In 1988, Emile Bergeron and Maurice Casadaban approached me as I was having coffee at Airline Motors Restaurant in LaPlace. “Why don’t you start a men’s Bible study group in the morning?” they asked. I answered their question with a question. “Why don’t both of you start one?”

After a brief discussion, we agreed to start a group, which met at 6:15 every Tuesday morning at the restaurant. This was 22 years ago. We met there until it closed and then moved the meeting to McDonald’s on Airline Highway.

During the years we were at Airline Motors, I kept a record of the different men who attended at least one meeting. The number totaled 267.

After a few years at McDonald’s, we moved the meeting to the Holiday Inn, and for the past six years, we’ve been meeting at the Cornerstone Café. The meetings are held every Friday at 6:15 a.m. and last only one hour.

Danny Louque, who has always attended,

started a group in 2000 at his business place

in Paulina. His group meets at 5:30 on Thursday mornings. Every Thanksgiving, these

meetings have as many as 20

or more men in attendance.

If Christmas and New Year’s falls on either day, we meet.

The meetings are never cancelled.

I don’t know where I would be in my spiritual walk without the relationships I’ve developed over the years. It’s meeting together to become what God intended us to be. It’s about men with a desire to become transparent before God and their peers. Seeing God move in people’s lives is one of the most exciting experiences I’ve ever witnessed.

Five weeks ago, a man called and wanted to meet for coffee. He was one of the most tormented individuals I have ever met. I invited him to one of our Friday meetings, and he responded to my invitation. He seemed to enjoy the fellowship. He missed the next Friday but returned the following week. When he shared, he was frustrated and said, “I had a freaking bad week!” I interrupted and said, “We don’t use vulgarity here.”

After the meeting, one of his friends said, “He didn’t curse. He said freaking.” I told him that this was just a counterfeit word for another one that is vulgar.

Last week at the meeting, he looked good and seemed to be at peace. When he shared, he said, “Mr. Keller won’t like this, but I cursed 1,000 times last week.” Then he added, “But I used to curse 5,000 times a week. The good news is every time I cursed, I realized it was wrong. My conscience is starting to kick in. At least now, I’m conscious of my character defects.”

That’s what I call spiritual progress, not spiritual perfection.

The common denominator at the meetings is that we all develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call (985) 652-8477, or e-mail: hkeller@comcast.net.