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"Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth." Psalm 124:8. Combining two passions, the love of Christ and cross-stitching into a business may have been a natural for me, but getting there has been a journey. I was raised in a loving, Christian home but being shy and insecure, when I hit my early twenties, I discovered there was a world out there that appeared glamorous and exciting. I suppressed the Holy Spirits work in me and did what I wanted to do. In those days I embraced the words to a Frank Sinatra tune, “I Did It My Way”, and I certainly did. Even as a child of the King, He allows us to make our own choices. It was many years before I came back to Him completely. Certainly He never left me, and somehow kept me alive through alcoholism, poor choices in relationships, and other destructive behaviors. He was always there. I was a marginal Christian attempting to “walk the fence”. He says in His Word that a Christian who is neither hot nor cold, He will spit out. I am thankful that He is a God of second chances. One can easily “twist” a verse or passage to mean what you want in order to fit the sin one is in, I certainly did. Eventually, He will “spit you out” if you completely turn your back on Him and “do your own thing”; in essence, become your own god. When I completely surrendered and turned my life back over to God’s care, that is when things really started to change in me. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come. II Corinthians 5:17. Today I am blessed with a loving Christian husband, a nice home and a supportive church family. Joyful Expressions is slowly growing and is dedicated to furthering His Kingdom. Certainly there are trials and difficulties in our lives, but He has promised to always be there for us. “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 If you have completely surrendered to Him, confessed your sins and asked Him into your heart to be your All in All, we will someday meet at the Wedding Feast that He is preparing for us. I look forward to seeing you then! Sandra Schueller – Joyful Expressions “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths”. Proverbs 3:6
I was raised as a Catholic girl in Chicago.
Grandma made sure that I knew all about Jesus by the time I could
talk. Unfortunately, no one ever mentioned reading the Bible to let
God speak to me, they only wanted to fill my head with doctrine and my
heart with guilt.
Years later I found the meaning of a heart for Christ on my own
through acquaintances, but the more I tried to grow in my faith, the
more I was mocked by my friends and family. After a cross country
move to Florida with our four kids and a dog, my husband and I
realized we had nothing in common. Unfortunately, we looked
in different places for our answers and we ended up divorced. This
really messed up my faith for a good two years.
I was working two jobs and barely seeing my kids when I met my soulmate,
Keith. Once married, we had good jobs and decent cars and a pile of
bills. I felt like my job owned me and my boss made me crazy. [Now I
know that it was obsessive perfectionism that made me crazy! I felt
that if I wasn't perfect, I would never be loved. The Bible has
taught me that we are not supposed to be perfect. Only God is
perfect. He made us just the way we are, because that is how He can
use us for His glory.]
By Oct 2003, I got so stressed out I almost had a total breakdown.
My doctor wrote me out of work for three weeks just to chill out and
de-stress. Eight days later Keith was hit by a car.
He was ok, but it was a close call. He thought he was invincible
until he got hit again five weeks later. (He rides a bike at night
for work) By now, I was praying regularly for the first time in
years and he was starting to look for answers. At the same time,
a police officer friend of his was killed on the job. He was hit by
a car while responding to a traffic violation and he didn't survive.
His death was a huge breakthrough for Keith and for myself. James
Weaver was a believer and his funeral was deeply affecting. At last
Keith truly saw how God was working in his life all along, whether
he knew it or not. There had to be a reason why he was spared and
James wasn't. Keith gave his life to Christ and I recommitted in a
way I never knew before.
I quit smoking for good after 20 years. We found a church to join
and in March of 2004 we were baptized. Sure, I was sprinkled on the
head as an infant, but this time I was choosing for myself, and the
full body submersion was very cleansing for my soul.
Now my marriage is better than I ever imagined it could be, my kids
are happier than ever, and I know Jesus is with me every day. Life
still throws us hurdles, but we get through them together with our
faith. The only time I really get discouraged is when I forget how
BIG my God is! ;-P
Please visit my church to see why I can't wait to get up early every
Sunday!
God Bless You!
In 1991, I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I know that is hard to understand if you haven't experienced it, but what it means is that you realize you are lost and on your way to hell for your sins. I couldn't have realized that without Him calling me to Himself, as nothing in me wanted the goodness of God. In my case, I was very unhappy and I didn't know why. I didn't believe in God for a long time, because I felt that I was strong and could do anything by myself. Also, I had questions when I was young that no one knew the answers to, so I just decided to simply stop believing in God. Well, your life runs parallel to your faith, and it wasn't long before I was shipwrecked in addiction and depression. I was getting to the point where I wondered what meaning there was to life. A friend wrote me just then about Jesus, and how He had suffered much more than I ever could, and that He loved me, and died for my sins so that I could be with Him in Heaven. I'm ashamed to say that I always ignored her talk about Jesus before, going along with the way the world thinks about Jesus' followers- brainwashed, fanatical, "out there". But I really wanted to know. I didn't want to sit on the fence any longer. And my life was crumbling. I went for a visit to her house, and she asked me if I would like to be saved. At that time, I didn't really know the meaning of that. I thought to myself, "Well, what do I have to lose?" What a funny question, I think now. I was more concerned about what I would lose than what I would gain. She helped me to pray (as I didn't know how). She helped me to ask Jesus to forgive my sins, and to be my Savior. With her help, I told Him that I believed in Him and wanted to be saved. I guess if I felt anything that day it was warmth and light. I felt His presence, that's all I can say. It was a real pleasure to feel His love after such a cold and indifferent life I was living. It made me realize that He was real, and I had been running from Him for many years. I knew then that I was a child of God (for you have to come to God through His Son Jesus). I knew then that His Holy Word was the Bible- and that answered my question from childhood as to how God could speak to us. I experienced such joy and peace that day and every day since then, knowing there is Someone walking by my side, showing me His light in a very dark world. Showing me that someday I have a glorious future, because He saved me, a sinner. Not through anything that I have done, but because what He did satisfied a Holy God. Do you know the way of salvation? You can find it here: http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html It will tell you that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. He is the Living Water in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. My favorite Psalm, Psalm 48, says, "He will be our guide even unto death". I need that kind of a guide. I also knew very well that I was a sinner. What other hope before God did I have? None. If you would like to talk about your salvation, you are welcome to email me here: (Sincere requests only, please!) mailto:angie@angiesgiftsbyhand.com Today is the day of salvation, God says. And He says, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." And, "This is my Beloved Son, hear ye Him." If you died tonight in your sleep, where would you be? Thank you for reading. Angie
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