Text Box: Growing up Catholic, I had a simple knowledge of God. We went to church every Sunday and tried to be good people. Every few years, our family would move to a new state because my dad would get transferred. It wasn’t easy to make friends, but it seemed like I would always find my way into the “in” crowd. I went out of my way to be a people pleaser and searched for my significance in being liked, and approved of by others. In my 10th grade year my life fell apart. I felt alone, unloved, and had a deep longing in my heart that desperately wanted to be filled. I got a job, got my drivers license, started partying, and got involved in one relationship after another. I wasn’t at home much and did pretty much whatever I wanted, because I lied about what I was doing and put on the “I’m a good girl,” act. I continued going to church with my parents on Sundays, pretended like I was a good person, but inside I knew I really wasn’t. I can look back now and see that God was using certain things and people in my life for His purposes. His hand was upon my life even though I didn’t acknowledge Him. “I know the plans that I have for you says the Lord, plans for good, not evil, to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 In the early summer of 1990, God brought a friend into my life. She was different than anyone I knew. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted what she had, and the less I wanted of the empty life I was living. I later found out that she was a child of God. A sinner, saved by grace and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and she had been praying for me. She told me that I was a sinner and that I needed a Savior. She told me that my sins would result in eternal death, but that eternal life was the free gift of God. It was then that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I too was saved by grace and redeemed by His blood, but God wasn’t done with me yet. Though I wanted to follow the Lord with all my heart, I was pulled away by the pleasures of this world. In 1994, I met and married my current husband Bill and my life went from bad to worse. A couple of years later I got pregnant with our daughter Natalie and re-dedicated my life to the Lord. The next seven years, married to Bill, proved to be the most difficult years of my life. I continued to seek the Lord and He proved faithful to be my source of strength and hope. He gave me enough hope to believe that He would save my husband and restore my marriage. My marriage today is evidence of His love, faithfulness and power. I want to share my story so that others would be encouraged to have faith and hope in God too! My Christian walk has not always been easy. Many times I have turned away, looked to myself for strength, tried to handle my own problems, and made plenty of mistakes. I have learned that life is not what you make of it; it’s what God makes of you. It’s not about religion. It’s about relationship with Jesus. He wants us to walk with Him, talk with Him, trust Him, and depend on Him. I know that I have been justified freely by His grace through redemption that is in Christ. I know that He who began the good work in me will be faithful to complete it. And I know that He is not just my God, my Savior, my Helper; He is the Lord of my life and worthy of praise, glory and honor!

                             Dani's Testimony