I Love hearing a Testimony!

[SaraFisher]

My fiance' told me about this forum and I'm so excited to be here now. We are actually both "newer" devout Christians and our relationship over the past six years has developed from a life of sin into a life of God...it's been amazing in every way and we both feel very blessed. I actually was baptized Catholic as an infant but was not really raised within a religious home. My parents divorced when I was a baby...my Mother later re-married and my Father ironically became a Priest. My childhood and teenage years were pretty rocky as my "Dad" figure (Mom's husband) suffered from a pretty heavy drinking problem and my Mom was always struggling with raising 7 kids and dealing with our Dad. When I went to college I attended a well-known school that is probably most popular for being a "party" school. It was in college that I met my fiance' and we have been on quite the journey over the past six years. We've definitley spent too much time experimenting with alcohol and sadly drugs and then suddenly something happened that started to wake us both us...my fiance' was diagnosed with a pretty serious spinal condition and was about to face two major surgeries or his quality of life would signifigantly decrease. We held off the surgery as long as possible...for him I think simply because he was afraid that God wouldn't carry him through it. Well, the surgery day came and I can remember it as if it were just yesterday...I took my Bible to the hospital that day and for the first time in my life I just spoke to God...I spoke to him for the entire two hours that my fiance' was in surgery (it was supposed to be a 45 min operation) and I can remember tears dripping down my cheeks and I promised that if God could just bring my fiance out of the operation safely that I would change my lifestyle and try my hardest to be the best woman that I can be. His surgery was May 29 of this year...it's been quite a remarkable journey but the one thing that I have found is that the more I speak to God and open my heart...the more He speaks to me and has already shown me things that I never thought could be. So now, we are both very healthy and every day we challenge ourselves and eachother to become better people by living as the true Christians we were created to be. God is amazing...and if you reach Him, He will always be there. So amazing!! (PS - We do have a wedding date set now...it's on the 7th anniversary of when we first met. Boy do we have so much to be grateful for!!)

[yeshua'sbride]

It's so good to have you here at RR, Sara.

Can you share with us who Jesus is to you?

[bball39]

Bible prophecy is what led me to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior. Before I was saved I was scared of being left behind. When I was thirteen years old my dad said I don't know if you will be in heaven with me and Jesus. So I said the sinner's prayer that day and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. My life instantly changed. I wanted to live for Christ and read my Bible. And also witness to people. And now I'm rapture ready. Baptism won't save you nor works. Only Jesus can save you friends. He's the only way to heaven. Accept him as your personal savior and ask for forgiveness your sins. I'm ready to see my Lord and Savior Jesus at the Rapture!

[SaraFisher]

It's so good to have you here at RR, Sara.

Can you share with us who Jesus is to you?

Thank you...I'm so happy to be on here! Jesus is my Lord & Savior...it is because of him that I am saved.

[Crazed for Jesus]

Oh boy where do I start.

I am currently a teenager, and well normally like to do what teenagers do. But sadly I felt a never ending void in my life, that I could never fill; friends, social aspects, entertaiment you name it. Also at the same time I was rapidly falling into a deep dark black hole, also known as temptation. But at the last minute Jesus grabbed me by the hand, and offered salvation, and the rest is history

[Christina]

fishguy, it's so good to see you back on, missed you!!!!! I'm so happy to hear that things are going well as you continue to walk with the Lord, it's a blessing to see His love and humble spirit in you

Don't be a stranger, come around more often!!...lol

[fishguy7]

fishguy, it's so good to see you back on, missed you!!!!! I'm so happy to hear that things are going well as you continue to walk with the Lord, it's a blessing to see His love and humble spirit in you

Don't be a stranger, come around more often!!...lol

thanks so much Christina for your kindness .... i been around ... lol i just don't always post very much

[Acts5:41]

I always have mixed opinions when I read the verse about God forming us in our mother's womb, because mine drank, a lot, while carrying me. She had bipolar disorder and alcoholism. As a result, I was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I was very slow to reach developmental milestones and have a lot of difficulty processing information.

The first couple years of my life were pretty bad as a result, culminating in a dramatic suicide attempt by Mom with me present. Mom left my life after that, and I lost not only her, but my sister and cat in the divorce. Mom had a pretty awful life, but she did get saved 2 weeks before dying of a heart attack. She also gave me 2 important facts: she had bipolar disorder, and lithium worked for her, when she wasn't drinking.

My Dad remarried, and my physical needs were met. About the most positive thing I can say about the next dozen or so years - they were determined that I never, ever, drink. That has proven very helpful for me.

I began hallucinating at about age 3. My caregivers didn't want to hear it so I learned to mask it pretty well. I also had delusions (convinced a 4 year old child was going to kill me, etc). I had a lot of internal pain, and then emotional and physical abuse on top of that. On some level, I believe they thought they could just beat the illness out of me, and mock me out of having developmental problems.

Not surprising I was always depressed! It was tremendously painful. I attended church and Dad encouraged me to read my Bible, but we were never really spiritually FED. Then I was invited to a Baptist VBS at age 8. Sometime in July of 1984, I got saved. I was too shy to raise my hand, but I asked Jesus into my heart.

Jesus was a tremendous comfort to me over the next 10 years, as the emotional and verbal abuse continued. He pulled me back from the brink of suicide many, many times. He told me "It's going to get better, and I will NEVER leave you!" I never would have made it without him.

My family was so sick they even stole my Bible. I was finally diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol at age 17. My last year of school was great - no more lectures! I have a lot of trouble processing audio information. Now I could read my study material and finally excel in my classes.

I met my husband while working at a restaurant. I was 18 (manic at the time) and ran off with him. We "shacked up" for over 10 years, which led to a lot of pain for me.

He was in a horrible accident and I was not allowed to make any decisions for him, because I was just a "girlfriend". It was a very painful lesson to learn. I had to repent and throw myself completely on God's mercy.

He provided, as He always had. We got married on our 11th "anniversary" and he gradually improved. However, he has lasting damage from the accident. He suffered a head injury so he can be verbally abusive at times. He is saved, but struggling in his faith.

In 2006, my depressions got so severe I sought help. I was formally diagnosed with bipolar disorder, type one, psychotic features. I used to "rapid cycle" but that seems to be abating.

The fact that lithium worked for my mother meant it would most likely work for me, and it has, beautifully. I have to endure some miserable side effects from my 3 medications, but they are affordable. God has given me a wonderful doctor, too.

Not only that, but He has called me to evangelism. I cannot drive due to my disabilties, and my husband can't either. We ride public transit and often share our testimony.

He's also got me handing out bags of candy with scripture booklets, and tracts, or a larger bag with a New Testament, tracts, scripture booklet, and candy. Overall everyone is thrilled to get them, and I hope to one day find out I helped point a few people towards salvation. With the way God's got me working, I never see fruit, but that's fine.

I am delighted God can use me in his service. It's an honor to serve. Whatever He wants, He gets. I don't understand a lot of my life but I understand He needs me like this. If I didn't have all my problems, He couldn't use me.

So, I thank him for the disabilties, the difficult marriage (head injury spouses have a very high divorce rate), and the side effects from my medication, because it brings GLORY TO GOD!

[Bohdan]

I was going to tell this story in my introduction thread, but this seems like a better place for it.

As I mentioned before I was raised Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. I was raised always to consider myself Christian, but I didn't really get saved until college.

It was at a meeting sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ. I went out of curiosity more than anything else, though I had an open mind about it.

I'd read the New Testament before, but never really thought about what it meant. It was just sort of cultural background.

What got me most about the sermon was the sense of my own sinfulness. Not that I was some sort of big criminal, but the essential sinfulness of the fallen condition.

I went from bored and curious to weeping on my knees almost as quickly as it takes to tell about it. A very dramatic moment in my life, but the big thing was how my approach to life changed afterward.

[Ismaila]

I used to be so full of fear and hate and it was literally ruining my life. One night I was reading a Christian book on happiness and God told me that I was not saved. I prayed to repent of all of my sins and accept Jesus into my life. I was so happy that i ran into my mother's room and announced what had happened. I got baptized a little while later, when I was going to this one church and I was happy most of the time. The devil still bothers me, but I am with God and I have someone to trust now. Basically, I have a reason to live. If you repent of all of your sins and accept Jesus, you too will have someone and something to live for. Make that choice today and you will never regret it.

[Firefly]

I'll share my testimony, but I'll warn you, it is long. God worked so much in my life, that I don't want to leave any out because He gets all the glory for saving me from the mess that I made of my life! Even this seems like a shortened version, because there were so many details that God worked through with me, I'd love to list them all to give Him the glory, but there's too much. It took me years to fully surrender to Christ.

I 'accepted' Jesus when I was in grade school, by saying the sinners prayer before I fell asleep one night, but I didn't see the flashing lights and it wasn't what I expected. I guess I expected something, a feeling, a voice from heaven, anything to let me know that I was now His child. But nothing happened. I didn't understand, and didn't feel that I had anyone to ask (I was very shy). I tried to follow God for a while, except I was still sinning and not repenting. So many bad circumstances happened in my life (losing a loved one to death and other stresses), I was by then in Jr. High, and things didn't make sense. I was trying to follow God on my own, without true mentors to guide me, but I didn't realize what was missing at the time. I went to church, had been going all my life, but since to me church had no fellowship that I felt comfortable with, I didn't participate and grow close to anyone. Even when things weren't making sense, I knew I was supposed to witness, but how could I witness when I didn't understand the Bible myself? I finally walked away from God, to find out how the people in the world felt. I told myself that if I understood sinners better, I'd be a more effective witness. I wanted to be able to relate to the world in order to witness to the world (wow, that sounds really lame now! and so full of pride!).

Well, after making a mess of my life, and getting pregnant and then married, I was in a serious car accident with my baby in the car. Somehow (now I know - it was the Lord) we weren't hurt, but my baby woke up the first night after, crying in the middle of the night. I was tired, and didn't know how to calm him down, and thought he might have had a nightmare. He wasn't old enough to talk yet, so I just out of the blue told him 'if you have that dream again, just picture angels on the hood of our car, because there must have been angels protecting us'. I didn't say it because I believed it, I just wanted him to go to sleep so I could too. Well, I really expected him to wake up again that night, because of how upset he , but he didn't. He didn't wake up the next night either, and whatever terrorized him that night was gone. Then I started to wonder, were angels really protecting us? Did God really keep us from harm? Did God actually hear me and keep my baby asleep and protected from another nightmare? Or did my baby visualize angels just at my suggestion? A few weeks later, I found a christian radio station and started listening to Christian preaching on the airwaves. One morning, driving to work, I again prayed the sinners prayer with the radio host. I cried a few crocodile tears, but there were no lights, no big conversion experience. This time I didn't expect it as much. I didn't understand, but I told God that this time I wasn't going to walk away, no matter if I didn't 'feel' anything. Looking back, I'm not sure if there was even real repentence on my part. But I knew that I had to turn to God, because He offered something that nothing else in this world did (I was remembering the joy of others who were saved, and I knew I was miserable without that joy). After the second sinner's prayer, I thought I was saved and on the path to heaven; I tried to do right, but didn't come close most of the time. My flesh was in control. The first time I returned to church on my own accord, the message was on the Prodigal Son. All I could do was cry, it was as if God was speaking directly to me! I started to go to church almost each week (that was really a spiritual battle!), but had no real desire to pray or read the Bible. After that, I spent years struggling to come back to that straight and narrow path. And boy, did I have to go through some bramble patches (of my own making, of course!). All through that time, I was being taught by radio pastors, during 2 hours of driving each day I heard 4 sermons on the air daily. It got to be that once in a while I would ask God about something I didn't understand, then the radio pastor would teach on it soon after. I began to wonder if God was actually talking to me! I had spent so long frustrated because I didn't hear a literal voice of God, and so often I thought that it made no sense, how could someone love an invisible God? How can I love some thing/one that I can't see, touch, hear, feel, etc?? I still didn't understand that, but I was enjoying learning so much about the Bible. And I started asking God, how can I love You?

Ok, fast forward to the fall of 2008. By this time, I had joined a small church (Calvary Chapel variety), and was attending weekly Bible studies that usually only had 3-5 people in attendance. I started feeling that something was wrong when we had a prayer meeting one night instead of a Bible study. We were supposed to pray individually for an hour. Whoa! An hour of praying? I had no idea how to do that, I didn't think I had anything to say to God for an hour (again, my pride)! Then I saw a lady of faith actually get on her knees to pray for that hour. Hmm, I started thinking that I was missing something. After that, there were some verses we read during Bible study that really cut at my heart. I began to think that instead of being like the prodigal son, I was more like the brother who stayed at home and was bitter that the prodigal had come back. Not good! This time, I actually could admit out loud what I was struggling with, and told the fellowship of this small church. I'm sure their prayers made a difference. Shortly after that, I started praying on my knees before bed each night. Not a lot, just the act of kneeling even if only for 1 minute. Then, I was trying to read my Bible more. I started getting scared of the economy, and my surroundings, and was on the verge of panic when I realized that I may very literally be taken to prison, or killed. I realized that only God could protect me and only He knew what plans he wanted for me, and if he wanted me to go to prison, that I had to say yes to that. Once I realized that, I got on my knees and prayed to God, I gave him my body and my life, and told him that I would be willing to go to prison, to go anywhere, even to die, as long as He never left me. Well, after I did that, I then experienced a closeness to God that I can't explain, but my sinfulness was very real, and just as real was the forgiveness. I truely repented, on my face, for the first time in my life! And I was filled with joy, and peace, and a hunger for the Word of God and I actually wanted to pray. At that point I started telling people that I was born-again, because it really this time 'felt' like I had been re-born. But some people told me they thought I already was. Well, I had thought that too! Now, I was really confused. But, I decided to just trust God and let him lead me, and I'm striving to please the Lord with my life each day.

I think I was being sanctified for a while before the Holy Spirit came on me, but I wish I could help others to surrender themselves that much. It was like a taste of heaven, words can't explain. It seems to me that God has ways of dealing with each of us on an individual basis, so I am careful not to judge others as it would be easy to tell them if they didn't have my experience they aren't really saved, and I know that isn't true when I see fruit in their lives. I try to be encouraging to others. So, if you aren't sure how to follow God, just start, read your Bible, and keep fighting to learn how to love Him... this is truth - He won't disappoint you if you seek him with all your heart.


"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

[Snoopynstorm]

Forgive me for how long it is.

It was 6 years ago this month, I was in 8th grade. I was in homeroom [homeroom was right before lunch]. You see we had groups. And each day we'd do something different. Well, on that day the group I was in, it was our time for computers. I sat down. I seen this really morbid picture. It was of Jesus but it was like it was mocking Him. It was like cartoonish and just very disrespectful. Well, I didn't know really anything about Jesus. But, I didn't like that it showed such distaste for that man on the cross. So, I changed it to a peaceful snow background for the computer. It fit the mood perfectly since it was snowing out.


I still remember it. The windows were right by the computers. I remember the snow coming down. It could be seen as you would sit at the computers. Well, Josh came over. He was so mad that I changed the picture.


"You're so dead! I'm going to stab you with this pencil! Just wait until I get you out onto the street alone." For a 14 year old girl I was teriffied. My friend,Tabby, tried to tell me that he wasn't going to kill me or something like that. That didn't help too much.

Well, I went to lunch eventually. I went into the bathroom and I was so scared. I remember Gretchin tried to comfort me. I think she was saying how he's not going to kill me. It didn't do too much good but atleast she was there as support.


Soon after the little things got me depressed. I remember getting an ink spot on my finger in homeroom. That really stressed me out. I learned that in a depression even the little things are too much too handle.


Please note that 8th grade was the worst for bullying [even more than 3rd which was a nightmare of its own]. So, Josh wasn't the only bully. It seemed like it went on everyday pretty much for awhile[that was until later on I went to a counsler and she told me to write down when I got bullied]. The bullying didn't stop 100% but it didn't happen as often. That was later on though.


Anyways, around the time of Josh threatening me I was online with SOVA. It was a group to help get the old Pokemon voice actors back their jobs. I talked to some people online. I remember telling one girl how I didn't know how I would make it to 15 [which was months away in March]. I talked to a few different people but I talked to one in perticular. I remember how I didn't want to live any longer but I was afraid of going to heck [I thought it was bad to say Hell back than so I said heck].


Around the time I was talking to HM I was trying to figure out any way to help SOVA. I came across spells. I figured if I cast a spell the old voice actors would get back their jobs! I tried one really easy one. It didn't work which I now realize. I still looked up stuff like spells. Eventually I'd dump the spells. I didn't realize spells or Pokemon was bad back than.


Around the time HM and I were talking about God and Jesus and stuff. I didn't care about religion but I went along with it. I found out about prayer [remember this was around the time of the spells]. I figured if I prayed God would answer my prayers and they'd get their jobs back! I started to get interested.

I did research on stuff about Jesus and whatever. This was also around the time I looked up websites that encourged not to commit suicide. Well, I found something. It was a prayer. I was told if I said that prayer I'd have salvation. So, I said it. I thought I was now saved. Wrong. I had a false Jesus [I didn't believe He was God I just knew someone named Jesus was in Heaven and I could talk to him.] And I didn't even know the gospel. I mean I heard about the resurrection around Easter but that was mainly Jesus was on a cross and whatever. I mean I heard He died for our sins but I don't even think I knew what that meant at the time.


I didn't think He was God so I kept saying "God and Jesus". I eventually prayed and asked for help with the situation I was in. Sadly, I was talking to a false Christ....


It was all around late fall (Nov., and some of Dec.) and winter time basicly that alot of this happened [not sure about when the event with Gefforey took place though].


Anyways, they played music on the bus. That didn't help. The music made my depression worse. Especially certain songs... x_x I got to a point that I wanted to hear the music so I could go deeper into my depression.


Keep in mind while this was taking place I did inflict self harm in a few different ways...Sometimes at home I'd do it, other times on the bus. It got to the point that it went beyound self harm. :sighs: I remember I attempted suicide...Thankfully, the bus driver didn't bump the bus when I attempted it. You see sometimes the bus would hit a bump or whatever. Sadly, I had a few other plans...one involved something very evil that I looked up online. It was pure evil to look that up. If I would have done that it would have been link asking Satan himself to help me [no it wasn't anything like guns, I didn't like anything like that]...


One time I seen a pill bottle on the table. Thankfully, I didn't pick it up though. That wasn't one of the plans though...the pills were just there.


I remember telling HM how after I died I was going to go visit her to thank her for what she's done and than go to Heaven. I now realize that I crossed the line there. I used to be afraid of "heck". Later on I thought I was going to Heaven so I wasn't as afraid at that point in time.


I was on Skype's chatroom [I'm not sure if this was in Spring or still in winter]. I disobeyed mom for she said not to go into a chatroom. Geoffrey wanted to know what state I lived in. I didn't want to tell him. He got mad and said I guess we're not really friends than. I wanted to leave the Pokemon forum later on. He said if I did he would hang himself.

I was learning about computer safety at school in 8th grade. Those were warning signs...


:sighs: It was the end of the year, the very end of May. We got to go on a field trip because we were 8th graders. We were walking on a bridge. Someone tripped me. If my trip would have angled more I would have been tripped over the bridge. Unfortuntly, I thought I was saved than. By how far the drop was I more than likely would have died. Well, instead of getting a broken kneck I just got a really hurt wrist. And wow did it ever hurt...


In 9th grade, I think it was in Jan. of 08. I was at home online. Someone, a brother in Christ, on a prophecy forum was telling me about how Jesus is God. Please remember I didn't believe before that point in time that Jesus was God. They mentioned it in Alethia (a Christian group in high school). It gave me the creeps. They said God came in the flesh. I highly disagreed but kept my views to myself.


Anyways, he told me how Jesus is God. I seen the scripture and started believing it. I would struggle with that doctrine for a long time though [sometimes I'd believe Jesus was God, other times I wouldn't]. I still thought I was saved though because I said the prayer. Another brother asked if I said the prayer. I figured that's all I needed.


It was the Summer of 08. The JWs started coming around. I thought that it was cool that they wanted to talk about the Bible. I remember I was outside, I was 16 years old getting ready for the 10th grade. I think I was watering flowers. Mom ended up going into discussion with the shorter one. They both agreed how the Trinity was confusing. I think he said how those who believe in the Trinity don't know how to count. I got a bad feeling but it was too late... For some reason I ended up thinking they're just another denomination. We talked. Mom later joined our "Bible Study".


I think it was sometime in the fall, possibly Sept. of 08. I started questioning my beliefs. I eventually thought that they had to be the true religion. I did research online and something wasn't exactly right. I didn't join as an offical member but we did still study at home. I'd go back in forth thinking Jesus was God, other times I thought He wasn't.

Eventually I talked to someone online. I was told something about if I keep thinking I'm not saved maybe that's the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I wasn't saved. I'd go on a search that would last atleast a year. I went by scriptures like Matthew 7:7 and scriptures that stated stuff like you'll find God when you search for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. I figured it's better to get the right answer and wait than the wrong answer in only a short period of time.


As a side note I know Satan tried to get another one on me. It was 10th grade, 2009. In Biology they were teaching evolution. I tried to stay out of class and just take notes from my Biology book [they said I could]. That didn't last so I just went back to class and put up with it.

I went on a search that would take atleast a year. With questions like


Who is God? Is there more than one God? Does God even exist? What is the true religion?


I also asked stuff like "How do you get saved?" I kept hearing about this thing called the gospel. I didn't even know what the gospel was. I eventually heard some people said it was "the gospel of the Kingdom"[which is what the JW say the gospel is] others said it death,burial and resurrection.


There was a problem. For some reason I thought I was still going to Heaven. I don't quite understand the thinking I had. I searched for the true God/salvation/gospel yet thought I was one of the few going to Heaven. I thought I was going for I was "doing the right things". I remember I condemned my friend,who is a Christian, in my heart. I thought "She's wearing skulls? She's going to Hell." Yes, I thought that...I thought those in Christendom were mistaken, There's very few who know the truth and I'm one of them....or so I thought. I never really judged myself. I was very proud and self rightous.


In fact I was so proud...I remember one time I was in 8th grade, end of the year. They were talking in class. I'm not sure who started it or whether it was just on boys or whatever. Whatever it was I shouted out in class "I'm a virgin!" One of the bullies [pray for her salvation] said that I was proud. She didn't know how right show was...I was one of the most proudest people you would have met. I thought I was so much better than the others. After all I was 15 and a virgin. The others had boyfriends. I never had one [unless you count a few little boys when I was little who were my friends,please pray they find Jesus.] Especially please pray for a certain one...we were close friends. He had a hard life though. There was also a boy later on in high school. He was being all nice to me until I gave him a cupcake. I think mom said I'm the first one to be dumped for a cupcake [he wasn't even really my boyfriend, he was just actting super nice. That faded after he got the cupcake]. -_-


I was so proud. No boyfriends, no make-up- none of that. I thought I was such a good girl. :sighs: I didn't like the things where they set up stuff like going to in high school [I'm not sure if it was prom or not]. I didn't go to dances in junior high ether. I think I may have still been proud when I didn't go to prom. After all how many people don't go to their high school prom? :sighs:


Anyways, it was sometime in May of 2010. I had eaten salad as a sidedish. I later found out that something was wrong with the lettuce. I was laying on my bed pretty much begging God asking "Please don't let me die!" I knew I needed salvation. It was probably atleast a day or two later since it was on a Sat. when I heard the bluegrass hymn on my CD "Only Trust Him". This wasn't the CD but this is the song


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vetql6l8lz4

I went to a room with no one in it. I was tempted to contniue searching for God. I also thought I heard someone else (not an actual voice but you probably know what I mean). I was warned not to harden my heart to the Holy Ghost. If I did I'd ether never get saved or it'd be very difficult for that's how hard my heart would have become. Jesus saved me afterwards on Sat. May 29th, 2010. I was 18 years old.


I didn't say the prayer this time for I knew if oneday down the line I'd question my salvation and I'd end up saying I was saved because I "said the prayer." I put my salvation in His hands and I did ask for forgiveness. Where is my salvation rested? On my Rock. Therefore I can be confident I have eternal life. He'd still have alot to teach me though.

[Wishing4]

I grew up going to church. I've always believed the Bible was true, the Jesus died and rose again, that God created everything. A few months before I was turning 11 I was baptized. The minister came to our house and I remember sitting at the table talking to him. He talked about how right now I was sitting on the throne of my life and Jesus was being kept out of my life (something like that). When we choose to follow Him, we are putting Him on the throne, turning from sin and from doing our own thing, and allowing Him to be in charge. He took our place, and when God looks at us He sees Jesus' righteousness instead. I believe that is what helped me to go through junior high and high school making the choices I did. I still made stupid choices at times, but I truly tried to follow Jesus.

My senior year, I started dating a guy. I went off to college and a year later he followed. He left after a semester, but we continued dating. About 2 years into the relationship, I had come home for the weekend and we attended my church together. I can't remember what the sermon was about but it had something to do with the Trinity. I clearly remember Boyfriend leaning over and whispering, "He's wrong. Jesus isn't God." Now was the time I had to make my childhood beliefs my own. What did I believe? Not just what did my church teach. We agreed to find out what the Bible said about this. The only problem being that Boyfriend didn't really want to take the time to read the Bible. I was a bit upset with him because I was willing to risk what I believed but he wasn't. From reading the first Chapter of Genesis and the first chapter of John, I realized that Boyfriend was wrong. My beliefs and faith were made stronger, and I was now Boyfriendless. The world definitely doesn't understand a choice like that. After thinking on it, I later realized that he wasn't the right guy for me anyway.

The next couple of years were a time of growth. I spent more time praying and reading the Bible. I really hadn't done much of that up to this point. I met a great Christian guy (who believed Jesus is God). We married in 2001 and started having kids. My prayer life and Bible reading took a back seat. Last summer God got my attention that time is running out. My walk with Him now is closer than it's ever been. I can see Him working in my life. I've come to the point that He is everything, the Bible is my favorite book, and I love to talk to Him. I'm getting the courage to share Him with others.