“You changed the most in our family.” Imagine hearing those words from your brother. I had to sit back and think. I would agree with him and I want to invite you to come into my life as I share my testimony with you.

I was introduced to God early in life by my parents, grandparents, and the Catholic school I started out with. As time went on I went through middle school, high school, and college. Throughout those years I did not read my Bible unless I thought I did something really bad. I really only prayed if I thought I needed something. I didn’t really seek God or try to have a real relationship with Him. I believed He died on the cross for my sins; I guess I thought that was enough or I wasn’t intrigued to do more.

My life wasn’t hard and I didn’t understand true pain, I couldn’t relate to most people having a hard time. I was attractive and learned to depend on my appearance because of other insecurities. It’s like I was walking around with no real purpose. I pretty much did what I wanted and I honestly thought I had a decent moral and ethical code, but this was determined within my own mind. I didn’t really seek Jesus over too many things. I didn’t really have any problems, this led me to believe I was doing things the “right” way. I was a lukewarm Christian.

Who I Was Caught Up To Me:

Once I graduated college I started working my first real job. During this job I met my husband. We eventually got married a few years after I started working with him, and we went on to have our first child. I was sick the whole pregnancy and I had a painful labor. I thought I would never do this again, but I got pregnant just a couple of months after having our first. I was so scared and we had financial issues and so we decided to have an abortion. I didn’t feel any regret until some time after. I believe this is the first time my sin really made me look at myself differently. 

I always identified as a Christian.  I remember laying on the floor with my Bible, I think that was one of the first times I read my Bible in years and I wasn’t just looking for forgiveness; I felt like a mess on the inside and I wanted help. I remember reading something in one of the Prophet books about God dealing with sin. That was the first time I experienced a side of God, through the Bible, revealing His heart about sin. As I continued reading I read how God wanted restoration, but sin had to be dealt with. In reading about restoration, that was one of the first times I remember experiencing the relational side of God through the Bible. 

It wasn’t about going to church on Sunday, or reading the Bible, or titles in the church, or trying really hard to do something just to check it off on my list. It was like someone pinned this note on my heart forever – Repent – Turn away from sin. This cut me so much it brought me back to the Bible again and again. I could see I needed a savior for the first time in my life. I knew I was a dead person walking. 

When I gave my life to God, I believe, He started to work on the inner details of my mind, thoughts, emotions, personality, characteristics, and actions through teaching me how to deal with various circumstances He allowed in my life. He was revealing Himself to me and teaching me how to be a doer of His Word, not just a hearer.

Let’s Summarize My Timeline:

I graduated college when I was 22 years old, I walked down the aisle at 24 years old pregnant, started graduate school around 28, got pregnant with my second daughter around 29, was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 31, between 31 – 36 years old I had 3 brain surgeries to treat a meningioma tumor, I lost my mother to cancer at 36, around 37 I started radiation to hopefully stop the tumor from growing. I currently haven’t had any recent tumor growth.