Many of you have read about how I came to Christ. If not, follow this link.
There’s much, much more to the story, of course. But I had only 1,800 words to work with. 
Each believer has come to Christ in his own way. No two roads are alike. Whether 50 years or 50 days ago, we can see, retrospectively, how Christ saved us and under what circumstances we went looking for him or tried to run from him. For some people, becoming “saved” was a dramatic, emotional event. For others, it was methodically studying the evidence for Christ’s claims — including his resurrection — and weighing arguments for and against, which convinced them that he indeed was who he said he was. Believing the claims and recognizing their need for a Savior, they took the leap of faith.
For me, it was a gradual process, a deepening need to confess and to see myself for what I really was. It was painful and joyous at the same time.
Testimonies fascinate me, and today I’d like to read yours.
Christ followers, what is your when-and-how-I-became-saved story?
When I was about eight or nine years old I remember being at church with my family when the pastor gave an invitation for those who wanted to accept Jesus to come forward for prayer. I was afraid to go so I didn’t, but later that day and evening I felt restless and anxious inside. My mother recognized something wasn’t quite right and asked me if I was OK. I told her about it and she said that it was God’s way of telling me I needed to ask Jesus into my heart. Right then and there she prayed the sinner’s prayer with me and I will never forget the feeling of a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. I knew that day I was born again. Growing in my faith in God has been a lifelong process.
Comment by Karen of Scottsdale — 03.29.07 @ 7:36 pm
Here’s the testimony I posted on my blog. It’s a little long. BTW, Lashawn,continue to pray and do as the lord leads you concerning this blog. I will pray for you to have wisdom.
I was raised in a Methodist church. My mother attended regularly and my grandfather was a layleader at the church. Growing up I believed in Christ, but in a historical sense rather than a spiritual one. If someone were to ask me if I believed in Jesus and that he was the son of God and that he arose from the dead, I would say “Yes!â€. If they were to ask me if I believed that Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States and was shot by John Wilkes Booth at the Ford theater, I would say “Yes!†Not to mention that my spiritual thinking was totally corrupted by the televangelism scandals of the 1980’s(BTW why do so many TV preachers have such bad hair? What’s up with that? Although, James Robinson has good hair.)
Moving ahead to March 1996. My marriage was on the rocks. My wife and I separated. We were both miserable. I hated my marriage, my children were a burden, and my wife resented and disapproved of everything I did, which in turn made me miserable and resentful. I don’t think that either one of us wanted to separate or divorce but at the time it seemed like the only solution and society and “marriage counselors†only encouraged this thinking. I must say though that many family members wanted us to reconcile, divorce it seems affects more than just the husband and wife. After our separation Yvonne was invited to church by some of her friends. A short time later (Easter Sunday) she accepted Christ’s gift of salvation. I was invited to her baptism. I was wary at first, not having been to a church in years, but the sermon was good and it wasn’t much different than the church of my childhood was which I enjoyed for the most part. I was expecting bible-thumping, hellfire and brimstone, finger-pointing evangelism. Instead it was a compassionate, non-threatening, thought-provoking sermon. I started attending regularly. Sometimes Yvonne and I would go together; sometimes we would attend separately depending on how things were going between us.
After realizing that secular counseling was not working we decided to see if the pastor could help us save our marriage. That didn’t work either. In fact the last visit we had with him was the worst. We both walked out of his office so bitter at each other it was amazing. I walked out and said to myself “That’s it. It’s over. I’ve done everything I can do. There is nothing else I can do, I’m getting divorced.†When it seemed like it was impossible to fix and I stopped trying to fix it myself, that’s when God started to work. A few days later Yvonne met someone at church who gave her a new perspective on our marriage and her past and how that past affected our marriage. Now we had been to “marriage counselors†who never even insinuated that these issues were at play in our marriage. These things opened our eyes to the truth. About two weeks later I moved back in, in November of 1996 we renewed our vows and are now happily married with four children. If you were to tell me that my wife and I were going to have more children together right before we were separated, I would have said that you were nuts because I was getting divorced soon. My wife and I are different people since Christ came into our lives. My wife is a great mother and wife. She is kind patient and understanding. I love and respect my wife more than I ever have. I love my children with all my heart.
When I see where my family and I are now and I look back to when I walked out of the pastor’s office and my marriage and my life seemed impossible to fix, this one particular verse keeps coming to my mind.
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?†Jeremiah 32:27.
Comment by Chuck — 03.29.07 @ 8:10 pm
Both of my parents are non-believers. I was raised in a Godless house. I came to know Christ on my own when I was in high school. I was very unpopular then and knowing God was there helped me get through some rough times. I started attending church when I was 18. I still haven’t been baptized yet. Christ is now my number one priority. It can be a struggle to life the way I am called to but I am getting better every day. I feel that I need more positive influences in my life.
Comment by Kathleen — 03.29.07 @ 8:14 pm
When I was 16 years old I had a dream that everyone I knew and everyone I loved worshiped the devil. I tried and tried to get them back in my dream, but they wouldn’t come. I woke terrified, my heart racing.
I spent the next 40 or so minutes repeating again and again, Jesus Loves Me. Jesus is my Saviour. Jesus died for my sins. Jesus loves me. Jesus is my Saviour. Jesus died for my sins.
Finally, after repeating that for about 40 minutes, I was calm again. My heart was beating normally. I was no longer terrified.
If I hadn’t had my faith in Christ, I am sure I would have been lost, would have had to have been institutionalized, in a rubber room with a well fitted white jacket.
The devil tried to get my soul. With Christ’s help, he failed miserably.
Thank you Jesus, You have saved me more than once.
Comment by kimsch — 03.29.07 @ 8:15 pm
To be honest, I’ve been a Christian since I was a child. As long as I remember it’s been that way.
But I can tell you that back in the late 80’s/early 90’s I suddenly had the strong (and I mean STRONG desire to read my Bible and learn as much as I could from those who could teach me either personally or via books. I bought a good student Bible and several Bible commentaries, dictionaries, etc. and started reading. I joined my church’s Bible study. I attended services more often. Something in my heart demanded that I grow in Christ. I think that in one single year, my zeal for God increased a hundred-fold. Admittedly it gradually leveled off after several years and has only recently been rekindled. It never went away mind you but it’s growing again. Since my wife and I moved north of the city, we’ve joined a smaller church. But it’s a wonderful little church which reminds me of the small churches I attended as a kid in Mississippi. The larger church on the south side is wonderful as well and I miss it. It’s a blessing to go from one loving church to another and feel equally as welcome. I kind of prefer the smaller church atmosphere because it’s more intimate.
But I digress…
Anyway, Christians and Christianity have been important in my life ever since I was born. And remains so to this day. I’m not perfect, but I am saved.
Comment by Carl — 03.29.07 @ 8:16 pm
La Shawn is looking for testimonies of how one came to Christ. I left mine in her comments but I am reprinting it here as well.
Pingback by Musing Minds — 03.29.07 @ 8:19 pm
For whatever it’s worth, I have three areas on my website in regards to my Christian faith in case anyone cares to look.
http://www.nettally.com/saints/affirmat.html
http://www.nettally.com/saints/toc.html
http://www.nettally.com/saints/links01a.html
Comment by Carl — 03.29.07 @ 8:20 pm
I grew up in a pretend Christian household. Church was a Christmas Eve and Easter thing, and then again whenever my mother felt overwhelmed and would look to God for help.
Jesus was who you called when things were so messed up that you needed help. The concept of trying to live a life pleasing to God and turning my daily life over to Christ was totally alien to me for 45 years. I bounced back and forth looking at many religions, being a solid church goer and Bible reader and then slipping back into being in the world instead of in the word.
Oh, I was a drunk and a slut along the way. I just didn’t see myself that way at the time. I laugh when I look at my life all the times that the devil was trying his best to pull me away from the Lord. I am sure the idea of selling my soul to the devil for my heart’s desire of worldly things crossed my mind more than once. But I always belonged to the Lord, maybe I became the Lord’s when I attended Bible study after school when I was ten. I remember learning the 23rd Psalm by heart, but I don’t remember the sinner’s prayer. I don’t even remember the woman’s name, but I do remember those few hours in her home. But sometime in my life Christ grabbed by collar. I would make bad decisions, and pull away but just when things were at a point when I could be lost, the Lord tugged my collar and pulled me free. I haved been so blessed in my life. Blessed mainly because I have been saved from many of the natural consequences of my sinful actions. Also blessed because once about fifteen years ago while keeping vigil at the church during Maundy Thursday the Lord gave me a glimpse of his Grace.
When I read CS Lewis the Screwtape Letters I could see that I was the assignment for poor little Screwtape. Mr. Lewis manage to write my spiritual biography before I was born. Isn’t the Lord amazing.
My life, like so many others, is so far from perfect that I have underlying anger and bitterness about so many things. Or at least I did, and I would be wrong to say that I didn’t fall into it again every now and then. But a few years ago, after a really low point the Lord tugged that collar one more time. The Lord showed me that Grace again. Just a glimpse. Those who have seen it, those who have known it, understand.
As LaShawn says, painful and joyous at the same time. Painful to see myself for what I am and have been, and joyful to see myself as God sees me. Whenever I start to feel all superior and full of myself I look around to the people on the commuter train with me, or the people around it wherever I am and I remind myself … God loves each one of these people exactly as he loves me.
Now if only each one of these people also knew that then maybe they would try to love God in return. I often have a running conversation going on with God all day long. Whenever I have anxiety about something if I remember to turn to the Lord first, Peace comes. That does not mean that the chaos, turmoil, or source of my anxiety goes away, but the Peace of Lord fills my heart and then I am just not stressed about it.
I know that as long as I have the Lord I can accomplish all the Lord wants me to do, and withstand all those tribulations in the world.
Thank you LaShawn, and thank you to the people who post here. I never fail to feel lifted by God’s love when I read the posts here.
God’s Grace to each of you.
Comment by Changed Life — 03.29.07 @ 9:09 pm
I was saved a a youth retreat when I was 16. But sadly, when I joined the Navy a couple of years later totally fell away. But now the good news. I was sleeping one Sunday morning and heard somebody call my name. Knowing that my roommates had duty that day I ran around the apartment looking for the intruder. Not finding anyone there I thought to myself “now that I’m up what am I going to do now”. I had the wild thought that I should go to church. (Understanding that I hadn’t been near a church for about 4 years). I got cleaned up and jumped into my car. Then I remember thinking “I don’t even know where a church is”. So I just went out of the driveway and rolled down hill determined to stop at the first church I found. At the bottom of the hill was Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. I went in and that day fell in love with God all over again. That was 27 years ago and I’ve never regretted it. I met my wife there. We sinced moved on to a small mission church about 30 miles away that was planted by Pleasant Valley but I’ll always have a place in my prayers for the people there.
Comment by Michael Burrow — 03.29.07 @ 9:20 pm
I was 28 years old and living with a married man named Dave who I desperately loved. This man was also cheating on me with other women. I did not know this. One Sunday we went to a Vineyard church because he had been raised in one. I met two people there and got their phone numbers. One week later I was in the shower and heard an audible voice I now know was God say “I’m giving you the Vineyard for when Dave leaves you.” 2 days later he left me. I was suicidal. I called the numbers I had gotten at the church at 2:00 a.m. and said, “you said God loves me. tell me why, give me a reason to belive Him and to live or I’m killing myself in the morning.” The next morning was Sunday, October 31, 1999. I went back to the Vineyard and accepted Christ that day.
God truly saved my life.
Comment by Annie — 03.29.07 @ 9:43 pm
I grew up in a go-to-church-because-it’s-Sunday household. There was emphasis on the morals and rules of Christianity, but not on a relationship with God. When we moved and I changed high schools for my senior year, I met the first people I was aware of that were true Christians. I became casual friends with them but that was about it. Then I went off to college.
My first semester I hung out with the wrong crowd - my older brother’s frat. During the next semester I started picking up with another crowd, which included a slightly rebelling Christian. During the next several semesters, I met more and more Christians. I even played on an all Christian (except me) intermural softball team. Through all this time, I was only going to church when home on breaks. And strangely, no one ever shared the Gospel with me. They just let me be around them.
In my junior year, I moved into a dorm with some guys I thought I got along with. I was wrong. On Halloween night, I was awakened by my neighbors stumbling in drunk (again). A portion of their loud conversation went like this:
Since this was after 2 AM on a Wed. night, I quickly realized I didn’t belong with these guys. Then I thought about why and what was different about me, and I concluded that the key difference was that I believed in God, that Jesus was His Son and equally God, and that these beliefs were important. So, I simply prayed, “Jesus, you are my God. Lead and I will follow.”
That was it. Just an acknowledgement of his Lordship. No acknoledgement of my sin or need of a Savior, all that would come later, but I think it was enough so that I can say that is the day I became a Christian.
The funny thing is I didn’t realize just how momentous this decision and didn’t bother mentioning it to anyone - although I did start going to church on my own accord. When I did share it, I was blown away by the reactions. The “slightly rebelling Christian” friend just about wigged out when I thanked her for helping point me to Jesus. And after college when I went to a Scott Wesley Brown concert, I was almost knocked off my feet afterward by the joyous hug of one of the girls from my second high school.
In looking back, I can see how God was slowly drawing me to Himself through the people in my classes in high school and the friends I met at college were all used to shine His light into my life. Heck, I recently discovered, that the guy who was my newspaper distributor when I had a paper route in the 9th grade had given me a modern translation of the New Testement complete with encouraging inscription. Even the church lessons I learned as a child were used by Him to start me on the path to redemption.
So, here I sit a bit more than 25 years later and the simplest thing I can say is “He has led, and I have (usually) followed.”
Comment by MikeM — 03.29.07 @ 10:28 pm
My conversion experience might be described as dramatic. My childhood was generally what would be expected in inner city surroundings. Through unfortunate circumstance and my own inclination to rebellion, I became a substance abuser before my early teens, and a polysubstance abuser by age 14. Throughout my teen years, I engaged in a widening path of self destruction. It is often postulated that such activity is motivated by loss of self esteem or self directed anger. The truth is that the root cause of my actions was sin, and an inborn predisposition against God’s order.
I continued in this manner through my early twenties, failing at everything and destroying personal relationships in a self induced stupor. I felt a deep hopelessness which would not be alleviated. That was a terribly dangerous mode of thinking, and my self destructive activity intensified, manifesting itself in a kind of paranoia which rendered me unreachable by those who sought to help me. I took unreasonable risks with my safety, operating in situations which might have ended my pain, though I lacked the courage to try to bring that about in an direct way. All these things reached a crescendo of sorts late in the summer of 1984. In those days I rarely went home, too ashamed to let my parents see what I had become. I could not at all reflect on the fruit of my actions. Often, I could be found at Penn’s Landing, a riverfront section here in Philadelphia, well after midnight, drinking and anesthetizing myself into a fog to blot out the terrible grief I felt at having failed so miserably.
God, however, had other plans. A relative gave me a copy of the New Testament and Psalms (the pocket version that the Gideon Society distributes) some months earlier. I’d kept it because a foundation was laid by Christian men and women who were in my life when I was a child. Sick and exhausted, not knowing where to go, I began to read it in my more lucid moments. I was shattered, and I knew that I did not possess the means for day to day living, being morally and spiritually ruined. In that book I found that our inability to direct our own lives in a meaningful manner was one of the things that God wanted us to understand. It was at this realization that the Lord would begin to work, because such an understanding necessitated my having to put my trust in Him to do what I could not. The thing was to take God at His word. This thought became so clear to me, demonstrated throughout the Scriptures. Purposing in my heart to do this, I admitted to Him my utter sinfulness, which I could not deny, and my inability to control my life. I asked him to save me, and to indwell me, as the Scriptures promised He would do if we would take Him at His word. My grandmother, a godly woman, took me in. It was the first place of true rest I’d experienced in months. Almost immediately, I lost the desire for drugs and alcohol. Frankly, I spent many days in a kind of shock, realizing that the Lord Jesus Christ was indeed who He claimed to be, that His promises could be found in a book, and that when He is trusted to do so, will act in behalf of all who will call upon Him. This lead to my reading Scripture and commentaries for 8 hours at a time in the public library. What I read caused inexpressible joy, and I seemed to be able to understand and ingest very quickly what I was never able to comprehend beforehand. The peace and contentment of those days is indescribable, and I do not yet fathom the grace of God in that experience. I spent my days reading, and my evenings praying and speaking with Him in my heart. Though I have experienced many highs and lows in the succeeding years, the Lord has been faithful to all His promises, and to know Him and His lovingkindness is my chief joy.
Armand A. La Bes
Comment by Armand A. La Bes — 03.29.07 @ 10:51 pm
Growing up a child of divorced parents, my mother tried to get my brother and sister and myself to church regularly through the charity of neighbors who could drive us but I don’t recall ever hearing the gospel message and probably would not have accepted it anyway. I stopped going to church as a young teen-ager and was strongly into sex, drugs and rock-n-roll by my early twenties. Somehow, I got a copy of a tract by Dr. John R. Rice, an evangelist at the Sword of the Lord foundation in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The tract was titled “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”, and it explained the plan of salvation. Just by grace I realized that I was a sinner in need of salvation and following the suggestion in the tract, I prayed for Christ to be my saviour. I was not part of any spiritual community and someone looking from the outside would have seen little difference in my life. But over time the Holy Spirit has done His work of sanctification and although I stumble plenty often, being able to look back on the way I was living then is an encouragement to me now, because I know that the changes are contrary to what I would have chosen on my own and have come about through God and not from myself.
Comment by B-squared — 03.30.07 @ 12:04 am
I was ten years and in the fifth grade. It was during Sunday School class at a small, conservative Baptist church in Burbank. My mother had died when I was six years old. My father left us before that. My 22-year-old sister was trying to raise me, my brother, and my other sister. The eldest sister had just committed her life to Christ and joined that church. Though Burbank was only about 20 miles away from El Sereno / East LA, where I was born, it felt like light years. I missed East LA desperately. The Sunday School teacher was telling the stories of The Walls of Jericho, using flannelgraph. The story got to the part where Joshua hollers to the Israelites, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord!” I heard that. I heard it deeply. I was ten years old, and I thought, “God cares about cities?” I cared about a city, East LA. What I knew about God was that heaven and hell hung in the balance of accepting Jesus. That part seemed ok, even interesting. But here I heard that God was in the business of redeeming cities, of changing cities, or making cities “devoted” to him. That blew my mind. I said, “Ok, God. I will follow you because you are going to do something about East LA.” I loved East LA, I missed East LA, but I was also afraid of East LA. My family was from a tough neighborhood. I wanted God to change East LA for the better so that I could live there in peace. From that time on I followed Christ with a simple idea in my head: When I’m older, I’ll be a Christian and live in East LA. I graduated from Stanford in 1990 with that simple thought in my head. I decided to work for two years in a Black community in Pasadena because there was a Christian leader whose methods I wanted to learn. I was going to take his methods back to East LA. Well, it’s been 16 years and I’m still there in that same Pasadena neighborhood. I reach other Hispanics like myself, what I had always imagined doing in East LA. But God had a bigger plan than my own. I now reach African Americans and people of all ethnic groups. I’m grateful that I learned what I did as a young child. I don’t even remember the name of that Sunday School teacher. I wish I could, so that I could go back and thank her. Thank you for asking, LaShawn.
Comment by Rudy Carrasco — 03.30.07 @ 12:05 am
La Shawn Questions and Calls…
One of my favorite bloggers, La Shawn Barber, is calling for testimonies and also questioning the future of her blog. I already admire her for many reasons but her recent posts reflect a great deal of humility that causes even…
Trackback by Randy Thomas — 03.30.07 @ 12:18 am
Thank you, La Shawn, for asking this question! I love reading all the answers. Here’s mine:
I grew up going to church and got baptized when I was eleven (because it was the thing to do), but it didn’t really sink in. I was insecure and afraid of rejection for so much of my life and made most of my decisions out of fear. I asked Jesus into my heart more times than I can count and always felt He said no, because deep inside I believed that God–who knew the real me–wouldn’t have me.
When I was 33, I came to a breaking point and finally had to wrestle with what I knew about God in my head and what I feared in my heart. And I knew that who I was at the core of my being depended on the result of that battle.
Of course, God won the fight (and so did I), by showing me all the ways He had not only accepted me but had taken an active role in my life. I’ve never doubted His love for me since.
But the contrast from before was remarkable. I felt taller. And cured, as though my soul had been infected all my life, and now all the infection was gone. I learned to say, “No,” without feeling guilty (though I did overwhelm a couple people with No until I learned to handle the freedom).
But the biggest difference was that, since I no longer focused on whether people might reject me, I had so much more energy and attention to focus on how the other people felt. I went from self-centered misery to having a heart for the misery of others. All because the Lord finally got through to me that His love was for me too.
Comment by SkyePuppy — 03.30.07 @ 12:30 am
My tesetimony…well…its still ongoing I guess….
Comment by Devon — 03.30.07 @ 12:31 am
I was blessed to have committed Christians for parents, and as a result, have been saved since I was 7.
I have had many ups and downs in my walk with the Lord. I have failed Him, but He has never failed me.
I am in my thirties and have lost my parents and my brother to illness in the last 5 years. It hasn’t been easy, but Jesus has always been there.
I have learned so much from going through all the sorrow, and hope to help others who are going through the same thing I did.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my testimony LaShawn.
Comment by Jody — 03.30.07 @ 12:43 am
I wanted to comment on your ‘Forsaking My First Love’ entry, but I couldn’t find a comment link. This is still on-subject, though, so I think it’ll be okay here.
LaShawn, thank you so much for being so candid about putting politial issues ahead of Christ. I, too, have struggled with this tremendously, especially over the last year or so. It’s a constant struggle, because I want to change things in this country, but the more I try to change them and make people see the truth, the further I am from my goal. I should know by now that when God isn’t first in our lives, nothing else falls into place.
Thank you so much for that entry. You’ve been a blessing to me today.
Comment by Joey from Pheistyblog — 03.30.07 @ 1:02 am
It was the summer of the year when I was 12 years old.
I had recently returned from two weeks at Bible Camp, enjoying Christian fellowship and learning about our Lord and Savior.
I didn’t accept Christ as my Savior at camp, though.
I came home and I can still remember it as if it happened yesterday. It was hot so the windows in my bedroom were open and for about two weeks the Holy Spirit dealt with me.
I have heard people pray may someone’s bed be a bed of rocks and their pillow a pillow of stone until they accept You, Lord.
I’m living proof of that prayer being true in my life.
I resisted for about two weeks because I didn’t want my friends to laugh at me. After all, it’s easier to be of the world than of the Lord.
Night after long night I tossed and turned until I thought I was going to lose my mind. Sleep was something that wasn’t coming easily for me.
I wasn’t thinking idle thoughts, either. I knew I was thinking of Salvation, and I know now it was the work of the Holy Spirit.
One night I finally got out of bed and got down on my knees at the side of my bed and asked Jesus to come into my heart and soul and be my Savior.
I confessed my sins and acknowledged He is the One and only Begotten Son of God and because He died and was resurrected and lives at the Right Hand of the Father I am able to have eternal life.
The tears came a few years later when the Spirit finally got it into my thick head that Jesus loves me and I should love Him too, not just because I don’t want to go to hell, but because He has that Perfect love that gives me peace that passes all understanding.
The road has been rocky and has sometimes curved, but I’m still following the path and one day we will all rejoice in Heaven together with the One Who made it all possible.
Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe.
Thank you for this opportunity to share my testimony.
Comment by Jeanette — 03.30.07 @ 1:26 am
I’ve always known about God and Christ. I was raised Catholic – the whole nine yards of 12 years of Catholic education and such, but there was no real sense of a relationship with God. When I was 23, a 19-year-old Baptist girl and I fell in love. We went to each other’s churches and at hers I heard the gospel for the first time in a way that was clear. I rejected it, though, as being too much of a “free lunch,†not realizing the price Christ paid for it.
Before long the girl and I married and while under the conviction of the Holy Spirit I began to earnestly seek this salvation thing I had heard about. I understood the concept, sort of, but nothing happened. Then one night in July, 1972, while talking with my wife about these things, she described salvation as being a small child trusting his father. At that moment I became aware of the scripture that said one must be like a little child to enter the kingdom of God. And at that moment there was some kind of supernatural presence in the room and I prayed and placed my wholehearted faith in Christ. Instantly I was aware of some kind of change in me. And a different lifestyle began to develop: road rage vanished, for instance, my foul mouth instantaneously cleaned itself up, and I had an overwhelming hunger for the Bible. Eventually, we went to Bible college for awhile, and I pastored several churches, taught in a Christian school, and worked for a couple of Christian radio stations.
Ironically, my wife, who had given me such a clear picture of coming to Christ, was herself not truly a believer at that time. Four years later she came to realize that she had been playing religion and in a small Baptist church in rural Missouri, where I was speaking, my wife gave her life to Christ.
Today, I’m a business professor in a state university, my wife is a hospice nurse, we are small group leaders in an incredible church, and are now becoming involved in economic development and medical work among indigenous people in rural Mexico.
Christ has been the center of our lives for nearly 35 years and it has been the most incredible time.
Comment by Mike — 03.30.07 @ 1:39 am
A Testimony I wrote on the seventh anniversary
Comment by Jeremy — 03.30.07 @ 8:25 am
La Shawn:
Several events in my life convinced me that there IS a God.
My study of biology and medicine convinced me that life just couldn’t have evolved from lightning and water.
And the weather - it’s just stunning - the arrogance of those who believe they can change it.
When I was about 12, the sun set in mid-day; it was an eclipse of the moon.
In Houston in the mid 80’s, I saw “fingers” come out of a raincloud - the prelude to a tornado. Never had I seen a tornado forming. Fortunately, the tornado didn’t form. I also lived through Hurricane Alecia in 1983.
Just a few years ago, I saw the lowest rainclouds ever - I thought I could reach down and touch them. Then a huge flash of lightning occurred almost in front of my nose.
I just can’t believe ANY human thinks they can control such things.
Comment by Frank Zavisca — 03.30.07 @ 9:13 am
My testimony is in two parts.
Part 1: faith in God.
I was a super-bright and belligerent child of an animist father and a nominal Lutheran mother. Despite my extreme objections, I ended up enrolled in a confirmation class at 16. The young vicar did not make a big fuss; he merely pointed to the outside world and asked how likely we all thought it was that the entire universe (which I already knew to be pretty big) could come into existence by chance. It was like being hit by a thunderbolt. Not likely, I reasoned. Not likely at all. Very highly unlikely, in fact. Thus my future as a mathematician and as a Christian were simultaneously determined.
Part 2, Faith in Christ.
That made me aware that there was a God. That was good, but it did not help in personal terms. I was still lonely, had no sense of my place in the world, and did not have a direction. So I got out of college and went into the Army (this was during the time when military service was obligatory; I was an officer. I attended the meetings of an evangelist. The evangelist, Bruce Larson, presented a view of the infinite/personal God which I had not previously heard. He went on to state as a fact that the personal/inifinite God wanted a personal relationship with me, through the resurrected Jesus. Well. I knew the creeds, I knew Jesus had died for me, but that He wanted an intimate personal relationship–that part I had missed.
So, as is so often true, it took a believer to lead me. I sat with this believer after one of the meetings and she asked me if I had a personal relationship with Jesus. I said that I did not. She invited me to pray the prayer of invitation, and Jesus came in. He has been there ever since.
Part 3. The Holy Spirit.
Among the believers whom I met while in the Army were some who spoke of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They had the opinion that since Acts speaks of believers who did not yet have the Spirit, it would be good for us to seek the same blessing. So I was baptized in the Spirit. Truth and error gradually became a lot clearer, again over a period of time. And the Spirit has continued to work in my life.
Things did not all instantly change. They never do. But my walk of faith has continued.
I am a work in progress, questing for the goal of the eternal life which Jesus has promised.
Comment by Tom Johnson — 03.30.07 @ 10:13 am
One night my older sister and I had one of those deep heart-to-heart talks in our driveway. I told her that if I could have anything I ever wanted-anything at all-it would be to live with God in His heaven. This was a spontaneous admission because even though my parents had shared the Nativity story at Christmas and had told us that Jesus had died for us, I don’t think any of us really knew what it meant because we were all party people and did not attend church. Shortly after that my sister died in a car accident at age 26. I was mad at God because of it. I cursed Him and shot Him the bird. Then I began wondering where my sister went. If she went to “heaven”, exactly where was that? Was it a place? Could you reach out your hand and touch it? Then I met a classmate in nursing school who slowly led me to Christ over that year of school. She said she felt like a fisherman reeling one in and then giving the line some slack. And, “Beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” I accepted Christ as my savior and He has blessed my life immeasurably. That was 25 years ago. Thanks for letting me tell it.
Comment by Leah Murdoch — 03.30.07 @ 10:35 am
LaShawn,
I’ve heard your political comments and you are so wise and so right on. However, let me encourage you to seriously consider taking a more gospel-oriented course in your writing as you seem now to be pondering.
Spirit-accomplished regeneration will solve political problems from the inside out. Politics will never save anyone. We have a short time. I just turned 50. TICK TOCK.
In Christ,
Phil Perkins. PS-Sorry for being off subject–just felt this might help you in your thoughts.
Comment by Phil Perkins — 03.30.07 @ 10:50 am
While I appreciate your thoughts, this thread is for testimonies and related comments, not “de-conversion” stories. - Admin
Comment by HeIsSailing — 03.30.07 @ 11:32 am
LaShawn,
I understand you’re feeling the need for a fresh start and focusing on what makes you happy. Big changes in my life have come on 10 year marks, (20, 30, 40).
But I feel like I must tell you what a blessing your current blog has been to me and how sad I will be if you choose not to do political blogging in the future.
There are many ways to make a positive difference in the world and in peoples lives and you have.
You’ve kept me sane so many times just by writing how you feel. It makes me, and I’m sure many others feel like we’re not alone in how we think and feel about the world in which we live.
God gave you a voice and the ability to write well and a way to get the message out. I feel like you have made a big difference and touched many whether you know it or not.
It’s not always about being happy, sometimes it’s about doing what’s right, even if it’s difficult or unpleasant. As ugly and mean as some people have been about what you write, there are many of us who feel like you are doing God’s work by speaking about the world as you see it.
I wish you the best in whatever you choose to do, just wanted to say you’re political blogging will surely be missed.
Comment by Jill — 03.30.07 @ 11:37 am
In a way, mine is kind of funny. Our church had 2 revivals a year, one in spring and one in fall. The spring one when I was 12, our church invited this evangelist to preach the revival whom I have trouble describing without potty mouth. I found him obnoxious and arrogant. My mom said that he struck her as miserable for being called to do something he really didn’t want to do. Oddly enough, this was the time that the Lord came knocking on my heart’s door. Day and night. I knew what it was, but I tried to ignore it for a couple of days. Finally, I gave up fighting and accepted Christ. And it really was like a huge weight was lifted off of me. Now, that prayer took place at home, but for whatever reason, and I am sure it was because I could not stand that evangelist, I kept it to myself. 2 1/2 years later, in the fall when I was 14, our church called that man back for another revival. Well, here came the Lord again telling me “You need to come forward this time.” I didn’t even sit around miserable for 2 days that time. I went ahead and publicly professed, and joined the church. To this day I still cannot stand that evangelist, but I have to say that he is living proof that the Lord works in mysterious ways. I suppose He picked that man to speak to me to really humble me, which I needed.
Comment by DragonLady — 03.30.07 @ 12:44 pm
LaShawn, I think the same thing that brought you to Christ brought you to create this blog. America has always been a Christian nation. We need to keep it that way, and your blog helps achieve this end (no matter how small of a role you think it does).
Just wanted you to know this.
Regards
Buck
Comment by Bucktowndusty — 03.30.07 @ 1:16 pm
It all really started about 4 years ago. I was 56 years old. My husband of 33 years and I divorced after a very tumultuous marriage. Three months later my father died. Three months after that I had open heart surgery. Three months after that my ex-husband developed congestive heart failure from a virus in his heart and three months after that he died in front of me as I watched paramedics frantically try to revive him. In one year, my life totally unraveled.
Both of us had been raised in Christian homes, but after our marriage, we rarely went to church. We both believed in God, but he wasn’t the center of our lives by any means. Our marriage had some good points, but it was mostly filled with arguing, cheating, and accumulation of worldly goods. I ended the marriage believing time was running out for me to find happiness. Haha - the best laid plans of men ….
After he died, I was shattered, ridden with guilt, lonely, at times unconsolable. You see, throughout all the illnesses, my ex-husband and I had grown closer than we had ever been before. We cared for one another through our illnesses, we were actually kind to one another. We spent most of our time together. We actually had a few short months of truly loving one another and I believe we would have reconciled, but it wasn’t to happen.
One day at the cemetery where I made daily visits, I threw my hands to the Heavens and begged God to give me peace. I asked for his forgiveness and I thanked him for giving my husband and I a few short months of happiness before he died. I handed my life over to Him.
I think that day I was saved. He did give me peace and helped me understand that although I can never undo what was done, I can rest in His love and care for the rest of my life.
Comment by dianne — 03.30.07 @ 1:42 pm
As a child I always sensed that God was near.
Yet sin in the form of alcohol, drugs and sex was layered upon my anger and bitterness.
While in college I accepted Jesus Christ, but continued to live a marginal life until I finally said “do what it takes to change me”. God began to sand off the layers. Sometimes its easy and sometimes it seems like a sandblaster.
I have learned to go and take issues to Christ, as I have become free to live and have come to like who I am.
La Shawn,
If I may say I agree with Jill. Your blog is sane and level-headed. People benefit from your perspective as it is not the typical knee-jerk “christian” reaction. You weave your foundational belief into your writing. Innocent as doves and wise as serpents, if you will.
Here’s prayers for you to do what you think you ought, and hope that your blog remains about like it is with whatever adjustment you need to make.
Thanks
Comment by madiho — 03.30.07 @ 1:53 pm
I fancy myself a fantasy writer. I love the concepts of wondrous journeys and adventure, but nothing I (nor anyone else) could come up with could compare to the marvelous journey that I have taken in Christ. There is no specific moment that I remember in which I became saved. For me, salvation has been a walk, a growing sense of love and assurance, reaching closer and closer to a greater understanding of Jesus Christ and His love for me, while at the same time trying to demonstrate Christ-like perfection in my own life (and falling far short of the goal).
Sure, there are certain instances that have been significant: when I joined my church, when I decided to pursue celibacy, when I decided to acknowledge the fact that I was attracted to the same sex (and at the same time giving those attractions over to God). And even more recent events have been important parts of my journey. Blogging has allowed me to reach out to a variety of Christians with similar problems (and even some whose problems are very different) and at the same time I am taking their wisdom and using it to grow.
To be honest, my recent decision to affirm Reformed theology is due in large part to your blog, La Shawn. A commenter (his name was Walt, I believe) once brought up the five points of Calvinism in a thread. I didn’t know what they were, so I asked him, and we ended up having a long conversation at my blog. I rejected it very strongly initially, but as time has passed and I studied the Bible more, I found myself becoming more and more tolerant of it, until recently when I found that I actually believed it. So, I suppose I should say thank you for that.
I don’t think being Reformed is really necessary to be a good Christian (just like you don’t need to understand physics to throw a baseball), but I’ve found that the understanding of the Bible and God’s beautiful grace has brought me closer to Him than I’ve ever been before. I look forward to continuing my journey; there are so many more wonders in store for me, I think.
Comment by Jay — 03.30.07 @ 2:47 pm
I’ll share mine later. It’ll take a bit of time to fully write. ‘Til then, go testify.
Pingback by Pieces of a Whole — 03.30.07 @ 4:43 pm
LaShawn,
Christian blogger Tim Challies is asking for bloggers to post their testimonies and give him the links so he can post them.
http://www.challies.com/archives/002398.php
Comment by Joel — 03.30.07 @ 4:55 pm
I have never wrote about this on my blog in whole, but I do tell this in person often.
I attended a Southern Baptist Church every Sunday for 14 years except for the Sunday when I got my tonsils taken out at 5 years old. And yes I was counting back then because there was a competition between me and a couple of other kids to see who could get the longest perfect attendance pen. The end result was that God made an impression on me by my early teen years. I committed my life to Christ while attending a camp at Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly in NC.
Shortly after accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior, my parents separated. My mother left my dad after years of abuse. Our departure, lead to my father’s attempted murder of my grandfather. My grandfather would not tell my dad where we went. My mom completed the divorce which I supported, but then she went back to my dad and remarried him a year later. That I did not approve of nor did I understand. My dad entered the ministry to become a Baptist preacher, but the abuse started back up. At 16, I ran from him and God at that point. Eventually he committed suicide after I had been long gone for several years.
From the age of 16 forward, almost twenty years of backsliding ensued to what I thought was the point of no return. There is no need to go into that list of sins, but it was bad. Then I met a wonderful young lady. Her testimony brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. We fell in love. We both had committed our lives to Christ at a young age, but had very bad experiences with “religion” and suffering at the hands of “men of God”. Even with our experiences, we knew that we needed to bring our future children up in a Christian home. We started looking for a church and ended up visiting the church where we have been attended since 2001. On our first visit to our church, the pastor stood up in front of about a thousand folks on a Saturday night and taught on “Why God Allows Suffering”. He did a great job and God spoke to both of us through that message. In 2003 I attended a men’s encounter weekend (i.e., encounter with God). It was the turning point in my life. That weekend I was taught for the first time what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. At the end of the weekend I confessed and repented of years of sins and asked God to fill me with the Holy Spirit, and he did. I have leaked and needed regular refills ever since, but the revelation that I got from that weekend was beyond what words can explain. I began to seek God’s plan for my life and put a priority on growing my relationship with Jesus Christ. Just a few months after the encounter weekend my wife and I both publicly recommitted our lives to Christ and were baptized again. We both continue to strive to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Thanks for asking for testimonies. What a great idea.
BTW, I agree with Phil’s comments #26.
One more SC native turning 40 this year,
Hank O
Comment by Hank Osborne — 03.30.07 @ 5:08 pm
A blogroll snapshot…
I am going to be pruning my blogroll over the next few weeks — checking in with sites I don’t visit as often nowadays, removing links to dead and zombie blogs, and synchronizing my blogroll with my Newsgator page. The plan is to take 10 at a time in …
Trackback by BatesLine — 03.30.07 @ 7:16 pm
I am not the Dave who was shacked up with Annie in #10 above, but one of the ten million or so OTHER Daves in the U.S.
And speaking of millions, I am one of the untold millions converted by C.S. Lewis, specifically by “Mere Christianity” and then reinforced by reading practically everything else he wrote before I went back to reading the Bible with new spiritual eyes. One of the blurbs on the backs of the paperback editions of Lewis’ books reads, “Lewis is the ideal persuader for the half-convinced, for the good man who would like to be a Christian but finds his intellect getting in the way.” I would like to think I used to fit that description, and I certainly thought of myself as “a good man” at the time, but Lewis made me realize that even the “good man” has sin as an intrinsic part of his makeup, which was the whole point of Christ’s dying for each of us.
I had been raised in church and Sunday School as a child and an adolescent, going through all the steps in that experience that made my parents happy, and happily chucked it all once I got to college and for the next 20 years. I never stopped believing there was a God; I just took the easy way out of proclaiming myself a “deist” so I could concentrate on secular things.
Suddenly I was 40 years old and seemingly successful, and wondering why I wasn’t happy. Then a friend gave me a copy of “Mere Christianity,” and the ensuing 20 years have taken my life into intensifying faith directions and church involvement I earlier would never have thought possible. Now I’m one of those people I used to be cynical about.
I might add that, even though I have never met her and probably never will, I consider the life, writings and Christian witness of LaShawn Barber to be one of the constantly repeated blessings of my own life.
Comment by Dave — 03.30.07 @ 7:50 pm
One version of my testimony can be found here: http://www.cityofgod.net/essay/shadow-wings.htm
Comment by Ron Belgau — 03.30.07 @ 10:45 pm
I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior when I was in college. I grew up in a God-conscious family. My parents went to church through out their growing up years. They rarely took me to church, but sent me to the neighborhood church’s Sunday school from the time I was 8 through the 10th grade.
During my high school junior year, my mother accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior during an illness (nothing serious). My mother’s response to her mother and relatives’ questions was that she knew Jesus as the son of God, but not as Lord and Savior. From that time on, she consistently told me, my sisters and my father about Jesus taking the punishment for our sins. She would also read and show the biblical scriptures about Jesus to us. Eventually we all admitted that we were not perfect and had sinned in our lives. We asked Jesus to come into our lives and to save us at different times.
For me, there was no getting around the biblical scriptures (and the Holy Spirit drawing me). They let me know there is no salvation in any other (Acts 4:12), but Jesus Christ.
BTW LaShawn, follow the path the Lord has made for you. I just hope you will make the archives of this blog available. This is a very unique blog, and it was instrumental in my embracing conservatism.
Comment by Bev — 03.31.07 @ 12:34 am
I once knew a girl who as a result of abuse led a rather destructive life. As a young child she was sexually abused several times. When people are sexually abused, they either end up hating sex altogether or they confuse it for love. Well this girl confused it for love. Her parents didn’t know how to show love, and in fact, her mother beat her. So the only love she knew came through having sex with guys.
At the age of 13 she gave away her virginity because some 15-year-old guy told her that he loved her. Of course this relationship was short, lasting only 3 months. The pain of breaking up ripped intensely at her young heart; so she put a ‘brick wall’ up to protect her heart. She started dressing immodestly with short skirts and tight tops so the guys would notice her and she could feel special. When she was 15, she met a guy who was about to change her life, because 3 months into the relationship she fell pregnant. By 16, she was mother to a baby boy. Once that relationship turned abusive, she left and started leading a life of promiscuity.
From guy to guy she went. Ever since she had been 7 years old, she was used to having a boyfriend. So when she grew older she felt lonely and weird if she didn’t have one. At one stage she even put her son in foster care since her boyfriend wanted to kill him. Then she found out she was pregnant again. This time she was 22.
‘The only love she knew came through having sex with guys’
I also know another young woman very different from the one I just finished telling you about. Actually, they are so different it’s like the distinct difference between oil and water. She has worked as a youth leader in youth outreach and helped in children’s and women’s ministry. Currently, this woman is a Children’s Church worker and is a representative of True Love Waits.
Some of the themes she loves talking about include the following: waiting for the right person to come along; every one is a precious treasure and should not settle for second best but wait for best God has reserved for you; dressing to impress will attract the wrong type of person; dating a zillion people to find the right person is unnecessary because God has a special person for you; and through friendship with God you WILL know who that special person is when you meet him/her.
This particular woman also loves Jesus. She is a single mum with a son and daughter. She rejoices in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ who has washed her clean, making her white as snow. Since becoming a Christian, she has been single and waiting for her husband. While she waits, her life is being lived to the fullest.
She once knew the first girl I told you about and explained to me why that girl’s story stopped at age 22. This is what she says.
“That girl died on May 27th 2000, when she died to her old self and was born again in Jesus Christ. That girl I know all so well, not the old one—she is dead—but the new one. I know her well, because she is me!”
Comment by Lami — 03.31.07 @ 1:36 am
I just want to say that the testimonies that I have read here are amazing.
It is inspiring to hear all the different ways God has spoken to us.
God bless you all
Comment by Lami — 03.31.07 @ 1:40 am
I could tell my conversion story in a lot of different ways. Sometimes it sounded like I converted because I was dating a Christian and I wanted to marry him. And I can understand that because I decided I would be willing to live a lie, and I did marry him. So I say up front that it can sound like that.
I can say it was the snowflakes. I can trace my conversion back to my realization that the perfect beauty of the natural world is not, cannot be random, and looking up into a black night sky full of huge 3-d chunky white snowflakes coming down in vertigo-inducing swirls.
I can say that when I first knew and admitted I was a sinner, I was at a friend’s house with three other nonbelievers, and we were having the time of our lives, and we were all depressed, and I cried myself to sleep that night knowing that God had given me a gift that I was not treating properly–the aforementioned Christian.
I could say how one day he and I were talking together and he said he couldn’t keep seeing me if I wasn’t a Christian, and I said (a desperate ploy) “Tell me more about what you believe.”
I can’t tell you a specific prayer I prayed or a specific date I gave my life to the Lord of Hosts. I can’t say anything to prove that I am a different person now than then, though there was a subtle strengthening of my will. I am still changing and being refined and tested. But I can say that Jesus is Lord, that He loved me enough to show me to love Him, and that I am not living a lie.
Comment by ycw — 03.31.07 @ 5:33 pm
My husband’s testimony is amazing and it is on his blog at quillofbill.blogspot.com. He has three post, just read the one called Salvation. It truly is an amazing transformation of a cop into a Christian.
Comment by jennifer — 03.31.07 @ 8:37 pm
She Wrecks the Train…
At Graced by Christ, Heather is beginning a series. She’s starting us off today by asking us to post our testimonies. I don’t share my testimony often. No good reason other than God hasn’t called me to share it often….
Trackback by She Lives — 03.31.07 @ 10:27 pm
Earlier this evening, I was in the production booth sitting in with the director for a passion play put on by North Florida Baptist Church (http://www.nflchurch.com/). This was a major production. Even though I had read the finals days of Jesus and even had heard them preached often over the years I can honestly say that this theatrical re-enactment moved me deeply. If a church is performing something like this, I really urge you to attend a performance. It’s wonderful.
Comment by Carl — 03.31.07 @ 11:24 pm
Was raised in an Assemblies of God church. Got saved at 10 yrs. old. Cruised along for many years on that. But I did not realize how a heartbreak at 17 would affect me later on. Long story short, I got very sick at age 34 with many allergies to many things and it completely ruined my life. No medical help worked at all. It wasn’t until I went to Pleasant Valley Church in Georgia where they have a week-long class on what the Bible says about healing that God used my illness (he DIDN’T GIVE IT TO ME–just making that clear) to draw him closer to him and really open up to me what my christian walk could look like and how much better spiritually it could be. I’d had a pleasant life before that—until I got sick and sicker. But Pleasant Valley Church just broke it wide open for me and I’ll never go back to where I was before that. This is just TOO good where I’m at and what I’ve learned. Oh yah–and God began to heal me that week. I’m still recovering, but I started to see small improvement that very week in Georgia and just kept trusting God over the next several months and watched as he continued to improve my immune system. He also grew my right leg out 1/4″ a few months later during prayer a few months after I returned from Georgoia. He has also healed my damaged equilibrium, greatly lessened certain allergies and I can at least go to church again–praise God! I look foward to more healing. God is soooooo good.
Comment by Michele — 04.01.07 @ 8:58 pm
Oh, I actually got saved during a series of meetings geared to kids at my church with an evangelistic speaker named Ernie Rogers at Bethel Assemly of God Church in Glendale, California, btw. I don’t remember any striking difference at the time, to be honest. But I was saved. But I wanted y’all to hear how God truly grew me up finally as an adult in my mid-40’s through that illness.
Comment by Michele — 04.01.07 @ 9:14 pm
Monday Morning Links…
From our friend Lubos, on Iran:The internal politics of Iran is much more complex and non-uniform than one would a priori expect. That makes all things difficult. Moreover, the Iranian government is extremely good in manipulating stupid people which in…
Trackback by Maggie's Farm — 04.02.07 @ 5:44 am
I was raised in an Atheist home by very loving highly educated science oriented parents. The only faith I was taught to have was faith in myself. On the surface this might sound like a positive belief, but living my life based on my will led me to be bankrupt morally and spiritually. From a very young age I tried to fill the gaping hole in my soul with drugs and alcohol. After twenty years of this pattern, I was a full blown alcoholic by the age of 33. In rehab, I realized that I was out of solutions, so I gave up and asked God (if he was there) to help me. Amazing as it sounds, I felt peace for the first time in my life and it continues to this day. At first, I approached “religion” as research to see which one best fit me. How arrogant! As soon I began to read the bible, I understood God’s Grace and the miracle of his Son Jesus Christ. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t marvel at the complete love of our Savior. I am certainly not an expert on the bible or Christainity, but I do know that Jesus is living in my heart and for that I am so profoundly grateful.
Comment by Diana — 04.02.07 @ 7:47 am
La Shawn Barber’s Story of Coming to Faith in Jesus…
La Shawn Barber is considered one of the uber bloggers. She has run a largely political blog for several years and become one of the high traffic sites in the blog realm. I met her at a blogger meet up…
Trackback by Common Grounds Online — 04.02.07 @ 10:38 am
My big event really cemented my faith in Jesus. In January 2003 I lost the job I had held since 2000. Then to make matters worse, they challenged my unemployment so I spend a few weeks not getting any benefits at all. I had used up most of my savings in 1999 when I had gotten laid off from my previous job so there was literally no cushion for my family and I. We were down literally to our last $11.00 when God began to work his way. Three rebate checks that were not supposed to show up until March all arrived at the same time. Then our church found out about our predicament and gave us 3 $100 gift cards for the local grocery store. And then finally a letter arrived from the government saying that my employer had given no reason for terminating my employment and that not only was I approved for my benefits but that this ruling would be put in their file and would come up every time they fought someones unemployment.
I’ve never forgotten how God worked in one of the darkest times in my life and I know that He will never abandon my family.
Isiah 40:31
Comment by Greg Laurich — 04.02.07 @ 11:23 am
I grew up in a household that was very conservatively Christian. We attended churches (often non-denominational ones) that believed the scriptures and many a Saturday morning was spent in Bible study with our dad, listening to him go on and on as we munched on cheesy eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, toast and juice. (I would often doze off, or catch a glimpse just over my father’s shoulder of my friends playing outside).
“Wake up,” my father would say, eyeing me closely, and the little boy sin in my heart.
I’ve never really doubted in terms of faith or intellect that Jesus is who he says he is, and that I am in the state I am in. And there have been moments along the way that assured me that prayers do get answered, and that Jesus does exist, and that God loves us.
The moment I kind of mark as my actually affirming what I grew up with was when I was on a teen retreat when I was about 9 or so. People were getting baptized and I was afraid to, but felt like it was something I really needed to do.
They took us out to the bay–which was actually called Conscience Bay in Setauket Long Island- and I got dipped under. I felt relieved actually, and not necessarily of sin, being so young.
But it just felt like that in doing what I didn’t have to do, but felt compelled to do, I was one step closer to independently defining myself as a follower of Christ.
Now since then, I’ve had temptations, and even hoped I would be tempted more… you know, naked women falling into my lap and such. But despite my struggles and the fact that I have not been God’s best tool, I’ve never doubted him, or the power of Jesus.
Once, when young, I was having a nightmare, and one that I would get repeatedly. I remember trying to call out to my parents, but my words came out all slow and it was really hard to move my mouth. Then I thought, “Let me call Jesus” and began to say his name. Suddenly I heard a voice in my ear say, “Don’t say that name”. I continued to say it, and woke up from the nightmare.
Comment by Finn — 04.02.07 @ 2:18 pm
I had a narcissism problem. A psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem. This also lead to heavy drinking, little discipline, and pursuit of as many women as I could seduce.
It was quite fun for the first 10 years. haha. But the second 10 opened my eyes. I saw myself as the old letch still trying to chase women. And dying young like my forefathers due to bad lifestyles. Basically I came to the end of the road and had nowhere else to go. I figured out that there would always be one more woman whom I would want; one more nice pair of shoes; one more big bottle of bourbon to drink. I knew that these things would never fill the hole in me.
A friend had been setting a great example for me of how to be a real Christian. This person actually lived by the words that she spoke. I was much impressed.
So I got down on my knees one spring day and asked for forgiveness of my sins and for the help and comfort that Jesus Christ said He would give me. I could not really believe that He would take my burdens from me. But I trusted that He would. I immediately felt a warm blanket wrap around me.
Things have not always been easy since that day. Many people mistakenly think that Christians have it made. What they may not know is that the Devil will attack you immediately when you leave his service. Your old life will call you.
But most of the time I have lived in peace and satisfaction, both of which had always eluded me before I became born again. I have really enjoyed my walk with Him. As I mature as a Christian many things make sense to me now. I laugh ruefully at my old ways and feel sympathy for people who are living like I used to live.
I want to make one point that is really important. I was surrounded by many Christians my whole life. I do not recall even one of them trying to save me. They were too shy or scared or polite to help me. I may have rejected them anyway but I think a Christian should always try to spread the Gospel! I do my best, no matter how nervous I am or how much I hate rejection, to tell people about the awesomeness of Salvation.
Amen.
Comment by Michael — 04.02.07 @ 7:18 pm
I grew up in a Christian home, and have always trusted God’s word. I remember riding home one night from church and praying a prayer of salvation in my heart, so that I would have assurance ever after that Jesus was my Lord and Savior. It’s been (often slow) growth ever since that time! All attributable to God’s mercy and grace and none to me. My husband has a more interesting conversion story. We’ve had our hills and valleys in life, but God has been so incredibly faithful and merciful to us! We would not be where we are right now without His frequent and direct intervention.
Love you, LaShawn. Thank you for your bold, undaunted blogging and your dedication to the Lord.
Comment by Susannah — 04.03.07 @ 11:27 pm
LaShawn, that is a powerful testimony. What a blessing you were given to share it in Today’s Christian Woman.
My testimony can be viewed online as well at: http://www.christiancomicsinternational.com/webb.html. I would only add that my hair’s shorter than shown in the last panel, and I’ve aged a bit since then.
Comment by Kathleen — 04.04.07 @ 12:43 am
Whoops, take the period out from the end of the link and it should go to the right page:
http://www.christiancomicsinternational.com/webb.html
Sowwy!
Comment by Kathleen — 04.04.07 @ 12:44 am
I became a born again Christian at about age 6. I remember being touched by the sermon that Bro. Paul Waters gave and later at home told my parents that I wanted to be saved. Bro. Waters came to my house and prayed with me and Jesus came into my life. I strayed during my years of age 21 - 35. I dabbled with all sorts of worldly things. I was and am struggling with being a lesbian while also being a Christian. During the “straying” years - I acted on my lesbianism at about age 30. I had not done that before due to guilt feelings - I’m sure from my many years of hearing sermons on the topic. Sept. 11 changed everything for me. I realized AGAIN that God has a plan for all of us - including this great nation. I have since become once again involved with my salvation - Christ! My friends wonder what has happened to me - and when I tell them - they are shocked! One of my best friends called me a conservative, right wing, Republican Christian nut. I was proud of that! I am very politically active - my friends often say “I don’t want to talk about politics”. I pray for our country, our troops and mission and our President. I pray that I can continue to grow in Christ and I pray that I can continue to remain abstinent as well. Presently, I have no interest whatsoever in returning to the “gay” life. I do beleive I was born gay - I remember as a child (before kindergarten age) having feelings and attractions to females. However, through Christ, I can overcome those emotions and feelings and so far, so good. Pray for me!
Comment by Pam Simmons — 04.04.07 @ 2:17 pm