I was born to a family of five. I was the fourth child. My earliest memories were of my mother and father arguing; bickering and cursing at one another. Around the age of three my mother and father divorced. My mother struggled but she never let me see her struggling. So, we (my siblings and myself) moved out of my fathers house. We moved into a small two bed-room, one bathroom home. My mother worked and I only saw my father every other weekend. I was sent to Pre-K/Day-Care. At the center I was taught many things. How to color in the lines, interact with other children, my ABC's, but most of all, we were taught Bible stories. I really didn't know what they were talking about then, but I still enjoyed the stories.
About 2 years later, about the time I started elementary school my 3 older siblings and I were invited to a church. My brothers and sister said yes so in turn I said yes. So, we went the following Wednesday night. And while sitting in the Fellowship hall next to my sister drinking a juice-box a man walks up to me, a five year old, and asks me, "Do you want to be saved?" Now, let's be honest, what 5-year-old knows what "saved" is? I looked at my sister and she told me to say yes, so I did. And I walked with the man to an alter and he told me to repeat the words he said. I did. And to be 100% completely honest, I don't know what I said. I don't have the slightest clue what I repeated. And I definitely don't remember feeling any different after I "prayed". But it was "okay" because according to some man I didn't even know, I was saved, right? I mean I said "the words" so me and GOD were cool, right? No.
Let me fast-forward to being about 10 years old. My mother had met this man, John. He moved into the house and he lived with us. And once he moved in every Sunday morning at 7 am, all the children (3 at the time) would get up and we'd go to church. And like any 10 year old would do, I went to sleep in the back pew, every Sunday. And it was about this time I had started hanging out with some other kids at school. And I had started cussing and talking about profane things.
And this went on for about 2 years. I was in the 7th grade and I had been hanging out with these kids who I called my friends. One of my friends got a-hold of some weed. And offered it to me. And of coarse I said "yes". Then he invited me to a party at his cousins house about an hour away. I said yes. We went. At this point I had tried alcohol and weed. But I was still a virgin. I mean c'mon I was 12. I went to this party and there was alcohol and drugs. I was 12 but I was a pretty big 12-year-old. One of the girls there who was 15 at the time took a liking to me and we talked for about an hour. Got to know each other a little bit. Turns out she was my friends cousin. I was at her house. We ended up going to her bedroom and well, yeah. "It" happened. We talked for a little while after that.
And by my 13th birthday I had started hanging around an even worse group. I had gotten into selling drugs. 8th grade had started and I distinctly remember needing money to go to my schools Homecoming Football game. Just before going I picked up some "product" and sold it for an easy $250. I then went to the game, high and in a happy mood. I went and really just bought stuff for people. Food, drinks, etc. Following the game I went to my "dealer's" house. He invited me in I gave him his cut of the sale and we sat down with a group of other people. We started playing cards. The next thing I know my dealer, Boosie, came up with the idea to play another game: Russian Roulette. He went and got a .38 Snub-nose Revolver. He took a single bullet in one of the chambers and spun the wheel. The group then went around the table and played their round of the game. The first person went -*click*- the second person went -*click*- then it was my turn. They handed me the gun. And pumped up from all the adrenaline I didn't hesitate. I put the gun to my temple and just before I pulled the trigger I heard, audibly, a loud voice crying, commanding me, "STOP!" Shocked I turned the nose of the gun straight up and pulled the trigger. And I hear a loud-deafening *BANG* Everyone was startled and freaked out. The bullet I had shot hit the light hanging above the table. I later asked my "friends" who had screamed and they all said, no-one. Not until after the gun shot. I told them about it and one of the guys there said mockingly, "ha ha, maybe it was GOD." I laughed it off. But that stuck out to me. Why hadn't anyone else there heard the scream telling me to "Stop"
Not long after that I was invited to go to "Church" with a friend from school. I said, yes. And went.
And I got "saved". At least, I thought I did. I felt conviction and I went to the front and I prayed. And I thought I had gotten up changed, but I didn't. Even though I hadn't been "changed" completely I still felt lead to read the bible. So I got a bible from a friend and I started reading it. All-day, every-day. At school, during class, on the ride home, during dinner, before I went to sleep. And before the end of my 8th grade year I had read through the entire bible 3 times!!!!
Anyways, Summer came and I still went to church. I listened to the preaching but I still cussed, got drunk, still got high, still had sex 3-4 times a week with different girls I had met at parties. And I called myself a "Christian".
Freshman year rolled around and I just got, depressed. I had gotten a call from one of my "ex-friends with benefits" and she told me that she was pregnant and that it "could" be my baby. It turned out not to be mine. And I was relieved and I got even more depressed. And I attempted suicide.... TWICE....... On my 5th read through the bible I had realized what I was reading. And I sought repentance. And January 2, 2012 I got SAVED, for real. Although I still struggled with cussing and sex I truly felt like a new person. I felt closer to GOD than ever before. Eventually I stopped cussing and fornication and I felt the call to Preach. So I went and on July 29, 2012 I preached my first sermon.
By my 10th grade year I had fully gotten out of the "sin-game" I didn't cuss, I didn't have sex or even look with lust, I stayed strong in communion with GOD, daily. Eventually I started feeling really down. I lost my fire.
I was then invited to a "lock-in" at another church. I said sure and I went. And during the service before the "lock-in" I felt GOD after going months without HIM. I broke down and I cried. And it was then that I knew that GOD was telling me this is where HE wanted me.
So, I started going to the other church and ended up leading a Bible class for 18-22-year-olds, at 15!
I taught the class for almost a year. Then my "ride" to church ended up being called to another church to be the Youth Pastor. And him being my ride, I went with him. It didn't take long for my fire to start to dwindle at that church. I became more depressed.
But then GOD made a way and I returned to the Church and GOD has set me on fire again.
So far, this is what GOD has done.
About 2 years later, about the time I started elementary school my 3 older siblings and I were invited to a church. My brothers and sister said yes so in turn I said yes. So, we went the following Wednesday night. And while sitting in the Fellowship hall next to my sister drinking a juice-box a man walks up to me, a five year old, and asks me, "Do you want to be saved?" Now, let's be honest, what 5-year-old knows what "saved" is? I looked at my sister and she told me to say yes, so I did. And I walked with the man to an alter and he told me to repeat the words he said. I did. And to be 100% completely honest, I don't know what I said. I don't have the slightest clue what I repeated. And I definitely don't remember feeling any different after I "prayed". But it was "okay" because according to some man I didn't even know, I was saved, right? I mean I said "the words" so me and GOD were cool, right? No.
Let me fast-forward to being about 10 years old. My mother had met this man, John. He moved into the house and he lived with us. And once he moved in every Sunday morning at 7 am, all the children (3 at the time) would get up and we'd go to church. And like any 10 year old would do, I went to sleep in the back pew, every Sunday. And it was about this time I had started hanging out with some other kids at school. And I had started cussing and talking about profane things.
And this went on for about 2 years. I was in the 7th grade and I had been hanging out with these kids who I called my friends. One of my friends got a-hold of some weed. And offered it to me. And of coarse I said "yes". Then he invited me to a party at his cousins house about an hour away. I said yes. We went. At this point I had tried alcohol and weed. But I was still a virgin. I mean c'mon I was 12. I went to this party and there was alcohol and drugs. I was 12 but I was a pretty big 12-year-old. One of the girls there who was 15 at the time took a liking to me and we talked for about an hour. Got to know each other a little bit. Turns out she was my friends cousin. I was at her house. We ended up going to her bedroom and well, yeah. "It" happened. We talked for a little while after that.
And by my 13th birthday I had started hanging around an even worse group. I had gotten into selling drugs. 8th grade had started and I distinctly remember needing money to go to my schools Homecoming Football game. Just before going I picked up some "product" and sold it for an easy $250. I then went to the game, high and in a happy mood. I went and really just bought stuff for people. Food, drinks, etc. Following the game I went to my "dealer's" house. He invited me in I gave him his cut of the sale and we sat down with a group of other people. We started playing cards. The next thing I know my dealer, Boosie, came up with the idea to play another game: Russian Roulette. He went and got a .38 Snub-nose Revolver. He took a single bullet in one of the chambers and spun the wheel. The group then went around the table and played their round of the game. The first person went -*click*- the second person went -*click*- then it was my turn. They handed me the gun. And pumped up from all the adrenaline I didn't hesitate. I put the gun to my temple and just before I pulled the trigger I heard, audibly, a loud voice crying, commanding me, "STOP!" Shocked I turned the nose of the gun straight up and pulled the trigger. And I hear a loud-deafening *BANG* Everyone was startled and freaked out. The bullet I had shot hit the light hanging above the table. I later asked my "friends" who had screamed and they all said, no-one. Not until after the gun shot. I told them about it and one of the guys there said mockingly, "ha ha, maybe it was GOD." I laughed it off. But that stuck out to me. Why hadn't anyone else there heard the scream telling me to "Stop"
Not long after that I was invited to go to "Church" with a friend from school. I said, yes. And went.
And I got "saved". At least, I thought I did. I felt conviction and I went to the front and I prayed. And I thought I had gotten up changed, but I didn't. Even though I hadn't been "changed" completely I still felt lead to read the bible. So I got a bible from a friend and I started reading it. All-day, every-day. At school, during class, on the ride home, during dinner, before I went to sleep. And before the end of my 8th grade year I had read through the entire bible 3 times!!!!
Anyways, Summer came and I still went to church. I listened to the preaching but I still cussed, got drunk, still got high, still had sex 3-4 times a week with different girls I had met at parties. And I called myself a "Christian".
Freshman year rolled around and I just got, depressed. I had gotten a call from one of my "ex-friends with benefits" and she told me that she was pregnant and that it "could" be my baby. It turned out not to be mine. And I was relieved and I got even more depressed. And I attempted suicide.... TWICE....... On my 5th read through the bible I had realized what I was reading. And I sought repentance. And January 2, 2012 I got SAVED, for real. Although I still struggled with cussing and sex I truly felt like a new person. I felt closer to GOD than ever before. Eventually I stopped cussing and fornication and I felt the call to Preach. So I went and on July 29, 2012 I preached my first sermon.
By my 10th grade year I had fully gotten out of the "sin-game" I didn't cuss, I didn't have sex or even look with lust, I stayed strong in communion with GOD, daily. Eventually I started feeling really down. I lost my fire.
I was then invited to a "lock-in" at another church. I said sure and I went. And during the service before the "lock-in" I felt GOD after going months without HIM. I broke down and I cried. And it was then that I knew that GOD was telling me this is where HE wanted me.
So, I started going to the other church and ended up leading a Bible class for 18-22-year-olds, at 15!
I taught the class for almost a year. Then my "ride" to church ended up being called to another church to be the Youth Pastor. And him being my ride, I went with him. It didn't take long for my fire to start to dwindle at that church. I became more depressed.
But then GOD made a way and I returned to the Church and GOD has set me on fire again.
So far, this is what GOD has done.
Jesus bless u!!
