My Good Life?

As the middle child in a family of 5 girls, we did a lot of things together. Though I didn't really think much about God, I did attend church regularly with my sisters when I was young. However, when we became teenagers, we all decided that church wasn't for us. I was looking for the good life, and had a great job working in a restaurant, as head waitress and banquet manager. Successful and enjoying life, I had no time for God. I thought that this was all I needed. But something was about to happen that would change my thinking and my life, forever! My boss asked me to attend a Dale Carnegie speech class to help me in my work. I must say that I enjoyed it very much. We were assigned the topic: "The most important thing that ever happened to me." One young man gave a very unusual speech on that theme. Standing before the class, he pulled a little Bible out of his pocket and announced confidently, "This Book changed my life!" He then went on to tell us how he had accepted Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as his Savior and that God had saved him. I thought to myself, "Saved? …from what?! I don't need to be saved." But he had gotten my curiosity. After class, I peppered him with questions about God and the Bible. He literally dared me to come to church. I accepted. And so, the next Sunday I found myself sitting in a small Baptist Church in Londonderry, NH. I had never heard preaching like that before! I realized how little of the Bible I actually knew. The pastor preached emphatically about being forgiven of sin, knowing Christ as Savior and having eternal life. He said that Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross. I was confused and very uncomfortable with all of this. But inside I knew I needed to hear it. "Did I have eternal life?" I had no idea. I came back the next week and heard more about being saved. I realized now that there was something I needed to be saved from … my sin. I was full of pride and selfishness. That night after the church services, I went home very disturbed. Feeling guilty and wicked, I looked in the mirror and realized without a doubt I was lost. I knelt by my bed and called upon Jesus Christ to forgive me and to give me eternal life. Since receiving Christ as my Lord, I have never been the same. I have a peace that doesn't go away because my sins are washed away, forever. That Book had changed my life too! That was over 25 years ago. Two years after being saved, I met my husband, Jon. In 1994, after 12 years in pastoral ministry in the United States, the Lord called my husband to Prague, Czech Republic. We have 2 grown boys in the USA and a daughter who lives here with us. God has allowed us to pioneer a new work in this former communist, atheistic country. The committed group that we now have continues to grow in the Lord. God is "giving the increase" we praise the Lord he has given us the privilege of serving Him in this wonderful work.