Angela
I have been so blessed through the ministry of Grace Valley Christian Center. To be honest, I had always thought of myself as a Christian from the time that I was very young. I had never done anything really wrong, and lived a basically moral life. People used to tell my mom how they had never seen such well-behaved kids, and I figured that I was doing just fine. However, in 2000, I was faced with something that many do not face until they are older: death. In April, my uncle died at the young age of 32 and then in August, I was diagnosed with an unknown autoimmune eye disease. Even though I was only ten, I was shaken. I mean, I had had pets before die, and my great-grandma had died when I was about seven, but I had never had a firsthand experience with death. Now, not only had I lost one of my favorite uncles, but I was hearing words like "possibility of cancer" in regards to myself. I remember being scared, and actually beginning to seriously think about things like heaven, hell and eternity for the first time
I distinctly remember our Pastor bringing me up to the front of the church at one point to pray for me and asking "Angela, are you a Christian?" Months before I would've answered yes, but then I shrugged my shoulders and answered, "I'm not sure." After much prayer on the part of my parents and church members and the counsel of our godly pastors and elders it was soon revealed that my faith was lacking. Although morally sound, I had no true faith in God and had never truly confessed, repented, and believed on Christ in such a way that would bring about godly change and fruit in my life. However, God began to work in my heart and in December of 2001, after much sacrifice on the part of the elders to pray, meet, and speak with me, I accepted Jesus as not only my Savior, but also Lord of my life.
But God did not end his work in my heart then. As I continued in school, first at our church's private school and then, my sophomore year, at Dixon High School, I began to drift away from my faith. I liked the false crutch that many people use religion as: a way to be known as a good person while doing whatever I pleased, having no real signs of Christianity in my personal life or in my heart, just outward conformity to what I ought to be doing. Whenever I did something good, I excused the things that I had done badly that day and figured that on a scale, good would probably outweigh the bad in my life, so I figured I was doing alright. By the fall of my junior year, I had continued to slide back in my Christian walk and become a proud, manipulative, deceitful person. God was merciful to me, however, and revealed my sin through my parents, my youth group leaders, my sister, my friends, and even an unbelieving co-worker who spoke into my life. When I began to open up to the authority in my life and reveal the true wickedness in my heart, I expected condemnation, guilt, and sadness, but instead I had this great sense of peace, joy and hope. God gave me new birth once at the time of my salvation, but then yet again by allowing me to recommit my life to him in a whole new way. Although in no way perfect now, God has continued to work in my heart and thought life, and given me a desire to become a person who has a real interest in God, his Word, and sharing that word with others. There is truly no greater joy, no better way to live, than under God, walking in His purpose for you. I am very excited about what His will might contain for me in my college years and the rest of my life. "Where He leads me, I will follow. I'll go with Him, with Him, all the way."