My Testimonial part 2

Jeremiah 29: 11-13

"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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Today I would like to share with you my testimonial.

I hear stories of people coming to Christ, and it all seems so spontaneous. Everything happens so fast, and everything just seems to click. But for some of us, it’s a much longer process. I struggled for years. I was involved in broken relationships. It was frustrating to know that no matter how hard I tried, it just didn’t work. That’s because I tried to be in control. I was selfish. Being an artist, I desperately clung onto photography, paintings and other creativity that was very unGodly. When I came to Jesus, asked him to forgive me and be my savior, I still held onto the broken relationships and my passion for my art. I wanted to give him everything, except these two areas in my life. My walk with the Lord became stunted. But then the Lord was working on Amber, and I feel he sent her my way. The Holy Spirit tugged on my heart to submit and obey. And I did. I approached my relationship with Amber the way God was telling me to. When I listened, the rewards were great. I went from a one bedroom apartment wrapped in my loneliness and my dark and depressing artwork to a full and happy life with an amazing wife and three children. I feel loved and needed. The broken relationship has been replaced by a woman who is equally yoked to me. By obeying God’s will, I had a wedding day that was very blessed. All the worries went away as everything fell into place. I feel the Lord sent his best baker for our cake and we were blessed by all the amazing help we got that day from friends and family. The artwork I was unwilling to walk away from has been replaced by more Godly works. God has put on my heart to work on a Christian comic book. And my most recent act of obedience was my baptism Christmas Eve. God has blessed me, and I feel the need to share this with others. I am so very lucky to have the opportunity to invite others to church on Sundays, to have those moments to share my time and empathy to friends who do not go to church, and to have a positive influence on loved ones at home. The Lord is doing works in me I cannot put into words. But every day, I see more beauty in the world. Because of Jesus Christ, I have hope and love in my life. 

 I started to tape my story to the basement wall. It helps me to see the direction of the plot and how the pages fit into each issue. I have solid ideas for at least four issues, but it will more than likely become six.

Testimonial

First I would like to announce that I have gotten married on September 6th. I have prayed over the last two years for God to change my heart. I felt I kept taking one step forward, and several steps backwards. I was going to church, Bible study and praying. But there were parts of me that I just would not submit to the Lord. Two things, to be specific. Relationships and my art were ungodly parts of my life. I was living with a broken lady and trying to be a photographer (shooting mostly scantily clad women) while working on my comic book full of drugs, rape, love triangles, witchcraft, gods, goddesses, Saint Lucifer, vampires and zombies. Sounds horrible, I know. Then I met Amber. This woman loves the Lord. She has three beautiful little girls and I fell in love with them all. But things were still hard, and I felt this black cloud hanging over me. I started going to Amber’s church, and continued to pray to God to change my heart (I knew that’s where the problem was).

I proposed to Amber on her birthday. I felt God was pushing me to do this, as well as filling my head with ideas for a Christian comic book. I submitted to the Lord, and decided I wanted to do this the right way. I wanted a solid marriage and a happy life. First thing I did was to move out of Amber’s house (staying with a friend from church) until the wedding. Amber and I went to marriage counselling with our pastor. I cannot begin to explain the fruit of our struggles. We honored God, he has honored our wedding and marriage. Before all of this, Amber and I struggled with bills and finances. Some how, the wedding got paid for along with all of the bills. It was amazing. I have given up my photography because I know it was lustful (if not sexual, just the need to create more and more). I am focused on Jesus first and foremost, the Amber and the kids, followed by my comic book. For the first time in my life, I feel truly happy.

(rough draft for cover to issue 1)

 “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12