Kristi's Testimony

I don't know how to write this in short form. God has worked more miracles in my life than I could write. I literally could write a book about it. Maybe I should...could use the income! I'll try to shorten it here.

We did not attend church when I was growing up. I would occasionally go to Catholic church with my cousins and to the Protestant church with my grandma. From the time I was 14 to the time I was 17 was trouble. I had a 4.0 GPA and was captain on the Varsity Volleyball team, but "after hours" I was partaking in illegal substances, smoking, going will any guy who would give me the time of day, and putting my life in jeopardy over and over again. The emotional turmoil was almost more than I could handle. My mom had enough sense to move me away from Colorado when I was 15, but you can find trouble wherever you are, and once I lost my love of Volleyball by switching schools when teams were already established, I quit school my sophomore year. I moved out of my parents house the day after my 16th birthday. I won't tell you what all went on during that year for sake of time, but I will say that ONLY God kept me alive. I met what would be my future husband during this time.

We were married two weeks after I turned 17. He wanted to go back into the army and we had to be married for me to go with him. My dad thought it would be good for me to get out of the area, so they agreed to give the courts their permission for me to be married. Unfortunately, Mike, my husband, changed his mind after we were wed. He was an addict, and an alcoholic and neither one of us were faithful to our vows. During this time my dad ruptured his colon and almost died. A baptist preacher came to visit him in the hospital, and shortly thereafter, my dad got saved. When I saw the change in his life at 40 years old, I had to see for myself what changed him. After months of attending church, and hearing about how Jesus died for someone as awful as me; listening to how I could be saved too, I finally accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, and prayed that He would forgive me of my sins, and be Lord of my life; come in to my heart and save me from the wicked that I knew. I can't tell you the exact day, but I know from that point on my life...scratch that....myself was different. My circumstances didn't change, but how I handled things, and what I felt in my heart was different. God was leading my life and He was carrying me when I couldn't walk. (Footprints is my all time favorite poem and always will be) I went through what I consider to be hell on earth for the next two years. I say that literally, not swearing, because that's what it felt like. At times I felt as though I was staring Satan in the face in my own home. What Mike put me through, as an addict, I couldn't even tell my own mother, because I knew it would hurt her to much. Some things that happened, only the Lord and I know they happened. Only God has the power to get someone through that, and He did. I know I am a strong person, but I know God was the one who made me strong, and He made me stronger and I was living off of His strength in that time of my life.

But, while in jail for a DUI, 3 months after I left him, to protect our firstborn, Mike was saved...led to the Lord by the same preacher that led my father, myself, my brother, and my biological grandmother to the Lord. PRAISE GOD!!! I had given up on Mike, but God hadn't. I know I'm getting long here, I need to wrap this up...It's been a long road. You don't recover from all that overnight, but here we are almost 9 years later and we are getting ready to celebrate our 11 year anniversary next month. We now have 4 beautiful children. We attend church 3 times a week without excuses (unless we're sick). I haven't said a curse word in 6 years. We don't watch movies that have to much cursing in them, or any nudity at all. Mike even quit smoking 2 years ago. He hasn't had a drink in several years. We now believe that drinking, even a casual beer or glass of wine, is unacceptable. It's just letting Satan put his foot in the door. I now try to stay as submitted to my husband's leadership as I can. I still need help with this. I do have a very strong personality. We gave up financial wealthiness to homeschool our children and make sure that they live a better life than we did. Train them to be among the world, but not of the world. Teach them where their home is, and how to live for God, and why. Make Him a part of every single thing in their life..right down to where to park at the grocery store! I want my children to have the testimony that Pamela and many others have. I want my kids to say in their testimony, that they grew up in church and always knew about the Lord. I want to go further and have them be able to say that mom and dad were a true witness to Christ and lived a very Godly life!

So my hope for this bible study, is to grow even closer to the Lord. My biblical knowledge is great now, and I'm a million miles away from where I once was, but no Christian has arrived! God's Word is Divine, and every time you read it, it is going to speak to you in different ways, because it's the way God speaks to us in this day. When you and I read the same passage, some of it is going to mean something different, because God is talking to you where you are at spiritually in life, and giving you answers to your needs in your life and then He is talking to me where I am at, and meeting my needs. I think we can all learn and grow together in knowledge, and support each other, and pray for one another. But I know we all will see somethings differently as our Father instructs us each individually as well. Just as we do our own children.

My goal is to stay in His word every single day. Something I have never done before. I'm hoping it will help me to see things His way and think like Him more often. I want to make better decisions for me and my family. I spent way too much money last year on things we didn't need, and that puts my family into debt. I want to help reverse that this year. I loose my patience too easily with my children. I've let my health and weight spiral out of control. I have a food addiction that mirrors sin in my life. I want those things gone! I know staying in His word will help, and I ask for your prayers as well!