I grew up in Western Australia. My father had been in the first world war and had lost his faith because of the war. He became a Communist and an Atheist. My sister and I were consistently told that there was no God. But he was a kind and honest man and a good father, except there was no God in our family. So I became very rebellious as a teenager. I married, and the hippy days came. My children were brought up without boundaries and my life was extremely dysfunctional. Then after 34 years of marriage my husband met another woman and left me. Because I was so devastated, I ended up at the age of 55 at a church where I asked Jesus into my heart. As the song goes, “Floods of joy o’er my soul Like the sea billows roll, Since Jesus came into my heart!”

I grew up in a religious home. I always went to church even when I didn’t want to. I was an alter boy and a squire in the knights of Columbus and I thought I had it all. If people had asked me if I was going to heaven I would have said because I’m a good person or catholic. Neither of which was true. I was living for myself. For the vast majority of my adult life I was seeking self-satisfaction. If it felt good, I did it. I played with drugs, alcohol and illicit affairs, but I was never satisfied. I always wanted more but would never admit it.

Nine years ago God allowed circumstances in my life to hit me like a brick wall. Somebody asked me if I was a Christian and I said yes. I knew this was a lie. I started attending First North because of the Twin Living Christmas Trees. We had seen them several times and God would use this in my life to lead me to Him. Through the next month I began to realize I was a sinner in need of a savior and I would not go to heaven if I had died. One Sunday at church I went down front and the pastor and I talked, he would later come to my house and would lead me to the Lord. I admitted I was a sinner and that I needed Jesus to be king of my life. I asked Him into my heart and forgive me of my sins and committed my life to following Him.

How has Jesus changed my life? I think differently and act differently now. I don’t hang out at the same places I used to or do the same things I used to. Sometimes I am strong and sometimes I fall. But God loves me, forgives me and encourages me know because of his son Jesus. He is always faithful to me and my family. I wish I had trusted him earlier in my life.

I was raised by both of my parents, and we would go to church every Christmas and Easter and maybe a few times in between. I was raised Methodist and believed in God and knew that Jesus had died on the Cross and rose 3 days later. We celebrated Advent every Christmas and recited the Lord’s Prayer every Church Service. As a teenager I remember going to a youth event with my best friend at her church and hearing that I needed to be saved and needed to ask Jesus in my heart. I also remember not wanting to do that because I thought being a Christian wasn’t fun and it was boring. So…I rejected God. I had chosen a party lifestyle and experimented with things I have later regretted. The road I went down led me to my adult life. I got married at 19, and we continued to party until God got my attention at age 24 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I went through 5 surgeries in one year. During this time my faith in God grew but once I got well and was healed of cancer I continued to live a life without God.

I grew up as a small boy in Spartanburg, S.C. with two loving Christian parents who saw fit to take us to church every time the doors were open. I was involved in all the youth activites along with playing on football, softball, and baseball teams as young man. I knew there was something missing in my life. That was Jesus, whom I had heard about at church as well at home.

I did not grow up in Christian home but I did know about Jesus from attending VBS and attending church with friends. When I was 14 at a church service my friends were going down to talk to the pastor and I went, but I never felt any different and soon stopped attending church at all. I went through my teenage years trying not to think of God, thinking that if I ignored Him he would leave me alone.

In my twenties I got married and things were going well and a few years later I was expecting our first child. When I was 8 months pregnant we were transferred 4 hours from our home to a place where I didn’t know anyone. My husband was working 14 hour days and I had a new baby and my marriage was in trouble. During this time God was reaching out to me and He intervened in my life. My husband received a job offer in Enoree, SC. With the move we had a company house next door to a Baptist parsonage. I knew that this was not a coincidence. We starting attending church and each week I was under conviction so bad that I felt like the people around me could see me shaking , I was absolutely miserable. I knew that I needed Jesus to come into my life. After about a month of this I let go of the pew and the next thing I knew I was telling the pastor I wanted to accept Jesus.

Accepting Jesus has made a tremendous difference in my life, from the moment that I accepted Him he lifted the burden of the sin and shame that I had carried for years. Jesus has always been there for me through the years when difficulties came and He has given me a confidence that nothing else can.