- Jun 25, 2003
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I became a Christian at the age of 18 years old. It was in April of 2002. You could say that I was a normal teenager. I came from a great home with loving parents. I was actively involved in High School, in student counsel and sports teams. In my grade 12 year, I found myself beginning to change. I began to question what I believed in, and was ultimately looking for answers. I remember so vividly one day in class, a bunch of us were talking about what we believed, and I said Oh I dont believe in any of that stuff, its all foolish. And I remember one of the girls looking at me and saying You dont believe in anything? Thats really sad. I find that really sad that you dont believe in anything at all. Although that stuck with me, I didnt realize then, what an impact that one sentence would later have on my life.
So graduation was just around the corner, and it was time to apply to different universities. I was supposed to go away for school, but in the end the finances didnt pull through, and my parents strongly suggested me attending a private university in town. That was un-heard of for me, because it was a Christian university and I wouldnt have any part of it. Eventually, after many fights and hours of my parents trying to convince me to go, I gave in. So I was enrolled in a university for the fall which I didnt want to attend. And by this, I became very bitter. Bitter towards the school, the people, the program and my parents. So school started and I started to make friends however they were not the kind of friends that I should have gotten in with. I thought these new friends were great! We all had a lot in common. We were all there because we were being forced to be there. So we all hung out and eventually we started partying. Started drinking and once and awhile smoking a little marijuana. At the time, it seemed harmless However it became more and more a habit for all of us.
After Christmas break went by I started to really fail my classes, and I lost total interest in my studies. All I was really interested in was when the next party would be. So this went on for awhile, until one night, we were heavily drinking and smoking pot, when I went too far, and said to myself, enough is enough, I am getting out of this. So I declared that I would never again drink or smoke pot. My friends then decided that I wasnt cool enough to hang out with them, and they quickly dropped me.
Now at this time, I started to take more of an interest in what was happening in the school. I actually LIKED going to chapel services! And I was interested in my religious studies classes! So time went on and I was forced to make new friends, however this time I made the right friends. I made friends who were Christians, and even though they were Christians, and I still didnt really like the fact too much they were cool, so I thought I would hang out with them anyways.
So they all knew that I wasnt a Christian and they witnessed to me, and at that point I felt that I had hit a brick wall, and very clearly to me, I saw that Jesus was the one and only way I would ever truly be happy. So I found myself a church, where I knew only 2 people, and I got plugged in there. So one morning, I went out to breakfast with my friend, and we were driving home, and I looked at her and I told her that I wanted to make the most important decision one could ever make. And that morning I got on my knees and asked Jesus to enter my life and to forgive me for everything I have done, and to make me a new creation. And at that moment, thats exactly what He did. He made me a new creation, the old was gone and the new had come!
So I got very involved with the young adults in the church and they helped me grow spiritually. And just two months later, I had the privilege of going on a short term missions trip to the Bowery Mission, in New York City. Where I worked for a week feeding the homeless, and working in the kitchen, as well we did outreach work.
When I got home, my parents were really interested in what I was doing at church and this sparked an interest in them. I had always been inviting them out to church, and they would always say no. So when I got home from NYC, they decided they were going to start coming to church with me. And just 3 short months later, they accepted Christ into their lives as well. So it was a blessing to me, to see my parents become Christians. And shortly after they became Christians, I was baptized, feeling thats what God was calling me to do.
In such a short year since, I have had the privilege to start becoming heavily involved in childrens ministry; as well I went on another missions trip to the Bowery Mission in New York City, and this summer I worked at a christian summer camp. where through me and the other staff there, God brought over 250 kids to His Kingdom!!
That is where I can say my heart is. Missions and children!
Now I live in an amazing christian family, where we are all very involved, actually between me and my parents, I think we are there alomst every day of our lives! God has blessed me and my family so much, I dont even know where to begin!
So graduation was just around the corner, and it was time to apply to different universities. I was supposed to go away for school, but in the end the finances didnt pull through, and my parents strongly suggested me attending a private university in town. That was un-heard of for me, because it was a Christian university and I wouldnt have any part of it. Eventually, after many fights and hours of my parents trying to convince me to go, I gave in. So I was enrolled in a university for the fall which I didnt want to attend. And by this, I became very bitter. Bitter towards the school, the people, the program and my parents. So school started and I started to make friends however they were not the kind of friends that I should have gotten in with. I thought these new friends were great! We all had a lot in common. We were all there because we were being forced to be there. So we all hung out and eventually we started partying. Started drinking and once and awhile smoking a little marijuana. At the time, it seemed harmless However it became more and more a habit for all of us.
After Christmas break went by I started to really fail my classes, and I lost total interest in my studies. All I was really interested in was when the next party would be. So this went on for awhile, until one night, we were heavily drinking and smoking pot, when I went too far, and said to myself, enough is enough, I am getting out of this. So I declared that I would never again drink or smoke pot. My friends then decided that I wasnt cool enough to hang out with them, and they quickly dropped me.
Now at this time, I started to take more of an interest in what was happening in the school. I actually LIKED going to chapel services! And I was interested in my religious studies classes! So time went on and I was forced to make new friends, however this time I made the right friends. I made friends who were Christians, and even though they were Christians, and I still didnt really like the fact too much they were cool, so I thought I would hang out with them anyways.
So they all knew that I wasnt a Christian and they witnessed to me, and at that point I felt that I had hit a brick wall, and very clearly to me, I saw that Jesus was the one and only way I would ever truly be happy. So I found myself a church, where I knew only 2 people, and I got plugged in there. So one morning, I went out to breakfast with my friend, and we were driving home, and I looked at her and I told her that I wanted to make the most important decision one could ever make. And that morning I got on my knees and asked Jesus to enter my life and to forgive me for everything I have done, and to make me a new creation. And at that moment, thats exactly what He did. He made me a new creation, the old was gone and the new had come!
So I got very involved with the young adults in the church and they helped me grow spiritually. And just two months later, I had the privilege of going on a short term missions trip to the Bowery Mission, in New York City. Where I worked for a week feeding the homeless, and working in the kitchen, as well we did outreach work.
When I got home, my parents were really interested in what I was doing at church and this sparked an interest in them. I had always been inviting them out to church, and they would always say no. So when I got home from NYC, they decided they were going to start coming to church with me. And just 3 short months later, they accepted Christ into their lives as well. So it was a blessing to me, to see my parents become Christians. And shortly after they became Christians, I was baptized, feeling thats what God was calling me to do.
In such a short year since, I have had the privilege to start becoming heavily involved in childrens ministry; as well I went on another missions trip to the Bowery Mission in New York City, and this summer I worked at a christian summer camp. where through me and the other staff there, God brought over 250 kids to His Kingdom!!
That is where I can say my heart is. Missions and children!Now I live in an amazing christian family, where we are all very involved, actually between me and my parents, I think we are there alomst every day of our lives! God has blessed me and my family so much, I dont even know where to begin!
