MY STORY - Part 3

So why did I share all this?  Because THIS is exactly what transformed my life at that fearful preteen state I was in, and also what characterizes my life now!  I live by these truths, and believe them firmly in my mind, heart, and soul.  And all these truths are found in the archeologically-tested, prophecy-confirming, self-sufficient, historically-accurate, and God-preserved words of the Bible!  My life changed then from fear to faith, from panic to trust, from misery to joy, all because God opened my eyes from spiritual deadness to see what spiritual life in Jesus Christ was all about, and He gave me faith to believe in His Son-Substitute, Jesus Christ, and receive Him into my heart!  God was my caring Father now, I had no need to fear disease or unknown, for He was in complete control of my life, and would work all for my good as He promised.  God’s Son Jesus was my Savior now, so I now longer had to fear death and hell, because He had took that on Himself for me.  And God’s Spirit was always with me, so that I never had to be afraid of being alone, because He promises that His Spirit dwells within us when we believe in Him (John 14:17, 1 Corinthians 3: 16).  What an incredible change in my life!

So my life went from being characterized by fear, to being characterized by faith!  Later I found out that even my sisters noticed a definite change in me at that time!  After moving to New Jersey around the 8^th grade, I attended a small Christian school for a few years where I did make friends (even though I still had to battle my shyness).  God somewhere along the line broke through for me in this area when I was in high school, when I started noticing some women in my church that I wanted to be like.  They were selfless, giving, out-going, and thoughtful, and I wished I could be like them!  So I decided finally that I would do my very best, relying on God’s help, to be more out-going and others-focused.  I also found a new way to get over my shyness: I would try to find other lonely, shy people and go up to them and talk to them.  This way I could help them by trying to be a friend to them, as well as help myself in trying to be less shy and more others-focused. 

After a few years at that private, Christian school in NJ, my parents decided to home-school again, and I finished my last years of high school at home, as well as at the local community college.  I got fascinated with Human Biology when I home-school, and decided to make it a two year course, because I wanted to soak it all up!  So I ended up deciding to go for nursing in college, which I majored in at the Ramapo College of NJ, and graduated in 4 years with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a Spanish minor.

Then, after a year and a half of working as a nurse on a cardiac floor at a hospital in NJ, I married the love of my life!  I actually met him at my brother’s wedding, so I suppose, as they say, “love was in the air!”  We married this past year on April 24^th, 2010.  During the year of 2010 I helped my husband on the farm we rented, did some visiting of our families in various states around Christmas-time (see “Holiday Highlights”!), and then started a home-improvement kick.  We have since remodeled our two bathrooms (the master bath completely), and we’re currently working on some landscaping.  We hope to finish with putting a cement floor down in our garage, and refinishing a piano to move into the house as soon as it’s done!  Curt hopes to attend state police academy (he was just accepted), and in the meantime I will be starting a full-time job again as a nurse, Lord willing!  All in God’s timing!  We’re excited for the plans He has for our lives, since He promises us He plans our future in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  And all His promises are “yes” and “amen” in Jesus Christ, our Savior! (2 Corinthians 1:20).  Praise God!