Since it is a New Year I thought I would start with a new topic (never forgetting what we talked about previously), this will be much more light hearted and easy to understand. Several years ago I was challenged to pick out a slice of my life that I could expound on that would show God's prescense and what his salvation did for me. My testimony will fill my blogs for the next several weeks, enjoy!
When I think of the lessons I’ve learned and the way I have seen God’s hand move in my life I always come back to Luke 8:22-25. If you are unfamiliar with this passage I will go through it verse by verse as I share how God has revealed himself to me. My story is one of healing and peace amid the trials and tribulations of life.
VERSE 22: “One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out.
This part of my story could be called: How I ended up in a boat with Jesus.
If you notice in this verse Jesus was talking to his disciples, disciples were his close followers. The first step to peace in your life is becoming a disciple of Jesus. People come to Jesus in many different ways and under many different circumstances, but one thing that remains constant is that Jesus always calls them. Here is how I was called to be a disciple of Jesus.
My story begins in Milwaukee, WI. I was born into a middle class, blue-collar family. I was the first-born of three and my parents could be classified as partiers. I can’t remember a lot of details from those early years except that there were always lots of people around the house. Many of the stories from my parents past have been edited, but every once in a while they let their guard down and you realize that they made partying into an art form. They had lots of friends and made lots of mistakes.
A few years later my dad was lead to Jesus by one of those fellow partiers. It was then that I was introduced to Jesus and church, and it was then that I witnessed first-hand the power of the Holy Spirit. My parents were different; our lives were different, almost instantly the parties and substance abuse was over. Have you ever seen anyone give up drinking and smoking instantly except through the power of Jesus? It was a miracle and I recognized the change in my house immediately. My dad shared with me his excitement about Jesus and told me He is real no matter what happened in life. The old life was traded in for family bar-b-q’s, bible studies and most importantly stability. This was my introduction to Jesus, what a welcome change He brought to my life. This was just the beginning, as the disciples were asked to cross the lake so was I.
Cool! Can't wait to read the rest!
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