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Grethel
I grew up fatherless, lonely, and lost. I lost my
innocence as a child. I got caught up in the physical attention and
affection guys could provide and thought I was loved in that. While all
along Jesus was reaching out to me waiting for my reply. I accepted His
help, took His hand and continue to learn my value and self-esteem in
Him…..my only and greatest Father. Jesus was always reaching out to me.
He taught me how valuable I am and truly brought me fulfillment.
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| Joseph Garcia
There was a time that I was the entertaining and funny guy, but in the
most un-holy way. Not walking in the path that God laid out for me but
on the back roads of life, doing whatever my little heart wanted. While
most eighteen year olds are enjoying life, going to college for their
dream career and being single I was engaged before I was even nineteen.
Very sure of who I was and what I wanted, but I was just indulging in
my fleshly desires with a girl who I did not belong with.
Anger, frustration, ill feelings, uncertainty, and no trust are all
things that I experienced on a daily basis in a relationship that was
not blessed by God. It’s funny how God listens when we do not want him
to and answers our prayers in ways that our flesh rejects but our
spirit prospers. God delivered me from this relationship in October
2007 and I faced my problems with drinking and partying. That, of
course, is not the best way to do things.
I found refuge in God through Chi Alpha! God forgave me of my sins and
made me a new man in every aspect of my life. I am made new and His
blood flowed over me and cleansed my body and spirit. I’m no longer am
a slave to my fleshly desires and the chains are broken off! God is
love and I invite Him everywhere I go. Faith in Jesus carries me every day. The greater the challenge, the
greater the faith, and no matter the difficulties I know I face them
with the victory in Christ before they begin. |
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Maxine
After almost 18 years of doing “church” I felt like I had
reached my peak in being a Christian. I thought I knew everything there
was to know about God. It was nothing great or mind-blowing, nothing to
change your life over. I believed in God, I knew who He was-but I was
just so bored. I was tired of seeing the same weary faces every Sunday
and I was especially tired of people saying they believed in God but
living completely different lives Monday through Saturday. Truthfully I
was just fed up with everyone else getting to have guiltless fun and I
had to follow a big book of rules and guidelines that meant absolutely
nothing to me.
My first year of college and living away from home I contemplated
staying a Christian. I thought I would try the Christian club out and
if it was the same old thing then I was done. During a time of worship
so many questions began to fill my mind. “What’s so different about
these people? Why is God so tangible and real to them but I barely feel
like He exists?” So I began to pray and just ask God “If you’re really
real then speak to me. Not words in my head, audible words that I can
hear.” I decided that if God spoke to me then He really was real and
wanted me to follow Him whole heartedly for the rest of my life. And if
He didn’t speak then He wasn’t real and I would just cut my losses and
move on. Literally as I said “Amen” to my prayer, a leader there began
to prophesy over my life. The first words out of his mouth were “God is
saying…”
He had no idea who I was but was able to call out specific events that
occurred in my life and then proceeded to tell me what God wanted to do
in and through me. It was as if God had taken blind folds off my eyes
and I began to see every single thing that He had ever done for me.
Every time He had spared me from harm, every time He directed my steps,
every time He answered my prayers. So I knew what I had to do: follow
God whole heartedly for the rest of my life. God has taken what I
thought would be my forever mediocre, ordinary life and made it into a
supernatural and extraordinary one.
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