Testimonies

Sammie's Testimony

I was 21 years old and almost 7 months pregnant with my daughter when I got into a crazy car accident. I was driving up to make a left turn when motorcycle lost control, hopped the median, and hit my car. His bike hit my car on the rear driver side, and he flew and landed in the middle of the street on the other side of my car. As I banged on the brakes, my stomach hit the steering wheel and my heart was pounding. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I slowly and painfully got out of my car and sat on the median feeling in a euphoric type of state trying to wrap my head around things waiting for help. My husband was deployed. My very good friend and neighbor was out of town on vacation with her family, and some of my husbands family live about 30-45 minutes away (longer with traffic).
I don’t know who she was or where she came from, but this young lady who had to have been about 30 at the time stopped and said are you ok? I said I don’t know. She waited with me while the police came and helped me to give them all the information. She called into work for that day and helped me get my car towed to my place. She went with me to the hospital and stayed with me for hours until my husbands family could come. Its crazy because I was so worried about the baby and I felt like I was just going through the motions and not really knowing what to do…she was leading me and helping me. We didn’t really talk a whole lot just because I was in such shock and pain, but just her being there and being present, was the most comforting feeling ever! I kept telling her she didn’t need to do that. She didn’t have to call into work, but she said she would want someone there for her and we are supposed to be here to help one another, so she stayed. Once family showed up, she gave me a big hug and left me with her number to keep in touch. I started to feel calm and relieved. A few days afterward, I tried to call her, and it said the number was disconnected. I figured I took the number down wrong or something. I had my beautiful daughter that August, and in December I received a Christmas card from her with no return address or phone number. She said she saw me out in town somewhere with my daughter, but didn’t say anything. She said that my daughter is beautiful, and how she was so glad to have met me.
I never saw or heard from her again, but I knew that she was truly an angel sent by God. Her level of selflessness is something that I had never experienced EVER in my life. I will never forget her or the impact that she had on my life. I thank God for her and for protecting me always. I know that he always has my back, and I will do everything in my power to be the same for someone else.

Viveca's Testimony

When I think about the word testimony, it reminds of God’s grace, mercy, and everlasting love he has for us. My testimony is the obstacles and challenges I overcame through God’s grace and love with the purpose of helping and encouraging others. So, I pray this encourages and uplifts your hearts!! Many times the disasters in our lives set us up for the destiny we have been called to fulfill. As I outline some of the “disasters” that occurred in my life keep in mind it was all for a greater purpose just as I pray it is for you.

At the age of seven my father died leaving me with one parent. My mother was my rock. She was the force in my life that encouraged me to succeed and have a relationship with God. I went to church two to three times a week, I even attended private school, but that still did not shelter me from the horrors that can exist in our world.
At the age of eleven, I was molested. I was molested that year of my life on numerous occasions. The man that lived in my house was a drug-addict, he would wreck havoc in our house when we was high or unable to get high. I would watch him physically abuse my mother and brother, he would then tell me “you can save them.” I could save my mother and brother from the abuse if I allowed him to touch me inappropriately. At age eleven, I was making a decision of an adult. After experiencing this I went through my adolescence ANGRY!! I was ANGRY with everyone and had a volatile demeanor, “anyone could get it”. I was not aware of any other way to express my pain and hurt. During my teenage years, I struggled with low self-esteem, mood swings, depression, and suicidal thoughts. I would fight, argue, and demand to have control from others because at age eleven, I no longer had control; this perpetrator stole it.

Nevertheless, I love that God’s love covers a multitude of sins. It was His love that I could still feel every week in service. It was the continuous love of my family that loved me through the pain. As I went off to college, I begin to draw closer to God and develop my own relationship with him. I was no longer forced to attend church; I went because of my own desire. Whenever I would have thoughts of those awful nights I could play worship music or read the Word of God and a sense of peace would overtake my room. The healing process was beginning. The nightmares and night sweats improved but I still did not have a great deal of self-worth or self esteem. However, if you saw me you would have been in disbelief how I felt on the INSIDE!! I was extremely active on my college campus; I always prided myself on wearing the latest fashion with a great pair of heels, of course. On the outside, I was fly and cute, but on the inside I felt ugly. I thought “if just my daddy were here it would make things better.” I thought “if someone could just love all of me, the real me that I hide because I am not sure if everyone would accept her.” I thought if “I could just keep achieving and gaining “success” this pain would eventually fade, right?” I met a great guy (who is my amazing husband now) who loves me unconditionally, I gained my Bachelor’s degree and was working on my Masters, I even had a father-figure in my life but, I was still in pain.

Remember the testimony is not just about you, but about helping and encouraging others as well. All my life I was blessed to have a mother, aunts, and mentors where I seen them “giving back” and servicing their communities. So, I accepted the challenge of mentoring high school girls in my community. I begin to help young girls identify their worth and self-value and little did they know they were giving me the same gift. It was in my service of giving back to other young girls that were abused, lost, confused, hurt, and sometimes even trouble that allowed me to heal my pain. So now, I use the pain experienced as a young girl to help other women, families, and marriages healed their dark scars. Today, I am a Clinical Licensed Mental Health Therapist that helps families, marriages, and college students to live a healthy, healed, and holistic life in hopes of fulfilling their own purpose to impact their families, communities, and world.

Don's Testimony

I use to think that Christianity was a religion for weak and helpless people. I remember when I was younger, I’d watch my mom struggle working multiple jobs and raising 4 kids by herself. And in the midst of all this she still would give her last in the offering plate on Sunday. I began to think, If God is such a good and loving God then why is he allowing my mother and my sisters and I to struggle? If my mother was giving all that she had to the church then why wasn’t she being blessed? Im mean after all doesn’t the song say “if you want to be blessed, pay your tithes and your offering. And if you want more give unto the poor” Couple that with the prosperity, name it claim it, messages I was hearing and Christianity quickly became a serious turnoff to me.
It wasn’t until I was drafted into the NFL and saw multi-millionaires bowing the knee to the same God I abandoned so many years ago, that I decided to take a deeper look into Christianity. Shortly after The Lord revealed his saving power to me at a gas station at 1:00am… sounds crazy right? Let me share a bit of it with you.
For some unexplainable reason I was unusually angry that night. Seems like everything in my past that ever hurt or disappointed me was just coming to the surface, almost to the point of tears in my eyes. On the way home I stopped at a gas station around the corner from my home. As I pump gas I decided to run into the 7/11 to use the bathroom. While jogging to the store, I felt something within me say stop and return to my car. Before I knew what was going on I had already started walking back. As I waited for the car to finish fueling and old beat up sedan pulled up on the opposite side of the pump with two old ladies in it. They had no money or gas and needed help getting to their destination. Very reluctantly I decided to help them. As I pumped the gas for them felt as if something came around me and hugged my heart. I don’t know any better way to explain it but in an instant all the built up angry, pain, sorrow and grief that I had been harboring since my youth was striped away. And since that faithful night I have been a follower of Jesus Christ. I don’t know why the Lord dealt with me the way he did but i do know this. HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE!
I use to say that Christianity was for weak and helpless people. Now I say I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.
Amen! Hallelujah! Praise his holy name!

Vince's Testimony

I grew up in with a single mom, but always had a close knit family compared to most. My family was the people that would curse each other out at a card game one week and be right back together like nothing happened the next. Though dysfunctional, we are a family at the end of the day. As I got older, I noticed my family getting more into the church, but that didn’t sway me at all. My mom would force me to wake up Sunday mornings and go to church with her no matter how late I got in the house from the previous night. I went to church and never felt anything made sense, I didn’t understand why people believed in something they couldn’t see, couldn’t touch, couldn’t hear. I would always say, he’s never talked to me, so he doesn’t exist past putting us on this earth. And past that having the surroundings of one of the worst cities in the nation in terms of violent crimes, you grow immune to realities of someone getting shot, stabbed, or murdered which is sad to say. I’ve had a cousin murdered by someone who hasn’t been caught to this day. He had 2 young kids and a wife when he was killed, which made it even harder to believe in any higher power. I would always ask if there were a god, why would he allow these acts to happen, why would he allow our surroundings to be this way?

Everything happens for a reason. I’ve been in multiple situations where others have died from, yet I walked away without a scar. I didn’t take these events as life changing events at the time they happened, yet just looked at it as, things happen instead of even thinking of God. It took a bible study years later to bring me all the way to God.

As we read during our bible study, I had my aha moment where I first completely accepted Christ. My friend, my brother, someone who I’ve watched grow gave me my aha moment and I will always appreciate him for this. As we read and he helped break things down, my brain vividly backtracked through the multiple previous life threatening situations I was in. I finally was opened up and could see that God brought me through those situations for a reason. I have a real purpose of still being on this earth as we all do, but I felt so strongly of Gods love for me due to those personal experiences. From this moment forward, I’ve grown drastically spiritually and not turning back.

So from me to you always keep in mind, God Loves you, everything happens for a reason, and stop looking around you and unto others situations for justification, look within yourself and your relationship with God. I no longer ask God why, Instead I thank God for the lessons learned, the people he’s put into my life, the talents he’s given me and the opportunities given to improve.

Thank you God!

Julia's Testimony

As for a testimony, I wasn’t raised in church, but grew up hearing bits and pieces about Jesus Christ and God in the Bible Belt and from my Christian and Jewish parents. So I identified as a Jewish Christian. I didn’t understand the plan of salvation, however, until a total stranger approached me in college. I was being “above it all” to listen and interact in the short conversation they instigated about God, but don’t remember any of it except for their last question. “If you were to die today, are you sure you would go to heaven?”

I didn’t realize it then, but the Holy Spirit was telling me that I should know the answer to it, but I did not. I loved friends and family, felt some empathy for others, and had prayed to God over the years, but for the first time in my life, I sincerely began seeking Him with all of my heart. I asked Him to show me the truth, no matter what it would mean for my life.

A few days later, I sensed He was talking to my heart, and stopped what I was doing to simply wait on Him. He told me that I desperately needed Him, that He had died so that I could know Him and be with Him, and that if I believed Him and walked with Him, everything in my life would change for good, spiritually. I did believe and receive Him as The LORD and Savior that wonderful morning in May, 1973. That was over 40 years ago, and I’m still being fit for heaven, but my hope is in Him, and I know that He is faithful to all of His promises to work on and through me.

That moment I believed and received Him, His indescribable peace and joy flooded me, and agape love entered into my being. I told my family within a few days what had happened, and even though I was such a baby in Christ, within a few years, my family had come to faith as well. About a month after coming into a real relationship with the living God, I found a Bible-believing church and got baptized. I can’t say that my Christian walk is exemplary by any means, but I can hardly wait for heaven. Whether He returns first or I’m called Home, He is closer and more loving than any friend could ever be, and I want to be in His will in all things.

Paula's Testimony

Some of you may wonder why I posted this picture but this is my testimony of why GOD IS…..I grew up in what people may know as “privileged”. I had a nice house and nice clothes. Both my parents worked 24/7 and lived in different states. I remember playing outside around 10 years old with the neighbors when my friend asked me did I want to try out for AAU basketball league. I never dribbled the ball before but needless to say I made it on the team and turned out to be pretty good! It was until one game I noticed I was getting fatigue by just running up the court ONE TIME. My mother took me to the hospital and at first the Drs thought it was asthma. They ordered X-rays of my lungs and noticed 75% of my lungs were covered in fluid. I was rushed to a hospital in Washington DC where I was diagnosed with cancer. At that age I didn’t quite understand but as my body went through chemo therapy and it started to weigh in on my life. God blessed me with the STRONGEST parents in the world. My mother stood by my side every step of the way. As a gift to me she took me to a Janet Jackson concert. It was cold and rainy and I had such a poor immune system i ended up catching pneumonia. This time I was in the hospital and had no hope of coming out. I was in ICU for a month I remember the doctors telling my parents, “IF she makes it she ll NEVER walk again and she may NEVER be able to feed herself” BUT my parents were GOD FEARING. I remember them having members of my church stand by my bed side praying for my recovery and it was later that week the medicine FINALLY started working. I began to overcome the illness. I remember dribbling a basketball in front of the doctors in their meeting room and them looking at me in AWE!!!! I wanted to post this picture as a reminder that GOD allows the impossible . Still till this day when I go to the doctor and they see my history of records they are amazed by the woman who stands before them who overcame that type of past and that is why GOD IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lakeisha's Testimony

I still remember the Fellowship of Christian Athlete setting at my high school where all my peers were gathered for our weekly after lunch meeting, a call to salvation occurred at the end. I have always heard about God as a youth but I knew he required more from me. The moment the leader of FCA asked the question who wanted to accept Christ as their Savior, I felt as if this question was for me. I took the next step, though I was terrified because it felt like so many of my peers were watching, I still made the decision and accepted Jesus as my Savior. This was one of the best feelings and experiences in my life.

Though I accepted Christ as my Savior, I still made so many mistakes, I fell short of his glory, I sinned against God, and there were still areas in my life that needed total commitment to Christ. It wasn’t until after college, after law school, and later in my adult life that one of my experiences changed my life forever.

I remember it like it was yesterday, it was a couple months after the bar exam and I was in transition between Natchitoches and Monroe, Louisiana. I received a phone call that my father was in the hospital due to pneumonia and it wasn’t looking good. If I can rewind back a little, my father was just in the hospital a couple of months ago receiving a total hip replacement. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in the hospital so many days. With the hip replacement surgery, I experienced my father being placed on bed rest, on high dosage of medicine–very lethargic, and having to learn how to walk again. But even after that, this whole pneumonia hospital stay was very different.

The pneumonia had taken over my dad’s body to the point that he was placed on a ventilator. I couldn’t stay with him at the hospital because he was in Intensive Care. But I would visit everyday and the Dr.’s report remained the same…it’s not getting better or nothing changed. Every day I would go into the hospital declaring, decreeing, and believing but I would leave there hopeless. I thought I trusted God with this situation but I noticed I still haven’t surrendered it all to him.

I decided I would go to church this particular Sunday. My dad was still on the ventilator and it was doing majority of the breathing for him. While in worship at church, a question came to mind “Will you trust me?” As I worshipped, I continued to pray “Lord I surrendered all areas of my life to you, Lord I will trust you, and Lord I depend on you.” While in worship, I saw this vision where a nurse went into my father’s room and he was up laughing, talking, and off the breathing machine. I left church amazed and I knew my father’s health and life was in God’s hand. About an hour later, I received a call from the hospital saying my dad was off the ventilator and he was laughing & talking. I knew at that moment that Keisha is not in control but God has control over all things. I knew I must surrendered all, believe, and put my trust in HIM.

I would encourage you to surrender all to God. Allow him to be your all. God can be trusted because he is faithful and trustworthy. So regardless if you feel like you are passed his saving grace, that’s a lie He still can save you. If you feel like you still want control over your life, try surrendering it all to him. He got you!

God’s Not Dead

Valerie's Testimony

I was that girl who went to church every Sunday with her mom, because it was simply my mother’s rule. We were of the Catholic denomination, and my father was Baptist (he plays the guitar in church so of course he was present for every service as well). So, they both had their own relationship and walk with Christ which motivated them to seek him week after week, but at that time I didn’t, I just attended church because I had to, and when I would be there, I honestly would fantasize how beautiful the church would be decorated for my someday wedding. I would literally designate which pews would get which colors, where my wedding party would enter, and what decorations I would use for the altar. Thinking back I laugh at how blind I was, and how much of a disadvantage I was in because not only did I miss the Gospel every mass, but I didn’t bother to get to know Christ for myself.
It took me being put in a place where everything that distracted me from God was snatched away from me, to 100% desire Christ for who He was, and not for what He could do for me. After graduating from law school, I was in what I called “witness protection” because I felt as if God himself took me and hid me from the world. But that is exactly what he did! He took me, and placed me in situations where my only hope was in Him. From May 2012-May 2014, I experienced (1) having to endure taking the bar exam four times, (2) my health being attacked where I had to have two surgeries on my kidneys and then be hospitalized for three days only two weeks after my last surgery for a totally different issue, (3) a year long battle of unemployment where I could not even land one interview, (4) no money of my own to live off of {my parents sacrificed their bills and their credit, to pay all my bills first}, (5) living from place to place {during that time I moved from Louisiana, to Texas, to Las Vegas, living with family members free of charge where they were kind enough to give me a $20 allowance every week to put gas in my car and get me something to eat}, I can go on and on…..It was such a trying time that I can remember screaming to God, asking Him why was He allowing the devil to “Job” me!!!!!
But I am forever grateful to God for allowing me to go through those seasons because I truly got to know Him! I learned how to fast, how to intercede, how to bind up the enemy’s attacks, how to trust him, and most importantly…how to be souled out and live for Christ!! As of today, I am a practicing Attorney representing sexual trauma victims, I am the CEO and Founder of my own boutique firm, I am 100% healthy, and because of those tests, I have testimonies that bare witness and carry God’s light to shine up the world!!!! So let me encourage those of you who are in the midst of a battle or a storm and you find yourself on the blink of giving up. EVERYTHING the Father does, He does it for your good!! In Jeremiah 29:11, God said he knows the plans he has for you, and those plans my brother or my sister, are to give you hope, to prosper you, and to give you a future!!! You see, those steps of yours are already ordered…God is just using those very storms and battles to prepare you to walk into your destiny!! If you would like to know more of my testimonies, I have developed a blog to share my stories and encourage the faint of heart so when you get a chance, you can check it out at https://valeriawilliams.wordpress.com/

Calton's Testimony

In March 2013 I was called to my father room by my mother, my father was having a heart attack. I called 911 and begin to give him chest pumps until the ambulance arrived. A week later my father passed away in the hospital. I couldn’t understand why at the time the Lord choose to take my everything away from me. He was everything to me, he was my father, my bishop and my future best man in my wedding. The whole week he was in the hospital I had faith the Lord was going to heal him but I later learn that was not his plan but at that point of my life I need him more. I had just accepted a job with Norfolk Southern two months pryor and I had to relocate to Alabama later that year in July. I knew with my father alive I could handle the move but after he passed I begin to doubt everything. My mother convenience me to keep the job and relocate to Alabama. That first year was so tough be away from family and not having him to call and talk to for support. Every other week I found myself broke down in tears missing my father. Wondering how I would survive this journey without him I realized I was depending on the wrong man. I begin to lean on Jesus more. I begin to trust the path he have chosen for my life. The more I begin to lean on God, the more my relationship with God grew and then my peace of mind came. I begin to have faith again in the steps he choose for my life. I use to think faith only meant trusting in what God was going to do for you but then I also learned it meant trusting in what God had already done.

RIP Bishop Calton Ford
Enjoy heaven you finally made it home, one day we will meet again.

Derek 's Testimony

My opinion went unheard and my suggestions unconsidered. I had no say in it. I was going whether I liked it or not. So clip on my tie, throw on my coat and slacks passed down from big brother, hide a few mints in my coat pocket, and cram my feet into Hushpuppies that I’ve almost outgrown. Mom, Dad, my brother, 2 sisters, and I all pile in to the 1983 Chevrolet Station Wagon and cruise to Sycamore Hill Baptist Church. If I wasn’t singing in the choir or ushering, I was probably at the end of an aisle napping and awakening at the climax as the pastor emphatically hit that “uh ha! this” and “uh ha! that” and “uh ha! one more time”. Sunday after Sunday this is how it went down. Fourth Sunday was always my favorite though – communion! At the end of the church service, my brother, 1 of my sisters, and I would slip down to the kitchen and drink all of the grape juice cups that were left over. It was a race to see who could get down the most shots! I have many memories connected to the church. I’m so thankful. I’m thankful to have parents that saw it as important. I’m pretty sure I could have done a way better job absorbing more of the information but being involved with Christ early in my journey has always kept me with a compass. Life has it’s hard times and it can decide to challenge you at any point or age. Who knows what my life would look like if Christ wasn’t implanted by my parents? The significance of my experience highlights the importance of my need to mimic for my son what my parents did for me.

Alex's Testimony

Growing up in Virginia, I pretty much grew up in the church. I went every Sunday, read the Bible, and listen attentively to the preacher. Doing this for many years growing up, I grew up in what I call a “Christian bubble” because I only dealt with folks who share pretty much the same belief as I did. This led me to a point of self-righteousness because I thought it was because of my good works and the point I was raised in the church was the reason God loves me.
Fast-forward to my college years, I soon found myself outside of this “Christian bubble” and around people who either didn’t know God or flat out rejected him and it greatly influenced me to the point where I stopped going to church and reading the Bible and began engaging in behavior that was contrary to the very way a Christian is supposed to live. Although a slow downhill process, I still carried on as a “Christian” but my life did not show any fruits to testify to that. It wasn’t until one day, I was watching “Baby Boy” (of all movies), that the character Pee-wee, played by Omar Gooding said something that shook me. Basically, he was talking to his friend about wanting to be saved and he stated that he didn’t want to stand before Jesus and have Him tell him to “turn around.” Basically he was referring to Matthew 7:21-23 and hearing that led me to deep conviction because I realize the path I was heading on would have me hearing those awful words if I didn’t repent and turn to Christ. I looked back over my life at that point and realized that I knew about God, but I didn’t know God.
I thank God for that moment of clarity because it truly opened my eyes to His goodness. Not knowing exactly what to do next afterwards, I remember my strength coach at the time mentioned he does a Bible Study for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and I decided that was a good start. I was given a study Bible and as I read through it, I didn’t read it like I used to in the past. When I read it this time, I truly saw them as words of life and I hung on to every word as God Himself was speaking to me (which he was and still is doing). I then found myself back in community of believers who helped and encouraged me even more. As the Spirit continue to work on my heart, my actions started to be more in alignment of what God would have me to do, not just among believers, but even when I was around my non-believing friends. My mindset from earlier about God loving me was corrected in the process, where I realize God loves me, not because of what I done, but what Christ Jesus has done.
I think back to the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15 and I see myself as being that lost sheep. I thank God that he didn’t simply cut his losses and allow me to become that slave to sin. He left the 99, found me, and bought me back to the flock and I could only imagine that celebration the angels were having when God led me to repentance. I have found God’s word to never return void; he has been with me through my unemployment, periods of spiritual struggles, periods of mourning’s for my loved ones who passed, and also through my times of joys and triumph. Surely, God’s goodness and mercy has and will continue to follow me all the days of my life. To God be the Glory!

Hurahn's Testimony

I made a promise to God that I would do his will and give everyone my testimony of how he changed my life. I was an atheist most of my life. I did a lot of things which should have never done. One night while I was asleep, I had a dream. In my dream, I was laying on a bed and looking at a big brick wall. It was white and I was crying. At that time, I didn’t know the Lord was trying to tell me something. I would wake up the next day like nothing had ever happened. I went on with my life and always told everyone that I had to see God to believe in him. That changed one day. It all stated one day when I was driving out of town and the police stopped me. I had five illegal people from Brazil and Mexico with me. The officer looked at me and said you are going to prison for a long time. I felt numb. I was then taken to the county jail. There, my dream came true. While I was lying in a bed, I saw that white brick wall and yes, I was crying. I remembered my dream. I still could not understand what was happening. I was scared. Then a few days later, my attorney came to me and told me I was looking at 2 to 5 yrs in federal prison and on top of that, they increased my time for other things. I was afraid of going to prison. I then told my attorney that there was no way I was going to go to prison. Then one night, I stared to talk to God. I told him please God if you really exist, get me out of here. I am not even sure you could hear me. A few days later, my attorney came to see me and he said to me that I was going to get out of jail on my court date. I then stated to believe. I promised God that I would better my life and I have. I know that he is not a dead God. He is alive and lives in me. God had mercy on me and loved me no matter what I did. May everyone who read this be blessed and feel the love I feel for my Lord and Savior.

Alexcia 's Testimony

Watered Seeds

I had a great-grandmother that would constantly make me kneel down in front of her wheelchair as a child in her small guest room she had in our house. She would pray and anoint me will oil like crazy. I didn’t understand that a SEED was being planted.

I had grown up in church my entire life. I was raised by my grandparents who had that ol’ school mentality “Live in my house, you’re going to church!” So I went, every Sunday, every revival, every VBS, I was there. Church, well Christianity became a routine for me. I hit my teen years, and began to rebel like crazy. I entered into a promiscuous lifestyle at a young age beginning the cycle of many destructive relationships because I was seeking attention and love in all the wrong places. I also began to occasionally abuse prescription medication and become addicted to pornography.

No one ever knew my silent struggles, I was always afraid to tell anyone how bad I was hurting, how I contemplated suicide many nights. I was so accustomed to playing church, so that’s all I thought God was to me, my Sunday morning show. I was still attending church and still singing in the choir. I read the announcements every morning and popped pills just to make myself sleep at night.

At the age of 17, I had a sense that if God was real, there must be more that he had in store for me than to just play church. I left my home church and starting going on my own ” spiritual journey” seeking truth. I was jumping from relationship to relationship, still abusing, still addicted, still devaluing myself. In 2011, I have no idea how it happened, but I ran across a preacher by the name of Heather Lindsey. She taught about purity, standards, and what really threw me for a loop, the love of Jesus. The love of Jesus? Ok I sang the song in Sunday School but I didn’t think that the God of the Universe wanted a relationship with me? Little did i know, a SEED was planted. For the next year and a half, I was still living reckless and in sin. Until March 11, 2012, where I found myself in a dark room, tired of life, ready to give up, so I did. I overdose on an entire bottle of prescription medicine and then woke up in an ambulance. With a suicide attempt, you have to be admitted to a mental institution for 72 hours for observation mandated by federal law. As I layed on that hospital bed, I cried out to God and said ” God I can’t do this, I have messed up my life, I have nothing else left and if you are who you say you are, you can have it all.” That morning at 3AM I gave my heart to Christ and I was released 10 hours later.

This journey has not been easy, yes I’ve failed, but those seeds planted long ago were being watered the whole time and I can now say God always had His hand on me. I hope my story encourages you to surrender your all to Christ because this life is simply not meant to do on your own. The story of the Gospel is simply ” I CANT, BUT HE CAN.”I couldn’t break the dysfunctional cycle of relationships of my life, but HE DID. I couldn’t stop abusing drugs and breaking the addiction of pornography but HE DID. If you are sowing into someone’s life right now (family member, friend) whether through prayer, mentorship, etc., and you just don’t see any fruit of your efforts, be encouraged that God is working THROUGH you. Do your part and watch him do His. It may not be when you desire, but He is always working. Be blessed.

Kaliyah's Testimony

see this girl here, man she’s been through soooo much but through it all.. has been [destined for greatness] Doctor: Erica & Mrs. Dunmore I took a blood test and it looks like your child will be down syndrome.. You might as well abort the child or raise her your whole life, think about that.. Moms: well I’ll just have to take care of her Grandma: we don’t abort in this family . Moms & Grandma: Prayed, prayed, prayed & trusted God & On October 4, 1997 at 6:03 am Kaliyah was born and no complications, I believe God is a miracle worker man if you truly [TRUST&BELIEVE] in him , God truly blessed me to see 17 years although the enemy tried to take me out early in the game, he can’t curse what has already been blessed by God I am destined for greatness he’s had his hands on me from day one #WCW #NothingToHard4God ✊#AllTheGlory

Brittany's Testimony

The Transformation

On October 21, 2011 at 7:36am I was involved in a car accident that would change my life forever. At 26, I thought I had my life all figured out. BUT God had a different plan.
I was “t-boned” as I was pulling off of my street by a police office. I was crushed inside of my car between the door and the middle console. The door was apart of my leg. The only way that I could get out of my car was to push the door off my leg and climb out of the passenger side window. I found a supernatural strength and was able to get out of the car. I thought it was over. I thought I was just going to the hospital for the cuts on my hand and shoulder. I had no idea how serious I was hurt. I was in the ambulance making jokes, calling and texting family like nothing was wrong because I wasn’t in any kind of pain. I had no idea that in 5 short hours the doctor was about to tell me that I would face the hardest challenge of my life…learning how to walk.

When I arrived at the hospital they did a full body X-ray and told me that my pelvis was broken. First,surgery would be pulling my femur back in place to prepare for the second surgery to restore my pelvis. When I woke from the second surgery, I couldn’t move my left leg. I was scared. I didn’t understand what was going on. I was a runner. I didn’t understand what it meant to not use my legs. A week passed and things were not going well. I was in so much pain. I would scream anytime they moved me. I hated my nurses, lol. The doctor came in and told me that I would have to go to a rehab hospital to learn how to walk. He told me that my stay would be determined by how well I progressed. So, they transferred me to the rehab hospital and for 3weeks. I suffered through 8hr days of physical and occupational therapy. After 1 month hospital stay, I still couldn’t walk on my own. I had to use a wheelchair and a walker. I was so discouraged. I went home to my mother’s house and started the real challenge of physical therapy. I couldn’t do anything for myself. I couldn’t even put on socks. I had to depend on family for everything…everything!

For 6months, 3days a week, I went to physical therapy, learning the basic steps of walking. At the end of 6months, I was walking with a limp, but I was walking. They discharged me from physical therapy and I thought I was free. Not so much. I was walking, but I was in so much pain. So much pain! But I pushed through because I didn’t want to have that third surgery. I didn’t want to spend another year like I spent my 26th year of life. My doctor, Dr. Green was so optimistic. He believed in me and the power of God to heal me even when I didn’t believe. I was ready to give up. I thank God for blessing me with a doctor who practices medicine by faith. Dr. Green told me my options and gave me 2months to think about it. At 27, I had a total hip replacement. I sped through recovery and was back in action after only 2months. I prayed for a speedy recovery and God answered my prayers. I have aches when the weather is bad, but At 29, 4 years after my accident, my Dr. was right. My life is so much better, but it wasn’t easy.

A lot of people are familiar with my physical battle, but not everyone is familiar with the mental and spiritual battle I faced. I was so mad at God. I couldn’t understand why this had to happen to me. I was living an “ok” Christian life. I wasn’t that bad. I knew people who were a lot worse. Why? Why? Why? I didn’t get an answer fast enough so I gave up. I wasn’t living life, I was just going through the motions. I wasn’t sleeping. I was barely eating. I suffered in silence. I refused to pray. I really thought I was hurting God’s feelings. Was I crazy or what? I remember laying in bed one night thinking “I can’t live like this. If this is what my life will be like, full of pain, barely walking, then I shouldn’t have survived.” At that moment the devil thought he had me.

The thoughts of suicide started to come. Instead of talking to someone I suffered in silence. I allowed shame to stop me from seeking help. I was a counselor, on the road to being a licensed counselor, I couldn’t be dealing with this. I was suppose to be able to handle this. I give help. I’m not suppose to need help. At that moment the devil thought he won…I couldn’t take her out physically, but If I can’t, I’ll take her mind….and because I was so spiritually weak…I allowed anger and shame to guide my decisions. My father battled with a drug addiction so I refused to take the prescribed medications. But I stated going out more, drinking more, just living life reckless and no one knew of the internal battle I was dealing with. I was always good at putting on a smile and pretending that everything was ok.

Around this time, I had coworkers who were doing prayer calls every morning before work. They kept mentioning it to me, so one day I called in. I started getting daily devotions through email that I didn’t remember signing up for. Even though I was “angry” at God, he never left my side. I remember watching a video online and the message was so clearly for me…”you are talking about you’re waiting on God. No! God is waiting on you!” I realized that my strength wasn’t enough, that I needed the strength of God to completely heal. So I surrendered. I gave it all to God and the healing started.

I was so distracted with my plans and how I thought my life should go. Before the accident, I never once thought about praying for guidance or even seeking Gods will for my life. The accident was not about my plans, but was all about getting my life aligned with Gods plans. The accident was just the beginning of a physical and spiritual transformation that would take me into my purpose and to a deeper level of faith that I didn’t know existed.

Once I completely surrendered my life, my will, my heart, my soul to God, I started to live. I was no longer just existing, but living life with purpose. So much purpose that once I earned my counselors license (LPC), I stepped out on faith, quit my job and started my private practice, Purposeful Counseling, LLC. I thank God every morning for grace and unmerited favor because without it, where would I be? Tye Tribbett has an amazing song that reminds me that there is no me with out God, without Jesus!
“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭23-24‬ KJV).

Talitha's Testimony

I could definitely go on and on about the goodness of my Lord and Savior. The first testimony is God allowed me to be born into the world weighing 2 pounds and 2 ounces. That’s a miracle by itself. He also spared my life as a baby. I suffered broken bones to where I was in a body cast. When I became older enough to understand, I thought the devil must really hate me or God has really BIG plans for my life. I found it both to be true.

I grew up in a Christian home to where both of my parents went to church and sung in the choir. So my siblings and I love for music became real. We sung almost every day and every where. As a child a faced more than my share of challenges to where my self-esteem was really low, tried to run away from home, etc. It became more than I thought I could bare. I loved to attend church, for me it was my safe haven. A place where I can go and would not have to worry about anything. At the age of twelve my parents went their separate ways. I guess for me this was a bitter sweet moment.  My dad was staying behind but the challenges I was having was ending so I thought.

My siblings, mom and I moved with our aunt. I am still thankful this very day that she came. My aunt took my siblings and I under her wing and raised us. We still continued on in the church singing and praising God.  As I grew older my love for God and attending church only grew stronger. I wanted to know more about God. In my heart  I felt as if it was more to God than attending church, going to Bible study, singing in the choir, and what the preacher was saying. Even though I attended church on a regular basis I was the one that did not read the Bible but I took it with me every Wednesday night, Sunday morning and Sunday evening until I got a revelation in church one day.  I began to read the Bible and meditate on my own and even then I would fall asleep.

Some time after I received this revelation I attended a Wednesday night Bible study and the service was ending . There was only a handful of people there so we gathered in a circle to pray. The preacher asked another minister  to pray. The minister began to pray and all of a sudden it didn’t sound like him praying anymore. It seemed as if someone else was praying through him. I remember crying uncontrollably that night, as if a river was flowing from my eyes. The preacher came over and touch my forehead and after a while I fell to the ground and my mouth was speaking this foreign language. At the time I had NO clue what was happening because I grew up in a Baptist church and the Holy Spirit was rarely mentioned. I knew that very night that I had received something that was very real. I had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

How many know that the Holy Spirit is a teacher? Since I had little knowledge of the Holy Spirit…He began to teach me. I was excited to come home and spend time with Him. I began to read, meditate, and pray day and night. I didn’t watch  TV and I played my worship music for a little while. In that time I fasted for seven straight days with just water. I began to experience unexplainable things happening. I began to experience what my heart feeling all alone, the desire of more of God. After a few weeks I had an encounter where I experienced an incident where a family member was going through a rough time at the moment and needed to make some major decisions in life . I remember it was late night/ early morning I was sleep on my couch and I began to pray. I was praying in my heavenly language and I could hear myself praying. So the next day I saw the family member I did not mention what took place. The family member and I began to talk and she said I heard you in my house last night, you was praying for me. I started crying because she lived across town. So in the physical I was not there but my spirit was praying.

I could go on and on about God, He has shown himself strong and mighty through out my life. Prophesies have been spoken over me and in my life.  I have faced trials, struggles, and test but God has sought that I have arisen out of them all. Do I still face obstacles?”Yes” but I know God is always with me.

I encourage someone to never give up on God or your faith in God because He will never give up on you. Remember your test is a testimony for someone else.

Talitha M.
(Little girl Arise)

George's Testimony

Wait and be Faithful: A couple of years ago I thought my life was going well. I was playing in the NFL, I had 2 great kids, a wife and I was making a pretty decent amount of money. But money was my main and my only concern. I knew that God said you can’t serve “2 masters,” but I just never wanted to be broke. God took the money away from me as well as my job because he had a plan for me, and I wasn’t aligning myself with his plan. In the time of silence with no job and funds running low, I had to learn how to completely lean on God and know that he’s setting me up for a major bounce back. During this time, my wife, who is my rock and my strength, took all my muscles and helped me stay faithful by her love. She loved me more when I had nothing, more than ever before and I loved her like she was a new born baby. God was just constantly working in my favor and I didn’t even know he was working. I received a call from Detroit Lions 6 months after not working or playing football, and they wanted me to try out for the team. I went and blew the scouts and coaches away with my tryout. Now, I’m on an extremely talented team were there was no room for me. But I never doubted God and his plan. I made the team and not only that, I had 1 1/2 sacks on one of the biggest stages of football. At the end of the season, God was still working! I received a contract that just completely blew me and my wife away! What we lost, God gave back, and more. God is so good that I just cry when I think how far he has bought me. God will break you down if he feels you’re not aligned with him and his plan so he can bless you to proclaim to the world that he will do it as long as you trust and surround yourself in him!