Marriage Monday: My Christian Testimony

What an easy Marriage Monday topic!!

 I love to hear about how others became "washed in the blood of the Lamb"/born-again/saved.....etc. (you fill in the blank for your fave expression!).

A huge "thank you" to E-mom for hosting this and for this month's topic! It will be fun to get to know each other's stories!!

I was raised in a Christian home with 2 parents and 3 younger sisters. We lived in the Mohawk Valley area of NYS, where my parents still live. We were members of the Free Methodist Church (similar to Wesleyan) and were raised to trust in God, obey the commandments, ask Jesus into our hearts, and "be good".  I didn't learn about the full measure of grace, Lordship, mercy, and the Holy Spirit (other than it was part of the trinity) until I went away to a Christian college in western NY and became a part of a nondenominational church.  They made sure we went to Sunday School every Sunday, and Youth Group every week once we entered Junior High School. In the elementary years, we attended a mid-week prayer meeting as well as CYC (Christian Youth Crusaders.  A program similar to Awana).  We also attended church every Sunday evening.  Praise and worship was just the classic hymns with sometimes a few gospel hymns or choruses.  And just an organ and piano.  My sisters and I often performed "special music" by singing or playing the piano.  We were "good Christian girls".

I remember being in VBS (Vacation Bible School) in the summer after 2nd grade, and praying the prayer of salvation, by repeating after the teacher.  It didn't really mean much to me, though, and I certainly didn't really change.  My dad was the only born-again Christian in his family. (he was raised Catholic) and my mom came from a very strict sect of Christianity that was extremely legalistic. (I will not say what that denomination was because I don't want to get thousands of comments about it!)  We did many church events. Below is a picture of me in Kindergarten or 1st grade.  The ladies of the church were involved in the Women's Missionary Society and the children were members of the Junior Missionary Society.

 

I had to black out the last names, but the people in the photo are my childhood pastor, his wife, and my mom on the right.  The children are me, my best friend Jean (pastor's 5th daughter!), and my little sister Joy (covering her eyes was something she always did for the camera!).

So...that's the background!

From about 2nd grade through the summer of my senior year of high school, I attended a week long family camp that the denomination conducted for all NYS and New England FM churches.  It was located in Saratoga Springs.  My best friend (pictured above) moved there to live full time with her family when I was 10.  Her dad stopped being our pastor to take on the responsibilities of Conference Superintendent and overseeing "church camp".  It was a beautiful setting in pine woods.  We stayed in tents or cabins.
This is where I accepted Christ as my personal Savior at age 15, on the last night of camp.  It was 12 July 1975.  Many of my friends were praying for me.  I realized on this verse of this most famous hymn that we used to call the "Billy Graham song" that I needed to make Jesus personal and real to/for ME...that I wasn't gonna go to heaven just because I was being raised in a Christian home.  The evangelist  had preached along those lines that evening.  I knew I had to go  "up to the alter" and repent. So I asked Him into my heart and felt so pure and clean!! It was an amazing moment!!  My childhood pastor (the camp superintendent) prayed with me as did 3 of my youth group friends and a youth director.

Just as I am though tossed about

with many a conflict, many a doubt

fightings and fears within, without,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

I was soon surrounded by people from my home church, both teens and adults.  The sad thing??  One of my former Sunday School teachers said to me "but I thought you were already saved!".  Hearing her say that, made me so sad.  Because even at the age of 15, I knew there was more to Christianity than"being saved".  And how sad to assume that a good girl, a church kid, the daughter of pillars in the church, was born again. I quickly hugged her and told her "NO!".  I had always believed in Jesus, God and the Holy Ghost but had never made it personal until that evening.  I think I just totally shocked her.  I have made sure, as my daughters have grown and as I've ministered to others, to remind them that we cannot own the salvation of our children, friends, family, etc.  It is a PERSONAL decision and a GIFT FROM GOD to accept or not.

4 days later, on 16 July 1975, a situation occurred that I am not free to share about here....however, someday I will......it totally began to create a tangled web in my heart and shake my new-found faith.  It created shadows and dark corners in my heart that would dissipate, through Christian counseling, many years later in my 30's.  Those tangled heartstrings would slowly begin to unravel.....to the glory of God!  Just 2 summers ago, those heartstrings started getting tangled again.....my faith was shaken....but walking this journey for these many years while holding onto my Redeemer's Hand, has helped me press on......He walks alongside me.

He is my Rock and my Fortress. I can now call God my Father.......something that took years to do.

"GOD IS MY ANCHOR".  Even while trying to work on issues that created chaos in my soul, I can say Jesus is the Lover of my soul!  Amidst trials, tribulations, good times, success, failure, backsliding,poverty, rededication, blessings, friends, marriage, children, new church experiences, small groups, going back to teaching, traveling.....all the situations that God has allowed into my life, I can stand and say "HE IS MY ROCK!! HE REJOICES OVER ME WITH SINGING!!  HE IS MY SHADOW-CHASER".  My life verse has been:

  Proverbs 3: 5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight."

My verse since my graduate school days has been Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plan to give you hope and a future."

How I cling to that Hope.....and I've found the Joy of the Lord....my faith is strong with the help of my husband, my children, my church family, my friends, my extended family, my sisters-in Christ, and the determination to press in and the power of prayer and belief  that He is God no matter what!! His Word is Truth and His Promises are Sure.

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you, 

He will quiet you with His Love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

For the last 5 years, we have been members of Grace Fellowship Church.  It is a large, evangelical nondenominational church and we feel settled. We feel home.  We know we are where God wants us to be.  My oldest rededicated her life to the Lord these last few years, and my youngest became a born again Christian our first summer at the church (2005).  I am so thankful my family is walking with Christ.

Our pastor's wife encouraged me to read the book Sacred Pathways and in so doing, I discovered that we all have spiritual temperaments.  Mine is Naturalist. I feel closest to the Lord in His Creation.  This makes sense as I am very much an "outdoors" girl.  I hike, bike, kayak and walk when I need to spend some time with my Savior, on a deeper level.  I believe in prayer journaling and although I don't do it nearly enough, I know that when I do I really do hear from my Father.


I cannot imagine going through life without walking hand in hand with Jesus.  If you are reading this, and you don't know if you've been accepted into the Kingdom of God, don't hesitate to email me or one of the other Marriage Monday bloggers.  Do you know Jesus as your Personal Friend??  I hope so......He is faithful and true!!