WEDNESDAY'S WORDS / .5

i guess i should've titled this post "wednesday's words/ .5 with a twist"... because, instead of hearing from the wise and famous i'm going to share my testimony.

after 18 years of membership at my home church, i made a hard decision to move to another church...or at least i thought it was hard at the time. transitioning and almost completing the joining process has been such a sweet and exciting time for me. grace fellowship just celebrated only seven years of life, so it is fairly small in size, but to me i could care less. why? because every person there is genuine. the true Christlike fellowship is appealing. Scripture is the root of all notions.
the hesitancy to switch churches has been completely conquered by the peace God has granted to me regarding my decision. He, without a doubt, paved the way to grace fellowship baptist church.
one component of my "application process" to call grace fellowship my new church family was to write my testimony. honestly, my initial reaction wasn't an eager one, but rather just the opposite. there is no excuse - i should not dread such a thing; any story that tells of the saving grace of God changing a life is worthy of enthusiasm and thanksgiving; so i put ink to paper, both out of submission to the process and a new desire.
reading through my testimony brings tears and a humility that bends me at the knees. this week has been a time of thanksgiving to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ as i recall the time God put predestination into action, choosing me to be his daughter.

My testimony is not dramatic and for that, I am thankful. I was raised in a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching home, always attending any and every event my church held; we were extremely involved there. At times, I felt like a preacher's kid, seeing as ESPC was my second home; but, I was not. My parents began homeschooling my three older sibling and I because of a personal conviction found in Deuteronomy 6:6,7 which reads, "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you like down and when you rise." It is because of these verses that the Gospel and Scripture itself was a huge part of my schooling for twelve years. There was never a day I did not believe in God or rejected the Gospel, but i did not want it to change me either; I willingly ran my hell-bound race. Until I was thirteen years old, God was preparing me for the life-altering night a t a youth retreat; one of my favorite speakers preached on total depravity and the redeeming grace of God from a fresh perspective. In that moment, i saw my complete and hopeless wretchedness, and wanted nothing more than to cling to Christ - "the Way, the Truth, the Life" (Jn. 14:6). For almost six years now, I have been free from the chains of sin and death, experiencing change only the Trinity can make. God has aught me countless lessons and convicted me of sin day in and day out. Recalling who I once was without Christ is terrifying. however, because of Him, my heart, my mind, my soul, have all been made new by the cleansing Blood of the Lamb. I don't view my Bible as a textbook like I once did, but as a Treasure. My heart yearns for more of Christ. My mindset is one of joy and hope and gratitude; my soul knows and believes its purpose and Maker. I, too, see the difference between knowledge of God and truly knowing God - the latter means to love him. The life I've been given has been transformed to one that hungers and thirsts for righteousness, it is not my own. I am still a sinner through to the core, but because I hate sin and despise when I commit it myself, I know the Holy Spirit is working in me. By God's grace, worry has no place, modesty is a part of me, tithing is a joy, and prayer a privilege. With thankfulness, I praise my Father for conforming me more and more to the image of his Son through these things, and long to pursue holiness until I die, by and through Christ alone. I cannot get enough of Three-in-One, One-in-Three, yet I know He fully satisfies. I've committed my way to the Lord and submitted to his supremacy. From this day foreword, I publicly surrender my life to the One Who died for it, and join with Paul saying, "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever."

i sit here on the couch: full of peace, grateful, humbled...