NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:  We recently received this email from a precious new born again believer and felt it was so touching we just wanted to share it here on our website. This is a letter from a woman to her pastor and she shares about how she found the Lord in her life. We pray that it will be a blessing to you too as you read it and that God will somehow minister hope and encouragement to you in your life. Thank you and God bless you now as you read!

(By: Christine Hill)

Dear Pastor:  I am writing to let you know that I am celebrating my one year anniversary of being a Christian and to let you know that if it wasn't for you helping me find my way, I would still be lost today. Please let me share my story with you. 

I had just picked up my son from school and was driving down the long, winding road to our house when out of the blue my son said, "Mom, I wished you were a Christian." He took me by surprise. I looked at him and said "I am a Christian", and he replied "No, Mom, I wish you were a Real Christian!"

Wow! I looked in his eyes and saw so much hurt and disappointment in me but I still didn't think I was doing anything wrong. I felt horrible. 

Not too long after that, my sister said "I wish you would find God." I really got scared then. I even got angry with her. I told her that I already did have God in my life and I wondered what she was talking about. My sister had started going to a Baptist church and claimed that she had been born again. I didn't have a clue what being born again meant. I believed that I was a good Christian - I loved God, believed in him, asked God for forgiveness, and I prayed. I had also been baptized when I was an infant and unfortunately I couldn't remember the experience! I was raised up being a Catholic. I was sending my son to a Christian school, I did some volunteer work and occasionally I went to church. I wanted my son to grow up right but was I really living or acting right? 

I went to different churches. I went to one church that kept on hounding me and calling me, throwing scriptures at me. That made me feel so uneasy, I just wanted them to go away and leave me alone! I decided that I would serve the Lord in my own way and by myself. I used to say, "I don't have to go to church to be a Christian." 

Deep down inside, I knew that when I met other Christian people they seemed so genuinely happy and that there was a certain glow about them - a goodness in their heart and a sparkle in their eye! Sometimes, I would feel a little envious. Why did I feel that way? Because I hadn't let God fully in my life. 

One day, my son was invited to go to a church by his teacher at school and he asked me if I would go with him. I had been invited to go to this church before by many people but never went. I could tell that the people that went to this church were so happy to be going there and that something special and wonderful was happening' in their lives. I was curious but it just wasn't my time yet. I told my son we would go the following Sunday. The church we went to was your church, New Hope. 

I sat there and listened to you preach. I was impressed! I told my son after the sermon that I would like to go back the following Sunday! All week long, I couldn't wait to go back to church. It seemed like Sunday would never come. 

We went back that following Sunday and what you preached hit me hard. I just sat there and ingested every word that you said. I know the guy sitting next to me was about to call 911 for help because I was choking from trying to hold back the tears! When it was near the end of the service and you started talking about the ABC's, my life changed forever! I had a spiritual awakening. I knew immediately what my son meant by being a Real Christian.

The day that I went to church and before I went through the ABC's with you, I told you that I sat there and just listened to everything that you were saying. Well, I have to tell you that you kept on saying one word that was so powerful that it made me realize what I was doing wrong - it convicted me. In fact, you said the word more than once and each time you did, that word hit me hard. I started crying because I was beginning to understand what the word really meant and also because I realized that I had been in denial for so long. I had tears of joy and tears of a heavy heart. Having mixed feelings, I was happy that I was experiencing this spiritual awakening but also sad because I knew that I must have broken God's heart in believing that I was such a good Christian. 

The word that you kept on saying was CHANGE. I wanted so much to stand up and say, "Yes, I will change!" Instead, I bowed my head and when I looked back up I noticed the cross high up on the wall and I remember thinking and saying to myself- the pain and suffering, His death, all for the sins of man, I know what Jesus did for us and for Him I will do all I can. Right after that I found myself going step by step with you through the ABC's and that is when my life changed forever. 

Thinking about it now, the word change was making such an impact on me because I was needing at that moment to make the decision to change alot of things in my life before God could change things for me and also the realization of looking upon that cross and thinking about what Jesus did for us I knew that I had to change my ways. 

For the first time in my life, I went step by step with you through the ABC's, and I did it with all my heart and soul. When it came time to collect for the offering, I gave very generously and I really didn't have the money to spare. Well, a miracle happened later that week. I was working as a waitress and my electricity was about to be shut off the next day because I didn't have enough money! To my surprise, I made a $50 tip on a $18 tab, a $20 tip on a $22 tab and immediately after that a $9 tip off a $11 tab.

After I received that last tip, I knew immediately that this was God's intervention and I started crying and thanking God. These were tips beyond the norm! That night I made enough money to pay my bill and I had some money left over. The money that I had left over went right into the collection the following Sunday at church! God has been taking care of me ever since! 

I had another miracle after that too! I was finishing my day at work and I was getting ready to go home - it was my son's birthday. Well, that day I was feeling a little down because I didn't have enough money to buy a nice gift or a birthday cake for my son because it was time for me to pay rent. I was saying goodbye to my last table that I was waiting on and when I turned around to leave the woman said, "Wait. God is telling me something." Well, I would have thought she was crazy, that is, before I had turned my life around but I just listened and looked at her and she said, "God is telling me to give you all the money that I have-please take it!" I graciously took the money and said, "Thank you, I am in need and I appreciate it." She had given me enough money to buy a birthday cake and a birthday gift for my son!

I have deeply allowed God into my heart, my life and my soul. I want to think, act, and speak like God would want me to. I want to love, honor, worship and obey him everyday. I give him thanks and praise. I count my many blessings and I realize now that God does listen to me. He always has.''' 

After church that day I went home and pulled out the bible that I had bought the Christmas before. It was a bible that I could read daily and finish in one year. Well, it had taken me a year to take it from the shelf!

I opened the bible to the Scripture that says, "Seek and you will find!" How true! With some effort on my part, I finally found what I had been searching for. I have been reading the bible daily since then, and whereas before I couldn't understand or absorb it - I now find so many answers. 

Last week, I went out for lunch with my fiancé. A waitress came to the table to take our orders and she looked at me and asked, "Do ya'll go to church?" I answered," I am new in town and we have been to several churches - have I met you before?" and she replied, "No, I don't go to church, but I feel the presence of the Lord here." I wasn't surprised. I smiled and asked her why she felt that way. She said, "I can see it in your eyes." I thanked her and then secretly thanked God for his presence with me. I will go back later and talk to her. I will try to help her find her way too! 

A lot of people are lost, just like I was. People that I don't know come up to me all the time and ask me if I am a Christian? Yes, I am, I am a Real Christian! I now have that goodness in my heart and a sparkle in my eye that I had seen in so many Christians. There is no more darkness in my life.

Opening up my bible, I came to this passage - Psalm 19:7, "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul, the statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart, The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes."

Or Matthew 6:22, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light." 

When I walked out of church that beautiful day in November I knew that I was taking my first step in the right direction. My old ways were behind me and I was about to begin a new way of life. I was so excited but scared too because this was all new to me. I stopped by my parents house to share the wonderful news of what I had experienced in church. When I was talking with my Mother she looked at me and said with her teeth snarling, "Are you preaching to me?"  I told her, "No, I am not, but I want you to know that being a Christian means more than just saying that you are one." and then she said, "We all hope that we are going to heaven," and I looked at her and said with complete confidence, "Well, Mom, I know that I am going to heaven." 

I was about to tell her that I had experienced my salvation today - I had been delivered from the power and effects of sin-when my father walked in the room and wanted to know what was going on. I told him that I had gone to church and that something special and wonderful had happened to me. He looked at me and said with his teeth snarling, "Get the hell out of my house, we don't want to hear what happened to you!" I was struck with complete horror. I looked at my parents and immediately started to pray - Please God, be with me and help me. I am being attacked - they are not my parents speaking to me like that!-this is surely the devil... I was not prepared for this to happen. 

My mother did not go to church but my Dad had just came back from church, how could he talk to me like that? I thought he apparently does not get any good from going to church and I started to cry. What had I done wrong? Immediately, I realized that I had done nothing wrong, what I had decided to do today was right. I went to get into my car and leave and my father acted like he was about to grab me right out of my car so I stopped and he said, "Get your "xxxx" son and get the h... out of here!" I immediately told him to NEVER say "xxxx" to me ever again and I told him that I would be back. 

Pastor John, I am sorry that I had to tell you this but it has been weighing on my heart for so long. My parents and I have not talked about religion since but my Mother did say one day, "I don't know what happened to you and your sister, but at least your other sister is Catholic and her husband changed from being a Baptist to a Catholic!" That comment hurt me so bad. My Mother and Father are always very nice to me and I know that they love me but we can't discuss religion! My mother is not a practicing Christian and she is not Catholic but Lutheran. My father is Catholic and brought us all to church growing up. I want you to know that my parents love me and I was in so much shock from what they had said to me. I went home and had to think about all that had happened to me that day! 

Sitting in my room, with complete silence, I said out loud the word, change. Today my life had changed! I felt so good saying that word! I got up and took the dictionary and bible off the shelf. I wanted to read and learn more. Change meant to make or become different, alter, to give a different position, course, or direction to, to undergo transformation or transition. I then opened the Bible. Flipping through the pages, I was reading things that I had read or heard before but suddenly all of it was making sense. Before, I had a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear until this day. How excited I was to read about the gifts and works of the Holy Spirit! I stopped and asked myself, "How am I to be the Christian that I am supposed to be or that I want to be?" I then started reading Colossians 3 and discovered what I had to change. The answers are in this passage, in fact, going through the Bible I am now finding many answers. I began to understand my old ways and what my new ways were going to be. 

The next day I called the church and made an appointment to talk with someone named Kay Thompson. I met her and instantly became friends with her. She is definitely heaven sent! I told her about everything and especially how my family had reacted to me. She tried to help me understand everything and I know that she will always be there for me. She would call me periodically to check up on me because she knew that I needed the support. Upon leaving, she gave me a very special book, The Prayer of Jabez. I learned and experienced so much from reading that book. 

One night I stayed up late writing what I thought was a poem but I now sing as a song. I came up to you one day at church and handed it to you. I didn't know what to do with it! I felt so silly-I had never really written anything before but the words kept on coming until I was finished with it! I talked with a Christian friend about it and she said," Honey, the Holy Spirit is working through you, it's OK, giving it to the Pastor was the right thing to do!" I know now that I should have called you and made an appointment to talk but I just didn't have any confidence in myself-not enough faith or belief that I was acting in a right, proper, or effective way. I would like to share it again with you: 

CHANGE 

 I want to tell you something that's true 

That God has blessed me and he'll bless you too 

Just believe in the Lord and do what is right 

'Cause Jesus is Lord and Satan we fight 

So Change in the way that you are today 

It's never too late to change in your ways 

How do I know this - ask me, it's true 

'Cause my life has changed and your life can too 

Christians Have A Need for God Everyday 

And he'll meet our needs if we will just pray 

So trust in the Lord and see if I'm right 

'Cause Jesus is the one that gave us Eternal Life! 

  Change the way you talk - Change the way you act 

Change the way you think right now where you're at! 

Cause evil is around us and Satan is too 

Defeating the Devil is what we must do 

  So change for our Father with minds, heart and soul, 

When you leave this earth, where will you go? 

Give thanks to our Father, Praise Him today, 

Honor and worship and Love him always 

  So think of this message I'm telling you 

You need to change your ways 'Cause God wants you to 

Just ask Him to forgive you and mean it too 

He'll enter your life - and then He'll change you!   

So Change in the way that you are today 

It's never too late to change in your ways 

How do I know this? Ask me-it's true 

'Cause your life can Change- It's all up to YOU! 

Thank you so much for listening to my testimony because if it wasn't for you, pastor, I wouldn't have a story to tell! 

Sincerely, Christine Hill

PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU SHARE THE BEST NEWS GOD HAS FOR EVERY PERSON BECAUSE...

JESUS DID IT! and...

YOU ARE SO GREATLY NEEDED!

Remember: All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-21 is our assurance)