V
viltglance007
Guest
Donna.Kimberley - Iowa.USA
Hi, my name is Donna Kimberley. When I was growing up, my folks owned a grocery store. It was in a very small town. We were always on our best behavior as our customers were also our neighbors. We lived a very moral life, a very do unto others as you would like them to do unto you life.
When I was 11 years old my brother David, who was 9 years old, died of a brain tumor. This really influenced my life. I saw my folks battling David's cancer for 2 years with no avail. They had been through so much that I tried to do what was right even though I stumbled every now and then. Also I wanted to go to heaven sometime and see David again.
I was married when I was 19 yrs. old. Tom and I started a family right away. We raised our three children the way we were raised. That for me was a very moral life, a very do unto others as you would have them do unto you life. We were a happy family. Jackie and Tim went off to University of Northern Iowa. When Tim was a junior at UNI, he came home at Christmas and told us he wanted to be a pastor. We knew his faith had become strong at school so we weren't too surprise.
This is when I started questioning my lack of faith. I found I had a lot of faith in Tom, my husband, and my family but that was it. I wanted to find what grabbed Tim. He gave me the first book to the "Left Behind" series. This helped explain what being "saved" meant. I prayed that night for Jesus to "save" me but I did it out of fear not from my heart.
When Tim came home from UNI for the summer he wanted to go to a more Bible-based Church. He had gone a few times with his girl friend, at the time, to Saylorville Baptist Church outside of Des Moines. So we went there for Easter. I filled out a more information card, the more information I wanted was for Tim and what he might expect going to seminary. On June 5,2000, Pastor Pat and Pastor Dave came out to visit. I was so happy that they were coming to talk to Tim . To my surprise they wanted to talk to Tom and I. Pastor Pat asked if I were to die that night if I knew I would go to heaven. I said yes, because I spent most of my life doing what was right so I could go to heaven to see David again. Pastor Pat asked Tim if he thought my good works would get me to heaven. Tim said no, I had to be saved. They explained to me that being saved was admitting I was a sinner and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead, also to invite Jesus into my heart as my personal savior and Lord. Humbly with tears streaming down my face I gladly asked Jesus into my heart and into my life.
My biggest sin was not having Jesus in my life. My life has been so much fuller and has made so much more sense with Jesus. I truly can feel the Holy Spirit living inside me. The verse that explains my life before being saved is Romans 9:31-33. But the Jews who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said," I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that causes people to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed."
Tim will be going to Dallas this fall to seminary. Jackie is married and she and her husband are currently living in Germany as Cory is in the Army. Our youngest Will is going to ISU this fall. With Jesus in our lives (all of our lives) it will make it so much easier to let them all go. I know Jesus will be watching my children all the time something I can't do.
Hi, my name is Donna Kimberley. When I was growing up, my folks owned a grocery store. It was in a very small town. We were always on our best behavior as our customers were also our neighbors. We lived a very moral life, a very do unto others as you would like them to do unto you life.
When I was 11 years old my brother David, who was 9 years old, died of a brain tumor. This really influenced my life. I saw my folks battling David's cancer for 2 years with no avail. They had been through so much that I tried to do what was right even though I stumbled every now and then. Also I wanted to go to heaven sometime and see David again.
I was married when I was 19 yrs. old. Tom and I started a family right away. We raised our three children the way we were raised. That for me was a very moral life, a very do unto others as you would have them do unto you life. We were a happy family. Jackie and Tim went off to University of Northern Iowa. When Tim was a junior at UNI, he came home at Christmas and told us he wanted to be a pastor. We knew his faith had become strong at school so we weren't too surprise.
This is when I started questioning my lack of faith. I found I had a lot of faith in Tom, my husband, and my family but that was it. I wanted to find what grabbed Tim. He gave me the first book to the "Left Behind" series. This helped explain what being "saved" meant. I prayed that night for Jesus to "save" me but I did it out of fear not from my heart.
When Tim came home from UNI for the summer he wanted to go to a more Bible-based Church. He had gone a few times with his girl friend, at the time, to Saylorville Baptist Church outside of Des Moines. So we went there for Easter. I filled out a more information card, the more information I wanted was for Tim and what he might expect going to seminary. On June 5,2000, Pastor Pat and Pastor Dave came out to visit. I was so happy that they were coming to talk to Tim . To my surprise they wanted to talk to Tom and I. Pastor Pat asked if I were to die that night if I knew I would go to heaven. I said yes, because I spent most of my life doing what was right so I could go to heaven to see David again. Pastor Pat asked Tim if he thought my good works would get me to heaven. Tim said no, I had to be saved. They explained to me that being saved was admitting I was a sinner and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead, also to invite Jesus into my heart as my personal savior and Lord. Humbly with tears streaming down my face I gladly asked Jesus into my heart and into my life.
My biggest sin was not having Jesus in my life. My life has been so much fuller and has made so much more sense with Jesus. I truly can feel the Holy Spirit living inside me. The verse that explains my life before being saved is Romans 9:31-33. But the Jews who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said," I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that causes people to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed."
Tim will be going to Dallas this fall to seminary. Jackie is married and she and her husband are currently living in Germany as Cory is in the Army. Our youngest Will is going to ISU this fall. With Jesus in our lives (all of our lives) it will make it so much easier to let them all go. I know Jesus will be watching my children all the time something I can't do.
