Testimony part 2- A New Creation

So here I am in Oregon staying at my grandparents house while my aunts and their families were living there as well. It was a FULL house! Good thing it's huge. Anyhow, my aunt Debi (my dad's sister) and my uncle Gene are Christians and insisted that all of the kids attend church with them. (HUH?! I think I'd been a few times but not many!) We went every Sunday. They were those crazy people who went Sunday night as well and many times mid-week. (wasn't once enough?! :) My summer was full of church. It was also full of some cool times with my cousins but it definitely was full of church. It's neat to look back and see how my family tried to keep us "busy". My aunt did crafts with us once a week (I can still draw a sweet fish- that's about all I can draw too... let's NOT forget the birdhouse debacle!), grandma taught the girls how to bake (homemade blackberry pie... how many sticker bushes did we have to dodge to pick those things?!) and how to embroider and grandpa taught us how to work and do chores... back to church. I don't remember if I was enjoying it. I remember that I did NOT like the fact that everyone was always talking on the phone to my dad for long periods of time or that I didn't really know what was going on- I was pretty angry. My family attended Grand View Baptist Church (which I would guess is either in Beavercreek or Oregon City). I vaguely remember hanging out with the pastors wife (she was my sunday school teacher- it bums me out that I can't remember her name because I remember liking her). Anyhow, I specifically remember one Sunday night the pastor (I think his name was Mike Mutchler or something like that????) was teaching out of Ephesians. I don't remember a ton about the message but I do remember him covering 6:1, "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right..." That was the first verse I ever memorized (kinda funny). We were on our way home and my uncle asked us what we thought/learned about the nights message. The car was so dark, I watched all of the pine trees pass by as we drove and thought, how much longer until we get home?! I remember sitting in the sanctuary that night thinking to myself that the message did NOT apply to me. I mean, I'd obey my dad but I didn't have to obey my mom anymore. She didn't even WANT to be my mom- she left us. (again with the anger) I remember thinking that God forgot to give me parents to obey. Maybe since I didn't have these kind of parents, I just didn't have to listen to this part of the Bible. I told my aunt and uncle that I thought that that verse stunk because how was I supposed to obey parents who didn't even want to be parents and was I someone that God even loved because I was thinking He didn't since I was in this situation. I don't remember their exact response (I remember my aunt crying- that's totally where I get it from. We're always crying! :) We went into their room, I laid on my stomach on the bed facing my uncle who was kneeling at the edge to talk to me and my aunt sat on my other side. This was the night that they shared the gospel with me. My uncle told me things like God loved me, that everyone ever born was and is a sinner. God is the only one who will love completely unconditionally and never let us down. They said that because I am a sinner that I could never go to heaven because God is perfect and He can not be in the company of anything corrupt. They said that if I truly understand that I am a sinner and really want to go to heaven and for God to forgive me and love with the love that he promised then I needed to pray a prayer. The prayer was a confession that I am sinner, that I understood that Christ died on the cross as a payment for my sins, that the payment wasn't enough but He then conquered death by rising from the grave and that I wanted to have a personal relationship with Him. I prayed that night alongside of my aunt and uncle and surrendered my life to Christ as my Lord and Savior... a perfect God who would never let His child out from His loving embrace. By the end of summer I was baptized at Grand View Baptist Church to proclaim to all that I was a new creation in Christ (an outward symbol of an inward change). Next I was hitting the road back home to California... oh boy...This is a family pic from a few years ago at my cousins Jason's wedding.
My Aunt Debi and Uncle Gene are on the far right.
My amazing grandparents are toward the left.

Uncle Gene and Aunt Debi,
I don't know that I've ever thanked you for your obedience in sharing the gospel or bringing me to church. The Lord will bless you for your faithfulness to Him- it says so in His Word! It's such an encouragement and challenge to look at both of your lives and faith. God has a plan for each that He has created and I'm thankful that He used you both in His plan for me. I love you and hold a special place in my heart for the two that were there the night that Christ drew me to himself.

Nickie