2 Timothy 1:8-9 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
There is power in YOUR testimony! The Lord has shown me to never be ashamed of your testimony. Everything happens for a reason believe or not. I've been drawn to share my testimony with you all so you can get to know who I used to be and what God has made me to be. God gets all the glory in my life through the good times and the bad times. I take NO credit because it if wasn't for Him I’d still be lost but thank God for his grace and mercy I am found.
I am 21 years old. Born in Chicago, Ill but raised in Modesto, ca. I have 6 sisters and 3 brothers and I am the baby of them all. Out of 9 children, my mom only took care of me and left my brothers/sisters in the care of my great grandmother in Chicago. She left Illinois when I was a baby and moved to California. I never knew the feeling of having brothers and sisters around. We have been here ever since. I was raised Jehovah Witness but we stop going when I was younger. I had a pretty good childhood growing up BUT majority of my life I was homeless. We stay at my mom’s friend’s house a lot, my friend’s house, storage rooms, cars, garages, abandon houses, even at the park on the grass to waking up to the police. We never had stable shelter, as a child I always worried about if the rent/bills were paid, I should have never be afraid of being hungry. My mother did drugs, stay in and out of jail, and didn't work. This was the norm to me. I was always a smart kid in school.
Fast forwarding to high school;
freshman year lived at my mom’s friend house, did good in school, played basketball, danced, Sophomore year I became pregnant at 15 sneaking over my boyfriend’s house to take a shower and eat and …. You know the rest! At this time my mother was in jail, again I was homeless, and GOD BLESS my Bf’s parents for letting me move in with them. During high school I kept a GPA average of 3.4-3.8. My mother missed majority of my pregnancy, I had no family but the ones I was staying with. Junior year I began partying, drinking, smoking (weed/cigarettes), popping pills, fornicating, lying, dating girls, etc. It was something I grown to love to do but it got old real fast. Senior year was good for me, I was finally graduating, I was still involved with smoking, drinking, fornication, homosexuality; you name it. BUT it wasn't till senior year till God began to speak to me and change me from Inside-Out. I got invited to this Monday night thing called “Teen Talk” and the pastor spoke on truth and that truth began to hit me hard and began to change me little by little. You see it all started with just a simple invitation. I went from never stepping a foot in church, to going not once a week, not twice, but three times a week. I was exposed to TRUTH and wanted MORE! It was until I lost a close friend of mines that God wouldn't stop talking to me! I would turn to get high or drunk and that’s when I could hear his voice clearly talking to me. Yeah talk about scary but the conviction I felt was unbearable. He wanted me, but I was running away right before I could fully give my heart to Him. See the drinking and smoking wasn't fulfilling those voids I had hidden deep in my heart and God want to fill it but I wouldn't let him. I was heartbroken… 2 days before graduation (June 4, 2010) I GAVE MY LIFE TO CHRIST!!! I have not regretted since, my life has truly been transformed by the POWER of God.
Part 2 of this glory testimony will be my next blog. I pray that you have been blessed and will come back for part two, IT GETS GLORIOUSLY BETTER BEYOND IMAGINATION!!!
God bless,
Monica.
