Baptism 06.01.2025
Micah Potts
Hi, my name is Micah
Today, I am proclaiming my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It took me years to get to this point, years of fighting against temptation, fleeting pleasures, and doubt. Let me tell you how I got to this day where I have decided to give my life to Jesus.
I grew up to a large Christian family, attending Sunday school every week, but I viewed going to church more like a chore; it was a hassle for the Sunday school teachers, I never enjoyed the worship, and I fell asleep during the sermons. Needless to say, I had no personal relationship with Jesus. However, this went way deeper than my occasional naps during church. Throughout my life, I went through some very difficult times, times when I chased fleeting moments that only widened the gap between me and God, times when I thought that I had no purpose and God didn't love me. I felt guilty, ashamed, and dirty as a result of my choices. Through all my reckless decisions, my world was shaken. I realized I had no purpose without God. Before then, my relationship with God was more transactional; I'd ask for forgiveness but never genuinely repented. But God showed me that I was nothing without him. John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I and him, he it is that bears much fuit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
I was weay and tired of doing things on my own; I needed a savior, desperately. I often questioned God, "Why did any of this have to happen to me? Why, why, God, am I still here?" God heard me and responded to me through several verses, and here are a few of them.
Isaiah 55:8 "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind, and God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will always provide a way out so that you can endure it."
This gave me a sense of reassurance that my GOd has a good plan for me and will continue to guide me. Another piece of scripture I turned to in times of desperation was Psalm 51:1-2: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!"
Verses 10 through 12 say, "Create me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."
I turned to these verses in my desperate battle for purity. They comforted me, because I was not along, the mighty king of Israel along with countless others have shared the same struggles against lust and temptation, and I know that no matter what I have done, I have a faithful God that was willing to die and live for me and that is the greatest hope anyone can have. Now, as I pursue my relationship with Jesus, I am constatnly reminded of my dependence on him. I am nowhere near perfect, and I know I will never be. Proverbs 24:16 "For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity."
I'm made righteous through Christ alone; nothing of my works will produce that. Though I will still stumble, I will not fall because the Lord upholds my hand.
I cannot explain with words how much Christ has truly changed my life. It still astounds me that the creator of the universe can love and care about me and continue to work in and through me. Though I do not know what my future will hold, I'm confident in Jesus Christ, and whatever he plans for me is ultimately what is greatest for me and the world. I now see that I have a faithful God to turn to, and the amazing people he has put in my life that I can talk to. Romans 1:16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to evryone who believes; fit the Jes, then the Gentile."
As I continue in my walk with Jesus, I want to be unashamed of my faith, I want to tell others about what I have personally seen and experienced. I want to live boldly for Christ pointing others towards him and eternal salvation. I want to get baptized today as a proclamation of what Jesus Chist has done in my life so you too can see that God is not idle but changing lives every day.
Ayrika Zook
Hi, my name is Ayrika Zook, and I'm a 16-year-old sophomore in high school. I grew up in a Christian home with my four old sisters and two loving parents. We've attended church regularly since I was a baby, so I always knew about Jesus, that he died on the cross for my sins. But even though I knew about Him, I didn't know Him personally. I rarely read my Bible because it felt like a chore, and I didn't fully understand how deeply He loved me. My parents often prayed with me and reminded me of His love, but I still didn't feel His presence for myself. Talking about God made me uncomfortable, and I would get embarrassed when others shared their testimonies or openly expressed their faith.
When I was eight years old, three of my sisters were baptized at a creek. I remember asking my mom if I could be baptized too, but she gently told me, "Not today. You have to accept Jesus into your heart." I insisted I was ready, but deep down, I knew I wasn't. I still had a lot of growing to do.
A couple of years later, I went on a local mission trip with LEFC called Operation 717. It was such a fun experience traveling with my peers, visiting new places, and learning how others live. One of our stops was a Buddhist temple. I remember the people there were burning incense and offering food to Buddha. As soon as I stepped in, I felt a heave, dark feeling settle over me. It was the fist time I truly sensed what it felt like for Jesus not to be welcomed in a space. I never wanted to feel that again.
Not long after that, my middle school pastor, Tyler Morris, taught a lesson on baptism. That teaching really opened my eyes. For the first time, I realized I was a sinner and needed to repent. I don't remember the exact moment, but I talked to my mom and asked how I could invite Jesus into my heart. She explained how to pray, and I followed her instructions. I repented of my sins and asked for God's forgiveness. I didn't feel a dramatic change right away, but I knew something had shifted, I had taken a step toward Jesus. From then on, I began to grow closer to Him and read my Bible more often.
Fast forward to beach camp in 2024. I went into that week with a hardened heart. I didn't know what to expect, and when I arrived, I felt overwhelmed by how many students were there. But as the week went on, something changed. The sessions were powerful, but it was the worship that truly broke through. On the final night, the band played the song "Gratitude," and it moved me to tears. I felt the presence of God in a way I never had before, so real, so close.
After the session, all of us from LEFC gathered around a campfire to share our testimonies. I'd never spoken openly about my faith in front of a group before, but I felt God nudging me to stand up. My heart was racing, but I pushed past the nerves and shared how I came into camp with a closed-off heart, and how, by the end of the week, God had opened it wide. It felt amazing to be honest and vulnerable, and afterward, I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders. I felt free.
Since that nigh, my relationship with God has continued to deepen. I don't just know about Him, I know Him personally. I've been more consistent in reading His Word, praying, and surrounding myself with people who help me grow. I still have hard days, but now I turn to God instead of running from Him. He's shown me that my past doesn't define me, He does. And I'm excited to keep walking this journey with Him, trusting that His plans for me are better than anything I could imagine.
I want to be baptized today to show everyone that I have decided to follow the Lord. "For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God." -Romans 6:10
Samuel Pinzer
I grew up in a Christian home, and I am severely thankful for that. But growing up in a Christine home doesn't mean that it doesn't come with sin struggles. It also doesn't mean automatically having a personal relationship with God.
I would say I basically grew up in Virginia, and when I was in elementary school, I was introduced to some pretty harsh sin that would drastically hurt me. When I was told of the weight of this sin and how much it was damaging me, I started to have everything it was connected with. One of those things was where I was going to school. I started to hate the idea of going to middle school the following fall, but at that point, it was my only option.
Than I had my first ever moment of hearing the Lord talk to me. He told me to not go to that school but instead go to a school called Covenant Christian Academy. This school was amazing, and it taught me to better my education and seek the Lord at the same time. My two years in this school were incredible. I made so many good friends in the two years that I went there.
Then I got the bad news that we were moving! We were moving to Pennsylvania. I had lived there before, but I didn't know it like I did Virginia. I was so angry with God because I was just learning who He is and now He was pulling me away. I thought, how could He make me leave right when I was finally getting comfortable? This move was hard; it stripped me away from good friendships and shoved me into a middle school filled with strangers all wearing masks and social distancing in the middle of COVID-19.
My first year in Pennsylvania was when I lost the spark that was starting for Jesus. But little did I know that God was connecting me with a group that He would use to change my life. The youth ministry at LEFC called Crossover became my place of belonging. Yes, everyone was wearing masks just like at school, but I still loved to be there. God was definitely moving in my heart that year.
My freshman year I absolutely fell in love with my life group. These were my people. Then on the winter retreat that year, after one of the sessions, I got super emotional. God was talking to me again, and He said "hey I love you, look at what I have provided you with. I know this wasn't easy, but you now have a belonging in your life and with me." I was sobbing, and my leader Micah saw me and came over to me and I told him all about it. I shared with him the hurt I felt knowing that I had hated God unjustly, but I was now excited for the upcoming future I had with Him. We then prayed together and went back to the cabin for more shenanigans with my group. That night I truly put my faith in Jesus. He had shown just what he had provided for me.
A Bible verse that sums it up well is Galatians 2:20-21 - "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing."
Jesus is my savior, and I want to get baptized today because I want to proclaim that I belong to the body of Christ and His kingdom.
Natalia Himes
My name is Natalia, and I am 11 years old. I got saved when I was 7 years old. I got saved because I am a sinful person, and I cannot save myself. Jesus can save us because only sinless people can save us sinful people. The Bible says that Jesus is sinless because He is the child of God, and He is holy and was sent down from Heaven. To get saved you have to ask Jesus for forgiveness and only Jesus can forgive your sin. When I got saved, I asked Jesus for forgiveness and I prayed to Jesus. When I prayed to Jesus, I asked Him for forgiveness, and He heard my prayer and I trusted Him. My favorite verse is Matthew 22:39, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Madison Huber
Hello, my name is Madison Huber, I'm 14 years old and I'm a part of the 8th grade girls life group. I've been thinking about baptism for about a year now and I'm so happy to be getting baptized today!
I was born early and taken into the NICU where God provided my family with comfort and trust. I'm so happy to be here today and I want to give my life to the Lord!
Church camps have allowed me to grow my relationship with God so much! They have taught me many lessons that I use in my life. The most recent one was about your identity, and it got me thinking about what my identity really was. That's a part of why I wanted to be baptized today. I want to make it known that my identity is in God and that I want to give my life to God! These last few months, I've been getting a lot closer to God. I've been trying my best to spend time with God daily, whether that looks like prayer, reading my bible, or devotions.
Things God has done that have been brought to my attention lately include, the peace God brought to be during a time where I had anxiety. He quieted my anxiety and provided me with peace! When I get stressed out and nervous about sports or school, I'm able to know that God is with me and I feel comforted because of this.
For some time, going to church felt like a chore. It was something my family did on Sundays and just felt like a habit, like going to school. I have now found myself appreciating going to church! Getting to worship and learn about God is a way to honor GOd! In face, This is something that I now enjoy and value!
I'm ready for my next step in my faith and I'm so excited to be getting baptized today!!
Madalyn Lindenmuth
My name is Madelyn Lindenmuth, and I am 11 years old. I have been attending LEFC since I was about one. I am the oldest out of my brother and my sister. Before I accepted Jesus into my heart, I was hard on myself and told myself I was not a good daughter or a good sister. When I was with my friends, I would involve myself in negative drama and sometimes even start it. I would also sometimes not feel bad about treating my brother and sister badly.
As I grew up, I became more curious about what my parents believe and would ask them questions about their faith and the bible. As I attended church with my family every Sunday and attended the bible adventure program at my school, I slowly began to learn more about Jesus and God's word. One of my friends told me she asked Jesus in her heart, and I began thinking about what that meant for my own life. This past February at bible adventure they told the gospel to all of us attending. At that time, I was able to understand personally what it meant when Jesus died on the cross for my sin and I personally accepted Jesus as Lord and savior of my life.
With Jesus in my heart my life looks a lot different. I love people around me because Jesus loves me. I really enjoy teaching the younger kids in kidmin and sharing the love of Jesus with them. I desire peace for my friends' lives and have more self-control staying out of drama and rumors about others at school. I have more patience and am kinder to my siblings. I feel bad inside when I don't do what's right, but I know now that Jesus loves me, and when I ask, He forgives me when I am not faithful in obeying.
I am getting baptized today because I want to show my family, firends and all of you that I love Jesus, want to obey his commands and have asked Him to forgive my sins.
Kayla Brubaker
I was blessed to grow up in a Christian household, surrounded by people and a family who love the Lord. From a young age, I was taught about God's love, the importance of faith and the truth of the Gospel. Church was a regular part of my life, and I knew about Jesus, but for a long time it was just something I grew up around and accepted because of the fear of hell. That changed during Sports World camp, when I heard Pastor Dema speak about God, who He is, and what He has dome for us. His message stirred my heart. Late that night, I was in my bedroom, and I sat in quiet with just me and the Lord, having an overwhelming feeling of peace when I surrendered and gave Him my life.
Since then, I've experienced a deeper relationship with God - not just knowing about Him, but knowing Him. He is my peace in uncertain times and my guide when I don't know where to turn. I am continuing to learn each day what it means to trust Him more, how deep His love goes for us, and grow in His word.
Two verses that remind me of God's love and confidence are Romans 10:9 - "If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
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."
Jesus is someone who reminds me of a father who is there for you when you fall, to help you get back up and hold you when you're hurting. It changes my perspective of others and the world around me. I thank the Lord that I was able to proclaim my faith, and I pray that my testimony stirs you heart as the Lord did mine.
Josh McCleaf
I was fotunate enough to be born into a Christian household, so I've always been in close proximity to the gospel and the Christian faith. In fact, my faith was very important to me growing up; however, my focus started to shift when I entered high school.
While I never doubted God's existence, I entered a phase where my faith took a backseat to everything else happening in my life. I tried to find meaning and purpose in other places, and soon became on of those Christians who simply checked the boxes. I showed up to church on Sundays and went to youth group every once in a while, but I was neglecting my personal relationship with Christ. Consequently, I developed some sort of works-based view of the gospel, simply going through the motions and living under the assumption that as long as I did the "basic Christian things" I'd be fine.
It wasn't until I finished college that I finally started to see the through. Years of living for myself instead of the Lord had finally caught up to me as I started to feel an intense unfulfillment in my new stage of adult life. Around the same time, my girlfriend (now lovely fiancee, Ella, who I'm lucky enough to be marrying a week from today) started challenging me to become more of a spiritual leader. These two realities became the wake-up call I desperately needed. It was clear that I needed to stop living life as a man of good intentions and become a man of action in my faith.
This was the start of my journey back to a personal relationship with Christ and a proper understanding of the gospel. As I started to become more intentional in my faith and my prayer life, I finally started to see my own profound need for God's grace. It became clear that there was nothing I could do to earn salvation but truly accept Christ as my savior and repent of my sins. Since then, I've witnessed God transform my heart, my relationships, and so much more for the better. And so, I'm excited to be baptized today as a public demonstration of my new life in Christ!
Heather Ferguson
Hi, my name is Heather Ferguson. I am 18 years old, and will be graduating from Cocalico High School in 2 days. I was baptized in a catholic church as a baby and joined LEFC when I was 5 years old. Being involved in church at such a young age is something I am so grateful for. Unfortunately, that didn't stop me from experiencing middle school.
As a kid, I was an avid Sunday school go-er and Jesus lover. My favorite songs were on a Bible school songs DVD that I would sing and dance along to. Faithful, pure, and cheerful were three words you could've used to describe elementary school me.
Around the beginning of 7th grade, my family stopped going to church on a regular basis due to increasingly buy schedules for both my parents. My relationship with the Lord at a time had long faltered and I wasn't surrounded by faithful friends either. My transition from 7th grade into 8th grade sent me into a spiral. I was struggling with my mental health, and had been bullied by my peers for almost 2 years at that point. Life took a turn, and the devil got a hold of me. People who I thought were my friends started presssuring me in more ways than one. I was confused, depressed, anxious, and worst of all, I convinced myself that I hated my parents and blamed God for giving me what I thought was a permanently horrible life. I starte dressing, acting, and talking in ways unlike I had ever acted before. This change only made the bullying worsen. One day that I remember clear as glass, was the fall of my 8th grade year. I was sitting at lunch with my friends, and the kids that usually picked on me started putting food stickers all over my clothing. By the end of lunch, there were around a dozen neon orange stickers all over my my arms and my back where I couldn't reach. The hatred I held towards them became just as strong as the hatred I helf for myself. I felt cornered, and more than anything, I wanted to die. My solution was self harm. There I was 14 year old me, laying on my bathroom floor, witha pair of open scissors in my hand. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care. I had already set the tone in my mind that no matter what I did, I was going to hell.
This behavior continued until my parents looked through my phone one night, and saw concerning message between me and my friends. I was confronted, as any parent would do, and was tense to admit that I had open wounds on my left hip. Self inflicted. I never thought that I could nearly break my parents until that day. As expected, my parents then scheduled me for therapy.
After a few months, something was telling me I had to change. Not just for myself, but for everyone around me too. I had stated to admire my brother, for reconnecting with his faith and a if Jared was reading my mind, he invited me to a Jesus rally in June of 2023. That night, I had a spiritual encounter with the Lord. For what felt like the first time in a long time, I felt truly loved. The Lord told me to forgive myself. He wasn't mad at me for what I did, he was grieved by it just as I was. God didn't leave me behind, even as I cursed his name. It was so surreal to have so many people pray over myself and a few others that were touched by grace that night. since then, I have joyfully returned to walking with Christ!
Years ago, my family used to be in the background of my everyday. Today, family is of the utmost importance and I wouldn't trade them for the world. My life has forever changed and I couldn't be more grateful. I now have so many supportive friends that worship and praise the Lord beside me. The fact that I am able to wake up each morning knowing that there is a full day ahead of me, with so much love and kindness at hand is a miracle in itself. Everyone has their own journey with the Lord. This is my opportunity to show you that it might not go as planned, but God is always with you.
A reminder that I wish to bring attention to for everyone here, is that the Lord doesn't want you to be perfect. He gave us His one and only son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. We all have times where we falter. What matters is what we do afterwards. When you sin, do you repent? When you pray, do you thank God? Although I was baptized as a baby, I wanted this moment to be on my own accord. This is my public proclamation in giving my life to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you.
Marcos Reynolds
My name is Marcos Reynolds. I am 34 years old and have lived in Pennsylvania all my life.
I want to start off by saying thank you to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and give praise to him for what I now have in life, including my wife and kids.
I found God and his son Jesus at an early age, thanks to my grandmother taking me to church and doing what she could to help guide me and my siblings to a life with Christ. I attended for a while until a mishap happened, which led me to turn my back on the church for many years and in part started my fall from the Lord into the life of a sinner. From that point on, I placed Jesus in the backseat of my life, in a sense saying; "Lord, I'll take the wheel from here. You just sit back and enjoy the rids." Looking back on that today, I admit that was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. I want through life making countless mistakes finding myself in places I didn't belong and didn't want to be. At one point, in false belief I thought I had brought my biggest prayer to life. How very wrong I was!
I am thankful and give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for being my strenght and defense for he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God a and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2)
I was leading my life into complete sin, doing things I knew were wrong, and I was wrong for doing them. (Psalms 118:8) The Lord was chastened my severely, but he has not given me over to death. I admit he sat me down a few times because even after the first time, I still wanted to show Jesus that I should be the one in control and that I could do this my way with him just watching my back. With each attempt and each failure, I encountered, I had only myself to blame, yet at one point, I started to blame God for it all, not realizing he was trying to save me from myself.
God sent messengers in various ways, trying to get me back onto the path he set out for me and for a while I rejected them over and over again. Looking back now, I wish I had listened sooner and given Jesus back the position he should have had in my life all along. The life of a thief, a liar, a cheat, and overall sinner wasn't the life I ever wanted to live. Jesus saved me not only from myself but my sins, by the work he did at the cross for us all.
In recent years, just before meeting my wife I realized how wrong I had been for placing Jesus in the back seat where I should have been the whole time. Once I stopped trying to live for my selfish wants and gave up fighting against Gods plan, instead gave myself to him for his use and purposes, God answered my biggest prayer. I am so grateful Jesus never gave up on me and kept me close to his side.
Today, I find myself a part of things I never thought possible in my life. If you would have told me during the time of my being the driver that I would have a key to one of the Lord's homes, be part of a men's Bible study group, or even a men's breakfast focusing on the Lord I would have a called you the liar. Today, as a husband, father, and servant of the Lord, I feel blessed each day to have a chance to do works for God in His honor. Now I can say I was the crazy one for not listening and trusting God and Jesus sooner with my life because since the day I turned my life over to him I've had so much peace and felt so much love that I confess to you all here now and today that...
I am thankful and give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for being my strength and defense for he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2)
Josh Tshudy
I grew up in a very Godly home. We went to church 3 times a week, my parents read the Bible to my sister and I, we prayed together and I gave my life to Christ and was baptized as a young boy.
At the age of 15, I fell in with the wrong crowd and let myself be peer pressured into smoking week and experimenting with other drugs. At the age of 17, I got my girlfriend pregnant with my daughter, Naty and 20 months later we had a son, Javen. We then got married but divorced 11 years later.
Jennifer and I started dating in 2012 and we wee married in 2016. Shortly after we were married, I had a severe panic attack that the ER said was triggered from smoking week, so after many years, I finally stopped smoking it. However, I had started drinking alcohol in my early 20's and it had taken over my life and consumed me. I hated my life, I was extremely angry and I treated my wife as no man ever should. My drinking almost drove my kids to want nothing to do with me.
In May of 2024, my younger sister was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the age of 41. Hearing this news devastated me and I drank even heavier.
Otober 11, 2024 was one of the worst nights between my wife and I and she finally decided she had enough and was finished with our marriage. Even though I blamed her for all of my problems and thought I deserved better, I was devastated and felt lost knowing it was over. That Monday, she came home from work and told me that if I checked into rehab, she wouldn't move out for the 30 days I was in and would possibly consider giving us another chance if I stayed sober and worked on myself when I got out. She didn't really mean it, she was done with us but knew that no matter what, I needed to get sober. And so, she made a bargain she never intended to keep.
I had severe anxiety for the first 2 weeks in rehab but slowly came to realize that during group therapy, I was thanking God and telling them how He was helping me through this. I am an alcoholic, but I did not go through withdrawal and I knew that God was beside me taking away my suffering. People in group saw the change in me and would bring i up. My anxiety was manageable after realizing God was with me, my outlook became positive, I found myself no swearing and I finally felt that there was a purpose for me other than getting drunk every night and hating me life. Once I realized how much He was helping me, I leaned into Him even more for support.
My wife also noticed the change in me during my last week in rehab and decided to give me another chane after a few weeks of her seeing that the change in me was truly an act of God. I was no longer a negative person that hated every aspect of my life. God made me realize that I love my wife and that I want to grow old with her. He opened my eyes to see that I care about her and my kids, wanting to listen and help them through rough times. I want to laugh with them and make memories that I will actually remember. He gave me the desire to be a good role model for my kids, as a man and as a husband. I want them to see how God has changed me and that miracles do happen.
God gave me a sober mind for the first time in 29 year. I had no idea how to really handle the hard stuff in life and I was severly tested in January of 2025. My sister lost her battle with cancer and there is no way I would have survived this without GOd's perfect timing and knowing that she was finally healed and in His presence. If He hadn't had His hand on my life 3 months prior, not only with helping me get through rehab, but the events that led to me checking myself in, I would not have been able to cope with my sisters passing as an active alcoholic.
My wife and I started attending LEFC the Sunday after I got out of rehab and in February, we started attending the Re|Engage program. Re|Engage not only brought us both closer to God but made us a stronger couple. God has surrounded us by Christians that didn't judge our journey when we shared it with them, but instead have embraced us and have helped us in our walk with Christ.
It is because of God's love and grace that I have made it these past 7 1/2 months without anger, hate manipulating those around me, cravings, or relapsing.
One of the verses my dad always prays is Isaiah 53:5 "by His stripes, I am healed" and thank you Jesus... because BY YOUR STRIPES, I AM HEALED!
Candy Mello
Before I truly knew Jesus, my life felt lost. I often struggled with toxic relationships and drugs. Even though I heard of Jesus, I didn't understand who He was or how much He loved me.
Everything began to change when I decided to surrender my life to Jesus. Day by day I started making choices that reflected God's love for me and I began to love myself again. I finally understood that Jesus wasn't just a character from a story. He's alive, He loves me personally, and He came to rescue and save me.
Since I gave my life to Jesus I have experienced peace and healing. I no longer carry the same burdens. Even when life is hard, I know he is with me. I'm learning to walk in faith and truth.
I'm choosing to be baptized today as a declaration that Jesus is my Savior and Lord and I belong to Him. I want to live the rest of the days of my life following Him and growing in Him. I know this is just the beginning and I trust Him with everything ahead.
