Before I gave my life to Christ, I had a great sense of guilt. I knew I was a sinner. I hadn't done anything really bad, but God was dealing with me over the fact that I had sinned against Him. I knew that Jesus had died for my sins, and I had not accepted Him.

It began when my cousin David got saved. He took me out to dinner one evening and shared what had been happening in his life since he had made the decision to become a follower of Jesus. David's life was nothing like mine. He had been involved in the world of drugs for many years, where I seldom even took aspirin! But as he pointed out, we've all sinned -- it doesn't matter which one you do -- and for some, it just all boils down to rejecting Christ over and over.

I knew I had to do something because my guilt was overwhelming. Jesus had died for ME, and I had not accepted that sacrifice for my sins.

One night I couldn't take it anymore. I asked David if I could come over to his place and talk with him again. I told him I was ready to committ. When my Dad and I arrived at my cousin's home, he was ready, too! He lead me in prayer, and I gave it all up to the Lord.

Since Jesus has been the Lord of my life the guilt has gone. I have a new life with new possibilities and hopes. Jesus is my Lord, my Savior, and my friend. He Spiritually opened my eyes so I can understand spiritual things now. He has given me a home in heaven, with eternal life. Now, through Jesus' presence in my life I can see others through the eyes of Jesus, and love them even when they are not very lovable. Now I experience "peace" that passes all understanding... even when I go through difficult days.

The presence of Jesus in my life as LORD has made a tremendous difference in my life... and it can make a difference in the life of ANYONE who will call upon Him sincerely.

It's so easy to know and accept Jesus: I knew I was a sinner, and admitted it to God. Then, I repented of my sin. I abandoned my sin, and asked His forgiveness. I believed Jesus was the Son of God, and that He had died for my sins. I began a personal relationship with Him. I ASKED Jesus to take over my life, and be my Lord. I believed He did it, and took Him at His word when He said "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Since that time, Jesus has always been with me. I have done, said and thought things I shouldn't have since then, but the Holy Spirit has always dealt with me lovingly to convict me and draw me back to Him. Jesus has done SO much for me that I could not begin to tell it all. I wouldn't live without Him in my life now, even If I could!

If there is anyone reading this who has not truly given his or her life to Jesus, you can do it right now! I urge you to make Jesus your Lord ... you will NEVER regret it!

They say there's no athiests in foxholes -- that's probably because they're all in Southern California! My name is Jennifer, and I was raised in one of those athiest households. So when it came to things of the Lord, I wasn't exactly born with a leg up!

In fact, I wasn't really born into much at all. We weren't a welfare family, but just a step ahead of it. My Dad worked hard and long hours in a sweatbox of a factory for not alot of money. My Mom worked as a waitress at an all-night truckstop near our home in Barstow, California. It wasn't easy for her to work while raising the nine kids in our family, but she did it. Dad was home with us at night while Mom worked, and because she works nights, she could be home with us during the day. We never owned a home. We rented an old house, where I shared a bedroom with an older sister and two younger ones.

Growing up, I never heard the name of God or Jesus unless it was part of a curse-phrase. We were never taken to church, never allowed to go to a church with friends, never celebrated traditional Christian holidays such as Easter or Christmas. My parents forbid any talk of religion, and both of them refused to acknowledge any higher power or even a belief in Heaven or Hell. So much for my "religious background".

When I finally graduated from high school in 1998, I moved to San Diego. I wasn't happy living in a home where I wasn't even allowed to keep Christmas cards sent by friends, and where my parents boycotted my graduation because there would be a prayer said. With so many kids they had raised and were still raising, my folks were quite agreeable to seeing me move out on my own.

I got a small efficiency apartment, paying my first month's rent with all the money I had received as graduation gifts from grandparents, aunts and uncles. But to pay my second month's rent, I knew I had to get a job FAST! And I had success in finding work my first day out. In fact, I got two jobs! My day job was as a grocery store checker, and at night I worked at a movie theatre selling tickets and popcorn. That's been three years ago now.

I had been working at the movie theatre for about six months when one night a group of four guys came in. They bought their tickets, and then their popcorn and drinks. One of them began talking to me, and since it was a slow night, it was okay for me to talk for awhile. I liked this guy right away. His name was Mike. He was big and athletic looking, and he was wearing really nice clothes -- a sweater and Khaki pants, with these hiking boot sort of shoes. But what I liked most was that he was so polite and nice. Not flirty, but just nice to me. The movie was beginning, so he took his snacks and went on in. It pleased me that someone had even been nice to me, because I'm one of those people that usually get over-looked alot.

But that night, somewhere in the middle of the movie, Mike came back to the concession stand. He slipped a piece of paper into my hand, on which he had written his name and phone number. And he said, "You don't know me, so you might not want to give your number to a stranger. Here's mine. Call me, if you can. I'd really like to take you out to dinner. I like you". I didn't even have a phone! But I went to a payphone the next day and called him!

We went out that Friday night on our first date. He took me to a very nice restaurant, and figuring a movie is no big deal to a girl who works in a movie theatre, he took me to a symphony concert afterwards. We talked alot that night and got to know each other pretty well. Mike's life was everything mine hadn't been. He was a college student, studying pre-law and eventually would be going to law school. His father was a medical doctor and he also had a step-mother, as well as a brother who lived in Nevada, but he hadn't seen him since he was a child.

That was two and a half years ago, and Mike and I are still together! He's still the nicest, kindest person I've ever know. And a real gentleman, too. He's always treated with with respect, and has never put any demands on me in our relationship. We have never slept together, and he's never even suggested anything more than a hug and a goodnight kiss.

A few months ago, after being greatly influenced by his cousins conversion to Christianity, Mike also became a Christian. The changes in his life were subtle, because he was such a good person anyway. But he started attending a church regularly, and he spent alot of time reading his Bible and having prayer time. WHen he asked me to begin going to church with him, I did it because it seemed so important to him. But with my lack of religious upbringing, I didn't understand any of it.

Once more, Mike put no demands on me. He allowed me to take it all in on my own, and only let me know that he was praying for me and that he'd be there for me if I ever decided that I was ready to give my life to the Lord. Mike's life spoke more to me than any sermon, any Bible or any hymn ever could have. He lived it, and that made me eventually see what was missing from my own life. His friend, Pastor Steve, wrote me a letter telling me how easy salvation could be, and I really appreciated the help that letter gave to me.

One Sunday, Mike invited me to join his family for dinner at his Aunt Joan's home. He is very close to his Aunt, and she was like a mother to him while he was growing up. I was helping Joan in the kitchen when all of a sudden, I felt like the Lord Himself was right there with me. And it was as if He was saying, "It's now or never, Jennifer. You've had other chances -- this is your last one". I asked Aunt Joan to go get Mike, and when he came in, I think he already knew. He put his arm around me and said, "It's okay, Jenni. Aunt Joan will pray with us". And she did. I gave my heart to Jesus as we knealt in her kitchen, just proving that it can happen ANYWHERE. You don't need a church or a fancy altar. ANYWHERE you pray becomes an altar when the Lord is there with you.

It's been a month or so now since I committted my all to the Lord. The best month of my life. I decided to share this with my parents. You can probably guess their reaction. "Don't come around here until you get this out of your system". Well, the Bible tells us that sometimes famiy will turn on us for the sake of Christ, doesn't it? But that's okay. I'll just keep on praying that some day, some how, some way, their hearts will soften and the Lord will speak to them just as He spoke to me. And until the day comes when my family can accept me as a Christian, the Lord has given me a new family. All of Mike's famiy -- his parents, brother, aunt, uncle and all his cousins -- they have become just like MY family, too. In fact, one day they WILL be my family -- because Mike and I are engaged now!

Mike has just graduated from college and will be entering law school this Fall. Once he has a year or two in on that, we'll be getting married. We've already committed our future home and any children that we have to God. I never want my children raised the way I was brought up -- never hearing about the Lord. Together, Mike and I will build a Christian home that will stand when all else around us seems to be falling apart. With Christ at the center of our lives AND our marriage, we'll be fine.

The Lord has given me more than I ever thought possible. He has given me every dream I ever dreamed for, every hope I ever hoped for. None of this would ever have been possible had He not been looking out for a little nobody from Barstow who didn't even know who He was. But that's the way Jesus is. He loves us, ALL of us, long before we ever come to know and love him. There's a song that says "When He was on the cross, I was on His mind". And it's true. We were!