MY TESTIMONY

Hi there, let me tell you about my life and how I became a Christian and also what has happened throughout my Spiritual Walk. This is my testimony to how God waited for me, protected me, called me, saved me, and still guides me even today. It will tell you about the ups and downs, the good and bad, the blessings and loses that has happened in my life. You might think it is too long, but I hope you will take the time to read MY TESTIMONY. I hope it touches your life..............

I didn't go to church, as a child, except for Easter and Christmas, until I was age twelve. Then a church from my neighborhood had a church van come and pick me up. I had fun and enjoyed the Bible stories I heard; I hadn't heard these since Bible Class in sixth grade. I knew who Jesus was but it never went past the stories that were told. I never associated Jesus with being a real, live person until I was in church about a year. I really wanted to know more about Jesus so kept going to church, because that was the only place I would ever hear about Him. I can't go into details, but at the same time in my life,from age seven thru ten, I was going through abuse by aquaintences to my family, and I had heard that Jesus protected people; I wanted to find out how He could help ME!

When I was thirteen, I joined a christian youth singing group called SOUNDS OF CONVICTION, and it was here that I really met people who loved to sing praises to the Lord and use this music ministry to witness to others. While in this group, I was touched by all the love and when I was spending the weekend with my cousin and her husband, we talked and on my knees, they led me to accepting Jesus into my heart. The dam of emotions burst open and I felt a change come over me. I couldn't understand it at the time, but when I talked to a close friend from my youth group about it, they explained it to me further.

I was so overjoyed to understand what had happened that I couldn't wait to tell everyone I saw! At our next concert, I stood up during our time of testimony and told everyone what had happened and how I felt; that I didn't want to feel the way I had before. I had some long-term problems with my eyes sometime after and had to leave the group, but I went away a changed person and never forgot what these people meant to me. It was later on that I got aquainted with some people that would lead me away from God for awhile and down the wrong path. I was a new christian and the church I had been attending didn't have the mentors I needed to help me continue to grow in the Lord, so I drifted away.

Unfortunately, my so-called friends taught me about drinking alcohol, and smoking pot and I lost all the good judgement I had. I wanted to fit in so whenever they wanted to party, I partied with them. I was in my early twenties by this time and every weekend was spend going to my favorite club and getting drunk and dancing until the place closed. I was working but since I was living with my Granny and had only my personal needs to pay for, I spent alot of money at this club. I didn't stop this way of living;I ran into my childhood sweetheart and started dating him; we ended up getting married and I ended up drinking with him.

He cheated on me two times and I asked him for a divorce. After I moved back to Princeton and got my first apartment, the shop I had been Manager of went out of business just overnight and I was left without a way to keep my rent paid. I finally found a job to support myself and after working there awhile, I made friends again that liked to drink. Again, I was going to clubs and partying my life away. But while I was at this job, my Assistant Manager started talking to me about God while we worked together; he never pushed me but I began to start asking questions and he answered them for me. I found out later that he was a Youth Pastor in a local church. I began to realize that God had put me here and was leading me back to Himself!

I was invited to attend a pizza party being held for the youth at this church and wasn't pressured to go. I agreed to go and He and his wife gave me a ride. I enjoyed myself and felt comfortable enough to start attending on Sundays. Since I had no vehicle, they gave me a ride each week. It was there that I finally had my eyes opened completely and for the first time,since becoming a christian, at the age of 30 years old, I rededicated my life and completely surrendered control over to God. I had had the bottom drop out of my life since my divorce and the losing of a job security that I finally found true direction.

I became a dedicated church-goer and read my Bible all the way through two times in a year! I was like a sponge and the more I read, the more I wanted to learn about the ONE who had changed my life. I knew I didn't deserve what He had done and I had a strong desire to know Him as well as I would a best friend. It was at this time that my desire to sing praises to God came back to me and I started using this gift to give love back to God by singing christian music. This is when my large collection of christian soundtracks started.

After reading my Bible regularly, I felt I wasn't meant to stay at this church and started looking for another one. One evening, I ran into a high school friend and they asked me if I were a christian. I told them I was but was interested in finding another church to attend because I had stopped growing in the other church. My friend invited me to attend the church they went to and started giving me a ride the very next Sunday. The moment I walked into this church,I knew I was home! I had a peace about me that I had never felt this strong. After I sat down, a couple sat down beside us and introduced themselves and told me if I ever needed to talk about anything, I could come to them. This was the start of a very close friendship that has come to feel like we were meant to be friends. We are friends to this day and I love them like they are family. I will tell you more about my friends on a future page.

I attended Immanuel Baptist Church for 11 years and have been through alot of good things like getting baptized, joining a great choir, making more new friends, getting married,dedicating my son to God there, and being a Sunday School teacher for first and second graders. I have also been through my share of marital problems in this marriage and with the prayers of my church and the grace of God giving me strength and patience to wait on a miracle, a new beginning is starting.

I have to admit that I haven't been the child that God wanted me to be; I have made choices that God wouldn't have wanted for me;I haven't been the wife God meant for me to be; I haven't been the Mom that I should be,even doing my best; I haven't nurtured my friendship with God like I used to but I can tell you something........God has never left me to fend for myself; He has always been waiting for me to remember that He is the reason that I live and if I will keep my eyes on Him, everything else is taken care of by Him. When I look back on my life, I can see it as if it were a movie and I know that God was walking beside me, and was even carrying me when I didn't have the strength to go on. There were times that I didn't want to live and God showed my why He wanted me to live.

I know still have times that I fail God but I know that He will forgive me if I just repent and turn away from the sins and not repeat them. He won't remember them ever again. But I also know that I love God so much that I don't ever want to get to a point that the world and all that is in it causes me to stumble and fall so far away from God that I will lose my salvation! You can do that, you know. God doesn't leave us, it is us that leaves Him. Those that turn away and never return, never repent, never rededicate their lives anew to a relationship with Him, never seek forgiveness, will die the same eternal death as those who never were saved, cause God's forgiveness, mercy and grace do not give us a license to continue to sin and never follow God's commands and still go to heaven. The names of those who started out in the Book of Life will be taken out, if they die without being in a relationship with God! I don't want to be a Christian who is only one by name. I want my life to show that I am a Christian, whether I say anything or not. And I am working on it everyday, and I have failures everyday. But Thank God, as long as I have the desire in my heart and I stay in my relationship with Him, He is waiting for my time to come home.

I found out that God truely loved me. He gave me MERCY: when I don't get what I do deserve;and He gave me GRACE:when I get what I don't deserve. It was in God's forgiveness for all of my sins. When He was beaten and crucified on the cross, was buried, and then resurrected to live in heaven, He gave me the greatest gift that I would ever receive in my whole life. Eternal Life!

He gave me an a chance to accept this free gift willingly or refuse this gift. I chose to take it and am really glad I did! If someone gave you a gift that was paid in full and told that it was the best gift in the whole world and nothing else could compare to it,that you would never be offered this gift again, would you take it or refuse it? We all are sinners and the penalty for sin is death and separation from God. But the gift of eternal life is through Jesus Christ(Romans 6:23 and Romans 3:23). So, whoever calls upon the name of the Jesus shall be saved(Romans 10:13). If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved(Romans 10:9)

If you haven't yet accepted Jesus as your personal Saviour, please don't wait any longer; take a moment to go to Him and accept His invitation. He will take you just as you are, for He came to save those sick in their soul, as a doctor heals the sick not the well. Say this prayer to Him, with a sincere heart: Dear God,I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed his precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour. Did you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour? If you did, please let me know when you sign my guestbook,leaving your email address so I can welcome you into the Family of God.

But remember this: becoming a christian doesn't mean that everything will be perfect for you; in fact, things may just get harder cause satan will try to get you back!! You will still have troubles with finances, family, marriage, etc. but now you will have someone who understands that you can turn to. Take it to God. To many people think that when they get saved, it solves everything but it doesn't; so they get discouraged and ask God why does the bad stuff still happen. It happens because of satan. We are born into a world that is sinful and sin can't enter heaven. Sin was started from the freedom to choose and this caused the separation between man and God. Now, we have to use our freedom to choose and make a wiser decision by giving our lives back to God and that breaks the bondage to sin. We still can sin, but we won't be destined to spend an eternity with out God. So how will you spend eternity? In heaven or hell?

Thank You, Wendy, for the beautiful images.

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Thank You, Danny Hahlbohm, for the beautiful artwork.

Please visit Danny's site link; he has some awesome artwork!