When I was a teen attending a church singing, I realized that I was not feeling or seeing clearly whether or not I had ever asked Christ to come into my life. I felt very heavy hearted and without any premeditation (quite shocking) I got up from my seat and went forward during the invitation. I spoke to the preacher and he led me in asking Jesus to forgive me of my sins and to come into my heart and life. I felt an instant relief, like I had a weight lifted off my shoulders.

I wish I could say I did what I was supposed to do as a Christian. But I didn’t. In my young adult years I went into complete rebellion. I did the “club” scene, dated a lot, and just lived a life not pleasing to God at all. It took me years to realize that I wasn’t where I needed to be. About 10 years ago, I FINALLY gave up my own will and rededicated my life to Christ completely. Now I can see God in every decision I make. I’ve gone through a divorce and financial abandonment. People have been placed in my life and my children’s lives that have clearly been sent by God. I would have never been able to make it financially over this last year, but because I have put my complete trust in God and have followed His will, we made it. I should have been an emotional basket case by now with what this divorce has brought to me, but I have a tremendous peace that is ONLY from God. People around me say they can’t even tell I’m going through what I am… I say it’s because of the Lord. He can do anything as long as you keep Him in your heart and make His will your own. God has orchestrated everything from a sudden unexpected change in a judge at a hearing to laying it upon people’s hearts to make anonymous donations in some way towards my family. My children have suffered, but there is no doubt that if they were not both following Christ themselves they would not be as well adjusted and thriving like they are. I’ve seen firsthand what God can do. I see a clear difference in how this crisis has been handled WITH Christ as my Savior verses other crises when I was doing it on my own.

When I was 4 years old I went to a Billy Graham crusade with my mom and grandma. I remember seeing all the miracles that God proformed through Billy. I was truly shocked that that could actually happen. I accepted Christ into my life that night just because I was stunned by what God could do. When I got a little older I began to doubt my salvation because I was so young when I had received Him into my life. So in children’s church I rededicated my life to Him with Pastor Doug, and I was baptized at the age of eight.

When I had rededicated my life to Him, I really didn’t grow in the Lord at all in the few years to come. I just went to church beause I was made to. When I entered the junior high ministry at our church I really started growing closer to the Lord, and now I try my hardest to do a daily quiet time. Through all my struggles with arthritis and all the barriers in my life to come, I trust God to bring me through them because I am His child now.

I would spend the night at my grandmother’s a lot on the weekend. I started going to church with her and became active in the youth there. On one Sunday in June of 1970 at my Grandmothers church, I felt it was time for me to turn over my being stubborn and independent and ask the Lord into my heart to guide me. I asked God to forgive me of my sins and to come into my heart. After I prayed I felt calmness and a peace in my life that I had been searching for in all the wrong places. I was not as adventurous in the next couple of years until I moved out on my own. I started being independent and relying on myself with out God’s guidance. I did a lot of thing in my youth, experimenting with drinking alcohol and running with a crowd of people that were not Christians. It became easier to stay out late on Saturday night at a party than going to church on Sundays. I met my husband and two years later we were married. We started going back to church occasionally.

We moved to Texas where we had no family and we had to depend on each other and God. My daughter was born there. We went through a lot with her because she was 5 weeks premature. She was truly a blessing from God. Her birth made me realize that I was blessed and I needed to return that blessing through my actions to others and serving God more. We moved to Mississippi, then back to home. We started attending (New Pisgah) FBNS in 1985. My husband developed cancer twice during his life before he died. God was faithful through everything we went through. My husband passed away when my daughter was 13. She attended church here and was saved as a youth. She joined the orchestra when she was in Jr. High and played several different instruments. She was at the Twin Trees performance singing when her father died. I had the comfort of the Lord and fellow Christians here to get us through all the years of loss, trials and heartache. God has been faithful to me through the hard times and has blessed me though being a volunteer for Guardian Ad Litem. This has changed how I feel about serving others and has filled up the void in my life of missing my daughter because she moved to New York this past January. I do find comfort and strength from the Lord, and I have made friends that help throughout the singles ministry here.

While I was in college my mother was diagnosed with cancer. At first I was in denial, but as the reality started to set in for me, I became very angry and upset. On the other hand, my mother was always optimistic and showed a supernatural strength that I did not understand. Through her sickness, we started going to church. As I started watching my mother and seeing her strength, I began to understand where that strength was coming from. My mother had given complete control of her life over to Jesus. After making this realization, I began to realize that the only thing that could give me that strength and fill the void in my life was Jesus Christ. So, one Sunday morning in 1995, I gave my life completely to Jesus Christ and made Him Lord and Savior of my life.

By inviting Jesus into my life I was given a strength like no other. I can tell you that when my mother passed away in 1996, I don’t know how I could have made it through if not by the power of Christ. Jesus has given me more self confidence because I know that Jesus created me and He doesn’t make mistakes. I understand that everything that I am given is a gift. He has given me a beautiful, loving wife and 2 beautiful children. The gifts that He has given me are far greater than anything that the world can give. My priorities are far different than they used to be. My personal relationship with Christ and my family are the top priorities in my life. I can’t imagine how I would get through life without Christ in my heart.

In the

 3rd grade I had a teacher (Miss Elizabeth Wilson) who had after school bible study (imagne that today in public schools). It was here that I learned that accepting Jesus was not a hard thing to do, but it was still scary to walk the aisle in front of people. In the 7th Grade, during a revival in Sherman, TX, with the coaxing by the Preacher’s brother, I gave into the Lord and accepted him as my Lord and Savior.

Since accepting Christ I have had the assurance that Heaven is where I will be with my Savior. Since accepting Christ it has given me someone to talk with and assured me that what happens is His will and He will take care of me.