What's Your Story

[Cross]

I know that I mentioned this in my Who's Who post and I apolgize if repeating is frowned upon but I felt this area would be more fitting for the topic. As I stated in that post I love to hear how people where saved, what brought them to Christ... it is so interesting to hear the differences as it shows that miracles do indeed still happen.

I would like to start with mine and I am going to go a little more indepth than I did in my initial post. So thanks for reading this ahead of time.

I grew up in a Italian/Irish family, more so Italian. With this my family is majorly Roman Catholic...the first conflict comes with my dad who lost his father when he was 16, in which he still has not forgiven God for but in time he will, I know this. My mother I feel was not raised in a church but she does know God... thankfully.

That as a backdrop. I rarely went to church when I was young and occasionally went with my best-friend at that time to multiple Baptist churches. These proved even harmful to me as Baptist apparently seem to have a different view on things... or atleast the ones I went to did, while in a 4th Grade Sunday School class the teacher led to decisions that sex is okay at whatever age. This surprisingly upset me, and then the constant Catholic church molestation charges that you would occasionally hear about topped it all of for me.

With that I had a distaste for the Church nor trusted its intentions and my fall begins there. For years I felt the church was lying as the Catholic Church had supposidly done before Martin Luther. With the distrust of the church I let my guard down and listened to the voice in my head that was not my own nor God's... but Satan's whom I let convince me that Jesus was a fake who committed suicide because He willingly let Himself died and His death to release from sin only was a sin itself and negated everything.

Then I became an Aetheist. Even still I prayed and prayed and prayed asking for signs, for something to show me I was wrong... I played the "What If" card and I did not want to die not knowing God but I did not believe in God but I wanted to believe...so I continued to pray, but the prayers went unanswered.

Few more years pass by, my life seemingly getting worse with depression, thoughts of suicide and generally being tired of life filled my mind. Around this time I had a number of friends commit suicide and I could not understand why God would let this happen and that just did not help things either.

Then after 5 or so years of waiting. I meet the person that God had put in place 5 years ago to meet me on a bus for a school trip to whom I would get to know, fall in love with and eventually be saved and live a life of redemption. When I realized this it hit me like a ton of bricks that this person was my "personal angel" and that God had been answering my prayers for the past 5 or so years with other things too... I was just to young/stupid/naive to listen or to see them...until now

On February 18, 2002 I devoted my life to Christ and decided to baptised and that is my story, what's yours?

[PigtailsJazz]

awesome. I love hearing testimonies of how Christ nabs us ^^...I'll post mine on here eventually when I gets a chance....

[dyzzispell]

Sure, I'll give you mine. It's nothing incredible though.

I grew up in a Christian home, going to a Baptist church till I was about 8 or so. Then the new pastor started teaching stuff like "the blood wasn't really necessary" and my mom decided we couldn't go there anymore. A few years passed and we started looking for a new church. We tried other baptist churches (very clic-ish - no one talked to you unless you were a full-fledged member), a pentecostal church, and I can't remember what else. I was about 13 or so then. We never found anything.

Then at about 14 I started getting interested in music. Hard rock/heavy metal like my older brother. I started listening to the radio a lot, just to hear one or two favorite songs, hearing many others in the meantime that weren't beneficial to hear. I sort of got a little anti-social, but never all out rebellious or anything. So my mom took me to the Christian bookstore and we bought some Christian heavy metal (CDs of which I still have to this day).

A couple months later I went to a Mylon & Broken Heart concert. When he spoke on that stage about the need for Jesus, something just clicked. It was like he was speaking only to me. Only then did I realized that I'd been riding my mother's coattails, and didn't really have a faith of my own. I accepted Jesus there, November 16th, 1990.

However, that was not the end. Life got much tougher after that, as I dated a Christian guy who I came to find out had a porn addiction. That pretty much messed me up for a while. I made a couple of mistakes, but God protected me from anything really bad other than emotional pain. Yet I stayed with the guy for 3 years thinking he was the one God set me up to marry, and if I left him I'd leave God's will, too.

Finally one day I got up the courage to leave him. I was 16 when we started dating, and 19 when I left. There was a very long healing period, but in that time, I met the man God HAD meant for me to be with. Funny thing is, I knew him already because he was one of my ex's friends. He was the last person in the world I could ever have seen myself with, but he is just so absolutely amazing, I don't think there's another man in the world like him. Or, at least, one who can put up with me. We've been married 4 years now and I'm so happy I never thought I could be THIS happy!

Now God has allowed me to stop working and be a homemaker. I don't have kids yet, but He told us to leave that to Him as well. Right now, he has me working on a Christian manga. I'm trying my best to just let Him lead me, and although I can draw, I can't draw as good as I'd need to for a manga. So anything that comes out is all Him. I think I like it better that way anyway.

Hope that wasn't TOO long and drawn out...

[suribachi]

Dyzzi
That's a great testimony. I'm glad for everything the Lord has done in your life. It's a wonderful blessing when God brings the right person in our lives and we truly become one flesh.

I'm a huge Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart fan. I still have albums and cassettes from back then. I've also got their stuff on CD.

[Phantom_Sorano]

Oh! Testimony time!!!! May I contribute? Well, I am anyway, so here goes:

...I had always thought of myself as a Christian...even though I wasn't brought up in a very Christ-like family. My home life has been a rough one, but it could have been worse...I realize that. My family holds many liars, homosexuals, drinkers, drug users, and womanizers...with mental insanity in every generation.
I have depression myself....which made it very hard for me to come to Christ.
Well, about 4 years ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzeimers disease, and came to live with us....those next three years were very hard- I struggled in school, taking care of her, and my life. I became very depressed and was very suicidal. VERY! I began to realize I needed something more, so I began to be religious. At first, I was interested in Catholisism....had to many rules, as did Judaism...I then looked at Athesism...I didn't get any better, only became more and more driven to kill myself...I planned out my will. Well, I dabbled in Hinduism...too many Gods...then I became a Buddhist, and was one privately for about a year....well, I did nbot improve...I began to drink...not alot, but I would from time to time. It finally came to the point to where I had reached my limit. My grandmother was dying before my eyes...and I was failing in school and was confused. I held a knife to my chest, and was about to stab when I threw it down, and said: " God, if there is a god, then please help me!!! Show me how to do this!!!!" Well, my grandmother went on to the Lord, and I was left to be an emotional rock for my family...I grieve still today. But three weeks after that, my best friend commited suicide by overdosing on drugs. From then on, I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, and I try hard to day to walk with Him.

[Angel37]

I really wish I had a story, but sadly I cannot remember exactly how I came to Christ.
i just know as a kid I'd accept Christ over and over cause no one told me you only had to do it once. As for the first time? Beats me....

[Phantom_Sorano]

Just be glad that you have Christ...I myself wish I didn't struggle with it as I did....but that can't be changed. Praise always that you have Jesus!

[oro!]

Phantom Sorano, God can use your story to reach other people who live like you used to live. Angel37, what do you believe about Jesus? How has your life been since your childhood?

Well, my testimony is simple:

My parents were church starters in eastern Africa before I became a Christian. Every day, they told the people they met about the sacrifice of Jesus for the covering up of the world's sins. I thought nothing of it for myself: My parents were great Christians, why should I worry, right? Well, God started working in my heart. One day, my mother was reading a bible story to me(I don't even remember which one) and I realized I had not followed in obedience to God. Then and there, my mother led me to pray. I don't know how(except with the Holy Spirit), but with a child's faith, God led me to himself. I knew I did wrong, and believed in this Jesus, and committed to follow him.
A few months later, I followed Jesus and showed my (extended and church) family the change in my heart by being baptised.
It's been quite a few years since that time, and I am still following God. Once I remember that I got confused over whether I was really changed, about when I was twelve, but some of my best friends helped me see that I had. When I was going through some challenging times, I called out to God. He's always been faithful to me, no matter what, because he sees Jesus' righteousness when he looks at me, not my filthiness. He doesn't want anyone to die in their wickedness, but for some reason gives us the choice of following him or not.

Thanks for reading that!

[Phantom_Sorano]

...I enjoy your testimony, Oro...I find it amazing how we have all come to the same Christ in so many different ways...having unique and different backgrounds.

[andi]

I grew up in a christian home. My dad's side of the family were missionaries in Asia, and my mom came from a christian home...so I grew up at church and around missionaries (which had a really big impact on my life, especially now).

Mostly, my biggest struggle has been apathy. I went to a christian school for most of my life, and went to church pretty regularly. It is so easy to grow bored and turn away from Jesus because of these things. Thankfully, Jesus kept me going through it, and kept from becoming too stcuk in a rut, if you get my meaning.
Right now in college, I've been thinking about what to do with my life. I really think God wants me to work overseas, like my dad and his parents did in Hong Kong. I think he's given me a passion for Asia and wants me to be there at least for a little while.

So, in the end, I am glad for all my Christian training, and the training I will receive at the seminary that I will be attending for the next 2 years.
Yeah, that just about it, really! This is great, guys, I am enjoying reading all your stories as well.

[Ratrace]

Well, I became a christian when I was about 4, and dont remember. Both my parents were a little messed up by family problems that are so bad they put me off finding out more about my family. I was a little schizophrenic, or something similar, brought on by minor brain damage. I saw a child phicologist or two, but they underestimated me and I had them rapped around my little finger. Or any finger I felt like, realy. I figured life would be easyer if I delt with it myself. I had trouble focusing on Jesus because of this. Like many "christians" I developed a church personality that came out on Sunday. Unlike most people who do that I actually understood the pastors and won a few theological arguments with some of them. I would forget everything between church meetings, though. I ended up in a church where the leader was overly concerend with money so I left church for a while and got more backsliden. I came back eventually when my brain crashed and I had to leave school. I spent a lot of time watching christian t.v. and found a good church. I got healed at a conference my pastor set up with a prophet. I was very ill and desided I wasn't leaving untill I was better. I had him pray for me three times untill I felt I was improving. I think he thought I had no faith, but I threw up on him the last time and he changed his mind. I asked him to pray for me to be filled with the Holy Spirit after that. He smiled at me for the first time and I think thats when he realised I had some idea of what I was doing. I sort of count that as the night I became a christian.

Long, but hopefully not pointless.

[Tigerchu]

^^ You were brought up in a Christian way, too? ^^ That's so nice to hear.
You were a little schizophrenic? I have slight Add.

I don't want to drive myself crazy with details and my past because I'd have to remember a bunch of stuff, but I can put something.

As a little girl, yeah, I had two Christian(and still do who are still happily married) parents, and I was raised in a Christian way, but I was violent! I was told I punch a little boy on my first day of school, probably because he said I was short, but they said I wouldn't tell why I did it. I was very violent, constantly picking on my older(by 2 years) brother, and we were also very good friends at times.
Umm, a big thing that I remember happening to me, I was sent to Sunday school or the place where they teach you stuff and then you can go to First Holy Communion. I had a teacher there who was very good. She was so into Christianity. After I had First HOly Communion, we left the country. That teacher had an impact on me. I was in a country, saudi, and I kept praying at night to keep it up or something. And then I left and we went to France.

As time went on I went through maturation, and I got paranoid. REALLLLLLLLLY paranoid. It eventually got to a paranoia that I ... what's the detail... I prayed to God to protect me I think it was. I know, that it's just paranoia, but the fear was real, so, I have the knowledge that I shouldn't be afraid of paranoia, I'm safe from paranoia.
Anyway, Fear is, I think, a lot of what's pushing me closer to God. I keep leaning on His Protection so I"m not afraid, or so I know I"m alright. If the paranoia issue that got me deeper into Christianity is what is considered my "taking Christianity seriously", then I suppose about a year ago I started.
Also, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to type this, but it may help someone(I asked a Christian friend about it and he said it might have just been for me, because it's something either very hard for me to describe Or impossible, but my Christian friend also explained about a candle and not covering it).

I was going through doubt, and I asked God for a sign. I wasn't sure if He was real I think, but I just put my faith in Him and asked for a sign, most likely wanting to stay with Him. He gave me a sign. It was big. I was in Church to give the place, and then I felt empty, like I had nothing in me... not like no guts, but ... um, maybe Spiritually empty. After a short time I was filled again. My friend said stuff, I think the conclusion is that God was showing me what it would be like if I had nothing, but I DO have Him. ^^ This is good, I have a lot of "VERY good" to express, but I don't know how much space I'd fill in this reply.

[Phantom_Sorano]

......neato......that's awesome, Tigerchu...to grow up that way.....

[rocklobster]

OK, I wasn't sure if my story would be a good one. It's a little extreme.
I was raised by two Catholic parents. But as I grew, I began to take a more "nominal Christian" view (meaning I still believed in God, but wasn't all that serious.), mostly because I didn't want to be grouped with all those Bible-thumpers.
(no offense)
Anyhoo, during my sophomore year in college, I started living on campus. Bad idea. I totally took advantage of no parental supervision and rarely studied. My grades began to suffer and I didn't want to stop going. So in desperation I prayed to God to forgive me and promised to repent.
My guardian angel felt sorry for me and came to me in a dream that night. She took me to Bethlehem on the day Christ was actually born. I was taken to the manger and actually got to watch Mary give birth to Jesus! Then the baby was passed around. When He got to me, I refused to hold him. Surely, I was unworthy to hold the Christ Child, my Creator and Redeemer in my arms! But my guardian angel nodded, saying "No one here is worthy. That is the whole point, my child." So I let Mary put the Child into my arms (she had to help me position the Baby correctly, as I've had no experience holding babies). I actually cried when I held Him. I remember waking up as though I was being hugged by my guardian angel. I promised her I would take this vision to heart. And I have ever since.

[Tigerchu]

Wow! That is incredible! That is so cool! The dream part.

[Erin]

Well I grew up in a Christian home but I had never really seen the fire of Christ in anyone, so when my parents got divorced and everything then I started questioning more and more about my beliefs and what was real and I soon became an Athiest and hung out with the wrong crowd and just all around got in a lot of bad situations. So then after a couple years or so my sister invited me to church so I went and after about a month I got saved, but it was still more about going to church for guys than for God for me so I lost my fire and became even more depressed than I was before I became saved and I eventually became suicidal. Well after about another couple years my dad invited me to go to church up where he lives so I went and started going there more and more and stopped hanging out with all my friends and pretty mcu hjust left everything else behind and it took me forever to notice the fact that I was no longer considering killing myself and that I actually had people here who loved me and wated to be around me and had this incredile fire for Christ! And after that I rededicated my life to Christ and...idk, everything just sort of fell in place you know?

[Tigerchu]

Hey, guys, this is some good stuff. Do mind if I post a link to this thread elsewhere? Maybe someone out there can grow from this.

[Red Jester]

Hmm...here we go. mine's nothing special, but okay !

I was baptized a few weeks after I was born, raised in a wonderful home with the word of God everywhere you could possibly look. I don't recall when I truly accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, as I was raised in such a way, going to Catholic school and church at least twice a week. That's pretty how my life went for years, until my parents divorced right after my sister was a baby. We ended up living my with my mother, who was more or less a non-praticing Christian. She wasn't able to take me to church due to her work, and soon enough she put me in public school because the tuition was too much money.
However, I always kept in faith. though tested many times, I prayed often and always knew i could count on god. now that im older and can drive, I go to church again, and im thinking about becoming a theology teacher ^^

[blackunicorn]

Four months after having my second child back in 1997 I was not feeling right. I kept feeling physical pains in my head and chest and I would not go to sleep because I was sure I was going to die. Of a night time I would just lie there and cry until I would fall asleep through sheer exhaustion. The daytime was no better as I would stay in my nightclothes all day. All I could do was to take care of my two boys, nothing else and believe me, that was hard.
My husband did what he could but he had to go to work! My mum and dad were going through a marriage breakdown at the same time. So really I felt very alone.

Anyway I went to see my doctor and he diagnosed me with post natal depression. After refusing medication (because I was breastfeeding my child) I got referred to a community psychiatric nurse who was supposed to give me counselling. He just turned round and told me I'd get better as the kids get older!! How's that for counselling eh!!!

By this time, as you can imagine, I was getting desperate. We had started to attend a church just to get the kids christened, but we had decided to go for a year because we didn't want to use the church in that way. A lady in church suggested that I attend an Alpha course ( a course that teaches you about Christianity ), so I thought hey why not? It was God's chance to prove to me that he's real and not just a far off entity somewhere.

So I let go and done this course. The more I learned about Jesus and what he came to do, the depression slowly started to lift. And when I finally gave my life over to Him it disappeared!!!!!!!!
HALLELUJAH! I know that Jesus still heals today if you would just draw near to Him and get to know Him. Since then I've had another child and I still get the odd bout of depression but not as bad as what it was.

[Tigerchu]

Looking back at my post (too long to reprint), I think I was just bored.
Edit: I've always been Christian (Catholic). End. Done.

[goldenspines]

Ah, this is a pretty big grave dig (6 years). While I can understand the need to revisit an old thread to see how you've changed, most of the members in this thread are no longer around and thus replying doesn't serve much purpose.
Thus to avoid confusion, I'm going to lock this thread up. ^_^