| |
Testimonies
I started going to church when my mum got me into St John's Church of England Primary School - Ipswich. (I hope she's confessed that! She has since given her life to God as have my brother and my dad. I was the last one). I do not remember much of those times except that I did NOT enjoy church!!
I did not enjoy it at all - so much so - that after 'hitting' High School I stopped going to church - In fact, it's safe to say that I became pretty much of a rebel!! I also started being sexually abused by my best friend's dad and a caretaker at the High School. I lost my beloved nana/grandmother when I was at school too. Ever since those times I have felt as if no one loved me or wanted me - I began to think that I was only worthy to be hurt and everyone I had grown to trust and love would leave me. So I started to act according to how I thought I was being treated.
I did not do well at school and when I left ... even worse.
All through my life I have known God was there, but I would always push Him away. I knew I wasn't living the way God wanted me too, but I didn't think I deserved any better.
I had my daughter at the age of 18, but failed to give her the life she deserved and she went to live with her paternal grandparents at the age of four (she is nearly 11 now). I put my parents through some very tough times and I thank God that they always stood by me and never gave up even when I wanted too.
I use to pray at night that God would stop my heart beating so I wouldn't wake up in the morning, or that He would give me an incurable illness so I could go through the pain and suffering I thought I deserved.
I now know that God created me for a purpose; God wouldn't let my suicide attempts work, because that wasn't His plan. He could only sit and watch as I tried to ruin myself with drink and drugs as I battled with food. Certain that as long as I was fat no man would want me again let alone want to hurt me - God could only wait patiently knowing that one day I would choose Him just as He chose me.
The feelings I get now when the Holy Spirit is on me tell me that God had really been shouting at me to accept Him into my life for well over a year.
I can remember several times last year before I came a Christian when I knew God was talking to me, I use to play about with Ouiji boards and read my star signs and went to a few physic nights, but I began to realise that these things were not right and gradually stopped.
One night I was around a friend's house with some mates and they decided to use a Ouiji board; straight away I didn't feel at all comfortable with it ... but carried on. The room was warm with the fire on, but I was so cold and had goose bumps all over me - I knew then God was telling me to stop it, as soon as I did stop I felt the warmth flow back into my body.
Another time I was out shopping and as a (then) seasoned shoplifter decided I fancied some new clothes - again that 'chill' came over me and I couldn't do it and have never done it since.
Both these things happened months before I gave my life to God, but God was working extra hard to bring me in. I was on a path of self-destruction and He had to intervene ... and fast.
In July 2007 after yet another failed two week attempt at finding 'Love' I put myself on a dating site!! I believed that God had had enough of me waiting for me by then and decided to speed things up a bit. I met someone - Dean, who is now my closest friend ... after God.
Dean and I often had chats about God, church and our beliefs; and after watching his cousin get baptised in October 2007 he realised he wanted to know God in a different way too. This was a difficult time for me because as God began to speak to Dean, he also began to speak to me too through Dean; it was then I began to really wonder where my life was going. I thought more and more about God and wondered if He could ever help anyone like me.
I was also noticing changes in my life, and had been for a while and as I thought about the changes I realised that they were all things I had cried to God about and asked Him to help me change. On Christmas Day 2007 Dean sent me a text he said all I had to do was to ask God into my life; to believe He sent His Son Jesus to die for my sins and to admit that I had sinned.
I was staying at my parents that night so as I lay in what used to be my bedroom thinking surely it can't be that easy? Surely I have to prove myself to God before He will accept me? I thought to myself; 'You know what I will give it a go!' Not really sure what to expect I did as Dean said -Then I cried and cried to God as years of pain, memories and emotions were lifted and eventually I fell into the deepest sleep I'd ever ever had.
I got up as usual the next morning - I didn't tell anyone what I'd done, but I knew it was the first day of a NEW life.
Rachel Goldsmith
I've been a Christian for a few years now and have seen the power of God in many different ways. I have always found that it is only when I fully rely on God and put my trust in Him that things happen.
I was working as an Assistant Fundraiser in Ipswich, which came to an end in early 2007. I went along to the job centre and found out about YMCA course, it became apparent that I was not there to do my work but the Lord's! People were coming up to me and asking about the Holy Spirit book I was reading etc, and there was really wasn't much for me to gain from the course as I already had as up to date C.V etc. So I went every day and made the most of my opportunity to talk about my faith.
I was helping to run an Alpha Course at the time and busy helping to fundraise in my spare time so it was good to share this information with people on the course. I also learnt that you could apply companies to do placement work, which would be free but could lead to employment. After much thought and prayer I decided that I would like to work for one of the Councils in Ipswich and travel to work on the free bus every day, which goes straight pass my flat. The manager at the training centre said that this was almost impossible, as the council's were not taking people on.
I got my friend to pray specifically for this along with my own prayers, I emailed the council's recruitments team myself from the course and sent my C.V. to them late on a Friday. On the morning the YMCA manager called me in her office to have a chat (this apparently was unheard of normally), as we were chatting my mobile rang and it was the council offering me a work placement! The manager's face was a picture, she was so surprised! I then got a second phone call offering me another place and training in Sage Accounts By now it was obvious that this was God's answer to my prayer.
The fact that I was in her office at that exact time I received the calls, could only be God's timing. I had to use this opportunity and explained to a very shocked manager that I would have to phone my friend to ask him to stop praying for me before I got any more offers!
It was also great to tell other people on my course about God's amazing love and provision and that fact all prayers are heard. God doesn't just care about the major problem we have but also the every day-to-day difficulties we face.
I started work at Suffolk County Council in June 2007 and when my month's placement was up they offered me a job. Since then the Christian work in Endeavour House has gone through the roof! There is a Christian Fellowship group every Wednesday; we get to advertise our church events all over the building and so many non Christian ask for prayer, guidance and some have been saved!
These are all the results of those specific prayers. ALL GLORY TO GOD!
Please be encouraged by this and trust in God, use every opportunity to speak about your faith and how fantastic our Father in Heaven is.
Blessings
DAWN CARTON
I was recently driving with a Christian friend in London and we were trying to get to Liverpool Street Station.
We were about 45 minutes away from the station and not sure the best way to get there. As we sat studying the London A-Z a van driver
motioned to us to open our window as he wanted to speak.
He asked us where we wanted to get to, we told him and he said "follow me, I'll take you there!" and he did. We just followed his van
all the way to Liverpool Street. Even when we were separated going over some traffic lights he stopped and let us catch up!
When we finally arrived at Liverpool Street I got out of the car to catch my train, and we thanked the van driver. He asked where my
friend was going to next. "Well, I have to make my way out of London now, as I live in Kent" he replied.
"What a coincidence" the van driver said, "I'm going that way, you can follow me again!"
We praised God for how he helped us drive across London.
The Bible says "some people have entertained angels without knowing it" (Heb 13:2)
This incident reminds me of something similar that happened to me last year. A Christian friend wanted me to drive to Chantry to deliver a card to someone.
We drove into Chantry and I asked my friend how to get to the address on the card. It wasn't a street I recognised and Chantry is a big area!
Unfortunately they didn't know where the street was, so we had to pray to the Lord to help us.
We stopped the car at the shops along Hawthorne Drive and asked someone if they knew where the street in question was.
"Follow me, I'm just driving there" she replied, and amazingly enough we then drove across Chantry and were taken directly to the street we wanted!
Praise God that he answers our prayers!
The Bible says
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
(Matthew 7:7-8)
JOHN MANN
IF GOD HAS WORKED A MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE
OR BLESSED YOU IN ANY SMALL, OR NOT SO SMALL WAY
THEN WE CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
SO THAT OTHERS MAY BE BLESSED TOO
|
