Who impacted your life the most in your Christian Walk?

[allmylove4ugrowsdeeper]

Well as I was sitting in the psyche ward on November 8th 2002 at 11:00 pm. I was reading Psalm 119. And bam

Edited November 16, 2006 by allmylove4ugrowsdeeper

[Candi770]

Have you ever noticed that the Holy SPirit can use anyone to get a message to you.

These people are vessels used of God and because they were obedient we reaped the benefit.

I remember when I was going to a heated trial-that I didn't think would ever end. A person came into my office, not knowing anything and gave me scripture pertaining to exactly what I was going through. It was God speaking to me through the person. I know that I can hear God for myself, but it sure is nice when a brother or sister in Christ bring encouragement to our doors.

[Candi770]

I was born into an abusive home. My father was (he passed away) an alcoholic. He was very abusive. He would kneel on my arms and choke me telling me he should kill me. This was at a very young age. My mom would step in at times and stop him, but for the most part used his abusive behavior as a threatening tool towards me. My mother was physically abusive as well. I was molested by a family member starting at the age of six along with 2 of my 3 sisters. When it was exposed to my parents that my sisters and I were being molested they never sought us medical treatment or reported it in any way. It was a big

[Christ's Free Servant]

I can not narrow it down to just one person, so I'm going to name the five people who most affected my life for Christ:

1) My pastor's wife when I was in my early teen years: She always came up to me, put her arm around me and would hug me. She was just so loving, and it was a time in my life when I needed love. She died of cancer while I was a teen.

2) My youth pastor when I was 14-17: He and his wife showed me love and acceptance and he taught me so much about the Christian life. He made it so down to earth where I could understand it.

3) My (male) best friend's older sister: She invited me to come visit her anytime. That is when I was 18. I took her at her word and I spent many hours at her kitchen table drinking tea and talking. She was so loving and kind to me. She became like a surrogate mother to me. I did not know that kind of love from my own mother. My mom had trouble expressing love emotionally. She did things for us as her way of showing love. But, I needed someone to care about the 'real' me, and Barb did that. We had a 30 year long friendship before she died of cancer. My mom died of cancer two years later.

4) My pastor when I was ages 17-27: He taught me so much about God and His Word. He would be equal in teaching style and content to Chuck Swindol. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat and could not wait to come back for the Sunday night service to learn more, and he preached at the minimum of 45 minutes, but that was the fastest 45 minutes I've ever had. I sat through his teaching Sun mornings, Sun evenings, Wed evenings and Thurs mornings and I took notes upon notes upon notes that I still have nearly 30 years later and I've taught the same stuff to others that he taught me.

5) A lady missionary who stayed with us for two weeks in 1976: She taught me a Bible study guide and how to hear from God through His Word. That is when I first really started hearing God speak to me personally through His Word - when the Word of God truly became ALIVE to me when I read it during my quiet times with God. I began journaling my quiet times then, and have accumulated a whole cupboard full of journals by now that are my records of my conversations with God over the past 30 years.

[Candi770]

I can not narrow it down to just one person, so I'm going to name the five people who most affected my life for Christ:

1) My pastor's wife when I was in my early teen years: She always came up to me, put her arm around me and would hug me. She was just so loving, and it was a time in my life when I needed love. She died of cancer while I was a teen.

2) My youth pastor when I was 14-17: He and his wife showed me love and acceptance and he taught me so much about the Christian life. He made it so down to earth where I could understand it.

3) My (male) best friend's older sister: She invited me to come visit her anytime. That is when I was 18. I took her at her word and I spent many hours at her kitchen table drinking tea and talking. She was so loving and kind to me. She became like a surrogate mother to me. I did not know that kind of love from my own mother. My mom had trouble expressing love emotionally. She did things for us as her way of showing love. But, I needed someone to care about the 'real' me, and Barb did that. We had a 30 year long friendship before she died of cancer. My mom died of cancer two years later.

4) My pastor when I was ages 17-27: He taught me so much about God and His Word. He would be equal in teaching style and content to Chuck Swindol. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat and could not wait to come back for the Sunday night service to learn more, and he preached at the minimum of 45 minutes, but that was the fastest 45 minutes I've ever had. I sat through his teaching Sun mornings, Sun evenings, Wed evenings and Thurs mornings and I took notes upon notes upon notes that I still have nearly 30 years later and I've taught the same stuff to others that he taught me.

5) A lady missionary who stayed with us for two weeks in 1976: She taught me a Bible study guide and how to hear from God through His Word. That is when I first really started hearing God speak to me personally through His Word - when the Word of God truly became ALIVE to me when I read it during my quiet times with God. I began journaling my quiet times then, and have accumulated a whole cupboard full of journals by now that are my records of my conversations with God over the past 30 years.

That's awesome. I really believe that God knew what you needed each step of the way. Totally awesome God we serve.

[Christ's Free Servant]

Well as I was sitting in the psyche ward on November 8th 2002 at 11:00 pm. I was reading Psalm 119. And bam

[Christ's Free Servant]

That's awesome. I really believe that God knew what you needed each step of the way. Totally awesome God we serve.

YES, He did! And, YES, HE IS!!

[Christ's Free Servant]

Have you ever noticed that the Holy SPirit can use anyone to get a message to you.

These people are vessels used of God and because they were obedient we reaped the benefit.

I remember when I was going to a heated trial-that I didn't think would ever end. A person came into my office, not knowing anything and gave me scripture pertaining to exactly what I was going through. It was God speaking to me through the person. I know that I can hear God for myself, but it sure is nice when a brother or sister in Christ bring encouragement to our doors.

OH, YES!! ABSOLUTELY!!

[kittylover0991]

Yeah, there have been a lot of people at my church family (have only had to go to one church so far, praise the Lord) that have affected me in my Christian walk during these eight years that I have been a Christian, but the one that the Lord has used the most in my life is my old youth pastor of whom I will just call PL (for sake of privacy). It turns out he came to my church the first year I did and he saw the very same act put on during VBS with the whole space suit thing of the second youth pastor before him (now a pastor in another state), but that is beside the point. He is my daddy in Christ.

I can remember back to fifth grade when the youth pastor of the time was on deputation for hte missionary feild, and PL was there teaching junior church... fifth and sixth grade. I remember him being there at church camp for my first few years of going and I specifically remember certain points of all three of those. The first one, I remember asking him about Christian music, and finding out for the first time what is wrong with the music of this world, and what kind of music we should listen to. That was also the year a boy followed me around on the bike trail and that one still hasn't left the giggles of my youth group, but he was there playing a joke on the bike route too *sticks tongue out*. The second year was a rough year because x best friend's parent had just found a diary the night before in which she wrote horribly awful wicked stuff in there between stuff with drugs, stuff with her dad, and sexual stuff that included her closest friends and after getting yelled at for a long time by her mom and everything else, it was hard to go off to camp the next day, but I couldnt' stay home either. That year I got into trouble becaue I kept forgetting to tell my counselors where I was going, and then got my story all mixed up, but I also still remmeber his look and a way in which he cared. Actually, the thing with the boy happend the same year as this lol but it was still the second year at camp. The third adn final year he was there, he taught us a lesson I'll never forget and the chapter we all memorized was Psalm 63 with the theme "Early will I seek thee". It was mostly about spending time with God, having devotions and so many other great things that week...

Alright... I'll try to keep it short

He has taught me some amazing lessons.... he taught me about what "the church" is and I know that it is a local assembly and not everybody that is saved, etc... he taught us a lot of bible theology as he learned it in bible institute and he worked with us... He pressured(in a loving way) to move forward... always pushing us one step further and helping us to grow... taught us what it means to sing to the Lord and how to have a personal relationship with Him.

He was there when I struggled with temptation.... something I kept secret for about ten years and he was there.. he even told me I could call him at two in the morning asking for his help.... and he meant and he also followed through with that He was there when we all needed help.... I know in the may of the year he left, he told me I was carnal and many other things on those lines and pointed me to great women in the bible... Prov 31, Esther, Ruth... so many others....

He was there in the good times, the laughs, the hard times and the cries.. he was also there in the times that every thing seemed to stand still and he kept pressing towards that mark becuase he knows we are in a race (Heb 12:1) and how he loved the Lord.... Sure, I put him up on a pedastool, and the Lord had to work that one out in my heart, but he has done so many great things. It is becuase he loves the Lord and you know? It was really really REALLY hard seeing him go... I cried for days... weeks.... and all my church cried when he left.... (his wife was THE BEST by the way Perfect example of a woman sold out for God.. virtuous and loving... my mommy in Christ) But you know what? You know? I love him, his wife, and his children so much, and we all miss them, but they are STILL doing God's work. They just left for the mission feild this last Monday while my youth group and I were on a trip and now even the tears are coming again lol

oh yes, he was there when I lied to him lol oh how I can't forget lol I couldn't tell him the truth a year later, but the Lord led me to tell him I didn't tell him the truth lol From there, he was able to help me with the issue of virginity becuase of some issues in the past (and by the way, it is a blessing to be able to say I'm a virgin ) and he helped in ways dealing with my x best friend because the Lord led me to the point of being able to tell him that it was a lie, and from there, the Lord led him to a good enough understanding of the truth (he told me lol ) lol. I'm kind of laughing right now becuase those were some long seven years but how he has been there through everything oh yes, I can't forget... he ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS got onto my about being obedient to my parents lol ALWAYS!!!! lol I'd better end here before I write a book, so I'll end with this.

I miss him a lot, but he is the best example I've ever seen of how the Lord can work in someone's life, and the best example of what can happen with someone serves the Lord, and loves doing it... always striving to reach a higher mark, to be more like Jesus, and show others THROUGH EXAMPLE even, to do the same.

Crystal

[Guest LadyC]

my children's church pastor and his wife. i was seven. their names were ken moreland and his late wife jeanne, and even through adulthood they had tremendous influence over my life, and the lives of my brothers. i wonder if they realize how much, since i didn't see them very often in my adult life (they'd moved to another part of the state by then.)

but they were always "there", even when they weren't there. jeanne passed away four years ago from throat cancer. when my own father died three years ago next week, ken came to officiate over his funeral.