Living Waters Fellowship

I was raised in a very Christian home, my grandmother, and my mother always speaking of god and encouraging me to go to church. I was baptized when I was a child, but I really didn’t know God. I knew the Bible nearly verbatim, and I knew Jesus was God’s son, but I didn’t understand what his purpose was, or why He died on the cross.

I went to church regularly until I hit my teenage years. Then I lost my desire to go to church, and I allowed myself to be influenced by some of the friends I kept. In my later teens I began using drugs and partying almost on a daily basis. I was using drugs and alcohol to try and fill a void I had.

I still believed that there was a God, but I didn’t understand how to truly speak to him.

I finally thought I found a break, and found the opportunity to begin attending college. While attending college I was unable to find a job, and eventually had to quit college. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I was never satisfied, and I failed at everything. I blamed God for all of the bad things in my life, and for not cutting me a break.

Eventually I met Megan, we became best friends and a few years later we began dating, and then we got married.

We had a great couple of years, and then we began arguing a lot. I believe that we both felt that we still had a void in our lives.

On October 17th of 2007, we found out that my Father had pancreatic cancer. We were told that he would live less than a year. His condition quickly deteriorated. Now my father never preached to us kids, but I did see him on many occasions reading his bible. And he did tell me many times to get right with God. I thought that meant just to be a good person, I never knew that what he was telling me was that my belief on how I was going to get to heaven I had all wrong.  I really wanted to get back in church, but was afraid that with the horrible way I lived my life I would be judged, and maybe be unwelcome in the church. So I began to read the bible again on my own, and this time things were different than before. Things finally began to make sense. I was finding answers to questions I had always had. But I still had not accepted Christ as my personal savior. My Dad went into hospice; he was slipping away fast, and was unable to speak to us anymore.

On March 8th, 2008 I was so completely exhausted from watching my father slip away, and I felt completely helpless.

We came home that night, I went to our bedroom, and I fell to my knees, and I prayed; Jesus I have been a horrible person, I have hurt many people, and have done many bad things. I deserve absolutely nothing from you, but I want to turn my life around, and live for you, I know that you can forgive me, and that you gave your life so that I may live. Jesus I beg for your forgiveness.

Jesus I ask this of you, please tell my dad, that it is okay for him to leave, and I will do my best to take care of things here. Please tell him I will see him when the time is right. In your name I pray. Amen

About two minutes had passed when I got the phone call that my Dad had just passed away. I cried for a moment, for the loss of one of my hero’s. And then all of a sudden I felt as if something was very different. I felt warmth, and happiness. The void that had always been there was filled. I once again fell to my knees in prayer, and thanked God.

I decided at that moment, that I would devote my life to Christ Jesus.

Since accepting Jesus as my savior, there have been a few bumps in the road, but nothing that God hasn’t helped me through. I try to let God guide me in how I handle things in my life. I now notice things that previously I had taken for granted, I look at people differently than how I used to, and I wake feeling great knowing that he is with me always.

Philippians 3:13-14

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

I have shared my story with many, and pray that my story may help others find the fullness of a life with Christ.