Former Alaska Headbanger Profiled (Now SDA)

[Key Guy]

From Elk River Star News, MN, USA

http://erstarnews.com/content/view/7604/197/

Quote:

Hard to believe now, but James Tierney was a head-banging, hard-drinking, high-living guitar player and roadie on the rock music scene for much of his adult life.

At 45, Tierney is a gentle, clean-cut, quietly spiritual proprietor of a smoothies and fruit drink cafe called Pulse on the west end of Elk River. His mission is to live as clean a life as possible and help others do the same.

Tierney was on stage one night 16 years ago in Fairbanks, Alaska, with his band Balance in the Bridge, opening for Great White with 5,000 raucous rock fans, when he realized it all felt wrong.

“I felt like everything I was doing was totally contrary to what God really wanted for me,” said Tierney. “I went home and locked myself in my apartment and read the Bible and it changed my whole life.”

He spent a week reading the Old Testament, then started the New Testament and discovered a verse about “Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath” that convinced the inactive Catholic to become a Seventh-Day-Adventist.

The Coon Rapids native’s transformation process had some stops and starts, but culminated when he was baptized in 1995 at his church in Fairbanks.

“I used to be a total alcoholic, but I left it behind, overnight, when I got baptized,” Tierney said. “I got out of the rock and roll world. I had no desire to drink after that. All my friends were still drinking and I had to make new friends.”

Tierney’s drinks of choice now are the products that he and his new wife, Mellythia, sell at Pulse, which opened June 1 of last year. James and Mellythia, who’s from Indonesia, were married just three weeks ago. Both seeking someone of similar faith, they got acquainted online through Adventist Singles Connection. As Adventists, they close on Saturdays; the other six days Pulse is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Their most popular drinks are Berry Me Please, Calypso (strawberries, mango) and Lime in the Coconut. There’s also Pulse Bio-Smooth, a smoothie he developed himself with colonic health benefits and calcium.

“I have a desire to teach people about health,” said Tierney. “We have a healthy alternative to fast foods, a meal substitute for dessert. Our minis have three full servings of fruit and our maxis have six.”

The store’s name has scriptural origin. Tierney was intrigued by an excerpt about Daniel, taken captive in Babylon (Daniel 1:12), refusing to eat fattening food on the king’s table, admonishing instead: “Let them (servants) give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.” The term “pulse” refers to nourishment coming from seed.

(more text/photos online)

[Woody]

They have a lot of "headbangers" in Alaska.

[phkrause]

Praise the Lord, this is really a awesome testimony.

pk

[jamesonofthunder]

Brother Timewarp, you must be sent from God for me. Do I know you? I'm sorry i don't recognize you.

I just went through one of the worst situations in my adult life since I have been led to the church.

I asked someone I thought was my dear friend to help me.

He said "sure, give me the email address and I'll testify for you."

The person he was speaking to, supposedly to defend me upon my request was someone he doesn't even know.

I just found out that this man who I've known for 16 plus years that i've talked to dozens of times and have met and had dinner with and was asked by him to help him in his ministry said he barely knows me to this total stranger after saying he would testify for me. And this man will not even tell me what the Pastor said like he has a secret on me now. I don't even get to defend myself. I do not get to confront my accusers.

Aren't we supposed to help each other instead of tearing each other down? Why would he say those things against me to a stranger while I was looking to him for support and getting the reply "Who do I send it to?" I am so shocked right now.

I am so sad I can barely get out of bed, then I see this post, one hour after one of my most grievous moments in this church by one of the people I loved most here.

When I saw your post here, the Still small voice that led me this far said "it's OK James you will be victorious".

The story you just posted was written by a man who I only met a couple of times and he genuinely treated me like a brother and he's not even an Adventist.

I am James Tierney. That story is my salvation. Thank you Jesus for sending a brother to help me on one of my darkest days, amen.

[jamesonofthunder]

Wow, this was posted in 2009?

I am amazed right now.