I was brought up in a predominantly Christian home (albeit, not a consistent one). My dad was a wonderful father (and still is) although he drinks heavily to forget the hurt in his life so please pray for him. His name is Wayne. Anyway, so, I was brought up all throughout my childhood knowing who Jesus was and I remember shortly before I was hit by a car when I was 7 that I asked Jesus to save me, but at the time I didn't fully understand what I just knew I didn't want to go to hell. Well, as I grew into adulthood, I forgot about God and became very permiscuous.
I lost my virginity even after all I was taught at the age of 17 and became pregnant for the first time at 18.I got married in my 4th month of pregnancy, and stayed married to what I thought was a great guy. God found me again in 1996 and we started going to a great church as a family. It wasn't until 2000 that I realized I wasn't sure if I was saved or not, so in 2000, I spoke to a friend about it, and got it right. I was re-baptized a few weeks later and began to grow in the Lord. That's when my battles started with Satan for my family....Until 2001, Our family was fine and our family life was awesome! Sadly, my husband became violent shortly we received the internet in our house, and he became addicted to it (especially AOL chat rooms and porn.) He started to become violent towards me in my sleep in our 9th year of marriage. I woke up with bruises I know I couldn't have given myself because the bruises were in very peculiar places. When he started acting unstable mentally ans asked him to get help, he went totally ballistic and tried to hit me in the head with a metal bat. I ran out of there with my kids in tow and he ended up with a fistful of my hair as a souvenir. Needless to say, he was arrested and placed in jail and I decided that I needed to leave my hometown to raise my 3 kids proper.
I met a friend online named Josh and he set me up in a house in Oklahoma and paid my bills and food expenses. I felt very alone in Oklahoma and it took a while to adjust, and moreover, I was SO UPSET at the church I went to where I lived before because they did not stand behind me in separating from him; not that they condoned his violence, but that I as a wife did not want to be married to him anymore after what he did. Anyway, so here I was in Oklahoma, angry at God, bitter at the church I thought loved me, and I completely turned my back on God. Josh and I began to see each other, and I began to live like the world (parties, alcohol, an occasional joint) and I end up pregnant again after I thought my family was complete with my 3 kids. So, in 2003, I have 3 kids, 1 on the way and 1 step-son whom I love who was Josh's little boy. We decided to move in together and so let's fast forward to 2007. This is where it gets good.. We have 5 children between us, and Josh and I still aren't living for God, in fact, I was SO SELFISH that I never even witnessed to Josh about Christ because I was afraid he would leave me if he got right with God. God showed me that He didn't need me to witness to him. A few years before (around 2004) a church srated picking our children up for church on a bus. Josh and I seen this as a great way to get away from the kids for a little on a Sunday, and so we would go to the movies or walk around the mall until it was time for them to come home.
To make a long story short, Josh quit smoking but replaced it with heavier drinking. This in turn ate away at his colon and he developed a serious infection in his colon. In March 2007, Josh underwent a major surgery which required his entire abdomen to be open so they could remove about 3 feet of colon that was far too diseased, but prior to this surgery, the assistant pastor at the time in the church my children attend came to pray with him and witness to him about Jesus. Josh didn't make a decision for Christ at that time, but the moments upon waking up in the excruciating pain he endured, he thought he was going to die because he was having terrible trouble breathing due to the pain! He at that time started thinking about what the assistant pastor said to him about hell and about asking Jesus to save him, and he asked Jesus to save him right then and there in the recovery room.
The weeks following his recovery (and boy were they LONG weeks) he began to act differently, although he didn't let on any decision was made about Christ. He started talking about faith more and more and he decided that we needed to move from OK up to a little town he grew up around in Kansas. He told me he was going to start praying about moving there and I was just floored...Josh, talking about praying???? Where did this all come from???? He then sat me down and told me about his decision to accept Christ as his saviour.
Within a week, Josh had a job in that town. Now, we just needed a home. Josh and I never owned a home, our credit was too poor. We never DREAMED we would ever own our own home, but we began praying about where we were to live. We made a trip up here and looked at a house that was nice, but it would require several thousands of dollars to close and a huge loan. We just didn't have that kind of money and credit. But then GOD... Josh's new employer told him of a couple who wanted to sell a house in our town and that they would be willing to let us look at it. Josh went to look at it while I stayed back with the kids in Oklahoma, and within a day, we had an agreement that we pay the house payments in payments (like a rent to own) and in 3 years, the house will be paid for. When we moved here, my children were leaving friends behind, and their church as well. We knew we needed to find a good church in a hurry. Well, when we moved here, guess who lived right across the street? A preacher of a great solid church! We had no idea how instrumental our new neighbors would be in bringing me back to my Abba father. We started attending church faithfully and Josh and I got married in 2009 in that church after my rocky divorce. After we repented and surrendered to God as a couple, we eventuallymanaged the bus route in our little town for the kids and all who needed a ride to church. A few years ago, the preacher who pastored the church felt led to North Carolina and stepped down as the pastor. Our church was nearly destroyed because the pastor was not being spiritually supported because he was way more conservative than the congregation.
We stood by our preacher's convictions and when they left, we prayed to Jesus about leaving for a church we attended a few times in a different town. So, after prayer, God showing us ministries that needed help in the possible new church that we had a passion for (Mission Mided Kids), a consultation with our former pastor and with the possible new pastor, we decided to transfer our membership to Faith Baptist church in the neighoring town! We have been there since September 2010 and love it! In 2011, my husband was called to be an evangelist, and he is now liscenced in the state of Kansas to preach. So far he has preached dozens of services, assists our pastor when he is out of town, performed one funeral for a family member and a wedding renewal for my parents! Last week, we had the privilege of going back to the church that took our kids to church and Josh preached for them. What a blessing it was to go back and say, "Thank you" for investing in our family, especially my children when Josh and I made such a mess of it. That church is like family now to us and our church home whenever we are in Oklahoma City. My oldest son is also fixing to get married to his teen crush within the next few years. She is from that church and a year ago began dating exclusively. She is the new assistant pastor's daughter there and I couldn't be happier for both of them! Oh, and just last January, we made the last paymet on our house and now have the deed! Shortly after the deed was transferred, a massive oil deposit was found under our city! Our house value nearly tripled because of it!
Now, How perfect is God's timing??? It is always perfect and HE IS ALWAYS ON TIME! God is just truly amazing and as I look back on the journey thus far, I see the cracks in the road, but Jesus was there filling them in! So you see, God will meet your needs! I never thought with the mistakes I made in life that I would have a home that he allows us to own, in a small town who care about each other. It's everything I ever wanted out of life. GOD IS SO GOOD ALL THE TIME!
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