On A Personal Note From CJ...
I'm just a nobody
telling everybody about
A Somebody who can
save anybody!
~Author unknown
I am as Jesus said in John 14:10b
"The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, that of the Father, living in me, who is doing His work through me."
I am overjoyed that you dropped by for a visit. Hope you are having a blessed day in the Lord!
I'll start off with telling a little about myself...
Being a Texas native - born and raised, people tell me I bring to my audiences a southern flavor of humor and good `ole Texas
Here are Bits`n Pieces of my life's testimony which hopefully will explain a little why I feel...
I Have A Story To Tell.
As a young girl of 12, I asked Christ into my life. Being raised in a home of Christian parents, (which I'm so thankful for) my daddy was a layman preacher and our parents were very strict on raising their 3 children in a legalistic religious home. My sister, my brother and I were never taught we could have a hand-in-hand, one-on-one walking relationship with Jesus Christ! I blame not my parents because back then they taught only what they knew to do.
When I was 16, I felt a strong calling from God on my life to become a missionary. I even took the step to surrender to His calling before the church and was looking forward to where God would be sending me after high school graduation. Nights of restless sleep in my youth would bring forth visions of me working with children in Old Mexico; some nights would be visions of villages in Africa . As a child, these were the only two countries I’d ever heard of that missionaries went to carry the Gospel, but whichever place God was sending me, I was eager to go!!
However, (you know when you see a 'However' following something positive that there's going to be a u-turn from the previous statement, don't you?) However, my junior year in high school I met someone, fell in love, so I thought, and ending up marrying a non-Christian two days after my eighteenth birthday. You see the story playing out, don't you?... I followed ‘man’ instead of God. Fifteen years later, with two young sons by my side, we walked the road of divorce. I feel certain that 'the choices I made' throughout my adult life led me down some rough paths I never would have walked if I had followed God's calling.
This is why I have a story to tell.
Even knowing without any reservations that I had been saved by the blood of Christ when I was 12, I regularly found myself for most of my adult life in great need of peace in my heart and in my life. I loved my sons dearly and thanked God daily for such wonderful gifts, but I longed for secure happiness in all other areas of my life... do you hear where I'm coming from? I also longed for positive direction, and to have some victory for once in the things I attempted to accomplish!
Yes, I had dreams, but I never felt I was 'worthy' of experiencing victory, this coming from by how I was raised and others in my life pounding that into my head. (I refer to this topic in one of my teachings as..."Hear Often - Believe Much!") Even though one career path I took (becoming a Realtor) led me financially to livable success sporadically , but I was never satisfied. I had always thought of myself as a loser - not worthy to see my dreams become a reality. I had always been told I was a 'nobody' and my role was to stay in the dark shadows of the man, another words...never to be heard or seen or to have my own thoughts and voice.
I also never felt like I was worthy of God’s grace and love since I had turned my back on His calling as a young woman. This coming from the fact of not knowing the true meaning of Jesus' words... "Come unto me all who weary and I will give you rest. - My burden is light." It was a reality that my burdens were anything but light!
This is why I have a story to tell!
AS THE WHEEL ALWAYS TURNS BACK TO ITS BEGINNING TO COMPLETE A TURN,
SO SHALL I.
EVEN THOUGH COVERED WITH DUST, ROUGH AND RUSTED AROUND THE EDGES, I WILL BE MADE CLEAN AND AS NEW AGAIN!
SO WAS IT GOD'S PLAN ALL ALONG THAT I RETURN BACK TO HIM - TO COMPLETE THE TURN?
YES!
This is why I have a story to tell you.
Living my life away from God was my way of life for most of my adult life. And boy, did I like to party and act like I was enjoying life! But you know what was the most amazing thing? God never left my side!!! He was there all the time, for the most part, picking me up after I would fall!
Remarrying soon after my divorce still didn't give me the peace I longed for. I experienced abuse like I'd never experienced before! To the point of becoming afraid for my life. I became single again when he suddenly died with a heart attack.
Remarried again to a fun-loving guy, but it wasn't until after the death with cancer of this husband in 1996 and finding myself literally homeless, less than $600. to my name, living at a friend's home and from my car, and with a totally broken spirit that I found what I had been looking for all along!
Remarrying soon after my divorce still didn't give me the peace I longed for. I experienced abuse like I'd never experienced before! To the point of becoming afraid for my life. I became single again when he suddenly died with a heart attack.
Remarried again to a fun-loving guy, but it wasn't until after the death with cancer of this husband in 1996 and finding myself literally homeless, less than $600. to my name, living at a friend's home and from my car, and with a totally broken spirit that I found what I had been looking for all along!
In those long lonely night hours of darkness I experienced pain that was so unbearable. In my borrowed room, I didn't know if I wanted my life to continue or not. What I did know for certain was I had no desire to continue living like I had been for all my adult life! But it was during this grieving time that God revealed to me that I could live victoriously and have a life apart from my broken life and broken dreams, failures, and tragedies! It was there on those long nights when I was so lonely and broken that God spoke from the pages of His Word. God made me feel I could now believe I was 'a somebody,' being that of a transformed heart, mind and soul!'
You talk about an "EXTREME MAKEOVER," I was the one that was called out of my old house (my old way of thinking and believing) and entered into a brand new house (a new way of thinking, believing and living!!!)
For the first time in my life I finally understood why Jesus came and died and rose again for me and for you!
This is why I have a story to tell.
Did I still have obstacles thrown into my path that tripped me? Did satan come and try to destroy my refreshed relationship with my Heavenly Husband? OOOOH, YES! Satan was right on target... knowing how much I wanted to have God as my One and Only Focal Point in my life for once, the evil one went to work ASAP on placing people in my life that here again tried to destroy my confidence, my happiness, and my peace. When I finally fell down on my face in prayer, one more time, I again experienced God's grace and mercy in forgiveness, and showing me that no matter how many times I stumble, I am still His precious Bride!
This is why I have a story to tell.
A combination of my life’s testimony of finding VICTORY over being a victim of child abuse, domestic abuse, divorce, (and people wonder why roses have thorns!) single motherhood, being the only care giver to a husband dying of cancer, burying husbands, being homeless and all alone, broken spirit, and basically walking a reckless non-Christian lifestyle for most of my adult life, I hope demonstrates where my strength and survival skills came from...Coming ONLY through my LORD and SAVIOR! This is where my VICTORY came! I now don't look at religion from a law standpoint but from a relationship standpoint, a hand-in-hand relationship only with my Lord Jesus Christ specifically.
I pray that to all who reads this or hears me speak in person of God's unfailing love and forgiveness can somehow find hope again. You too can have an "EXTREME MAKEOVER!"
I know my story speaks volumes among so many ladies. This I believe comes from either their own experiences in life or knowing someone close to them who has walked or currently walking some of the same roads of adversities. Discovering I could have all the things that were missing in my life like… joy, hope, peace, fulfillment, happiness, success, etc, etc, and being able to share the 'Good News' with others is why I have a story to tell!
Furthermore, THE MAIN STORY TO TELL IS...
· God Is the Great Healer of ALL Pain
· He Can & Will Put ALL the Pieces of Our Broken Life Back Together Again
· God's Word Declares..."You Are My Delight"
· His Word Is Filled with 'Love Letters' & The Bible Is The Truth
· He Loves Us Enough To Forgive Us From Our Sins When We Come To Him Because He Gives His Grace Willingly To Those Who Ask
· And He Died for ALL, that Those Who Live Should No Longer Live for Themselves but for Him Who Died for Them and Was Raised Again (2 Cor. 5:15)
·Jesus Stills Lives - In Heaven and In Our Hearts
Our God is the...
Our God is the...
· Alpha and Omega - Rev. 1:8
· Trinity - Father, Son, & Holy Spirit - Matt. 28:19
· The Great "I AM!!!" - Ex. 3:14
~~~~~
Yes, I still believe that I have a calling on my life. The calling now is not going into foreign mission fields but instead doing a mission wherever I am among women, to…
Help establish believers deeper into God's Word,
and to lovingly invite non-believers toward the promises of the Word of God!
You see, I believe that... one who walks in the VICTORY of GOD will help lead many others into GOD'S VICTORY.
“For God has something better in mind
for us…”
Hebrews 11:40
AS I AM TODAY...
After being single for seven years, God sent
me A Gift in 2002, thirteen years ago this coming July! God truly blessed
me with His choice for a husband!! When I finally and fully
allowed God to bring forth His anointed one to be my life-mate, He sends
me a man that is beyond wonderful in so many ways!!! David, my
husband, is sincerely a GOD-GIFT!!!! (I talk about
'God-Gifts' in the Singles Bible Study class.) He may not be everything I
thought I wanted on my 'wish list', but you know what; he's
everything I've ever needed in a husband and best friend!
We quickly begin to love our day trips into the mountains exploring God's amazing creations. This is when I was bitten by the shutter-bug... photography! After making our home in a small town of Fruita, just on the outskirts of Grand Junction, Colorado, Saturday's became our day for road trips with the two dogs and camera in hand. A friend of mine called our little trips... "Going Beauty Hunting!"
We are settling in our new home here in Granbury among the pecan trees, and our wonderful loving church without any problems!!!!
We are settling in our new home here in Granbury among the pecan trees, and our wonderful loving church without any problems!!!!
