A TESTIMONY of� a very� Special young man

My son is the one who presented this special testimony to me awhile ago ( I found it in my e-mail one day); and it will be revealed as you read it why it is so dear to me.

There was this kid who lived with his parents, he was an only child from� Michigan. At a very young age he decided to accept Jesus Christ as his� savior, he lived his life pretty much acordingly through the fifth� grade. In fifth grade he conducted a bible study, and even lead some� kids to Christ that year.�

In sixth grade his parents contiplated getting� a divorce, so his mother moved out and was away for about three years.� When she returned there was quite a bit of hatred built up inside the� boy who was now just begining his sophomore year in high shcool. He did� not want his mom around and tried everything to get rid of her.

By the� time his Junior year of high school came he started hanging out with� friends that had absolutly no respect for their parents. So he began to have no respect for anyone in authority, he began to do nothing but rebel against his parents and rebel against God! He began to turn his back on all that he had learned at the retreat he was at, and vacation� bible school that he helped teach! He began to push his parents around swearing at them. Not letting them around there own home.

Then on March� 15 1998 this young man was kicked out of his house by the police and his� parents. He would move in with his rebelious friends. This young man who� was a pretty well respected person in his comunity was into drinking,� smoking, and disorderly conduct toward people.� He drank almost� everynight, went to two college parties, one of wich was broken up by� eight squad cars.

He then moved in with one of his friends uncles, got� away from the drinking portion of it, but started with internet� pornography, and bought into every lie handed out to him! He began to� think about suicide, and who loves me.�

As he sat there one night his he could see his bible. His bible! He didn't want to see that book, not� now. He didn't want to have anything to do with God. So he hid the bible� under some school work. The next morning as he packed his bag to go to� school, there it was agian. His bible! He rushed out the door and caught his ride.

That night he got home and finally came to grips with himself.� He began yelling at God, "God if you loved me, really loved me, I� wouldn't even be in this predicatment now. You want me to get better friends, then you show them to me! Bring them to me!"

The very next day� he was moved into a christain home for the weekend.� He was then put� into a home where there was a lot of love for one another. Where even� though sibling rivalry exsisted you could still feel the love.

One weekend he stayed with a friend, he had been promoted in his job but after he was sitting, there at two in the morning, virtually alone, he� realized something! He had made a mistake!

The next day His friend and� him went for a road trip to a small town in Wisconsin. There was a party� there, but this party was different, there wasn't going to be any beer� or hard liquor at this party.� This party was with a group of� Christains. If he had ever felt intimidated it was he first arivived at� the party. Not knowing but two people there, he was quite scared at� first. He then realized how much fun they were all having. So he joined� in! That day he made some friends that would have a lasting impact on� his life.�

The whole way home he cried out to God. "God I have made a big� mistake in my career move, I will go wherever you want me. If you want� me to be at a christain camp for the summer I'll do it, If you want me� to be an overseas missionary I'll do it, where ever you want me I'll� go."

The next day when he asked his youth pastor if he had a place to� live, the youth pastor said not permantly for the fall, but I might have� one for the summer." "Where where!" the boy cried out "Well how would� you like to work at church camp!"� An answer to prayer.�

When he got hired to work there, God already had his plans layed out in black and white, God knew what was about to� happen in the next two months.������

As the boy began his journey on the mission field of Christain� Camping, he started to realize his small sins, then his large sins, then his bigger sins, and eventually he realized that size meant nothing in� the sight of God, but that sin is sin.�

He continued to grow, by the third week of growth he made a comitment to become a youth minister, then to stay pure, as the weeks went on he made decisions like, not� going to see filthy movies, and walking out if what appeared to be a� good moving isn't afterall, not listening to secular music, not living� for people but living for God. Love God, Love People, became his motto.� Which was good because, it was this that Jesus taught.

He began to grow� more and more, and on the final day of working at the camp. He called� his mom on the phone and asked if he could come home. She said "Yes!"


So I went home and there I stay, as God continues to mold me and break� me into a stronger Christain. There is still stuggles in my life, but� who doesn't have those, but greater is he who is in ME than he that is� in the world. God is continuing to show me his greatness.�

Think about it, can you say that you would die for your best friend, sure you can, but when the time actually came to doing it would you. If your son could save the whole world, but he had to die to do it. Would you let him.

But God loved us so much that he gave his son to die on the cross that we� have the choice to go to heaven. Isn't that awesome! Our God is an� awesome God.

He took me from a rebelious kid that wanted nothing to do with my parents or authority, and he turned me into a young man, that looks to authority for guidance.

As for the friends from Wisconsin, they, as well as so many others have been my accountability and my true� friends. They too strive to live thier lives like Jesus would!

Fully Rely On God and he will pull you through. No matter how many times we� fall he is right there waiting to pull us back up again.

Love you all,��
������������������������� > Joel ? ______________________________________________________

So, you see, this is a portion of my own son's testimony!

He is now out of high-school and working as an intern in Christian camping.� Upon completion of this internship, he will begin an internship under a youth pastor, working with jr.-high students

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