I was raised by my parents and I have one brother. From the time I was about 5 years old my family regularly attended church. My grandparents on my mother's side regularly attended church and we went with them when ever we were at their house. After my father got saved we starting going to church every time the doors were open, and my family got involved with the church. As a small child I remember being told the Christmas story of Jesus' birth and that the only way to Heaven was to be saved. As a small child I thought Heaven was the funeral home.
The church that we went to was the First Baptist Church of Youth, my family met the pastor through him being our pest control man. When I was around 9 years old, in children's church an alter call was given and myself and a group of other children went into the prayer room. We were asked if we wanted to be saved and we all said yes, repeated a prayer, and were "saved". But sadly this wasn't true salvation, I think I really did it to fit in and not be let out. My parents delighted in my salvation decision, but this never quite felt right, and there was not change in my life. As I grew other, I remember out 5 or so times in which I repeated a salvation prayer and got saved. I remember being in church services and God dealing so heavily with my heart, but I would either just ignore it or pray to God and tell him that I know I am saved why are you dealing with me! As time went on, the dealing on my heart became fewer and fewer. As time went on it got easier and easier to reject the knock on my hearts door. I was active in my church, went to Sunday School, Sunday Morning & Night services, Camp Meeting, sung in the Children's Choir, helped in the puppet ministry, and was even a part of the Christmas play every year.
About the time I was a freshman in high school my family changed churches to Porterdale Baptist and by this time the dealing with my heart were few and far between. I reasoned in my head that well these feeling that I am not saved are coming from not being involved in my new church and from never being baptized. So around May 2007, I talked to my pastor and asked to be baptized and plugged into a ministry at my church. I was baptized a few Sunday's later, with my whole family looking on, became a member of my church, and also took over the children's church ministry. But still something was not right! When I lay my head on my pillow at night, I did not have the peace that if Jesus came back tonight, that I would be called to Heaven with the church. I kept all these feelings to myself, because I was scared and ashamed that I did not know without a shadow of a doubt that I was saved!
In September 2007, I met my husband, Matt. Matt had been called to preach and knew he was saved, without a shadow of a doubt. I felt a relief when we started dating, almost like I could ride on his coat tails into Heaven and being right with God. We had many, many conversations about church and being saved. I always tried to skirt around the conversation of salvation, always giving the "right" answers. In January 2008, Matt moved to Covington and his search started to find a good Independent Baptist church. I started visiting churches with him and we knew that before 2008 was over that we were going to be married, and we wanted a church that was right for us both. After much prayer and consideration on Matt's part we joined Cannan Baptist church. Something still wasnt right in my heart! I went to as many services as possible and tithed, but when the alter call was given or when the pastor asked is there anyone who is not 100% saved, my heart would go to beating almost out my chest and I had a death grip on the pew in front of me, and my knuckles would turn white. I had finally decide after church on May 4th, 2008, that I would tell Matt about my belief that I was not saved and could he please help me pray about it. For some reason that Sunday just felt different, when I think back on it, the sky was alittle bluer, the choir sang alittle sweeter, and then the message. Dr. Scott Caudall preached the message of salvation that he titled the ABC's of Salvation. This was a message I had heard hundreds of times before, but my ears were opened, and my heart was alittle softer this time. A-accepted that we are sinners B-believe that Christ died on the cross and will take away our sins C- confess that we are sinners and ask for forgiveness. At alter call, before the alter call even started, I was half way down the isle, almost knocking Matt out of the way, my focus was on Jesus and I knew that I needed to be saved that very moment before it was too late! I met Mrs. Satterfield at the alter and she began to show me the Roman's road to salvation, I told her I understood and that I want to be saved, I prayed to myself and confessed that I was a sinner and need to be saved! Afterward she prayed for me and I returned to my seat! The tears were flowing by this point and I wanted to shout it from the mountain tops that I was SAVED! Matt was the first person I told and he cried also, he kept telling me how proud he was, and what an honor to see his future wife come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. After church I called my whole family to let them in on the big news! I was so excited, the conversation I had with my uncle stuck out in my mind, he told my aunt and cousins that I had gotten saved and that I thought I was saved before, but now I know 1000% that I was saved! I remember meeting my dad at Walmart and the look of joy he had on his face was priceless! What a joy to see all of God's children on earth rejoicing that day, I can't image how the saints in Heaven were rejoicing! Later that month I was baptized and this time it was real!
I am not perfect by any means, and I have slipped and stumbled along the way! I am still a babe in Christ and my prayer is that in 2012 is that I can finally grow in Christ! Being a Christian and being saved is not easy by any means, the devil is always there to throw a wrench in things and to discourage the children of God. But being a child of God is the sweetest thing I have ever known! I am very thankful that God knocked on my hearts door that day in May, he could have easily passed me over or I could have rejected him once again, but I am so glad that I didnt. In that moment I didn't care if others were watching or what people thought of me, my focus was to get to that alter and be saved! God is so very good and I would not give up my salvation of anything!
Matt and I married on August 23, 2008, in Helen, Ga at the Alpine Wedding Chapel. I am expecting my first child on February 28, 2012. I attended Eastside High School and graduated in 2006 number 7 in my class. I am a 2008 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service and hold an Associates degree in Funeral Science.
