My Salvation Story

My amazing friend Callie over at Through Clouded Glass is hosting a Salvation story link up today!

When she mentioned the idea I was actually surprised when I realize that I had never actually written my testimony and how that Lord came into my life. Until now.

I was raised in a Christian home. My Dad was a committed christian and my parents strove to raise us in the fear and admonition of the Lord. I was in church from the time I was out of the hospital (almost). That was my life.

When I was six years old however, I realized that something was missing in my life. That even though I had a wonderful christian family I was personally not like them.

So, one day I was sitting on my bed in my room just thinking and all the sudden I realized that Jesus was missing. That I was not good enough to make it to heaven on my own. So I asked my Dad to come upstairs and told him I wanted Jesus in my life. He prayed with me and at that moment I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. Even at that young age I knew that something was different in my life and that difference was Jesus.

It wasn't until I was about 10 years old that that decision I had made became truly real to me. I went through some hardships that year and started turning to Jesus for comfort. I realized that people would fail me but Jesus was always there.

In the years that followed Jesus became more and more real to me. Instead of being merely a religion my relationship with Jesus became just that-a relationship.

When I was 15 years old I went through a time where I said all the right words and did all the right things but on the inside I was dying. I knew that my relationship with Jesus was faltering and it scared me to death. Thank the Lord for being faithful and at the end of that year I chose HIM. I was sick of riding on the fence trying to be in the world but also be a Christian. It just did not work.

When I was just 17 I went to a small community college and found my walk with the Lord truly being challenged once again. As the year progressed I was working constantly, going to school and honestly-the Lord went on the back burner. I felt the Lord really impressing on me to prioritize and make Him first once again and stop using my busyness as an excuse. I refused. Telling myself and Jesus that I would at some point just not right now.

Until one day the Lord kind of took my feet out from under me (literally). I was riding our horse and fell-landing on my foot and hearing a distinct crack then feeling absolutely nothing. That started a year of illness that included my foot being broken at least twice. Being in a walking cast for two months. Numbness and blurriness of vision that made them think for about a month while I was getting the tests done) that I might have multiple sclerosis. Multiple ER visits. And always the unknown. Going from specialist to specialist. Being told something is definitely wrong with you but we don't know what it is. Then being sent to another specialist. Praise God that after a year we found out that all my problems had stemmed from a very bad diet (hence why I am becoming more passionate about natural foods etc). However, that year God truly became my sustainer. He was my Daddy God. And I began in that year to go to Him in surrender about everything and anything. I had to rely totally on Him. And that became SUCH a huge blessing!

I could go on with all the places my life has gone since then but a lot of you already know it. I was in a relationship that we called a "courtship" and praise God He brought me out of that using my parents. They were not controlling. They were not domineering. They knew things about that person that I did not know the extent of at the time. Because of that they had the COURAGE to step in and tell me the truth and I broke off the relationship which I praise God for!

The reason I praise God for it is because two weeks to the day that I surrendered to what I knew the Lord was telling me I went to a Bible study and met...Jason. A year and two months later to the day we met we got married. We then moved to Florida and here we are today.

One thing I am learning now is that the enemy will use distractions to get my eyes off my Jesus. I am going through a period in my spiritual walk where I have allowed my eyes to get off Jesus using busyness as an excuse. Always though, I am amazed at how gracious and forgiving He is. To think that He loves me in spite of me! With all my faults, sin, attitudes, etc. Jesus Christ still loves me. And I am still God's child.

My life is full. Why? Because God has never once forsaken me along the way. He didn't promise it would be easy. But-He did promise He would be with us every step of the way!

I am in love. With my Savior. My relationship with Him is just that- a relationship that has different phases and chapters. Different lessons to learn. One thing that will never change though is His love for me and oh how comforting that is to know!

Do you know Jesus today? Do you have a relationship with Him? What are you so thankful for that He has done in your life? What can you praise Him for today?

What if I have messed up too many times?

So really quick because I have to go get ready for church I just wanted to share a passage of Scripture I read for my early morning devotions that really encouraged me!

Sometimes it is hard, especially if we have made a lot of mistakes in our past, to think that God would still love us. Would still save us. Yet, this is what HE has to say about it in His Word:

"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. (pretty much sums what we are as human beings!)
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. "
Titus 3:3-7

What a glorious reminder! It is not works that we have done! We can never be good enough to be saved or be bad enough to not be saved! IT IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST and BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY HE SAVED US!

What an awesome God we serve! :)

That brought a smile to my face this morning and I hope to yours too :)

Blessings!

What about a woman that got pregnant after a rape?

Note: This post contains some mature content. Reader discretion may be advised.

So many of my late posts have been about abortion. Some of them have been in answer to some comments that I have received which is what this post is about as well. I received a comment this morning that asked a question. The question was this:

"One thing that you did not address, though, are babies conceived through incest or rape. Would you support abortion in those cases? What about these types of pregnancies in minors? I feel so strongly that these are cases where abortion is justified and I adamantly oppose further legislation of abortion specifically for this reason. The progression of the pregnancy poses far more damage to the "mother" than destruction of the fetus, in my opinion. Would you be willing to expand your dialogue to these types of pregnancies? (or at least share the opinion of your "pregnancy center")"

I knew what my stand was about this but I thought that I would let these women speak for themselves. Please take the time to watch this video and see what women who got pregnant through rape have to say:

I found this video  while browsing the internet looking for women's stories and found a website headed up by a woman named Rebecca Kiessling. Please visit her website here: RebeccaKiessling.com.

Not only is Rebecca a pro-life advocate but she is a child that was conceived by a rapist. One thing that she said in her personal testimony that really stuck me was this:

"Please understand that whenever you identify yourself as being “pro-choice,” or whenever you make that exception for rape, what that really translates into is you being able to stand before me, look me in the eye, and say to me, "I think your mother should have been able to abort you.” That’s a pretty powerful statement. I would never say anything like that to someone."

Go HERE to read the rest of her story.

"I think your Mother should have been able to abort you." Would we ever truly look some one in the face and say that!?! I do not believe we could conceive being that rude and hurtful to someone and yet, so many people are saying that today. Even some Christians have fallen for the lie straight from the devil that a rape or illness or whatever (fill in the blank) can some how justify knowingly taking another human being's life (even though that baby had absolutely no choice in the matter).

Rebecca also shared these insights (as a child that was spared an abortion):

"I’m so thankful my life was spared, but a lot of well-meaning Christians would say things to me like, ”Well you see, God really meant for you to be here!” Or others may say, "You were meant to be here." But I know that God intends for every unborn child to be given the same opportunity to be born, and I can’t sit contentedly saying, “Well, at least my life was spared.” Or, “I deserved it. Look what I’ve done with my life.” And millions of others didn’t? I can’t do that. Can you? Can you just sit there and say, “At least I was wanted . . . at least I’m alive” or just, “Whatever!”? Is that really the kind of person who you want to be? Cold-hearted? A facade of compassion on the exterior, but stone-cold and vacated from within? Do you claim to care about women but couldn't care less about me because I stand as a reminder of something you'd rather not face and that you'd hate for others to consider either? Do I not fit your agenda?

 In law school, I’d also have classmates say things to me like, “Oh well! If you’d been aborted, you wouldn’t be here today, and you wouldn’t know the difference anyway, so what does it matter?” Believe it or not, some of the top pro-abortion philosophers use that same kind of argument: “The fetus never knows what hits him, so there’s no such fetus to miss his life.” So I guess as long as you stab someone in the back while he’s sleeping, then it’s okay, because he doesn’t know what hits him?! I’d explain to my classmates how their same logic would justify me killing you today, because you wouldn’t be here tomorrow, and you wouldn’t know the difference anyway, so what does it matter?" And they’d just stand there with their jaws dropped. It’s amazing what a little logic can do, when you really think this thing through -- like we were supposed to be doing in law school -- and consider what we’re really talking about: there are lives who are not here today because they were aborted. It’s like the old saying: “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a noise?” Well, yeah! And if a baby is aborted, and no one else is around to know about it, does it matter? The answer is, YES! Their lives matter. My life matters. Your life matters and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!"

Rebecca is not the only survivor from being conceived in rape. Here is another video that shares men and women's perspectives that were conceived in rape:

I asked my husband his thoughts and this is what he had to share:

Two wrongs do not make a right. To kill the innocent is never ok. Many people wish to be compassionate and perceive themselves to be compassionate yet they have fallen for the world's lie that just because a baby comes from a traumatic experience that the Mother will live the rest of their lives with negative feelings towards their child because of that. When, in reality, just like in the first video three women proved that wrong and many other women have also as well as .

A simple illustration about how pathetic the world's logic is concerning this is:

If a friend of yours attacks or breaks a law that hurts me in some way it is then justifiable for me to have you destroyed/killed just so I won't be reminded as often of the horrible thing that your friend did to me.

Pretty lame huh? And yet this is a lie that so many people believe!

This is proven not only in these videos but also in the stories of real life women and their children. Below is a link to multiple women's life stories who became pregnant by rape. Some on the positive side trusted God and chose to give their child a chance at life and were blessed through. Sadly, others chose to not trust God or were forced or bought into the lie that having an abortion would solve their problem. Tragically, it did not and these women who shared so candidly regret that decision to this day HOWEVER, God took that guilt and shame and gave them hope in and through Jesus Christ. Today all of these women are testimony to what God can do. And how truly, Jesus Christ can make beauty out of even the worst of ashes. 

 Please click HERE to go and read these amazing stories from both sides (you will have to scroll down).

This all together only leads to this: The Word of God is the only firm foundation. You can believe it and prove it right or you can not believe it and still prove it right meaning-the destruction of human life is never the only or right answer. Difficult situations will arise however even in these difficult situations destroying a innocent life will never solve the problem.

Is there hope after an abortion? Absolutely! Jesus Christ is that hope!  And if anything is taken from this post I would pray it be this: whether or not you have been raped, molested, aborted a baby, been abused, and the list could go on and on-there is that hope in Jesus Christ!!!! And it is for each and every one of us! The Bible says: "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Many people heave a sigh of relief and think well I am a good person. Whew. I have never murdered or committed adultery. I am not as bad as ___________ (fill in the blank). Yet, Jesus said if you look in lust you have committed adultery and that hating someone in your heart is the same as murder. That convicts me! We are all guilty with that kind of standard! None of us can live up to it! But that is ok. "God commended His love toward us in this-that while we were still sinners Christ DIED for us." (Rom. 5:8). He took that guilt! He took our shame! He took our sins on His shoulders. He paid our fine. He took our judgement! What glorious HOPE AND TRUTH IS IN THAT! And it is for everyone!

My prayer is that God's love and Word would reach all who do not know Him as their personal Savior. That they would realize that God can take ashes and make beauty out of them. Just like these women whose testimonies we heard about how God took a horrific situation and made something beautiful out of it-their child.

Back to the Basics: Salvation

Last night at Bible study I decided to go back to the beginning. Back to where it all begins in our walks with Jesus Christ. Back to Salvation and what it really truly means to be "saved".

So often people today depend on their own "goodness" to get to Heaven. Even many so called "Christians" think that as long as they say and do the right things, go to church, and have Christian parents they will be able to some way get into Heaven just because they have done almost everything "right".

Not so.

Salvation is about trusting in Jesus Christ. In Him and Him alone. Believing in Jesus Christ and trusting in His ABSOLUTE perfection enough to be able to turn away from our sins in complete repentance and not only turn from our sins but follow Him wholeheartedly not only on Sundays but every single second of every single day for the rest of our lives.

So why trust Jesus?

This is what He has done FOR YOU:

"And you, being dead in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He has made alive together with Him,
having forgiven you all trespasses,
having wiped out the handwriting of
requirements that was against us,
which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross."
(Colossians 2:13-14)

Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God, DIED for you and for me! We deserve an eternity in hell and yet because He loved us He sacrificed His life as an atonement (substitute) for our sins. We didn't deserve it. We are all sinful human beings who deserve to spend an eternity in agony in hell.

You could argue: "Well, I am a good person." Are you really? The Bible says this:

"As it is written
'There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.'"
(Romans 3:10-12)



God is absolutely perfect. He demands perfection from each and every one of us. Have you ever told a lie? What does that make you? Well, a liar. Have you ever stolen something? What does that make you? Well a thief. We are accountable for every single idle word that we have spoken. That alone strikes fear in my heart. Have you ever dishonored your parents? Have you ever murdered someone? Jesus said that whoever is angry with his brother (or sister) in his heart without a cause is just as much in danger of the judgment (Matthew 5: 21-22).

God demands perfection.

None of us are perfect.

Even if we only sinned once
in our entire lives.

We would still not measure up
to God perfect standard.

So what did Jesus do?

The PERFECT Son of God came to earth
and voluntarily offered
Himself as our substitute!

He DIED so that we might LIVE!

How can we NOT trust Him and turn to Him in repentance from our sins?

Is it worth it to us to give up our sins what ARE pleasant for a time but have ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES?

I believe with all my heart that it IS WORTH IT! To be a CHILD OF THE KING...there is no greater HONOR!

Think about the lyrics to this song:

"Jesus is
The sweet, sweet love of my soul
Jesus is
The only thing making me whole
He's everything to me
All I desire to be
That's what Jesus is" (Jaci Velasquez)

Is Jesus the sweet sweet love of our souls? Is HE the ONLY thing making us whole? Is He EVERYTHING to us? Is He all we desire to be?

IS HE ENOUGH?

Is He worth it to you? Have you found your completion in HIM or are you still searching for it in other things (significant other, possessions, money, prestige)? Let me tell you from personal experience. Until you realize that Jesus Christ is the ONLY thing that will complete you-you will never find that completion you are so desperately longing/searching for. The thing is...it is YOUR choice "...Choose you this day whom you will serve..." (Joshua 24:15).

If you claim to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ then STAND UP and start to live it! Do you ever think what would happen to this world if we who call ourselves Christians began to LIVE each and every day in reckless abandonment and devotion for and to our God?

The things that our Lord endured FOR US on that cross and beyond imagination! And yet, HE DID IT. The almighty God DIED for you and I! He did not have to but out of His love for you and I He CHOSE to...That thought alone makes me want to live each and everyday in thankfulness for what He has done. To offer myself for His service as He offered His body as atonement for me...

Here is a quote that ,when I first read it, made me stop dead in my tracks. I actually have it hanging on my wall now. Take some time and ponder this last thought:

"Tell me in light of the cross, isn't it a scandal that you and I live today as we do?" - Alan Redpath. "

Christ died for us...the least we can do is live for Him! Something to think about...

That is part of what I shared during Bible study last night.

Afterwords, I found out that a little girl named Nora.

Went to my sister Jen.

Nora is actually on Jen's team at work.

She and her sister and Dad had come over last night for Bible study.

The girls sat in on our girls Bible study upstairs.

Nora asked Jen if she was saved.

Jen told her that yes she is.

Nora then said: "Well I am not."

Right then and there Jen was able to share the gospel with Nora.

Nora was broken about her sin.

She realized she was not good enough to get to heaven on her own.

She realized that she needed to believe in Jesus Christ.

She realized that she needed to repent of her sins.

And so she did.

Last night in a little country church in the middle of nowhere.

Nora gave her life to Jesus Christ and a new name was added to the Lamb's book of life! WOW! What an AWESOME GOD WE SERVE!!!!

The angels were rejoicing last night! :)

I am so in awe of my God! Truly, He is so worthy!

Is He worth your all?