Here’s the long story of how I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. There are still so many intimate things God has shown me lately, & I hope to share them on here as I grow and learn more & more.

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Like many, I’ve been raised in a Christian household, but unlike others I’ve also been raised in a military family. Because of this, I grew up moving around a lot and going to whatever little Methodist church was in the area. I never disliked church—but I never really understood it, so I didn’t enjoy it. I learned about Jesus and what he did for me in Sunday school. I loved him, but I never understood that you could know him.

When my family moved to Maryland when I was in the 4th grade, we started going to a more contemporary church where I met a lot of great people. I enjoyed going to church, but I still didn’t fully understanding everything I heard. My family wanted to join the church, and in order to do so (because it was a baptist church) you had to be baptized. Well, to get baptized you had to “get saved” —which I had never heard about before. I knew so much about the Bible but not that you had to “pray a prayer” to actually be a Christian. I was upset about not knowing this before because I had always wanted to do all the “right things” — being a Christian especially. So of course I had to pray this prayer, so that I was a “real Christian”. But I didn’t know what I was doing or why. I prayed to be a Christian…not to start a relationship with a loving savior or ask for the forgiveness and cleansing of my sin.

A few years later, this fake-Christianity/Gospel that I had surrounded myself with led to me doubting. Going to Newspring in 2012, I truly began to see Jesus for who he is (and understand what it means to really be a Christian). I loved going to church and understanding the messages. I got really involved with an amazing group of girls at Fuse (the girls in my 7th grade small group are still some of my best friends today) and started to take the next steps people who were saved should’ve been taking. I started reading my Bible daily and serving at church, checking things off that “Christian to do list”. YET during my first year at Gauntlet (a youth summer camp) I was burdened and scared thinking of my salvation. I doubted whether I was saved… I felt empty — this was the Holy Spirit’s conviction for me to follow Jesus.

It didn’t take until January (almost half a year later) that the conviction led me to get on my hands and knees and cry out to Jesus to truly save me. I told him that I understood what he did on the cross and that I wanted a relationship with him. I was tired of feeling half-in and cloudy. Immediately, I was relieved, — the burden and fear and stress and tension was released — and I was filled with peace. I felt like I could breathe; a weight was truly taken off of my shoulders. I went to bed that night not doubting for a second that I was made right with God because of Jesus’ sacrifice and forgiveness.

Since then, my life (no matter what I’m going through) has a foundation of peace and joy that I constantly fall back on. Even though following Jesus can be hard (& life hasn’t gotten any easier), following him has given my life a real purpose and an anchor to cling to when everything around me seems to be falling apart. I’ve taken next steps, gotten baptized, and tried to continuously pursue Jesus and live like he did. I try not to have a “check the boxes mentality”, only doing things to please him and get to know him better. More recently I’ve been growing in trust — trusting God’s ways, his plans, and his promises. I’ve realized that being a Christian is a relationship, where you can experience the Lord and have conversations with him. I’ve felt his presence & glimpses of his power and faithfulness.

He’s blessed me in more ways than I can count. And he’s still revealing himself to me everyday. He’s changed my life for the better. He’s filled up my soul and given me a name. He died for me; He chose me. So now I’m choosing to live for him.

I’m so thankful for my story & I’m so thankful for my Jesus. If you’re struggling with something similar or want to hear more, let’s 🌮 ‘bout Jesus or anything else. I love you & so does the GOD of the UNIVERSE ♥️♥️

“And whatever you do do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”

– Colossians 3:17