I remember when I was young, my mom use to take us to church. We attended church for several years. I don’t actually recall when it was I stopped attending but I did. So I knew of God and knew he was the truth and the life but I didn’t know how serious and real his love was. I was too young to grasp it all. I began to grow up away from God I didn’t care to follow his word and I began to live the way I wanted in the world. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd. I got jumped into a gang and was always hanging with the homies. I got introduced to marijuana and alcohol, and as the years went by the sin in my life continued to grow. By now the thought of the Lord wouldn’t even cross my mind. I was too involved in the world. I remember the day when two of my friends came over and offered me a line of crank. With hesitation, I did it. From that moment the real evil took over my life. I started to change. That drug got me doing anything and everything. I wasn’t the same person anymore. I was always partying or out in the streets. I was mean to my family and friends. I didn’t care about anyone but myself. I began to sell drugs out of my own home. I also experimented with other drugs during that time. After years of living a lifestyle of party’s and drugs my body and my life was in its worse condition. I couldn’t take it any more. I had no one to talk to. There was no one who understood how I felt or what I was going through. I had no choice. I needed to turn to the man I knew of but had forgotten about for so long. I got down on my knees and begged for forgiveness and deliverance from the evilness that had a hold on me.

 4 years and 4 months ago the Lord delivered me from my addiction of crank. I moved away to the Bay Area in hopes to start off on the right track I lived up there for 3 1/2 years during that time I was still drinking. I didn’t think that was really a problem although it was. There would be times I would feel sad and depressed. I would think about my family and friends and how much I missed them. Finally was ready but afraid to come back home. I didn’t want to fall back into the life style I wanted so bad to get away from. Night after night I would pray about it. I came down one day to visit and my cousin Darlene started telling me about her church. She shared her testimony with me and prayed for me. I felt that the Lord spoke to me through her because after that day I knew that I was really ready to come home. I knew what I needed to do and what kind of people I needed to surround my self with. So here I am today..... clean and sober, a new creation saved by the grace of “God”.

Psalms 40:1-3  

 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my foot on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 he has given me a new song to sing, and a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord.

Philippians 4:6-7

 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Nancy Lopez