TESTIMONY:

   My Testimony - Lydia Patrick and Fred


I was born in North Carolina and attended a Methodist church
in walking distance.  When I was about thirteen they asked me
if I believed in the Bible and I said, "yes".  So they sprinkled
me and I became a church member.

I attended MYF (youth group), I sang in the choir and helped
mom clean the church every saturday.

When I was fifteen, an older couple (born again christians)
started picking me up to go to "old time revivals" and "singing
conventions" and heard the term "born again".  They went to
a baptist church about twelve milse from my home.  I went up
one sunday and got saved.  I told my mom that I was going
to join it.  She said she couldn't believe I was leaving the
church that several generations attended, but when you find
Jesus you want to grow and learn more.   So I kept attending
the church,and got engaged a couple of times but kept myself
pure.  I finished high school and still loved to attend church.

In August 1957, Fred came back into the picture.  (He was my
"1st love at age 13).  I always said I would marry a christian
but guess what?   When I fell for Fred, I wanted to do what
was right but my human heart kicked in.  I knew he didn't go
to church but his mom and dad back in Georgia did and I
said to myself, he will change after we marry, which we did.
October 20, 1958.  We moved to Virginia and was married
there, all four children were born there.  I was on "Cloud
Nine".  Well, three children in less than three years, my life
was full.

I never got my drivers license because back on the farm in
North Carolina you didn't need one to drive a tractor or a
mule and cart.  Fred always took the children and I when I
needed to go places.  I made a list for him to shop for
groceries but I longed to go to church and he didn't take us.
I finally got my license in 1963 and started to drive myself.

I would like to say here, boys, girls and teenagers, please
DO NOT marry an unsaved person thinking you can change
them, you are headed for trouble because a child of God and
a child of Satan will have many heartaches.  Marriage itself
is hard enough for christians as it is, without mixing them up.

Well, anyway, I didn't start church right away but remember we
leave God, He does not leave us.  So the Holy Spirit was
dealing with me now that I as driving, to get back  in church
and I was miserable.

I was always listening to the preaching on radio while the
kids were in school and Fred at work so I was still "getting the
word" but not close to the Lord.

On October 16, 1966 I was mopping the floor when the pastor,
Lamar Sentell, an old indian preacher, gave the invitation,
"How about you, housewife, there doing the floors.  how long has
it been since you went to church and served the Lord?  Jesus
wants you to come home right now.  Won't you come?  Well, I
put down my mop and knelt by the chair by the radio and re-
didicated my life to Jesus.  Such a relief and burden was lifted
from my heart.  Only a person that has been there, done that, can
understand the piece that God can give you.

So I started the next Sunday to church with the kids, asking Fred
to go but he didn't.  But knowing it was the right thing to do he
made sure we had a car and transportation to get there.  But as
a wife I used to envy wives and children with Dads with them
as a family.

We moved to Florida June 1972.   Fred  was saved September 12,
2001.  A long time to think you can change someone.  A spouse
can't but God can and did.  "Praise the Lord" 

                          Sister  Andrea

Hi fellow Saints,

This is Andrea, I am 64 years old, the mother of two and the grandmother of seven.  I am one of five siblings, my parents and grandparents on both sides were Jewish by faith and there was no mention of Jesus in my home.   Sometimes I went to Temple on beginning of the Sabbath (before sunset on Friday) to return again before sunrise and stay all day until sunset which aws no fun for us kids.

I was raised in government housing projects and on welfare.

With nothing to do and nowhere to go during the summers we went to bible school throughout the week and attended an all white Baptist church on sundays.   I thank God my mother didn't protest.  God had a plain.  There I got to know and love Jesus through songs and bible verses and said yes to salvation at the age of 12.

Soon the streets began to call me and I answered.  Dancing, drinking,and partying became a way of life for me.  I tried everything once or twice that the devil had to offer.   I stayed on this path for many years, only going to church once in awhile and not getting back to the love of Jesus until I had 2 bad marriages and 2 children to raise alone.

Looking back I know God was with me all along, protecting and keeping me from harm.  Always aware of God but not enough to change my walk.  One day I met Jesus again at the altar and surrendered my life to him at the age of 50.  This time it changed my life forever.  I am now walking by faith and trusting fully in the Lord.

My God is an awesome God.

Truly Blessed,
Andrea

                     Artie and Dennis Nichols

I have only been saved for about 6 years, but it has been the most wonderful years of my life.

 
I was not raised in a religious  household.  My parents never went to church.  My dad was an agnostic, so I had very little spiritual knowledge.   My Aunt Sarah (who lived with us until I was 8 years old) was born again believer.  She tried to instill spiritual beliefs in me.

In high school, I started drinking.  In college I even tried drugs for awhile.  All this time my Aunt and my cousin Jim would witness to me, but I was hard headed and didn’t listen to them.   I joined the Catholic Church in my twenties.  I suppose I was looking for answers even then.

I moved to Florida in 1989.  My wife of 23 years and I divorced.  At this time I met my current wife, Artie.  Shortly after I was married, I met Pastor Bond.  He also tried to witness to me.  He and Bill Naumann came by the house frequently, but I was not interested.  I had some strange ideas about theology.  I thought that we were descended from aliens, I even had doubts that god even existed.  I read all the new age books and all the weird theories about creation.

 Artie and I were involved in Civil War reenacting it was here I met Art Buck who portrayed a Chaplin he became a close friend of mine.  Art is a real minister who now has his own church.  He and another fellow Minister/re-enactor Roger Brock, tried to witness to me.  I would either laugh and make jokes or change the subject.  Art says I was good at the fast shuffle.

 After 10 years Pastor Bond quit coming by.  I asked Artie why,  and she said he had told her I was so hard headed and that he just gave up.  Well it still took a couple of years, but Artie bought me a book titled “Are We Living in the End Times” by Dr. Tim Lahaye.  After reading this book and the “Left Behind” series, I was laying in bed one night and decided I did not want to be left behind.  I was scared to death.  So at that moment I said the sinners prayer and asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.  It was as if a great weight was lifted from me. 
 I still have my problems, but now I have the Savior to help me.  I am getting better every day. 

    Dennis Nichols

                 Cheryl Cravner

   My life before Jesus was
Darkness, Lies and Slavery

I thought I was free. I thought I was a liberated woman. If someone had asked if I was happy I would have said, yes. I was living in Key Largo and every day was a party. Oh, I worked but my reward was drinking and smoking pot and having a good time. (So I thought) I was addicted but never would have recognized it had God not got my attention.

As I look back now I see I was also addicted to that lifestyle. God wanted me to see myself, the way He does. I came across a book that was given to my son years earlier by my mother entitled “Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth.” That reading changed my life. For the first time in my life I was brought to a place through scripture and the authors explanation of how Satan tries to separate us from the love of God. God loved me where I was! I didn’t need to clean up my life first. He did that for me when I ask Him to save me and take my sin. I was kneeling on my living room floor and Jesus changed my life.

My life after Jesus is

Exciting

I know true freedom. I am now a truly liberated woman. I am no longer a slave to sin. I choose and am no longer addicted. He gives me the power to put sin behind me. Before Jesus there was darkness, lies and slavery. With Jesus there is Light and Truth and Freedom! I thank Him every day for the new life He gave me.

Laura Naumann

I’ve never written anything like this before. As a matter of fact no one has ever asked me to write something like this, ever. Pastor Bond, who I admire and respect, came to me and asked me, Laura, to write my testimony for posting on our website. WOW! Me, I really couldn’t believe it at first. T o be honest I was, and still am, scared to write this.

I believed the reason no one ever asked me for my testimony before is I didn’t have a testimony of what the Lord has done for me and to me. If someone would have said a year ago I would be writing this now, I would have told them they were crazy to start with, and laughed at them over a beer. Sad, but true.

To start with I was raised in a God fearing Christian home. I was saved when I was seven years old on my birthday. I had the privilege of going to Christian schools my whole life, even graduated from one. I knew right from wrong. Some where along the way, my way, not God’s, I chose the wrong way, road, path, or even journey if you will. I’ve done things, drank, lied … so many wrong choices in my life. I even sold drugs as well as used them. I was so good at my self destructive behavior. I almost succeeded twice at total an- illation of what I thought was my body and soul. Always trying to make myself numb because it, for me, was easier than doing what I knew was right, and ultimately what God wanted me to do.

You always hear people say you have to hit bottom before you can get up. In my case this was no lie. When I hit my own bottom, I brought a shovel to dig deeper until I hit another bottom, the yet another until ultimately I was wanted by the law. I had warrants in two counties. Crazy, huh?

I got so tired of running from everything, the law, my family, God, the truth. I came back to Florida, and decided this was it. It was time to stop running. I always knew that if I did it would be because I made the choice, not because I was in trouble or needed help, but if I truly said, “Okay God, I’m done, it’s your turn.” It was no joke. One day…it was like a light switch. I looked at my daughter and said: “ I did it.” She said, “Did what momma?” I told her I let go and let God. I think she thought I finally did do it, have a nervous break down.

I was serious, and it showed. Things began to happen in my life, and hers. God began to do His work in my life. I was able to reconcile a relationship with my sister prior to her death, for which I will be eternally grateful. Because of God my family is an active part of my life again, and it’s all because of Jesus. He gave me a second chance.

When I was in jail the verse that got me through was Ps.118: 18: “ The Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath NOT given me over to death.” I was very fortunate, I truly thought I deserved to die for all I had done.

I now love life, God and sobriety. He can still love and forgive me, and use me …
Wow ! how humbling is that? Jesus never gave up on me even when I gave up on me. If he can change my life he can change and forgive anyone.