I have some very exciting news to share with all of you! On April 16th, 2015 I publicly declared my love and devotion to Jesus Christ! I was baptized in Athens Christian Church in Athens, GA. I went to UGA’s CCF (Campus Christian Fellowship) dinner and a message service on Thursday night and then we all caravanned over to Athens Christian Church where I was baptized by my good friends/mentors Angela and Laura! I am still so incredibly happy and blessed to have been surrounded by so many of my close friends for this incredible moment of my life.
I will admit, I was extremely nervous about that day. Not because of the baptism itself, but because I felt God calling me to share my testimony with the members of CCF. My testimony isn’t exactly the prettiest story to tell, as I have made many mistakes and strayed far from God for most of my life. But I felt called to share it and God wanted me to explain to everyone my journey to find Him.
Here is the short version of my testimony:
I was born and raised in the church. I was actually even baptized as an infant. I went to church every Sunday, attended a Christian school, and had lots of Christian friends. Although on the outside I looked like a good Christian, I did not have a personal relationship with God. When I was a kid, I was apathetic towards God and I did not care if I had a relationship. When I got older, around the time I was in middle and high school, my apathy turned to bitterness. I felt that God was this judgmental person in the sky who was going to punish me if I ever did anything wrong. I never saw Him as being able to love me, the person who messed up all the time.
When I got into college, I strayed even farther from God. I decided I did not need him to be a part of my life, so I stopped going to church, stopped making friends with Christians, and I immersed myself into the party life. This lasted for about 3 years. Even though I thought I was having fun and living the exciting life, I was not. Deep down I was very lonely and I felt that the only reason people wanted to be friends with me was so that they could party. I hit bottom my junior year when I felt completely alone, used, and broken. I knew my life needed to change and I needed a community of people I could depend on.
That is when I came to CCF! They took me in and showed me so much love. I made true relationships with people who actually cared about me and loved me for who I was. CCF showed me and helped me understand the love of Christ. This then helped me to develop a relationship with God. I realized that God and Christians were not judgmental, but instead are loving and kind. I realized that God forgave me for my sins and that all He wants is to have a relationship with me. There is nothing I can do to lose God’s love, for His love is everlasting. After seeing the changes in my heart, my good friend and leader of CCF, Angela, approached me and asked if I would like to be baptized. I was thrilled! So then we made the plans. My parents, roommates, and friends all got to come and watch me declare my love and devotion to God! 😀 It was hands down the best moment of my life!
So that is my story in short! I want to say thank you so much for everyone who has supported me in this journey! Thank you CCF, thank you mom and dad, and thank you to all the other friends and family members who have shown me God’s love!
God has accepted me into is kingdom. I want to live the rest of my days for Him. God is my Lord and Savior! I am alive in Christ!
