My hands have been frozen on the computer keyboard while I took in the pure profundity of this moment in my personal life and family life and, Lord, have mercy, my spiritual life. When I say that I am about to share something gigantic to me, I am not kidding. I am bug-eyed that this is really happening and it is everything I can do not to type these words to you from face down on the floor. My dear Siestas, it is my great honor to introduce you to my blood sister, with whom I was raised and with whom I shared a room for many years and many secrets. Some crippling. We have known much pain together and much devastation apart and were so close growing up that one of us could hardly be okay if the other were not. Today – and for this moment – we are both okay. And blessed. Redeemed. Forgiven. And, in staggering ways, restored. Only because of Jesus.
Years ago in a speaker/teacher workshop, the consummate Christian communicator, Florence Littauer, taught us to ask ourselves two questions before standing in front of an audience: “Do I have anything to say?” And, “Do people need to hear it?” I can confidently say today that, if Florence Littauer knew my sister and her story, she’d tell her to open her mouth and rarely shut it till God took her Home. Oh, Sisters, does she ever have something to say and do people ever need to hear it!
Please meet my older sister by three years, Gay Tuttle. She and I are two of five siblings who we love as much as we love each other. I do not know anyone well who has a more powerful and genuine testimony than Gay. Her rescue and revival flooded over into mine. God used her healing to add to mine. It is with the hope that God could use it to somehow impact you that I make this introduction. My heart is pounding with awe and reverence as we release her story – and at times our story – to the public. In her words. I have not edited a single sentence. Here you will find the first of several installments of this story of redemption that, God willing, we hope to share with you over the weeks to come. I don’t want to put her into a time crunch but you could reasonably expect them about 1 to 2 weeks apart. Pray for her as she writes to you. Sometimes we have to relive to RE-LIVE.
As I put her out here for the eyes of multiple thousands, I beg you from the deepest part of my heart to take good care of my sister. This is huge for her and huge for me. Allow her the freedom to talk in the language that she presently speaks and with the terms she presently uses. I believe you will be so blessed. Very few of you Siestas need me to say this but, because I do not want to throw her to even two wolves, I ask you to please refrain from preaching to her. Instead, receive from her. Just let her share with you a vivid flesh-and-blood illustration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. These won’t be articles for legalists. These will be articles for people who do believe or who want to believe with all their hearts that “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1)Â If I didn’t believe you were the kind of people to embrace her with lavish affection, I’d never take this chance. But I know you, Siestas. I know she will be well cared-for here. By the way, she knows you a bit, too. She’s been reading the blog and many of your comments now for a year. So, without further introduction, my beloved Siestas, please meet my beloved Sister, Gay. I am now full-on crying.
Hi Siestas! Â My name is Gay and I’m an alcoholic. Â I’m not just any alcoholic. Â I am a serious, hardcore, dedicated, classic, textbook alcoholic. Â I drank just like that for thirty-seven years, all of my adult life, with the exception of the last two and three-quarter years. Â Today I have 1000 days of sobriety, nights included, weekends too, consecutive, all in a row, no breaks, no slips and no sneaks. Â Now, that might not sound like much of an accomplishment to those who have stayed sober all of their lives or for those who drink responsibly, but for ME, it is a flatout miracle from God!!
To be honest, Sweet Siestas, I have grappled with how to introduce myself on this most-esteemed blog until I almost didn’t come out here at all. Â Because I have been “raised up” in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous and in our beloved Mercy Street, a church that ministers to many in recovery, the word “alcoholic” just rolls off my tongue. Â I don’t even think about it. Â It feels right, it sounds right, IT IS RIGHT!! Â It is a huge part of who I am and I own that. Â My God-given, God-planned deliverance from it is my testimony and I believe with all my heart that there are those of you who have, at the very least, people in your lives who have struggled or are strugging with some similar experiences and need some hope. Â That’s about as simple as it gets. Â I am quick to blurt it out for another reason as well, possibly the most important one: Â I do not want to forget. Â I believe that in order to LIVE what I have been delivered to I must REMEMBER what I have been delivered from.
What it was like:
I started drinking at seventeen years old as a rebellious teenager (loved it), continued to do it through the “functioning” years (tolerated it) and moved on to radical self-medicating simply to kill the pain, much of which I caused myself (hated it). Â I was given countless opportunities to recover and refused. Â By the time I got serious and very scared, it was too late. Â I was hopelessly addicted to alcohol, both mentally and physically, and I had lost the power of choice. Â So I threw in the towel and proceeded to try to drink myself out of my misery and miserable existence, to death. Â And I almost did, many times, but for the radical grace of God. Â I lost my husband, my children, my job, the trust of my family, my home, my car, my driving privileges, my self-respect, my dignity, my values, my freedom and the list goes on and on. Â I was confined to jails and institutions more times than I can count. Â I thought I was a certifiable lunatic because WHO would drink after all that??? Â And that wasn’t the bottom for me; I ended up homeless and on the street (yes, outside!) for approximately eighteen months.
What happened:
God intersected into my life like a burning bolt of lightning and in the blink of an eye my story took an abrupt about-face and became His Story.
What it is like now:
A thousand days of sobriety and a God bigger than life Who requires a lot of WORK from me, have molded and chiseled me into far more than an alcoholic. Â I am a loving and responsible mother, sister and friend. Â I am a dedicated employee and member of Mercy Street who believes in its mission and lives it OUT LOUD. Â I am a driver with a valid Texas drivers license and insurance, a car owner, townhouse dweller, volunteer, law-abiding citizen, taxpayer (ugh), sponsor, sponsee and recovery coach. Â I sit on three committees that are a part of the Houston Area Recovery Initiative for the fourth largest city in the country. Â I am a Servant and Lover of God who is fully dedicated to following His will for my life which is to share my experiences, both there and back, and offer hope of God’s deliverance for all who suffer from a similar seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.
I hope to offer a unique perspective, possibly even tilting the axis a bit (in a good way), of an intimate relationship with this most Mysterious Jesus God who never leaves us or forsakes us no matter how far down the scale we have gone. Â I love Him because He loves me, all of me. Â He first loved me! Â I had been taught that as a child and had sung Jesus Loves Me since I could form words. Â Yet I had forgotten that while I was out there in the wilderness, pounding the hot concrete with bare feet. Â I didn’t know the love, grace and mercy of God until I walked off of that concrete and began the journey out of the pit, to hope and a future, to FREEDOM.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”  Isaiah 61:1-3
I am going to tell you my story, Sweet Siestas, if you care or dare to listen.  I promise I will be honest and candid, direct and to the point.  I will try my best not to ramble on about the problem without moving quickly to the solution.  For me, not just any alcoholic, there is but One Solution.  Not just any God.  It takes a God the size of the universe, bigger and badder than them all, to accomplish for us and through us what we cannot do for ourselves.  It takes the all powerful, all consuming, all merciful Crazy Love of Jesus and our full acceptance of who we are in and to Him.  It takes a willingness to do WHAT HE ASKS, which is A LOT.  It takes honesty and authenticity.  This is Who I Am and it only matters what God thinks because of Who He Is.  Then its Katie bar the door!  Here am I, send me, all of me, scars, limps and all.  And He will and He does because He loves us with a love that transcends all barriers and which is, well … indescribable.  Brennan Manning, my second favorite author, wrote these words in The Furious Longing of God:  “Employing adjectives such as furious, passionate, vehement, and aching to describe the longing of God are my mumbling and fumbling to express the Inexpressible.  Yet, I plod on.” Please bear with me, my Siestas, while I mumble and fumble to express the Inexpressible.
Dear Jesus God, You know that the absolute best prayer I ever prayed in my life was the simplest of all prayers: God, Please Help Me! I’m praying it again now, Dear Jesus. Please help me to be effective in Your world and for Your glory and honor alone. Please help me to shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night, to the wounded and broken who need a shred of hope because everyone needs some, Lord. I love you with all my heart and soul. I am Yours, all of me. Amen.
Thank you for your bravery. I should be so fortunate. Please keep us posted. Love & prayers!
I am so humbled to be allowed to meet you, Gay. Thanks for being transparent and sharing your story with me. Looking forward to hearing more.
In His love, Mary Jane
Dear Gay,
Thank you for being so bold and courageous in telling your story. I NEED TO HEAR THIS! My mother lost custody of my brothers and myself over twenty years ago. I have not seen or heard from her since then because my dad would not let her or her family contact us. I am in the process of trying to put the pieces of her story together and find her. What I am learning though is a hard truth to handle and it is the grace of God that is keeping me together. (Colossians 1:17-God holds all things together). I am learning how hard her life has been. The biggest thing that tears me to pieces is that she is homeless. I never expected that. It has been a sad road that she has traveled. I expect from the bits and pieces that I have heard that she is an alcoholic or on drugs. However, I do not care. I know that my mother is redeemable because God is in the business of working miracles. I look forward to hearing your story about how God redeemed you. I am sure that it will be inspiring and heartfelt. It will be a testimony that God can do anything! And this is what I am counting on…that God will work a miracle in my mom’s life.
Please pray that God would redeem Cindy Brown and Thanks!
Dear Jessie … your mom, Cindy Brown is in my prayer journal … until that day! Blessings,
Shelley
Mary Jane — I am touched deeply by your story and will absolutely include Cindy Brown in my prayers. I promise you that! A ton of people prayed for me for years and didn’t even know my name. I will also be praying for YOU as you seek to find your mother. God is so unbelievably good. Do not give up hope.
Loved you are, Gay
Thank you, Gay~
PRAISE THE LORD FOR YOU… and may He give you everything you need to stay strong and courageous to keep sharing your story and helping people. I grew up surrounded by alcoholism (my mom and dad both have the disease)… it’s a harsh road. Your testimony is powerful and gives much Hope. God bless you~
Glorious God full of mercy and love…and it comes now full circle in your ministry. You are a blessing and isn’t it just beautiful how the Potter shapes us and even in our own need to control or even not control our lives, He as only He can, brings us back on path. You are a true blessing to those of us who have not suffered in the same ways you have but can learn and be encourage, enriched, and equipped to come alongside other’s where they are in their lives with the love, mercy and fullness of the Spirit. Welcome home, beloved! I cannot wait to hear more from you.
Gay~
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your openness and vulnerability in sharing your story! There’s a freedom found in Christ, and I believe, even more freedom comes when He allows us to share our hearts and stories with people who have gone through their own terribly difficult struggles. The absolute redemption I have received from my past is a miracle to me, and I can’t help but let it burst out sometimes! You are a miracle of God… how can we keep that inside? 🙂 Bless you, sweet Siesta! You are loved! 🙂
Let the REDEEMED of the Lord say so!
Can’t wait to read your story of redemption.
Noel
Yuma,AZ
🙂
Noel — Travis Cottrell sings to me often on a CD that Beth gave to me at Christmas one year. I cry every single time that I sing these words along with him LOUD, “The redeemed will sing forever, the redeemed will sing forever, the REDEEMED will sing forever JESUS SAVES!” I love your words above. Well said, girlfriend!
Loved you are,
Gay
Thanks you Gay for sharing your story and praise God for your deliverance! He’s so good isn’t he? 🙂 I know God is going to use you to reach others with similar stories who just feel hopeless or unworthy to be used by God. Thank you for your obedience in sharing with all of your sisters in Christ.
God Bless you Gay, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I have Holy goose bumps all over.
i do not comment much here; although I read everything.
But to you i NEEDED to say….. Well done… God IS with you. You are going to be His biggest Light yet!!
Gay- My story and testimony is very similar to yours I will be sober 10 years July 12, 2012……..ONLY GOD!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!! That is so awesome. Yes, ONLY GOD!!
Gay,
Well thank you for your story my fellow sister in Christ.
I am encouraged to continue to pray for those in my life who battle addictions. Continue to show your light of Jesus in this dark world.
Love,
Shannon
Kissimmee, Florida
Whoo-hooo!!! I have not been this excited when reading a blog post in quite a while.
I’ve been praying over the last 2 months that through this blog we could dig deeper (authentically and honestly) into the struggles which make up such a large part of our lives, the methods for moving through the struggles/storms, and the actual results (good or bad) that result.
I’ve been praying for this because I need HOPE. I need to see real struggles (deep, deep struggles) and HOW people fought against them. (I’m the type of person that responds best to not just hearing THAT I need to do something, but please show me/tell me HOW to do something.)
So at this point, I am so excited to meet you Gay. I’m exited to read your entries. I’m hopeful for you and because of just this one entry, I have added hope for myself.
Welcome to Siestaville!
Gay
Thanks so much for sharing!! I have a similar story — Praise God He was not finished with me!! Almost 5 years clean and Praising His Name ALL THE WAY!! He did for me what I would/could not do for myself!! We are like- minded and share a similar story — thanks so much for sharing !!!!!!
Wow, this is just an incredible testimony of what our God can do.
To God Be The Glory!!
Great Things He Has Done
Because He Loves You Gay
And Me And All
Praise The Lord!!!
I never have had the right kind of relationship with my earthly father because of the scars from his alcoholic parent. God indeed worked all things together for good because I was on a quest as a young teenager to get radically connected to know God as my Heavenly Father. I have been born again for 20 years now. I praise God for filling the void inside my heart and helping me not to fall into any type of addiction (as modeled by several family members).
Gay, you should tell your story often…….What was once a “messy” life can be turned into a beautiful “MESSAGE” to bring glory and honor to JESUS!!! You go, Siesta!!! Beth is surely blessed to have you for a blood sister in the LORD! Thank you JESUS for your redemptive work in Gay’s life!!!!!!
My heart, mind and spirit have nothing more to say, beyond what has been conceived, said or expressed. I am not unique to any other except for that I am unique to HIM! For that I cannot humanly express my grateful heart! I share similar experiences and pain with others and pray for myself and ALL others who are seeking HIS DIVINE defense! All glory honor and praise with thanksgiving to OUR GOD AND FATHER, THE HOLIEST OF HOLIES!!!! AMEN!
Dear Beth and Gay,
Can I just tell you how much I love you both! I have prayed for you, Gay, dear, dear, Loved One for, well, since Believing God (written by your first favorite author,I’m sure)came out.It’s been a long-time praying for someone I didn’t even know. I am so proud of you and am so grateful to God for the fact that you have a His Story to tell. He is just that good. My husband spent years in addiction and I am grateful to the God that would not let him go, no matter how much my husband wanted out. Bless your heart, God answers prayer! I wait with anticipation and prayer for you for all the installments of your story.
I love you both, dear sisters.
Lisa, hisfivefooter
YES, Lisa, I thought of this, too. How amazing to be able to hear the testimony from this end of the story after so many years.
THANK YOU, Siesta Gay, for your courage and faithfulness in sharing here. ODAT 🙂
Glad you caught that, Lisa. Yes, OF COURSE, Beth is my favorite author. Thank you so much for your prayers, Sweet One. Don’t stop!! I need all the help I can get to continue writing my story. I know that He has my back though. All I have to do is be willing.
Loved you are,
Gay
Gay – Thank you for sharing your story. I am so thankful that you allowed God to deliver you!!! You are in my prayers.
M.J.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to hear His story of your life. What an honor to share in it this way. To God be the glory!
Gay, thank you so much for sharing such a difficult and redeeming life message. This is my first year to follow Beth’s blog as well and have loved memorizing verses this year with these sweet ladies. Our God is as you said such a HUGE God, He has to be to get us through all the rotten things this earthly life throws at us. Thank you for the reminder that he can do so much even through such brokenness that we lay at His feet. Your story is exactly what I think God wants us to do with the broken junk we have to go through this side of heaven…otherwise it is just redeemed pain, but SO MUCH MORE when it can be used to free others. God bless you for seeing the need in that and using God’s strength to move forward in telling your story to help others know they are not alone and how amazing and big our God really is. What an honor to hear all God is doing in your world!
I was sitting with my 5 year old daughter in the back seat of my car, while company was in the front, reading this on my phone… I generally share with my husband such profound pieces, but as he was visiting with his company I sat and choked back tears & sobs, trying not to freak anyone out! Your spirit is so sweet all over this page, just like your sister. May God continue to use you as you share your wonderful life with us! You are both STRONG & COURAGEOUS! Much love to you!
Gay,
I can feel God’s love pouring through you as I read your story. You have an amazing story. How awesome that you are sharing. Please keep sharing!!!
Happy to be your Sister in Christ,
Renee
I really don’t know what to add other than to thank you both. And now I will go dry my tears and blow my nose.
Terri
thanks for sharing, gay. “and this little” siesta stayed home.. 🙂 thank you, gay, it’s been a rough few days, and sometimes its just good to hear another fellow aa journeyer say hi, im an alcoholic, and jesus loves me and jesus loves you too. you did a great job, gay, and a message was shared, that’s what matters most, especially agree with however you worded it..of remembering what I’ve been delivered from so as to better know the one I’ve been delivered to. the last 48 hours have had just SO much to deal with, that had I not of been sober,… who knows.. and god has just come to me IN it in such a Big way these last 48 hours.. just felt all day that one set of footprints jesus’ – so thank you for being on the blog for me to read tonight here in wv, not in houston where other siestas are tonight, but Me Knowing Jesus loves me and there a reason I living, there a reason I here for,cause otherwise, I wouldnt be.
thanks for sharing, gay. “and this little” siesta stayed home.. thank you, gay, it’s been a rough few days, and sometimes its just good to hear another fellow aa journeyer say hi, im an alcoholic, and jesus loves me and jesus loves you too. you did a great job, gay, and a message was shared, that’s what matters most, especially agree with however you worded it..of remembering what I’ve been delivered from so as to better know the one I’ve been delivered to. the last 48 hours have had just SO much to deal with, that had I not of been sober,… who knows.. and god has just come to me IN it in such a Big way these last 48 hours.. just felt all day that one set of footprints jesus’ – so thank you for being on the blog for me to read tonight here in wv, not in houston where other siestas are tonight, but Me Knowing Jesus loves me and there a reason I living, there a reason I here for,cause otherwise, I wouldnt be.
Thank you Jesus, for your love and healing!
Gay, I am so thankful for you and your story. Tears are rolling down my face as I sit here and type, I wish I could just put my arms around you and tell you how special and brave I think you are. I am so glad that you have let God take charge of your life. I am reminded of Psalm 103:10-12 (yes one of my memory verses) that says as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. Live free Gay!!! God bless you for telling your story.
Girlfriend, share your story! Nothing you can say will shock me. I have been around the block. Or should I say around the block and at the bottom of the pit!! Getting out of that pit is something to be excited about. I can wittness to that. Rock on, sister!!!
Hahaha, will you ROCK ON with me, Sister??? I’m a rocker, ya know. Thanks so much for your comment, Renee. It made me laugh out loud. You are precious!!
Loved you are,
Gay
So very glad to read your story! Congratulations on 1000 days of sobriety! THAT is amazing!
Dear Gay and Beth,
I am awestricken by the words that flow through your fingertips to the pages of this blog. I can hear the Holy Spirit talk/type through you to those who are seeking a “real” God, who shows up at real times, who meets real needs with real Grace. Thank you Beth for introducing us to your big sister, and sliding over for her to write her intro.
I can almost picture what this particular day looked like for the two of you to come together to present yourselves before thousands of readers. What a glorious image of reconciliation, and the results of many prayers!!! For no amount of time can separate what God is doing, and every tip of the bottle felt like a sip away from His plan, but actually it was bringing you to His heart! Thank you Jesus for allowing us to live out, and witness Romans 8:28.
Beth, and Gay, it will be exciting to see how God uses the two of you, collectively, to physically represent a “whole” God, who uses EVERY piece of our puzzle for His glory.
As a mother of three precious girls, I can only imagine what the Father feels as He sees two sisters come together, with strands of the same DNA, and an understanding of some of the deepest moments growing up, now lifting His name on high!!! What a sweet gift to Him, to Beth, to Gay, and to the rest of your family!
With much love,
Elizabeth- Beth to family members and very close friends 🙂
Thank you, Gay for your bravery, honesty. I applaud the hard work you are doing and give a big applause to our God to whom all glory be given!
Well done Gay! Go girl! Praise His Name!
Praise our faithful and holy God!
Hi Gay,
Thanks for sharing. My name is Rhonda — I am the Granddaughter, daughter, and sister of alcoholics.
Oh Gay, a huge, bug hug and loving welcome to you! Thanks for sharing and pointing us all to the Lord! May He bless you and your precious family! I am looking forward to learning from you!
With much love,
Jo
Dear, dear Gay……welcome officially to “Siestaville” where there is none righteous, no not one! Except “The One and Only “KING JESUS”!!!! Oh my sweet siesta each and every one of us siestas has been redeemed by our KING JESUS from many awful pits!!!! We would all be in the same big ol’ “PARTY PIT” if it had not been for our sweet Jesus. Oh how I love Him so!!! That was one PIT I couldn’t wait to be rescued from and I ain’t never planning on going back to make any furture appearances!! Praise Jesus!! I’am one of the very first 100 siestas, and although I don’t blog near as much as I used to, this time i just had to respond to welcome you and tell you I love you and how happy I am to finally meet you. I have prayed for you for years (over 10) and nothing has encouraged me this much in a very long time!! I pray you can feel our love and acceptance and true authenticity that is so much a part of who we are here at Siestaville.
You are a true miracle answer to prayer and I feel so honored to meet you today and to call you my siesta and friend!!!!!
Okay, I’m getting a little long in the tooth(if you know what I mean! hee!hee!) but you will see me comment as you reveal more of your story because this strikes very close to my heart for many reasons. Thank you for your transperancy and for your courage and honesty. I KNOW with everything that is within me, GOD is going to use your story for great good for HIS GREAT GLORY!!!!!
With Love and Prayers,
Angela Larson
Redmond, WA
Angela — Thank you for your prayers!! 10 years, Wow! That’s about how long I wallowed around in the END. I think most people aren’t that hard-headed, I pray they’re not anyway. Please keep those prayers coming. Although I won’t be making any “future appearances” either, I do need the COURAGE to write this story. I love your comment. Thanks for posting.
Loved you are,
Gay
You are so courageous and inspiring!! Thank you for being so transparent. Faith is a wonderful thing always, but faith obtained from going through unbearable hardship is absolutely amazing. I think God is probably doing a happy dance over you! God bless you always! Linda (Philly burbs)
“…well done my good and faithful servant.” May the Lord continue to bring you to the fullness of His will for your life. May you continue to remain open to knowledge of His will and follow His lead in all that you do… for all honor and GLORY is His. I love you Gay!
Gay – Thank you for sharing your story with us! I encourage you to continue to share of the miracle working power of Jesus! I can not wait to hear more of your story. I praise His Holy Name for the work He is doing in your life!
Thank you for sharing with us. God bless you.
Gay-
You are a reminder to us all that there is only ONE who can bring beauty from the ashes. THANK YOU so much for your honesty. It is a story that needs to be told. I come from a similar background and all I can do everyday is thank Him for His inexhaustible grace He has chosen to pour out on this girl. May God continue to bless you- there is nothing like it!
Crystal
Gay, you are welcome here. Can’t wait to hear your whole story. Glory to Him.
Gaye, I am honored that you would share your remarkable story with us. I know that you are an inspiration to so many people already (including me). Now you will touch the lives of thousands more! I’m so proud of you! You go girl!!! I’m Believing GOD!
I love you, my Debbie. I’m Believing Him too!!! 🙂
Hello!
You mustn’t think you are ministering only to alcoholics or the family of alcoholics. I am a recovering pharisee and I recently had a huge slide back into the pit. Your words bring me hope because you focus on God. Thank you! Can’t wait to hear more.
What a story to tell!! We all have one of some kind in us, but am thankful for those who go out on a limb to tell one that is not always pretty but needed. Thank you
Praise God for his miracles! Thank you for speaking out and sharing how He has made a difference in your life. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the story.
Gay, my first reaction after reading your story was praising God for His mighty work. Thank you for givng Him the glory due His name, sister! Thanks for also testify of that hard choices you have to make. There is a verse that comes to mind (even though it is on the topic of financial giving), it says: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Corinth 9:12). The service of your proclaiming what He has done for you and reaching out to others is accomplishing much and will continue to do so for eternity. Praying for you that God will do for you as He did to another child of His who had lost all at one time too: “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s [Gay’s] life more than the first” Job 42:12.
Love and Prayers,
Eposi
the only words I know to say are Praise Jesus!!!!
OOOHH!!! My Sweet, Sweet Sister. Thank you sooo much for sharing. Praise Jesus!!! Yes! Yes! Tell us MORE!! Hugs and Kisses to you Dear One!! What a brave woman. What a Godly woman. What a Precious Sister. You GO GIRL!!
Gay,
Thank you for sharing your story. This reminds me of what my husband preached on Jan. 1, 2012. He does not preach very often, he’s an executive pastor. His message agrees with you in that using your past to minister to others is what this life is all about. I do not know if you can view this but here is the link to his message. http://vimeo.com/34436381
I’m not sending this to promote my husband. Please feel free not to post this comment because it contains this video. I hope it will encourage you as you begin to share your story with us.
Blessings,
Pam