First Things First, sort of...

Last Night we held our first ladies meeting.  It went well; but our attendance was low.   I decided to give the purpose for the meetings then have sort of a woman to woman talk with the ladies.  The most important (and most enjoyable) part of the session for me was listening to
 the ladies give their testimonis and giving the ladies my salvation testimony. 

I went out to dinner with a missionary lady a few years back, and we began to talk.  I should say I began to talk; but she reprimanded me a little bit with this statement, "So often I ask people to tell me about themselves and they tell me about everything; but how they got saved."  She then proceeded to tell me her salvation testimony and I told her mine.  I never forgot this important lesson.

Now I would like to share my testimony with you.

I grew up in Oklahoma City the oldest of four siblings.  My mother raised us with the help of my grandmother, Miss Ollivet Ceasar.  Many times we would live with my mom for a while, then we (my mother included) would move back in with my grandmother for a while until mom was ready again to branch out on her own.  We continued this pattern until I was twelve years old.  This was the last time we ever lived with my grandmother.  My mother found a home on the south side of town and we moved in; but not before my grandmother joined Windsor Hills Baptist Church.  She had just began faithfully attending right when we moved. 

Once the move was complete, she gave our address to her bus captain, who in turn gave it to our soon to be bus captain, Bro. Tyrone Jackson (he and his family are now missionaries to Trinidad).  They visited our family and invited us all to ride the bus with them on Sunday morning.  My mom said it was fine for us to go; but she didn't care to.  (Let me pause here long enough to say that I love my mom, and she has professed to me that she was saved at the age of twelve and was very active in church until she experienced a tragedy at the age of fifteen.  After this incident, she sort of "fell away" from church.  If you think of her, please pray that she will realize the Love and grace of God in her life and come back to Him.)

I went to church the next Sunday with my brothers (2) and sister and had a great time!  The thing that most impressed my about church was the difference I saw in Bro. Ross (our youth director) from all the other men I had known in my life.  I came back the next Sunday, and the next just to find out what that difference was.  To make a long story short. I became so faithful in church that I was invited to attend the Christian school my eighth grade year.  I don't remember even asking my mom, I just said, "Yes!".  I told my mom I was going to Windsor Hills Baptist School on Monday, and she agreed that it would be ok. 

Christian school was a big change for me.  I got up at about five in the morning in order to catch the city bus across town at six and make it to school on time.  I learned a lot; but the most important lesson for me was realized on January 30, 1996.  The was the first night of the Annual Missions conference at WHBC.  We began the service with a song, then a missionary's wife gave a testimony.  In her testimony she stated that she had grown up in a Christian family, been home schooled or went to a Christian school all her life, and was now on deputation; but had never received the Lord as her Savior.  She came to this realization one day as she was driving on her way to a service on a mountain top.  She pulled the vehicle over and prayed to receive the Lord.  This got me thinking.  If she wasn't saved after all that, then maybe I wasn't either.  I had made a profession of faith when I was about nine years old (ironically after riding the bus to WHBC after spending the night with some friends); but this time was different.  This time I didn't care whether my friends went forward or not, or what people would think of me if I went to the front of the church.  I thought that there was going to be an earthquake or something right in the middle of church and all of us were going to die, and I was going to split Hell right open!  I rushed to Mrs. Jackson during hand shaking time and told her I needed to talk with her NOW!; but she said I had to wait until after the service.  Two preachers and much apprehension (on my part) later, the invitation finally came and I rushed down to pray and receive the Lord.

What a relief!!!  Since that day, I have never doubted my salvation.  I praise the Lord for faithful bus workers and for so many people who have invested in my life!  Now I have an opportunity to invest in the lives of others.  What a good God we serve!!!

Until next time,

Tinyla