sharing my faith

I wanted to share this new hub with everyone because I have experienced so many amazing things in my life after I began my walk with Jesus Christ. I am glad you are here reading this and my hopes are that you walk away with encouragement and that your faith will be strengthened. He has always been in my life, but only in the last 8 years have I truly committed my life to him. I am now making a daily effort (and it is very tough sometimes) to be obedient and become more aware of his presence. I remember as a child always knowing that He was with me, protecting me from harm and others. I felt His presence but I really didn't know who He was. I also remember my mom praying all the time and I couldn't understand why she did this and if so, was God really listening.

Childhood memories of my mom praying:

My father who was a very heavy drinker, came down with a liver illness that almost killed him back when I was only about 5 years old. The doctor told him he would have to stop drinking or he would die. Some bad memories were of my father coming in after a drinking binge and waking my mom up in the middle of the night to get her to prepare some food for him. My faithful mom would get out of bed and heat his food for him. Then after wards she would bring it to him, but he would get mad and begin to throw things at her. My dad was a very nice person - when he was sober, but when liquor entered the picture it was a whole different ball game. I remember clearly one night being woken up and walking in to this horrible scene. I cried, and then I went over to my dad and began to hit him with my hands and pleaded with him to stop. He knelt down on the floor and he hugged me and he began to sob uncontrollably. He said he was so sorry and I just cried with him. See my mom prayed every night that my dad would stop drinking, and so God answered her prayers, because he did stop completely. That has to be the first time that I realized that God did listen and answer our prayers. My mom was a true inspiration to me. If it had not been for her constant prayers I would not be following God, or free from addictions like smoking and drinking and a lifestyle that was taking me nowhere.

My walk with God will a blessing to my children

It was because my mom loved me so much she asked God to work in my life and that is what has drawn me to God, and He has never let go of me. He has tugged at my heart ever since and I finally began to trust in him over 8 years ago - and I am now on fire for him . I believe that the choices and decisions I make along with the commitment to God and prayer, will set the course for my children and grandchildren. My children and grandchildren will be blessed because of my prayers, then God will begin his work in them. They of course will ultimately have to make the decision to follow God, and I know that is His will for them. Isn't that awesome! I praise God each and every day when I wake in the morning first thing - I thank him that he is blessing my children and grandchildren and drawing them to himself, in his ways and in his timing.

My other prayer is that others who do not know the Lord will realize that he is our "creator" and he has made us perfectly and wonderfully, to love Him and to enjoy a good life. But as sinners we cannot enter the Kingdom of God, that is why Jesus so graciously gave his own life for us, He died so we could live. Now when emotions get the best of me or someone has hurt my feelings I am not crushed like before. I turn to God who is my vindicator and my intercessor for strength to get through those tough times. He died so we could experience the fruits of the spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. He died so we could one day meet him and our Heavenly Father in heaven. I long for that day and I pray that the world will soon realize that the sooner we get back to the basics, which is bringing God back into our schools, keeping him in the center of our lives, we will experience his amazing blessings.

As we seek God's face and spend time in His word, we will be transformed. Our desires will be replaced by His, and our thinking will align more closely with His thoughts. As our understanding of His character grows, we will have a better idea of how to pray in accordance with his will. God's will is that no one perish but have everlasting life!