began to play this "praise and worship" music, I saw something I had never seen before. I saw people raising their hands to the sky. I saw people clapping their hands and shouting! These people were really getting into this! I thought it was our playing that got them going. But I soon realized it was much more. There is something else I saw. I saw people weeping and crying. I saw these big burly biker guys sobbing. I saw people comforting each other, holding each other. I saw strangers becoming friends.

That night changed my life. I was fortunate to have a friend filming the entire night, (except for me drinking) Looking back at that video now, I can clearly see me and my wife wiping tears from our eyes. I didn't know
why then, but I do know now. On the drive home, (she drove while I drank), I remember telling her that if I could play music like that for people, I'd quit playing in the nightclubs and bars.

That was February of 2003, it wasn't until October 31 of that year that I took my last drink but I believe the music I heard that winter night under that tent planted a seed in my life. A seed that took root and changed
my whole life......SAVED MY WHOLE LIFE !!! I don't have to play in the bars and nightclubs anymore. I get to play for an audience of One! I thank my Lord Jesus Christ each day for the strength He gives me. I thank him for the people and the 12 step program that helped me find my way to Him. I am thankful for restoration in my relationships. I am grateful to my wife Candy of 26 years. Honey I'm back!

I now use the talent that God gave me to bring praise to the King of Kings! I lift holy hands and shout out a shout of triumph! What He did for me, He can do for you! I truly am Redeemed!