Testimonies:
Hi,
My name is Brenda. I would like to tell you a little of my testimony.
I'm 40 years old and about 15 months ago I found my life spinning out of
control. I was addicted to pills and crack cocaine. I lost my home and my car
and my family had just about given up on me. If that wasn't enough, on September
25th, 2007, I was going to jail for trafficking in a controlled substance, and
there I was locked up in the county jail for over 5 months.
Finally my judge gave me an option of doing the rest of my time in jail or go to rehab for 6 months. I chose rehab. I found a place called Grace Happens and that was the beginning of my new life. Grace Happens excepted me with open arms. I never knew the kind of love that I was now receiving from them. They just wanted to help me change my life and they introduced me to God, and my life hasn't been the same since. On February 16th, 2007, I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and now my life is so much better. I now have my own place to live. I'm rebuilding my relationship with my family, and I am now 15 months clean, and that's all God's doing, because I now know that “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) I now trust in the Lord for everything. I live by Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but acknowledge Him in every way, and He will direct your Path.” That's what I do everyday and it only keeps getting better, because once you become a child of God, there's not anything that you ask in Christ's name, that He will not do for you. All you have to do is just call on His Name, and He will be there. I'm not saying there's not a lot of hard work involved, because there is. But, if you will take the first step, He will be there to steady the rest of them.
* used by permission
Hi, my name is Sarah, and this is my testimony. This brief story of my life is by no means, to glorify sin, and the wrong choices, that I have made in my life, but, instead it is to glorify my God, your God, that delivered me out of the pits of destruction and raised me up, and gave me a desire to want to do the work that He had planned for me, since the beginning. I went through a lot, and I have done a lot, but, I have finally been able to let all of the bad go, and believe and have faith in God, that he will take all the bad and use for His Good. Thank you, Jesus.
Before I came to know Christ, my life was in constant chaos and turmoil. I started drinking and experimenting with drugs in middle school. I then got into high school and started on the varsity soccer team, so the partying pretty much died down until my senior year, and then it stated picking up a little. I had received scholarships to certain colleges, but, the constant confusion I was going through (trying to deal and cope with an abusive childhood), I was angry all of the time, and didn't feel like making any more hard decisions.
So, before I knew it, I was working full time and even at one time, two jobs, and eventually got sick of it and resorted to selling crack and cocaine in some of the worst projects in Lexington, while also working a job. My life continued to spin out of control, I was selling drugs, doing drugs, fighting, and anything and everything that you can imagine will bring nothing but destruction was surrounding me. It surrounded me, only because I allowed it.
I found some hope when I got pregnant and stopped doing everything. I found Christ about a year after that, at a time in my life when I felt like I had no one, but a one year old little girl that depended on me. That's also when I was able to realize how much I could actually love another person; so much that it scared me. I felt like I finally had something to live for. I did real well for about another year and a half after that, I was in the Bible all of the time, however, I failed in the area of fellowship and going to church. I figured that I could do it all myself, just me and God. BAD CHOICE!! I ended up going to jail with a few possession of controlled substance charges 1st degree (felony) DUI, contraband charges (felony), and a possession of marijuana charge. I spent 6 days in the Fayette County Detention Center, on a $10,000.00 bond, with 2 felonies, looking at a minimum of two years in prison. By the Grace of God, I got a great lawyer, and was shown favor in the courtroom, and ended up on probation and no felonies. One again, thank You Jesus. This time, I started going to church and did pretty well, but then once again my anger started spinning out of control and one again so did my drinking and drug use. Two years later, I found myself back in jail on a DUI charge, and a probation violation. This time, I did 15 days, and was looking at an extra 120 days for a probation violation. I started feeling like God had given up on me, and I began to loose all hope. I just could never do anything right, I was always messing up, and I felt like I hated my life. Why was all of this happening to me? I later found out, and began to realize that Satan always messes with you when you have the potential of being a threat to his kingdom, and when you may end up doing something powerful for God's Kingdom. I was a threat to Satan, he had lost a faithful servant. After a lot of prayer and time alone with God, I realized I had not surrendered everything in my life to Him. I was finally ready, after going through unnecessary events and after all the unnecessary pain I had caused myself, and worst of all other important people in my life, my family and worst of all, I had let my daughter down. Thank God for His Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness. After finally turning everything in my life over to God, He led me to a place that would change my life forever, Grace Happens.
Grace Happens not only saved my life, but it also helped my to see and know who I am as a child of God and who I am in Christ. Since being at Grace Happens, I have been born again, and re-dedicated my life to God. I have also been baptized. I was also able to identify the root of bitterness, that had poisoned my life and was able to overcome it with the help of the Holy Spirit. Grace Happens accepted me with an unconditional love that seemed so foreign to me, but it was also very nice. It was like a “complete family” I had been searching for all my life. I had the love from my mother and she supported me through the program, but I also understand that it was hard for her because of some of the things that I had done to disappoint her. I also was able to realize that it was because of my mother's faith, that got me to where I am today; and that is in the palm of God's Hand. I have been clean and sober for six months now, and I give God all the Glory and Praise, because without Him, I would have never made it. I also thank God for having placed me in a faith based recovery center like Grace Happens, because faith was the missing piece to my puzzle, as I believe it is for other people that struggle with these very same things.
This was my second chance at life, and it has restored my family relationships, and I am now at home with my daughter, being the mother, God created me to be. God did all of this for me and He can do it for you, too. If you take the first step and just submit yourself to God and are obedient, you will see that there is a light in the darkness you are living in, and it's called Jesus Christ. The Bible says that, “He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” All you have to do, is reach out to Him and He will never leave you and when it gets tough (which it sometimes will), He will carry you. He is there all the time, holding on to you.
*used by permission
My name is Jennifer. I am 32 years old and was in active addiction for 13 years. I have two beautiful children. 8 years old and 13 years old. My drug use started when I was 13 years old. By the age of 19, I was using narcotic pain killers and cocaine intravenously. From the age of 20 to 25, I had been to four different methadone clinics, and I was kicked out of all four for using cocaine. My daughter Kendal, was born in 1999, addicted to methadone and cocaine. She was in neonatal care unit for 21 days, where she fought to live. My addiction didn't stop there, it got worse. I was in and out of jail numerous times. In 2005, my husband went to jail and received a 5 year sentence, for a probation violation. He was my best friend, and partner in crime, so, after he went to prison, I was left to take care of two children and a very large habit. I delve into drugs even more and ended up losing custody of my children, to my sister. I lost all hope after that. I turned to prostitution to support my habit. My family was devastated. I didn't want to stop using at that point, because I didn't want to think about the terrible things I had done to my family and children.
I went to Grace Happens, after being on the streets for 2 months. I gave my life to Jesus Christ and He saved me. I give Him all the credit for turning my life around. God showed me so much favor during the 6 months that I spent at Grace Happens. But, the biggest was getting my children back. I have been home with my children for almost two months, and am still clean and sober. I am working, taking care of my children, and living for the Lord. My husband also gave his heart to Christ, while in prison, and leads in the Substance Abuse classes, there in prison. He will come home to me and my children, no later than March of 2008. However, I am believing the Lord will send him home early. I love my life, who I am, and love the Lord, because He is truly my Savior.
*used by permission
Grace Happens not only saved my life, but it also helped me to see and know who I am as a child of God and who I am in Christ. Since being at Grace Happens, I have been born again, and re-dedicated my life to god. I have also been baptized. I was also able to identify the root of bitterness that had poisoned my life and was able to overcome it with the help of the Holy Spirit. Grace Happens accepted me with an unconditional love that seemed so foreign to me but it was also very nice. It was like a "complete family". I had been searching for all my life. I had the love from my mother and she supported me through the program but I also understand that it was hard for her because of some of the things that i had done to disappoint her. I also was able to realize that it easy because of my mother's faith that got me where I am today; and that is in the palm of God's hand. I have been clean and sober for six months now and I give God all the glory and praise because without Him I would have never made it. I also thank God for having placed me in a faith based recovery center like Grace Happens, because faith was the missing piece to my puzzle, as I believe it is for other people that struggle with these very same things. This was my second chance at life, and it has restored my family relationships, and I am now at home with my daughter, being the mother God created me to be.
God did all of this for me and He can do it for you too. if you take the first step and just submit yourself to God and are obedient, you will see that there is a light in the darkness you are living in and it's called Jesus Christ. The Bible says that "He is the way, the truth and the life." All you have to do is reach out to Him and He will never leave you and when it gets tough (which it sometimes will) He will carry you. He is there all the time holding on to you.
All tax-deductible donations graciously accepted by:
Grace Happens, Inc.
P. O. Box 733
Nicholasville, KY 40340
Telephone: (859) 433-8112
Fax: (859) 881-8369
Email: gracehappens4u@gmail.com