Brenda's Testimony

Will it all happen in October of 2000 when my closest and best friend got down really bad sick and I know God says in his word he'll take the closest thing to you and use it to bring someone close to him, well he did my husband of 30 years together I was just before losing and I turn to God for help and started praying asking his to please spare the time for me to get my life right with him and to just set my lover back on his feet for me and it all happen, God reach down and touched him and brought him out of the hospital and back into my arms thank you Jesus,

Then I was told in 2001 I had the cancer and the doctor's was setting me up for radiation and chemotherapy and a bone marrow test, I fell on my knees at a old fashion alters and ask God to remove any cancer in my body and I can honestly say I felt the cancer leave my body right there and when I came up I was a new creature in God's eyes but I went to a pathology in Durham 3 weeks later and this Dr came into the room and said to me "I can honestly set here and tell you out of a 1,000 people I have seen you are one that can be told I find no cancer in you and I was told then I needed to be checked every 1 for it, but by the grace of God it has none been found and I just thank God every day for his power and healing he has done for me and my husband. my saying is :never give up just pray and he will answer you.


Brenda Cagle - NC

Debbie's Testimony

       I AM 42 YEARS OLD.  I WAS BORN AND RAISED BY A GODLY MOTHER AND FATHER. WE WERE BROUGHT UP IN CHURCH AND I STAYED IN CHURCH UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 27.THEN I WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE WORLD WAS ABOUT. THAT WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE.  I WAS WORKING IN A RESTAURANT AND I WOULD LISTEN TO PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE PLACES THEY GO AND THE THINGS THEY DO, YES IT SOUNDED LIKE FUN.  SO I FINALLY SAID I WANT TO EXPERIENCE IT. I LEFT MY HUSBAND AFTER 10 YEARS OF MARRIAGE. I MOVED OUT OF TOWN.  I GOT TO WHERE I MET SOME PEOPLE AND I WOULD GO BY THE BAR.  AT FIRST EVERYBODY WOULD BUY ME A BEER AND I WOULD JUST ACT LIKE I WAS DRINKING IT, TO FIT IN.  I GOT TO DRINKING A FEW MORE SWALLOWS EVERY TIME, THEN I GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I WOULD TRY TO DRINK THE BAR DRY. 
       I GOT TO RUNNING WITH WORLDLY PEOPLE, STARTED SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE, (CUSSING EVERY BREATH) DOING WHAT EVER THE CROWD WANTED. DRINKING, DRUGGING, FIGHTING.  I TRIED TO KEEP MY KIDS, BUT I REALLY HAD THEM SOMEWHERE ALL THE TIME.  I NEVER RUN A NEEDLE, THANK GOD, BUT I USED ALCOHOL, THEN POT, LATER ACID, MUSHROOMS, COCAINE, THEN CRACK. THAT'S WHAT REALLY TOOK ME DOWN. I HAVE BEEN SO CLOSE TO DEATH THAT WHEN I SAY IT WAS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD I AM ALIVE, PEOPLE I TRULY MEAN THAT.  WHEN YOU STAND WITH A GUN IN YOUR FACE AND THINK YOU CAN GRAB A TIRE TOOL AGAINST 6 CRACK DEALERS, BELIEVE ME GOD WAS ON THAT SCENE PERSONALLY ALONG WITH SO MANY OTHER TIMES.  
       THEN, YEARS LATER, I FINALLY GOT TO THINKING ABOUT MY LIFE AND MY KIDS.  I THANK GOD I NEVER LOST THEM OR THEIR LOVE.  I REALLY PUT THEM THROUGH IT.  I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT EVERY DAY NOW.  AND WHEN I SEE THEM FALL IT BREAKS MY HEART SO MUCH, CAUSE I KNOW I SHOWED THEM THAT LIFESTYLE,YOU KNOW?  THE FIRST YEARS OF THEIR LIFE I HAD THEM IN CHURCH UNTIL THEY GOT TO BE OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT, THEN I FELL OUT.
       I WOULD MESS UP THEN I WOULD PRAY TO GOD, "I WON'T DO IT AGAIN", I'D READ MY BIBLE. GOD WOULD PULL ME OUT OF THE MESS I WAS IN AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN.  I MARRIED A MAN THAT BEAT ME, I MEAN BEAT ME BAD.  HE WOULD LAUGH AND TELL ME I WAS CRAZY FOR READING THE BIBLE, I LET HIM CLOUD MY MIND OF WHAT I KNEW ALL THE TIME.  I REALLY WENT THROUGH ALOT WITH THIS MAN, I'D BE HERE ALL DAY TELLING YOU, BUT IF THERE IS ANYONE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU.  I'M TRYING NOT TO TAKE UP SO MUCH TIME,  BUT I COULD TELL YOU SO MANY STORIES YOU WOULD KNOW THERE IS A GOD FOR SURE, AND HE LOVES US IN SPITE OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE OR WHAT WE ARE. THANK YOU LORD.
       I FINALLY MOVED BACK HOME TO MY FAMILY IN 99 AFTER 13 YEARS OF PARTYING, CAUSE THAT IS ABOUT ALL I HAD DONE.  I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING FUN, BUT I WAS SO MISERABLE.  I MEAN I MADE AND SEEN MY KIDS GO WITHOUT.  BUT IT WASN'T BECAUSE I WANTED THAT, IT WAS BECAUSE THE DEVIL HAD ME SO BAD I COULDN'T SEE PAST IT.  BUT I MOVED BACK AND I STARTED BACK GOING TO CHURCH AND I RUN GOOD FOR 2 YEARS.  MY HUSBAND WAS WITH ME, WE WE'RE DOING GREAT. THEN OUR PREACHER FELL, I KNOW WE AREN'T SUPPOSE TO HAVE OUR EYES ON MAN, BUT MY HUSBAND SAID LETS GO GET A BEER, AND WE DID. THEN I STARTED HITTING AND MISSING.  MY HUSBAND FELL OUT AGAIN COMPLETELY. I WAS REALLY ON THE VERGE OF IT. I WAS LIVING LIKE I WANTED THROUGH THE WEEK AND TRYING TO ACT LIKE I WAS DOING GOOD ON SUNDAYS.  IT DON'T WORK, MY FRIEND.   
      THEN I STARTED ANOTHER CHURCH, AND I REALLY GAVE MY HEART AND SOUL, BODY AND MIND BACK TO JESUS. I WAS BOUND AND DETERMINED I WAS GONNA MAKE IT.  I FELL ALOT IN THE FIRST YEAR, BUT I THANK GOD, I NEVER GAVE UP AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HE NEVER GAVE UP ON ME.  I FOUGHT THE DEVIL AND MY HUSBAND ALOT THE FIRST YEAR, BUT MY PREACHER WOULD SAY JUST BECAUSE YOU FELL DON'T QUIT.  GOD CAN WORK WITH YOU BETTER IF YOU'RE IN CHURCH.  I THANK GOD FOR MY PASTOR, I KNOW IT'S THROUGH GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY I'M WHERE I'M AT TODAY, BUT MY PREACHER HAS A BIG HAND IT. I AM SO GRATEFUL HE WAS THERE BECAUSE IF NOT, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHICH WAY I WOULD HAVE WENT WITH THE SHAPE I WAS GETTING BACK INTO.  PEOPLE, IF YOU EVER NEED A PREACHER OR DON'T HAVE A HOME CHURCH I'M TELLING YOU WE HAVE THE BEST.
      I WOULDN'T TAKE A MILLION DOLLARS FOR WHERE I AM TODAY. FOR MY SALVATION AND MY SPIRITUAL LIFE, MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. BECAUSE I KNOW TODAY WHEN I TALK TO HIM HE HEARS ME, HE REALLY HEARS ME.  IT MIGHT NOT BE AS FAST AS I WANT IT OR NOT EXACTLY LIKE I WANT IT, BUT I'VE LEARNED TO TRUST HIS WAY.  I COULD GO ON AND ON.  BUT I SEE SO MANY THAT ARE STILL BOUND DOWN BY SATAN THAT IT TEARS MY HEART OUT.  I MEAN IT REALLY HURTS.  BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY COULD BE.                             
      IF PEOPLE COULD JUST GET IT OR COULD SEE, THEY WOULD TURN THEIR LIFE AROUND. THERE IS NOTHING THAT I WOULD TURN BACK FOR.  NOT EVEN MY HUSBAND.  WE WERE MARRIED FOR 10 YEARS, AND YES I LOVE HIM STILL, BUT I KNOW I CAN NOT LIVE WITH HIM.  I KNOW I PUT MY MAMA AND DADDY THROUGH PURE TORTURE AND MY SISTERS AND BROTHER.  I THINK ABOUT ALL THE YEARS I WASTED NOT BEING WITH MY FAMILY.  KNOWING WHAT I HAVE DONE TO MY KIDS AND MY FAMILY.  MEMORIES I CAN'T RECALL OR SHARE, IT RIPS MY HEART OUT.  I AM SO THANKFUL THEY NEVER TURNED THEIR BACK ON ME.
       I HOPE THIS MAY HELP SOMEONE ALONG THE WAY AND IF ANYONE WANTS TO TALK OR JUST NEEDS PRAYER, I'M HERE. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.                                  

 

DEBBIE - N.C.             DEBDASCAS@YAHOO.COM

 

 

Rives' Testimony

as a child i went to church and sunday school every sunday. i was the type of child that had lots of friends but preferred to be out in the yard with God. i felt a closeness to Him and spoke to Him as if He were right there because He was. i can even remember when i started moving away from Him because i remember the emptyness i felt and i would get down and say "i wanna go home". my parents didn't understand this and really i didn't either until later in life when i got back in church. i knew then what had happened. i had moved away and missed my best friend. i believe as children we all walk closely to Him and at some point He allows us to choose.

 

at the age of 15 i started smoking pot. by 16 i was smoking it all day long and by 17 was drinking and smoking before school. needless to say my grades were terrible but i didn't care because "i would never use that stuff anyway in life". school work was nothing i could use. when i went to college in 1978 i started using harder drugs like mushrooms, acid and some pills. it became a habit and i continued with the pot use daily.i would often drive drunk and knew that i had been watched over to get me home safely. there was just no way i did it by myself and i knew that.  i didn't start using cocaine until my 2nd year in college and then i preferred that over anything. i was a casual user for several years until 1985. then i met a friend that hooked me up with a connection that allowed me to get it by the ounce to sell and use.  well, from that point on i was hooked and used 1/4 of an ouce a day for myself. i would often try to sleep but couldn't. i knew that i was messing my life up badly but couldn't stop. then in 1989 i started getting paranoid. i KNEW that was a sign of a bad, bad user and so i started praying again. i had been to church on and off over the years since i left for college but not consistantly. i always KNEW that the Lord loved me and would never leave me. when i say i prayed i mean i prayed all nite since i couldn't sleep. i let it all out and spoke with him like a friend. it began to flow freely again and seemed natural even tho i was high. by morning when i went to snort another line i had feelings of conviction. strong feelings but i ignored them. when i got home back to my room i felt them again and ended up just throwing away the last bit of drugs and praying again that nite. i feel asleep praying and i asked over and over "please God i need your help. you are the ONLY one that can take this from me. i can not do this alone and i know it. please i need your help and i will listen". so HE did and i did and i havent touched them since.

 

i know that you can't beat a habit like that without help. i didn't go to AA or NA i went straight to the source that could heal me and He did! i praise God that he didn't leave me and i know that i have a purpose to serve. we are all special and we may not know what purpose we fill for many years or until we get to heaven but we all have a purpose and must KNOW that.  you never know when just your hello has lifted someone. simple things can mean so much to people and we must always keep that in mind.

 

no i'm not perfect. being christian doesnt' mean you are perfect. it just means that you are forgiven and for that i am thankful. drugs are ruining alot of lives and i don't feel that someone has to go to the church to be saved because you can be saved anywhere anytime as long as you ASK! that is the important thing. remember He lives in YOUR heart. He is there and wanting YOU to open the door that you keep locked. listen to your heart and not your head and you will always be happy. it is hard , but not near as hard as the road ahead if you don't. thanks for listening and may God bless your life as He has blessed mine.

 

Rives - Snow Camp, NC

Kristy Howard's Testimony

When I was growing up, my Paw-Paw was a preacher. My family has always been in church, though we all fall short.
But as I grew older, I learned more about the Lord. I got saved and knew it for sure when I was 13. Although I knew
how I was supposed to be living, I chose to follow the crowd and hang with my friends instead of being a light. Well,
he has never let me go. Even when I turned my back on him, he was still there. I thank God for always being just a call
away, never too busy for me. It seems like life sometimes is always in a rush and I hadn't made a complete dedication
to the Lord giving him all my time and heart, but he has it now. I thank him for all his blessings, my family, friends, my job, my home, my LOVING church, my Preacher, Lord has been so good to me I can't even tell you everything. He has brought me through times when I felt like just giving up. He has been there to hold me when I had no one else. I just pray that he gives me strength, patience and the desire to walk closer to him and that I may be able to help someone.


Kristy Howard - NC