In June of 1999 I lost my mother to terminal lung cancer. Three months later in September, I was diagnosed with Stage IIIA Lung Cancer. It meant that I had a tumor in my upper left lobe and tumors in the mediastinal glands on the left side. It was inoperable. I wasn't expected to live.

During my second month of therapy I was sitting in the Chemo room with a needle in my hand receiving Chemotherapy. For some reason I decided then and there that it was time to bring Jesus into my life. I asked for forgiveness of my sins and for help through the next four months of treatment. You see, I was taking radiation and Chemo at the same time. I was so tired and scared. I prayed and I kept on praying.

Prayers Went Out

When treatment was over that following March, my Oncologist wanted me to wait two months to let things settle down inside of me. Well, I went for a PT Scan in May and the scan showed my chest and lung to be totally free of cancer. Everyone was completely amazed, except for me, my neighbor and my mother-in-law.

He Brought Me a Long Way

I know God saved me for a purpose and I truly hope I am doing what He wants. I still go through trials and tribulations, but I pray for peace and comfort. I believe my life is better for being a Christian.

I know it's not popular to be a Christian or to be a witness these days, but I try to do my best.

Well, that is my simple story. I am sure there are many others out there who can testify of similar things.

I say, "Keep on praying." That is when you are closest to God.

Thanks for reading my story. Go with God, friends.

I lived a very hard life before I met Jesus. I was not a very good person. I had no friends. I ran with the devil and was a very evil person. Life was "all about me" and nobody else. If you couldn't do anything for me, or you couldn't give me something, then you were nothing to me. But, if I saw a chance to get something from you - look out! I would con you, steal from you, cheat you, hurt you, or do whatever it took to get what I wanted. No matter what, your feelings didn't matter to me at all. Nothing mattered except me.

Heading Toward Disaster

I was in and out of trouble most of my life. As a juvenile I was arrested for breaking into houses and doing drugs. But it didn't stop there. I did many things throughout my adult life, including things I was never caught for. I sold drugs. I was a thief and a pervert. I never liked myself, no matter what I did or how much money I had. I was always missing something. I searched and searched, but could never find what I was missing. I was miserable.

I Tried Everything

At one point I was spending over $300 every two or three days. I started spending my bill money on methamphetamine. Somehow, probably because I ran out of money, I got myself to stop. I say "myself" here, but I know it wasn't "by myself." I was very depressed and lost, nothing was going right in my life.

The Lowest Point

As I sat in my little six by nine cell, away from the drugs, away from the money, away from all my evil desires, I heard something. Someone was telling me, "It's time to read the Bible." At first I didn't listen. I was too caught up in my self pity and selfishness, but I kept hearing this little voice inside telling me over and over, "It's time to read the Bible."

After about two weeks of hearing this, I thought, "Maybe I do need to read the Bible." So, I put in a request for a Bible and then returned to wallowing in my sorrow. By this time I considered myself pond scum - that's what I thought I was. I had given up all hope of ever seeing my family again. I saw no hope of ever getting out of jail. I assumed I would spend the rest of my life there, and I felt I deserved to be there.

One morning while I was eating my breakfast - a Bologna sandwich - I was given a Bible. At first I didn't think much of it, and sat it on my little metal table and I ignored it. It took me a couple of days before I finally picked it up. Then I decided, "Why not? I'll try it. What do I have to lose?"

The Best Decision of my Life

I read day and night. The only time I stopped reading was after they turned the lights off and I couldn't see anymore. This book, the Bible, was nothing like I expected. It was completely different than anything I had ever imagined. I was reading stories about things that I may have heard of, but had no idea what they were or what they meant. Now I was reading them for myself. The more I read the more I wanted to know. The farther I got, the farther I wanted to go.

Seeing for the First Time

I wished I could have seen the look on my face. I'm sure it was a look of shock and excitement and fulfillment. Right then, at that very moment, I prayed. I prayed to Jesus. I asked God to forgive me for all my sins, and to come into my heart and to be part of me. Then something very special and exciting happened to me. My life changed. My life took a complete turn - the biggest u-turn I'd ever made. I turned right around and headed towards God, and I didn't look back to see what the devil was doing. I ran, and ran, and ran.

I Was Lost But Now I'm Found

I am so thankful for everything God has done for me. Let me tell you, He has worked miracles in my life. Because of God, I only spent one year in jail. He let me out - not the judge, not the guard, not Sheriff Joe - but Jesus. Jesus gave me my freedom when I first asked Him into my heart and my life. Then He opened the gates and let me out of jail. He continues day after day, blessing me. He helps me. He holds me. He loves me. He takes care of me.

It's only because of Him that I'm even alive today. It's only because of Jesus that I have a roof over my head, that I have money in my pocket, that I have food in my refrigerator, that I have shoes on my feet. No matter what, He is the only reason I have anything. The Lord has changed my life so much. I have friends now, and I can be a friend. You would not have wanted me to be your friend before I found Jesus, but now I can be a true friend.

When I accepted Jesus the old me passed away, and I became a new creature. I am not the same person I was and I will never be that person again. I'm so thankful for everything that Jesus has done and for everything He has given me.

In June of 1999 I lost my mother to terminal lung cancer. Three months later in September, I was diagnosed with Stage IIIA Lung Cancer. It meant that I had a tumor in my upper left lobe and tumors in the mediastinal glands on the left side. It was inoperable. I wasn't expected to live.

During my second month of therapy I was sitting in the Chemo room with a needle in my hand receiving Chemotherapy. For some reason I decided then and there that it was time to bring Jesus into my life. I asked for forgiveness of my sins and for help through the next four months of treatment. You see, I was taking radiation and Chemo at the same time. I was so tired and scared. I prayed and I kept on praying.

My neighbor who was a Southern Baptist told her prayer circle at church about me, and prayers went out all over the country for me. Even my mother-in-law who has relatives in Mississippi and New York were praying for me, and their churches were too.

When treatment was over that following March, my Oncologist wanted me to wait two months to let things settle down inside of me. Well, I went for a PT Scan in May and the scan showed my chest and lung to be totally free of cancer. Everyone was completely amazed, except for me, my neighbor and my mother-in-law. Since then I have remained a Christian and it has changed my life. By religion I am Catholic, and although I don't go to Mass like I should, God is still with me. He has brought me a long way since those days of treatment. My motto today is to treat others as you would have them treat you.

I know God saved me for a purpose and I truly hope I am doing what He wants. I still go through trials and tribulations, but I pray for peace and comfort. I believe my life is better for being a Christian.

I know it's not popular to be a Christian or to be a witness these days, but I try to do my best.

Well, that is my simple story. I am sure there are many others out there who can testify of similar things.

I say, "Keep on praying." That is when you are closest to God.

Thanks for reading my story. Go with God, friends.

I was married for 16 years. My ex-husband and I didn't take any illegal drugs, except a joint of marijuana once in a while. We drank wine sometimes on special occasions. My ex-husband was Catholic and my children attended parochial school for a few years. Still, I didn't agree to convert to Catholicism because I disliked that religion. The Father (priest) and the nuns were unkind to me on several occasions. This shocked and hurt me deeply.

Dark Days

My husband and I got divorced in 1988. It was a bad marriage. These were the darkest days in my life. The divorce was ugly and bitter.

But then a most wonderful thing happened.

I Prayed for the First Time

A Wonderful Change

Soon after I bought a Bible and began to read, but I was not able to understand much of it. For a beginner, I had picked the worst place to start reading. It was the book of Revelation. It freaked me out, badly. I was angry and frightened. My English skill was not good at the time, and I had taken the words literally. So I decided I would never read that book again.

I was also angry with the Bible's authoritative "male view" about women and life in the Proverbs. So I didn't really read the Bible until three years ago. I attended church once or twice, but I didn't like it. I felt uncomfortable and I didn't trust the church. So I prayed to the Lord and asked Him to show me the path that would take me closer to Him.

The New Age Movement

I was also a disciple of a holy guru from India for three years. I heard stories about missing pages in the Bible. These led me to suspect that thousands of years ago the Christian church made up the story of hell to instill fear and put people under church's power, instead of under God's control. I decided it was just a man-made doctrine about hell to control what we believed.

I began to believe that "hell" was our current troubles, our suffering on earth and adversities in life. I didn't believe Satan was real. But I accepted the idea that there were evil, "lost" ghosts walking on earth, and mysterious dark forces.

Still Searching

In 1997, one year after my youngest child (who was 18), moved away from home, I started smoking marijuana, or "pot." Eventually I smoked it every day. After three years I knew I was addicted to it, but I was not willing to let it go. I liked it too much. It was so pleasurable that I didn't want to stop. I didn't like the world without the pot. It relaxed me so I wasn't so nervous. I reasoned, "Besides, it is not a dangerous drug." My friends and I called it an "herb."

Giving in to Harder Drugs

However, after smoking pot for three years, my resolve had weakened. In the fall of 2000, My best girlfriend moved in with me for a temporary time. One of the neighbors started to sell crack. I noticed the increased traffic to his apartment every day, and I was afraid he would bring in trouble from drug users and the law. I knew him personally. He was deaf also. So, I asked him to stop. But he was making big money and he liked it too much, so he refused to stop.

He bought many new things, clothes, a big TV, stereo, and new furniture for his apartment. When I returned home from a long vacation trip, I learned that my best friend had started smoking crack too. I was scared for her. But she told me it was an awesome high trip. Then she offered me some. After a little hesitation, I accepted and smoked the crack.

Looking back now to that moment, I wish I had listened to that little voice in my heart that said "no." But the curiosity had gotten a hold of me. I had no idea of the kind of drug it was. And I believed my friend about how awesome it was.

The Truth About Crack

It took extreme effort for me to control it by smoking only in the evenings after work and only a few times a week. But while smoking it, I couldn't stop the need to get high until the drug was all gone and it was time to sleep at night. By the fourth week, the craving was so bad I found myself crawling on the floor, looking for the crack left-overs. At that moment, I was acutely aware of my behavior and I was truly horrified at the change in me, and also my best friend. She had become a full-time user, smoking it 24 hours every day.

A Horrible Change

As for me, I smoked the crack for one and a half months. Then one night I heard God's voice clearly. He said, "Quit it." I obeyed and quit immediately. He set me free. I didn't have any cravings after that. I was so happy and grateful. But I still didn't stop smoking marijuana or drinking, not yet.

Crack also hurt our neighbors. It killed one of them with a heart attack. Other neighbors became addicted. There were crack users at the dealer's home all the time, both women and men, ages 20 to 50, staying long hours. They almost never stopped smoking crack.

After 6 months of drug dealing, the deaf man was evicted from his apartment. That was the month after I had quit. I felt sorry for him, so I allowed him to stay the night at my home for "just a short time," as long as he didn't sell drugs. However, within 2 weeks I had to evict both him and my best friend. They moved onto the streets and stayed in motels and friends' homes.

A Nightmare

If you get nothing else out of my story, remember that drugs like crack, heroin and meth are very dangerous, destructive and addictive. They do kill people, destroy their minds, and damage their health. They also hurt and destroy loved ones.

Using crack hurt my adult children. The drug damaged my brain and changed my personality, even though I only used it for about 6 weeks. Nevertheless, it can damage your body's organs without warning. The drug made chemical changes to my brain, causing me to "see" spirit beings and "hear" voices almost all the time. The drug also hurt my nervous system. I am still suffering those problems today.

Abusing any drug is a terrible sin because it opens the door to evil spirits, demons and Satan. I literally "saw" and experienced the evil spirits during the period I used crack. They hung around my apartment and harassed us, making us fearful and paranoid. Their goal was to eventually destroy our souls. They made both mental and physical attacks against me because they knew that I could see them. They appeared usually in the evenings until sunrise.

That was the scariest time of my life, to see how the drug crack was destroying me. It got to be so unbearable that many times I would think about suicide. I was very depressed and mentally exhausted. I wanted to die or sleep for a long time. I was tired of the evil tormenting.

After God rescued me, the demons were gone. I was so grateful to be set free.

Children are a gift from God. He blessed me with two wonderful daughters and a good son. When their mother left in 1986 I became a single parent to six, eight, and eleven-year-old children. My heart grieved for them as they missed their mother. After the Lord saved me, I began to pray for them. One of my prayers that December 1989 was that they would be blessed to have a wonderful Christmas, including spending some precious time with their mother.

Shortly thereafter, their mother called and asked if she could have the children for a few days. She would get them about four or five days before Christmas and bring them back Christmas day. I readily agreed. She asked if I would drive them halfway. She lived in Atlanta so Dublin was the agreed meeting point.

The children were all excited about this rare visit with their mother. They had not spent much time with her since our separation. I scraped together a few dollars to give to them to spend, we loaded up and headed out.

Well, you should have seen the look of happiness on their faces as they hugged and greeted their mom. She had been such a wonderful mom to our children before. She always made sure they were well fed, clothed, clean, hugged and loved. She roller-skated with them and read to them. They were her life. Tragically, the devil can destroy and take away a mother’s concern and love for her children – whether it’s through drugs or other methods.

As they drove away, I sat in the car and cried. My tears were a mixture of joy for their happiness of being with their mom and sadness and grief for the losses they had experienced. I loved these children that God had given me, and when they hurt, I did too.

What I didn't tell the children was that I had given them all the money I had. My car's gas needle showed empty and it was 110 miles to get back home.

It was Sunday morning about 10:30 a.m. as I began to drive home. I said, "Lord, I guess I'll run out of gas within a few miles, but I'm trusting you in this situation." About three miles down the road, I saw a sign pointing left to a small country church. The Lord suddenly spoke to me and said, "Go to that church." I said, "Okay, but I'm not dressed very well (I had on old blue jeans, a t-shirt and tennis shoes)." The Lord replied, "Go just like you are and don't even concern yourself about what others may think about your clothing. I know what is in your heart."

I drove up to that church, got out of my beat up old Toyota and went inside. Services had already started and several heads turned to stare as a badly dressed stranger entered. I sat down on a seat and after a few songs, the preacher spoke about the famous faith chapter in the Bible - Hebrews, Chapter 11.

The Lord anointed this pastor as he preached. It seemed as if most of the words he spoke were directed at me. I needed that encouragement at that particular moment! Thank you Jesus! After service, the preacher was led to ask for testimonies. A few dear saints stood up and testified. Their testimonies were very uplifting.

S... the Lord spoke and said, "Irvin, get up and testify." As I stood, I wiped some of the wrinkles from my blue jeans and began to speak. As the Spirit of the Lord anointed me, every eye in the congregation was on me and every ear was attentive. I told how the Lord had directed my footsteps to that church, how the sermon and testimonies had encouraged me, and how happy I was that my children would be spending a few days with their mom. I asked for prayer. At this request, the godly pastor asked his little flock to gather around the altar and especially pray that not only my children but other children from broken homes would have a happy Christmas.

A... the service, I slowly walked to my Toyota. An elderly woman came up to me, shook my hand, and told me my testimony had touched her heart in a special way. After I withdrew my hand, I looked in my palm and saw the folded five dollar bill she had given me. Gas money to get home! God had provided!

When I got home that Sunday evening, a friend called and asked if I would drive him to a city about 50 miles away. His truck had quit and it was too cold to drive his motorcycle. I said, "Okay, I've got to pick up a few pecans to sell to get a few dollars. My children aren't here so I'm free to go." He was a nurse and was going to work two 16 hour shifts during Christmas. He said he was renting a hotel room and I could stay there while he was working.

It snowed hard the night before we left. Not only had it snowed, the temperature had dropped and black ice had formed on the roads. As I slowly drove down those icy roads, we saw many vehicles in the ditch. People in South Georgia are not equipped to drive in these conditions. As I pulled up to an intersection, I applied my brakes to stop. I hit a patch of black ice and said to my unsaved friend, "Brace yourself, we are going to crash." Sure enough, we did, but the Lord protected us both, with only a small dent in the car. We were stuck in the ditch, so we went looking for a kind-hearted farmer to pull us out.

Soon we found one and asked for help. He pulled on his brogans, walked to the shelter, cranked up his John Deere and quickly pulled us out. We tried to pay him, but he refused. Thank God for people like this kind farmer.

We arrived safely at the hotel, checked in, then went and got a bite to eat. This was two days before Christmas. I then drove my friend to the nursing home and went back to the hotel and went to sleep.

I woke up early Christmas eve and said, "Lord, I sure would like to go to church this morning. Show me where to go." I picked up the paper and saw where a church was having an early morning service.

The Lord spoke and said, "Go there." So I went, and although only about 30 people were there, it was a sweet service. I was blessed by the words spoken about our Savior's birth. After this was over I said, "Lord, I sure would like to go to Sunday school. Please show me where to go." Well, the Lord led me on a road out of town and in the country. It surely was beautiful scenery: gently rolling, snowed covered hills, with the whiteness and brightness of everything.

As I was driving, I thought about Christmas coming up. My friend was going to pay me $50 for driving him. Not much to buy Christmas for my children. While I was thinking about these things, the Lord interrupted my thoughts with a command, "Turn left here on this dirt road." I did and about two miles down that road, I came up to a beautiful little country church sitting on a little hill surrounded by snow covered pine trees. The Lord said, "Here is where I want you to go for Sunday School."

The parking lot was full of cars, and I felt a warm and peaceful presence about this little place. As I walked in, I was warmly greeted and directed to the right Sunday School class. The people there were friendly and warm-hearted. They made me welcome, and they were genuine - not fake like some places I've been. I thought to myself, this is a praying church that God loves.

I didn't stay for church services because the Lord directed me to go on back to the hotel. I did as He directed. After I had eaten dinner, I went back to the room and laid down to take a nap. Around 2:30 p.m. the Lord woke me and said, "Go on over to the nursing home." I obeyed.

I found my friend and talked with him a few minutes. While we were talking, I heard the sound of singing. I told my friend I was going on down there to listen as they were not only singing Christmas carols, but also singing old hymns.

As I entered the area where the service was being held, I recognized many of the folks conducting the service. They were people from the Sunday school that morning. Nothing had been mentioned in the Sunday school class about a nursing home service. They recognized me and invited me to join them. I did as I enjoyed the presence of the Lord.

After the service, I said my good-byes and walked down the hall to the nurse's station. In a few minutes, the preacher came up and said, "The Lord told me to give you this check." It was for $150. I had only just asked the Lord for some money so I could buy my children something for Christmas. He tested my faith by ordering my steps. I passed, thank God! We drove back home, and my friend paid me. My children came home late Christmas day. I was so glad to see them! I had missed them so. I told them I didn't have much for Christmas, but we were together. Thank you Lord for this wonderful Christmas memory!

A couple of years ago I thought I met the perfect guy for me. I have always been intrigued by the "bad boy" persona. Well, I found out the hard way that being around someone like that takes a toll on everything in your life including your faith.

I Needed a Change

While sitting in my holding cell at the jail, I realized unless I wanted this to be my life, I needed a change.

Letting God Back In

I have God back in my life. I am able to have visits with my son now and help to raise my other son. Even though there is a lot of drama in my life, I trust God with how things are. I made a 180 degree turn from sin and now I am happy to say my faith is stronger because God is in my life.

Faith is the Glue

My faith allows me to sleep at night, knowing that God gave his Son as the greatest gift of all time. God had Jesus open his arms in a hug that would last forever, and then die on the cross for me and for all who believe in him. Because of this I have my sins forgiven and can live eternal life with him.

And if anytime in my life someone does test my faith—like so many that have faced death or persecution for their faith—I will say a resounding, yes! I am a Christian woman and yes, I do have a Christ-centered marriage and family. My heart is set on Christ and I don't want it any other way.

My dad is a Hindu who practices idol worship. He prays in front of non-living, tangible idols like Ganpati, Laxmi, and Sai baba. As part of their worship, Hindus pour milk, rice and water on these stone or wooden handmade idols. Growing up I saw my entire family doing this.

My dad expected me to do the same as well. But wasting milk, rice and water on dead idols made no sense to me. Instead of pouring valuable resources on non-living objects, I’d rather give then to someone who is hungry and needs food or drink.

So, I told my family that I was not going to do any idol worship.

There are other reasons I backed away from idol worship. Even after praying to these dead idols, my dad’s character and attitude toward my mother, my elder brother, and me was still bad. He is short-tempered and uses foul language. These non-living idols are not able to change our character for doing good toward people around us.

Then by God Almighty’s grace, I met many Christians who showed me the way to our living Lord, Jesus Christ.

I love the faithful Christian way of living because it corrects our character and attitude in the sight of our heavenly Father. There are no manmade, tangible idols involved in Christianity because our God Almighty can not be seen with our eyes, but he dwells within each believer of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I realized that I had fallen short of God's way of living, so I recognized that I was a sinner. I repented of all my sins and got myself baptized.

Even after becoming a Christian, my life is full of humiliations, sufferings, injustices and mild persecutions. But my focus and my faith is on Jesus Christ alone.

It says in the Bible, in 1 Peter 4:19, that if you, a repentant sinner, are suffering according to God's will, you ought to keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.

I am a 47-year-old wife, mother and grandmother. I was raised primarily Baptist in doctrine, however, I attended Pentecostal churches on occasion with my grandmother.

My parents were both musically inclined and decided to form a family gospel group. I think I was 8-years-old at the time. Many of my Saturday afternoons were spent in front of a piano learning my "part," as Mom put it. I didn't realize at that young age how much church and music would impact my life.

I received Christ as my Savior at the age of 15 in a small Baptist church in Georgia. It was during this time that a few of us formed a gospel quartet and began singing in local churches. Within in a few years we were traveling around the southeast singing in churches, civic centers and other venues. I remember that although we had a good time in fellowship with others in the Lord, our ministry in song was most important to us and we took this ministry seriously.

We always closed church concerts with an invitational song, and as the spirit moved, many people came to receive salvation during this time. I know the Lord's Spirit works in many ways. Matthew 18 says, "Where two or three are gathered together, there He is in the midst."

Our quartet lasted for about 8 years, but eventually we drifted apart as some members got married and started families. It is hard to travel with a baby. I continued attending church faithfully with my husband. It was during my 20's, as a new wife and Mom that I started feeling stress and found that I had trouble coping with some of life's situations. My faith became weak.

I started drifting slowly away from God. Marital problems finally led to a divorce. I was away from God's will for about 20 years, living a life of sin. Over time I fell into a deep  

Coming Out of a Trance

Drugs, Alcohol, and Crime

During this time period, I came very close to losing my life on a bad LSD trip. I lost touch with reality, jumped through several windows, and assaulted several individuals. I was told later that when the police and medical personnel arrived, an individual was coming after me with a gun.

I ended up in the emergency room with serious lacerations all over my body. After dealing with the law and going through the healing process, I continued my risky lifestyle.

Rejecting God

Once while in a park in Portland with my girlfriend, a young couple approached us and began to share the gospel. I told them that they would be far better off if they were to forget this Christian stuff. I offered to share my weed with them. I know now they most likely went off and prayed for us.

Thoughts of Eternity

These thoughts went on for a few weeks. I recall coming across Bible tracts on various occasions. I would read them, and then go on my way.

My grandmother was a Christian, and she was praying for me. I also had a Christian co-worker that would share her faith with me at times.

One day I was at home, sick with the flu. I began to ponder becoming a Christian. I really couldn't see myself as a Christian, as I had envisioned myself at 75 sitting in a rocking chair, still smoking my pot. For some reason as the day went on, I found myself thinking more and more seriously about Christianity. I came across one of those Bible tracts with the four spiritual laws.

Accepting God

The best way to describe it was like coming out of a trance. I suddenly had an awareness of God, Satan, and the reality of the Bible.

It is now more than 30 years later. I have been happily married to the same woman for all these years. We have raised three sons. God has blessed us in wonderful ways. I am involved in jail ministry, and am looking forward to eternity.

Although there have been a few minor hurdles along the road of life, I wouldn't trade back to the old life for anything. Praise God for changing the life of someone who didn't believe he existed.