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RE: Your Story - 6/27/2007 3:03:20 AM
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Smokymtnsanta
Posts: 14019
Joined: 6/13/2006
From: The North
Status: online
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I hope some of these stories will be sent to SN for their new book that will be coming out soon.
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The place to stay in the Smokies: www.hiddenmountain.com
"Jesus Is The Reason For All Seasons"
God Bless America
Vietnam Memorial and Washington Monument
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RE: Your Story - 7/5/2007 8:06:40 PM
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ponders_life
Posts: 352
Joined: 6/27/2007
From: Illinois
Status: offline
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Hmm do you all have a bit.
Ok here it goes. unlike most of you I was not raised in a Christian home. While i was a child my parents sent us to a local church for proper moral teaching. Well somewhere in that teaching a seed was planted in a child. My teenage years involved me going any direction I felt like, but to be clear for some reason I never strayed to far from those morals. I never got into drugs, drinking or anything like that. But Satan did find me and grabbed my life. I wandered down a path most would call "Wicca" but it was so much more. I was the person in the pentagram on the floor, drawn in blood doing the incantations and matras. I was involved in this for years until college. Where I studied Paramedics (at first). While in my classes I had a couple of people try to reach me. One was a local Pastor who knew what I was involved in. He reached me with all things a song. [Here is where I wish i could say it was SG, but alas it was Carmen (hey at least it was Christian lol)]. The song was "Witche's Invitation" and to me that made me start to question things.
Well one of the ladies in my classes became a great friend of mine (friend only), and convinced me that I needed to come with her to her churches friendship day, this was november 96, I attended after much forcing lol, I walked into a building that I thought I despised to find every single person who had made a difference in my life, be iit a former teacher or a person from work, there at that church. Tho I went in kicking and screaming, I had found a peace and a home that I would never wanna leave.
FAst forward around 6 months. It is April 20th 1997, I am praying in my parents kitchen, "Lord, I am at a crossroads, I have been studying and working as a medic and I feel as if you are asking me to go into ministry." well the prayer went on a bit more till music caught my attention (oh should mention I have been singing since I was 5 and it is the fuel that drives all my passions), the song was "Whereever you Are" and the grpoup was The Martins. I know about trying to avoid posting lyrics but I have to post teh first cppl lines. it starts out "Are you standing at a crossroad and wondering which road you should take" yes I was balling by the time the song was over.
So since the person the Lord gave me to mentor me was a youth PAstor, I packed my bags said goodbye to my parents (who at the time disowned me for going into ministry) and moved to Bourbonnais, Il to attend Olivet Nazarene university to become a Youth Pastor. I never cpould get my studies completed, there was always a road block, like 12 family members and 1 friend dying in 8 months. Hard times that felt like attacks and they were.
Life went on and I left school still thinking I belonged in ministry but not knowing where. The sad fact is my faith got tested so hard during those times I ran. Much like the Prodigal son i had to come to that brick wall in my life to realize what I had left behind. Well that was 4 months ago when my wife of now 7 years left me and took our kids. I was so lost in my own self pitty that she was tired of it. hello wall and Hello GOD! that forced me to seek Him. I do not mean just oh please bring her back and I will return it was 2 of the most painful days I have ever been through of Him pointing out where I had failed and what was needed. After those 2 days my wife finally returned the first phone call. It felt like He kept her from calling me till I had truly sought him out.
* Just a note as I type this "Whereever you Are " from Crossway is playing on enlighten lol no matter how far whereever you are...*
About 3 months ago as my wife and I were doing our daily prayers ( lots changed around here and I am back to being the spiritual leader I am supposed to be[Thank You Lord]) she asked me, "Did you ever think you picked the wrong ministry?" Ok here I was speechless cause we were not even praying about a ministry. That cracked open a door that we started to look into and lo and behold I am here now. I not only posted a job lisiting about trying to form a SG group, I answered a few postings on there. I met a 20 yr old from Jacksonville, IL who was also interested in starting one, we are 2 hrs apart and we seem to think alike. Here is where it gets cool. While we have been talking he explained to me he has some contacts in SG music already. his cousin is Paul Sanders, who is in The Blackwood Quartet. Well that was cool and all the info I would ever needed, but he felt he needed to tell me one more piece of info. paul is married to Joyce MArtin of The Martins... hmm back full circle lol. So now we shall see what the Lord has in store.
Sorry if it was to long. I have had all this inside for months now and needed to get it all out lol
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Nothing But the Blood Still Saves The Lost
www.myspace.com/hfiresweb
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RE: Your Story - 7/5/2007 10:37:04 PM
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ponders_life
Posts: 352
Joined: 6/27/2007
From: Illinois
Status: offline
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lol did I scare eveyone? i mean the views went from 670 something to over 700 and everyone is scared to respond lol. I'm sorry if I did. just never had a chance before to put all that into text..
_____________________________
Nothing But the Blood Still Saves The Lost
www.myspace.com/hfiresweb
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RE: Your Story - 7/5/2007 11:54:16 PM
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armydude
Posts: 12269
Joined: 2/12/2006
From: NC
Status: offline
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As much as I love y'all, I'll probably stick to the short version. I got involved with stuff I shouldn't have, and I have done things that would probably ostracize me from just about any church if I were still doing them. They in fact have caused me to be an outcast at a few churches that didn't believe anyone like that could change. I have seen things that scared me stiff (and this isn't including combat). When I look at my past, (which I don't do very often) I am simply amazed that God would choose to use someone like me in a preaching ministry. Shoot, I'm surprised He'd use me in any way. It shows His goodness that He would take the worst sinner (with apologies to the Apostle Paul) and make him His child. PRAISE THE LORD!!!
_____________________________
Faith without obedience is impossible.
Obedience without faith is unlikely.
Together they are powerful beyond measure.
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RE: Your Story - 7/6/2007 7:04:17 AM
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Dinana
Posts: 10097
Joined: 3/28/2006
From: Kennesaw, GA
Status: offline
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Thanks to all of you for sharing. My story is like a lot of people. I was pretty much raised at church, saved at 9 years old, and have felt God's presence leading and guiding and protecting ever since. I haven't been through anything as drastic as a lot of people on here, just the fairly normal stuff like a broken marriage, lost jobs, kids moving away, etc. Music has always spoken to me louder than preaching, so I get a lot of encouragement and enjoyment from SG songs and singers.
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 9:03:21 AM
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yustme
Posts: 328
Joined: 5/2/2007
Status: offline
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L5man,Ijust read your story.WOW,what a story.I just found this thread,and I like it.
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 9:27:27 AM
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L5MAN
Posts: 700
Joined: 3/21/2007
From: Gilmer, Texas
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: yustme
L5man,Ijust read your story.WOW,what a story.I just found this thread,and I like it.
Thank you!
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<< Hannah's Favorite Group, Legacy Five
KaunitzCentral.com
As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 9:55:26 AM
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yustme
Posts: 328
Joined: 5/2/2007
Status: offline
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Why was my response to L5man deleted?
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 9:58:20 AM
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Qtman
Posts: 10983
Joined: 3/21/2006
From: Crimson Tide Country
Status: offline
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It looks like it is still there. I see a post telling l5man that you liked his story and that you just found this thread. Then a post from L5man saying thanks and then your last post. Was there another?
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Please Remember our Military Past and Present. ALL gave some, SOME gave all.
Qtman's Musings
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:03:28 AM
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ponders_life
Posts: 352
Joined: 6/27/2007
From: Illinois
Status: offline
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I see what I believe is your 1st post followed by l5man then your second. was there more?
_____________________________
Nothing But the Blood Still Saves The Lost
www.myspace.com/hfiresweb
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:04:39 AM
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ponders_life
Posts: 352
Joined: 6/27/2007
From: Illinois
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: qtman
It looks like it is still there. I see a post telling l5man that you liked his story and that you just found this thread. Then a post from L5man saying thanks and then your last post. Was there another?
LOL ok I give up I was beaten by the offline super fast poster rofl. And just got my hand slapped again for posting to early rofl
_____________________________
Nothing But the Blood Still Saves The Lost
www.myspace.com/hfiresweb
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:07:39 AM
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Qtman
Posts: 10983
Joined: 3/21/2006
From: Crimson Tide Country
Status: offline
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I'm sorry ponders-life. Who slapped your hand?
_____________________________
Please Remember our Military Past and Present. ALL gave some, SOME gave all.
Qtman's Musings
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:14:36 AM
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ponders_life
Posts: 352
Joined: 6/27/2007
From: Illinois
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: qtman
I'm sorry ponders-life. Who slapped your hand?
The system lol I had just posted something and forgot to wait the 1 minute or so between posts lol. They keep slapping my hand saying "It is to soon for you to post" lol
also what does SMIPFY mean? I use SHMILY for my wife. If you have read anything from Dr. Dobson you know it means See How Much I Love You.
< Message edited by ponders_life -- 7/9/2007 10:17:32 AM >
_____________________________
Nothing But the Blood Still Saves The Lost
www.myspace.com/hfiresweb
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:16:29 AM
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Qtman
Posts: 10983
Joined: 3/21/2006
From: Crimson Tide Country
Status: offline
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That does get annoying.
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Please Remember our Military Past and Present. ALL gave some, SOME gave all.
Qtman's Musings
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:20:24 AM
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yustme
Posts: 328
Joined: 5/2/2007
Status: offline
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Up in the right hand corner just before reply there is a delete sign with a red x on it.My name is the only name it has it with.Why?
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:22:25 AM
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armydude
Posts: 12269
Joined: 2/12/2006
From: NC
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: yustme
Up in the right hand corner just before reply there is a delete sign with a red x on it.My name is the only name it has it with.Why?
Because you can delete your own posts if you find afterward that you didn't want to say that for whatever reason. You can delete your own posts, the moderators can delete your posts (for violating TOS), and the admin can do the same. But we can't delete each other's posts.
_____________________________
Faith without obedience is impossible.
Obedience without faith is unlikely.
Together they are powerful beyond measure.
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:23:36 AM
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Qtman
Posts: 10983
Joined: 3/21/2006
From: Crimson Tide Country
Status: offline
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You only see those on your own post. That is the option you have regarding that post. You can choose to delete it if for some reason you need to. Otherwise it is still there. No Problem.
_____________________________
Please Remember our Military Past and Present. ALL gave some, SOME gave all.
Qtman's Musings
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 10:25:37 AM
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Qtman
Posts: 10983
Joined: 3/21/2006
From: Crimson Tide Country
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ponders_life
quote:
ORIGINAL: qtman
I'm sorry ponders-life. Who slapped your hand?
The system lol I had just posted something and forgot to wait the 1 minute or so between posts lol. They keep slapping my hand saying "It is to soon for you to post" lol
also what does SMIPFY mean? I use SHMILY for my wife. If you have read anything from Dr. Dobson you know it means See How Much I Love You.
The bold part is what I was refering to when I said it gets annoying. Once again it appears we cross posted.
The letters in my signature line you asked about is a coded message to a dear friend that I hope is still lurking around these threads. It would mean nothing to anyone else.
_____________________________
Please Remember our Military Past and Present. ALL gave some, SOME gave all.
Qtman's Musings
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RE: Your Story - 7/9/2007 11:16:49 AM
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yustme
Posts: 328
Joined: 5/2/2007
Status: offline
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Thanks for being so patient with me.I'm so new to all this,and half the time I don't know what I'm doing.Sorry for interrupting the thread.Carry on with your story,I'm enjoying this.I'll post mine later.God Bless you all.
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RE: Your Story - 7/16/2007 3:26:29 AM
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singLOUD
Posts: 446
Joined: 7/12/2006
From: Baton Rouge
Status: online
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My Christian walk has consisted of several seasons.
1. Born in 1958, as a child in the 60s, I was raised Assemblies of God, very involved in church activities, and very grounded in Scripture. I was saved at about 7 (and 8 and 9 and 10....). When I was 12, my parents quit going to church for several years.
2. As a teen, I went to a Methodist church because some of my friends went there and it was in my neighborhood, but it was mainly a social activity for me. I especially enjoyed the church basketball team, AL state Methodist summer camps and any type of church choir I could get into. My senior year in high school, I sang in 7 different area church choirs' Christmas contatas. I loved singing.
3. Went to college, got busy "living" and did not go to church for more than 10 years. Got married and started a family, but never discussed (nor practiced) religion.
4. Then one day in 1988, God got my attention the day my wife got saved. We were preparing to move from Pensacola to Virginia Beach. The moving truck had just left with our furniture and I was sweeping out the garage, prepping the house for sale. 3 ladies from PCCBC (Pensacola Christian College Baptist Church) stopped by witnessing door-to-door. The next thing I know my wife and these ladies are kneeling in my driveway praying for her salvation. I was holding a 2-year-old and feeling a very strange emotion. I was glad she was getting saved, but I was ashamed and convicted that I had let her and God down by not being the spiritual leader he wanted me to be. My wife and I determined never to feel that way again, so we have spent the last 18 years actively searching for and trying to follow God's will for our lives.
5. So, now I manage a Christian bookstore, am an ordained minister and part-time MoM in a small traditional SBC church. Life is not perfect of course. I struggle to get the balance right, right now working way too many hours at the expense of my family, church and personal walk with God. Also, we have requested 5 transfers back "home" to North AL or south TN in the last 2 years, but none have worked out.
That's about it, that's my story. I liked this thread and did not want it to die, so that is why I posted this today. Sorry if it was a bit long winded.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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You are only as old as you sing!
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RE: Your Story - 7/16/2007 7:31:18 AM
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Jeff_from_Kentucky
Posts: 1647
Joined: 7/5/2006
From: Kentucky
Status: offline
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I wrote a great deal about my life in the other thread but I did not tell about my experience with the Lord. I saved that for this one.
I did not grow up in church. We attended church some but not on a regular basis. My maternal grandfather was a devout Christian and he loved SG music. He always had the records playing when I was at their house, which is why I did drift toward SG music as I got older.
Anyway, I graduated high school in 1981, entered college and failed out after three semesters. In 1983 I joined the Air Force. I got married in 1988 and my son was born in 1989, followed by my daughter three years later. I was divorced in 1998.
During all of this I was not a Christian. I had the knowledge (meaning I knew quite a bit about the bible and how to be saved) and I listened to SG music quite often. However, I just could not take that final step and commit my life to God. In January 1999 I switched jobs in the Air Force and met the guy who would become my best friend. At about the same time I put my kids into a Christian Daycare before and after school.
My friend kept inviting me to his church. I went once in February just to shut him up but I would not go back. I just could not bring myself to make that commitment. In the meantime, my daughter had accepted Jesus at the daycare. She was seven years old.
The next few months were a struggle for me. God was drawing me to Him and Satan was fighting to keep me away. What I didn't know at the time was that my friend, his wife, and several members of his church were praying for me every day.
Then God used the one thing that he knew would get to me; my daughter. One Thursday afternoon she asked me if I had accepted Jesus into my heart. I told her that I had not. She looked at me and said "You should." That really got to me. Two little words from my seven year old daughter really shook me up.
Four days later, on Monday July 26, 1999 at 11:30 PM, it was just me and God in my bedroom. That was when I let Jesus into my life. I have not been the same since.
The peace that settled over me that night is something that I will never forget. The next morning when I got up to go to work, I could tell a difference. I was looking at the world differently than I had the day before. I knew my life had changed and I still do not regret it one bit!
_____________________________
<< Frank Seamans and my son Jeffrey - September, 2007
"For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
Dispatchers tell cops where to go!
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RE: Your Story - 8/5/2007 9:02:56 PM
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WhiteRoseBlessings
Posts: 26356
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: Here, but subject to change . . . stay tuned!
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: L5FanLady
This thread is for personal blessings that you would love to share with everyone.  So what's your story? 
This has been a great thread to read! I have very much enjoyed reading everyone's posts.
You'll notice that I've bolded part of the quote. I love Blessings threads! 
I'm sure I will have Blessings from Our Lord to post in here as time goes on. 
I do view telling my story different than sharing the blessings in my life; however, after walking around for a few days thinking and praying about it, I have decided to do both in this thread. I will first give y'all an introduction of who I am.
Many of the things that I will write about regarding my story can be found in my blog, or in that Ramblin' chat thread over in the Personally For You folder, or even admist some other threads if the OPs were relevant to any part of who I am. I'm pretty much an open book, as I believe Our Lord has directed me to be available to tell any part of my life whenever asked, whenever appropriate or even whenever necessary. And as, I mentioned, I have prayed about whether or not to post "my story" (in its entirety) here. I do feel that I am supposed to do just that.
PLEASE NOTE: Much of what you will read will not be "pretty" . . . and some parts may even be a bit graphic. It is, however, my life; and I truly hope that after you read it, you will realize how Our Lord has brought me through absolutely every part of it and that you will also join me in giving HIM thanks and Praise for His Hand in my life.
For YOUR Honor and YOUR Glory, Lord.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I was adopted, when I was 3 months old, by my maternal grandmother and her second husband (Shirley & Walt).
Both Walt and Shirley were alcoholics. Shirley was also physically violent, and I was extremely afraid of her.
When I was 3 years old, two male babysitters, in their mid-to-late teens, started babysitting me; and so began a two-year period of sexual abuse towards me, from both of them. One of my very first memories ever is of that time period. Thanks be to Our Lord Jesus Christ, it no longer has any power over me at all; and I don't particularly try to relive that time period.
Around the time that I was 8, Shirley was diagnosed with lung cancer; and was bed-ridden for the rest of her life. She died when I was 10. Hers was the first death I had experienced first-hand; and it wasn't until after the funeral when the priest told me it was ok if I cried, that I realized that most people are sad when someone dies. For me, regarding Shirley, the only thing I felt was immense relief.
Walt's reaction to Shirley's death was to go deeper and deeper into the bottle. He continued to drink and drink even more. I was pretty much left to take care of myself. I was once told by my godmother who knew of the situation that I was never to tell anyone because Social Services would come and take me away from my dad and that would break his heart and that would be my responsibility if it ever happened. So I never told anyone; not while Walt was alive.
When I was 13 and in the 9th grade, I was gang-raped by 3 boys who were in the 10th and 11th grades. After it was over, one of them told me that they expected me to have sex with all of them whenever they wanted. When I told them that would never happened, the "leader" beat me and told me that if I didn't do what they wanted, they would kill me. So that was basically my life for the next 3 months; this happened almost every day after school. Sometimes there was also physical violence. One day, I decided that I truly would rather be dead than to submit any longer to what they were doing; and so I told "the leader" to go ahead and kill me because I had enough. That was the first time in my life that I ever stood up to anyone. I did get beat up one last time; but after that none of them ever bothered me again. (Sadly, about 20 years ago, I learned that a couple of these boys were serving prison sentences for sexually abusing mentally-retarded adults.)
When I was 14, a family moved in down the street from me. They truly were a gift from Our Lord! The mother was absolutely the kindest and most loving person I had ever met. I would spend inordinate amounts of time at their house; and they never once told me to go home. They even fed me most nights. I think about that every now and then. Back then, I had no concept of money and what it must have cost to continually feed me . . . for years on end. Nor did I know about family time or anything like that. Back then, in my mind, I liked these people, I felt safe around them and so I decided to basically live with them for about 4-5 hours most every day after school. They all pretty much went on with their lives and included me in it. If the mother wasn't home, I'd go out and hang around with the father while he did farm chores and such. I played with their kids; 3 of them and me . . . all within about 4 years of age to each other. This family was my personal safety haven where no one could hurt me.
At 18, I married a boy I barely knew. I married him to move away from home. By this time, Walt and I were almost enemies with each other. In my mind, I was going to leave and never come back.
15 months later, my first husband and I were divorced. It had started to become physically violent; and I had promised myself a couple years earlier that no one was ever going to physically hurt me again; so I left my husband and we divorced. I went back to my homestate and moved in with Walt again.
(continued in next post)
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Cleaning Toy Figurines
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