Hello everyone. My name is Mark, I'm sure you might have guessed. I'm 32, and from Arvada, Colorado.
I grew up catholic. I been going to catholic churches since as far back as 7 years old. Probably between 7 up untill about till I was 27 I was going to the catholic church and mostly following the catholic way.
I sort of faded away from the catholic church at 27 and became more involved with non demonational churches. I seemed to to like the word more better. A the music.
The following year, I sort of faded away from the church. I kept a personal relationship with Christ in my heart. I moved to New Mexico for about a year. Didn't really go to church out there.
I ended up moving back to Colorado in August 2007. When I moved back. I met some new friends. I partyed. Drank, get high. I knew at that moment I didn't care about the christian life. I thought when I'm ready to be saved I'll be ready. Not now.
At my job, in January 2008 I got really aquainted with three guys at my work, who liked to get high on more serious addicting things. I found this out in October, as well them taking advantge of me.
Probably the first time I noticed these guys weren't friends was when 2 of them stole my car on a night of drinking. They finally came back after about an hour later, with my tire popped and a yellow mark on the back of my car. Like a dummy I didn't call the police. They still haven't paid the full amount.
In December, like a dummy I felt sorry for one of the guys after he was thrown out of brothers house, and had him stay at my place for a week. One night I caught him doing cocaine in my house I threw his butt out.
During the week of Christmas 2008, my dad and my stepmother came to town to visit me for the week. On Christmas Eve, my dad and stepmother and myself went to a lutheren church for the service. Out in New Mexico, my dad and step mother are both lutherens. I felt like a really wonderful person after going to that service. Like wow what confidence I felt. Peace.
It was my goal to become a born again christian this year. I was going to do it on Easter, but did it sooner.
On January 10, 2009, two of these guys and myself were going to a rave. They bugged me, which it did dawn on me was that they just wanted a ride. I'm just too nice, what can I say. They wanted me to do ecstacy. I refused. I finally told them in the end, I'll go to the rave, but will not do ecstacy. That night, which happened to be a Saturday, I picked them up we drove to a gas station to get some soda and snacks. Then we went to Wendys to get some grub. We waited in the parking lot, and had a funny feeling. One of the guy's friends came with the ecstacy. I looked out the window, saw flashing lights, which happened to be the police. We sat outside for almost an hour and they let us all go. I'm surprise the guy I work with who purchased the ecstacy wasn't arrested. He had a warrent and they let him go.
That was that, I dropped them off at home, I went home, ate the remaineder of my cold Wendys. That night I drank was happened to be my last drink. A glass of wine. I should have probably gone to church that Sunday. I didn't. At the moment I felt, I couldn't face God, like what I did the night before.
The next weekend I went to church for the first time. It was a non demonational church in Arvada called Arvada Covenant Church. I found it by accident, so I thought it could have been a sign from God that I found it. I was going to one called Faith Bible Chapel, which was actually down the street more. I liked the service, but I thought, they were not preaching from the bible. Why not?
My second Sunday of going to church I went to another church. A baptist church located in Wheat Ridge, Colorado called Beth Eden Baptist. I have cousins that go to that church, and it was my cousin Holly who convinced me in going their at the start. I remember that Saturday night I was thinking about going to Arvada Covenant. When my cousin Holly actually called me up, the night before inviting me to lunch at her house, and requested me going to Beth Eden. I sort of had doubts, I mean I liked Arvada Covenant, at the time not really knowing the preaching wasn't from the bible. Till I went to Beth Eden. I got their went to a singles Sunday school class. After the class I went to the service. It was then when I was turned on to the preaching, the music was also amazing. The preaching was straight from the bible.
When I got out I felt like a whole new person. It was amazing.
I went to the service that night, and that night I got saved. It was wonderful. From then on I knew I found a great church.
Its wonderful. I saved a friend of mine recently it was great. A really great feeling. The three guys at my work hated the fact I turned christian. They made fun of me, mocked the Lord which I knew happens.
April 20th I lost my job, I think it was a blessing in disguise. I got away from those guys. I started a temp job last Monday. The lord is definetly on my side. And whas crazy. Those 3 guys at the old job got fired on Thursday. What goes around comes around. I actually made an effort and called the President of the old company, and asked for another chance their now that tose guys are gone.
This coming up Sunday I'm getting baptized. I can't wait.
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