I once dated the quarterback of my high school’s football team. (We’ll call him Mike). I was the captain of the girls’ basketball team, so of course we were a natural fit. Well, if you base relationships on appearance and athletic ability. (Ahem: do not base relationships on appearance and athletic ability).

Mike and I dated for almost 9 years—all through our last two years of high school, through college, and then my 3 years of law school. We had little in common, but we forged an emotional attachment and soon found ourselves struggling with issues like sexual sin, anger, jealousy, and painful family situations. There was often so much “drama” in the relationship that we were both exhausted. We were churchgoers, but we were so attached to each other that God’s will for our relationship was never something we made a priority.

When we hit the nine year mark, God was weighing so heavily on my heart about our relationship that I was getting physically sick. Mike and I finally ended things for good.

Contrast my experience with Mike to the way my husband (John) dated me before we married. John and I met through a mutual friend. Nothing fancy. No big setup. Just a dinner one night with big group of friends, and John happened to be there.

After three weeks of just getting to know each other, we started dating.

Right away, I noticed something different about John. He was smart and funny, which was great, but he was also noticeably reliable, responsible and had an excellent work ethic. He also seemed to have a strong family—a married mom and dad, and two sisters, to whom he was very loyal.

So loyal, in fact, that he wanted the counsel of his parents before he asked me to date him. And he even took the time to chat with my parents (who are long distance) by phone so they could get to know him. 

John and I dated for one year. Our relationship could not have been more different than the one I had with Mike. We had lots of conversations at coffee shops, on spontaneous dates, and hanging out with his family. We addressed a variety of topics pretty fast – what is your relationship with the Lord like? What are your ideas for marriage? What kind of spouse do you want? What about kids? Do you want to send them to public school or homeschool them? What kind of career do you want to pursue? And so on.

John would plan secret-to-me dates that he called “unfathomable days of fun.” They included going to amusement parks, the zoo, concerts, etc… At around month ten, I was pretty sure I wanted to marry him. (He said he was ready at month two!) John came with zero drama. He was straightforward. Intentional. He called when he said he would, picked me up on time, never left me wondering if he liked me, and—gasp!—always remembered to open my car door. Even in the rain. 

He still does that today, after 2 ½ years of marriage.

 If you’re discouraged about the whole dating scene in your high school or college—or lack thereof–take heart! God was faithful in my life–despite my mistakes and detours–and He will be in yours too.

During the annual event, high school and college students are encouraged to engage in conversations about the fact that God is personal and cares about every student, their relationships, sexuality and souls.  

“We hope to equip the next generation of Christian leaders to have confidence that the Gospel of Christ speaks into current-day issues,” said Candi Cushman, facilitator of the event.

“We are so encouraged to see passion for Christ and love of God demonstrated by these students, not to mention spiritual courage.”

A sophomore in California writes:

I shared Day of Dialogue cards before and after school. I had 36 cards. I just said things like, “Excuse me, I’m sharing the Gospel with these cards. Would you like one?” I explained what the Day of Dialogue was to some who asked. I prayed before doing this.

Kaitlin in Michigan says:

It was my school’s first year of doing Day of Dialogue, and I found it through my mom’s friend. One of my good friends did Day of Silence, and so we had a good discussion about this subject. Your website really helped. The Conversation Card helped a lot also. I gave them to one girl, and she seemed really interested.

Hannah from Minnesota reports:

I am 16 years old and am doing my best to live every day of my life for our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ.

My goal this past Monday was to show EVERYONE that we are all equal. That there are no sins that are worse than another. I have a passion to come alongside of those who are hurting, who maybe have not experienced the love of Jesus in an evident way to them.

So, I gathered as many people as I could to support the kingdom of God … and truly make a difference. Through this process, I found that a lot of people didn’t even know the true facts or what the Bible says. … It was a huge challenge for me to trust God completely to give me the words to speak. I was very surprised by the outcome however.

Since I had developed such strong relationships with these people before … they were much more accepting and able to listen to what I had to say. … My fellow students and I met at our Bible study that I created a year ago and has been thriving ever since, to talk about the Day of Dialogue and what the true purpose of the event was.

Because of this event, I know that there have been lives changed. Just hearing of stories and conversations some of my peers had this past Monday truly make me want to jump up and praise our God, for we cannot change anyone’s heart … only God can do that … but I saw with my very own eyes that God uses everyday people, the least of these, to make enormous differences!

Thank you so much for making this event possible, and inspiring so many people.

Stay tuned for updates on the new date & activities for the 2012 Day of Dialogue in April!

Attention all high school & college students! Like to ham it up in front of the camera? Then this is your chance to win the Day of Dialogue™ student video contest!

What’s It All About?

We’re looking for creative videos from students that best communicate the heart and mission of Day of Dialogue™.  We’ll select 3 winners who will receive prizes (see details on prizes below). Submit entries by midnight (MT) on Friday, April 8.

Note: Winning videos may be featured on DayofDialogue.com and other Focus on the Family & CitizenLink websites and/or e-newsletters and video reports.

What are the Prizes?

First prize:Winner will receive $250 worth of iTunes^® Gift Cards that they can use as an individual or share with friends! (see Official Rules & Guidelines for more details).

Second Prize: $100 worth of iTunes^® Gift Cards

Third Prize:$50 iTunes^® Gift Card

What’s the Deadline?

Submit your video by midnight (MT) on Friday, April 8.

How Do I Submit A Video?

Upload the video to Vimeo, YouTube or Google Video, and then send us the link at studentvoices@focusonthefamily.com. The submission e-mail must include the contestant’s age, first and last name, e-mail address and phone number. It’s also helpful if you include a physical address.

Who’s Eligible to Participate?

High school and college students who, as of the date of entry, are at least 13 years old and under the age of 25.

Each video must be submitted under one person’s name—and only that person will receive the prize if selected as a winner— but the videos themselves can feature other student participants and student clubs and youth groups. Also, multiple entries per person are permitted.

Note: Wondering what happens if you win and you’d like your youth group/student club’s name mentioned if the video happens to be featured on websites, emails, etc.? In order to be able to mention the name of a winner’s  youth group or student club, we’ll  need written permission via email from the group leader for use of your group’s name. You can include that in your submission email if you’d like.

What are the Contest/Video Guidelines?

Video should be between 30 seconds and 3 minutes in length

Only original material (including music) can be used for video. (However, you may incorporate downloadable resources found on Day of Dialogue’s website for the purpose of promoting the resources & event in the video).

Winners will be selected based on their ability to best depict and communicate one or more of the following Day of Dialogue themes/components:

o Invitation for high school and/or college students to participate in the Day of Dialogue event sponsored by Focus on the Family.

o Day of Dialogue’s “Get the Conversation Started” theme and idea of a student-initiated “dialogue” emphasizing the fact that God cares—about our relationships, our sexuality & our souls.

o Examples of students sharing with classmates that God loves them and communicating a Biblical perspective about God’s design for marriage and sexuality in a loving and grace-filled way.

o Day of Dialogue theme of students modeling the spirit of Jesus Christ—who didn’t back away from sharing truth, but neither backed away from pouring out love and compassion for hurting & vulnerable people.

o Depiction of students using the Day of Dialogue Conversation Cards to help start a respectful dialogue in their school. (Can also reflect use of Day of Dialogue posters/T-shirts.)

Note: Video depictions of Conversation Card distributions and conversations among classmates should depict them happening in a way that is not disruptive of academic or classroom instruction and is occuring during noninstruction time (before and after class.)

o Christian students standing up against bullying in their school

o One or more of the questions featured in the slide show on the Day of Dialogue website:

-Does God really care about my relationships, hopes and struggles?

-What does the Bible really say about things like sex and marriage?

-How do I stick up for students being bullied?

-What does it really mean to share truth in love?

-How do I speak up for God’s word in my own voice?

Note: All video entries should reflect standards of tastefulness, decency and a spirit of respect and love for God’s Word and other people.

Possible video ideas to get you and your friends started thinking: Your video entry could feature something like … students demonstrating a Day of Dialogue conversation; skit illustrating Christians students standing up against bullying; man-on-the-street interviews featuring student-initiated conversations on Day of Dialogue themes. For ideas, see also the Day of Dialogue home page video featuring students addressing relevant questions. These are just some ideas—but we look forward to being inspired by your creativity and passion for Christ!

Click here for official rules.

(1) Timing: The Contest is offered only in the United States and runs from Friday, March 18, 2011, to Friday, April 8, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. MT (the “Contest Period”).

(2) Eligibility: Contest is open to all individuals who attend high school or college and, as of the date of entry, are at least 13 and under 25 years of age, and are residing in the U.S., its territories or possessions (“Contestant”). Contestant must be an individual person; group entries are not permitted, although Contestant may include others within the video entries. Entries must be created by the submitting Contestant.

Employees, independent contractors, officers and directors of Sponsor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies and legal advisors, and the immediate family members and persons living in the same household of such persons, are not eligible to participate in the Contest. Void where prohibited by law.

(3) How to Enter:  Video entries may be posted electronically on an external website such as Vimeo, YouTube or Google Video, and then individual should notify Sponsor of such posting in an email sent to studentvoices@focusonthefamily.com no later than 11:59 p.m. MT on Friday, April 8, 2011. Sponsor will review the video and if posted on an external site, may at its discretion download the video entry and upload it to (or include a link to it on) Sponsor’s website, email newsletter or Facebook^® page. Sponsor reserves the right to exclude from the Contest any entry that it finds objectionable or that does not meet the terms and conditions and guidelines of these Official Rules or of the Contest entry site  found at www.dayofdialogue.com. All entries, and all elements in the entry including but not limited to music, must be original. However, entries may incorporate designated downloadable resources found on the Day of Dialogue website for the purpose of promoting the resources and event in the video.  Multiple entries per person are permitted, but only one winner may be selected per household.  Entries must be accompanied by Contestant’s age, first and last name, e-mail address, and phone number. Individuals under the age of 18 must have their parent’s or legal guardian’s permission when submitting a video for entry in the contest. By submitting your entry, you agree to all the terms and conditions of these Official Rules and of Sponsor’s Contest entry site.  In addition, by submitting your video entry on a third-party site, you agree to the additional terms and conditions of that website.

(4) Grants and Releases: By entering, you warrant that you are the sole creator of the entry submitted, and you agree (a) that Sponsor may use your entry in any manner and for any purpose, (b) that Sponsor may display your name and user name on its website in conjunction with your entry, (c) that the entry does not infringe on the rights of any third party, (d) if you are selected as a winner, that Sponsor may post your full name and state of residence on its Contest website, and (e) that Sponsor has the right to edit your entry before it is posted on the Sponsor’s website.

By participating in the Contest, you agree to release and hold Sponsor and its affiliated organizations harmless from any and all losses, damages, rights, claims, and actions of any kind in connection with the Contest or resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of any prize, including, without limitation, personal injuries, death, and property damage, and claims based on any libel, slander, illegal competition or trade practice, violation of rights of privacy, infringement of copyrights or other rights of third parties. Furthermore, you consent to the full commercial use of your entry, name, address (city and state/province/country), statements, and likeness without further compensation.

The winner, and other individuals appearing in the winning video entry, may be required to sign and return a Publicity Consent and Release Form effectuating these same rights. Failure to timely return these Release Forms will void prize award, and prize will be awarded to an alternate winner.

(5) Winner Selection:After the conclusion of the Contest Period, Sponsor will select a first, second and third place winner from among eligible entries.  If a winning entry does not meet the entry requirements, an alternate winner will be selected, subject to compliance with the entry requirements. Winning entries may be featured on Focus on the Family (such as DayofDialogue.com) or CitizenLink websites and/or e-newsletters and video reports.

(6) Prizes:The first place winner will receive $250 worth of iTunes® Gift Cards given in available gift card increments of winner’s choosing. The second place winner will receive $100 worth of iTunes^® Gift Cards. The third place winner will receive a $50 iTunes^® Gift Card. No alternative prize, cash equivalent, or other substitution is permitted except by Sponsor in the event of prize unavailability. Prizes are nontransferable.  Winning Contestants must provide a physical address for receipt of prize. All applicable federal, state and/or local taxes are Contestant’s sole responsibility.

(7) Winner Notification:Winner will be notified by e-mail or phone by April 13, 2011, and will have 3 calendar days from notification to accept the prize. Winner may be featured in Focus on the Family and CitizenLink websites, emails or video reports before the 3 calendar days time allotted for accepting prize. Sponsor is not responsible for and shall not be liable for late, lost, misdirected, or unsuccessful efforts to notify you. If you cannot be contacted or fail to claim prize, if you do not comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules, or if you are ineligible, prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected. 

(8) General Terms and Conditions: Sponsor is not responsible, and shall not be liable, for: (a) telephone, electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet, or computer malfunctions, failures, or difficulties of any kind; (b) failed, incomplete, partial, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions; (c) any condition caused by events beyond the control of Sponsor that may cause the Contest to be disrupted or corrupted; or (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest. You agree that Sponsor’s only obligation is to award the prize set forth herein to the Contest winner, subject to the terms and conditions herein. You agree that Sponsor’s obligation is fair and adequate consideration for any entry submitted by you, and that you are not entitled to and shall not seek any further compensation.  You release, discharge, and relinquish any and all claims, actions, and lawsuits of any kind against Sponsor related to or arising from your participation in the Contest.

(9) No purchase is necessary.

(10) Promotional Information. By entering the Contest, you agree that Sponsor may send you advertising, promotional, and other informational material. You may opt out of receiving these materials at any time by notification to Sponsor.

(11) Apple Inc. is not a participant in or sponsor of this Contest.

We’ve all heard that old saying: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” But I don’t believe it. Words really do hold a lot of power.

Just by looking at me, you’d never have known how tormented I felt inside because of bullying.

I was a high school freshman transferring in from a different school and, at first, things seemed like they were off to a great start. I made the volleyball team and developed new friendships. My peers respected me because I also did well academically. Yea, so maybe I was nerdish.

None of those things, however, gave me any protection from verbal harassment.

One of my closest friends loved hanging around a girl named Alice. In class, we would all sit together and Alice would insult me and belittle my intelligence. My heart felt like it was being torn to shreds as Alice verbally abused me.

I hated every minute of it, but endured it silently because my friend thought Alice was hilarious.

I bottled up my feelings and tried to shrug off the hurt I felt. I thought that to be a good Christian meant that I needed to forget about Alice’s nasty lies and pretend she had never said them.

Her words hurt more deeply than I could have imagined, but I stuffed them in a box and went on with my life. After my freshman year, I stopped spending time with those friends, and life became more pleasant.

A few years later, an evangelist came to our church. At the end of his message, he invited people to come forward for prayer.

And God spoke to my heart that day and reminded me about the bullying that I had tucked away in the deep recesses of my heart. I began to cry as the evangelist and my church family prayed for me.

I had no idea the pain from bullying ran so deep in my soul, but God could see it. He saw it happen and knew about the scars I had long forgotten. Not only did God see it, but He wanted to heal and restore my broken heart. That’s the amazing part about it – that God’s heart actually aches when He sees us experience suffering and pain.

He understands pain because He has encountered it. Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their face he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” Jesus also experienced intense suffering when He died for us on the cross that we might have life through His Name.

For me, the healing began with talking to God. You can tell the Lord about what is going on in your life. He sees it and He cares. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

It is not God’s design for His children to live in fear or bury their feelings as I did. If you have experienced hurt from bullying, I fully believe that God wants to heal your heart and give you new joy and freedom. Read more at Who Am I? Finding Eternal Identity and Whose Voices Are You Listening To?

Bethany Kim is a guest contributor for Day of Dialogue.

Who am I?

We can all give superficial answers to that question—like what my name is and where I go to school.

But there’s so much more to us than those surface-level answers, isn’t there? Like the answers to those deeper questions we all have: What is my real purpose? Why do I exist? What really defines me as an individual?

Having those questions is one thing that makes us human. We all long for something deeper than just this immediate, physical universe. We want there to be more to life than simply eating, breathing and sleeping.

That’s because, at our core, we are spiritual beings. And that’s what sets us apart from animals, who live by instinct. The Bible explains this by saying that God has “set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

That’s not to say our environment doesn’t shape us. Of course, so much of who we are is influenced by our family, our heritage, and the community and country we are born into. But our environment alone is not the total answer. In addition to differences in our physical bodies and variations in our temperaments— there are those mysterious thoughts and feelings that no one knows about.

What we think and feel are a huge part of who we are. In the very center is our spirit – the soul, the will or the heart– where we find our deepest beliefs, dreams, hopes and passions, and where we make choices.

So where does this spirit or soul come from? Well, we believe that’s part of what the Bible means when it states that God made us “in His image” (Genesis 1:27).

Josh McDowell does a good job explaining this concept in his book The Secret of Loving:

Have you ever said, “I really don’t count. I could disappear and no one would notice or care”? Most people think those thoughts at one time or another. Yet the Bible reveals that God looks at us quite differently. In the Bible, God tells you that He sees you as very special because God created you in His image.

… Suppose you went outside and stood next to a tree. You could say that in many ways you are equal in value to that tree, since both you and the tree were specially created by God. But there is one critical difference—God created you in His image. God did not give His image to any other part of His creation.

Finding Significance

Steps You Can Take

Candi Cushman is an education analyst and director of the Day of Dialogue Web site. Jeff Johnston is a gender and homosexuality analyst for Focus on the Family.

 If you carry bitterness and anger toward those who have labeled you or hurt you, begin the process of forgiving them. Release others from your judgment and anger, which opens your heart to receive good things from God.

 If you’re constantly calling yourself names in your head, such as “stupid”  or “idiot,” ask God to forgive you. Acknowledge this for what it is—the sin of self hatred.

  Take some time to pray, and ask God to reveal some of the false labels that you’ve believed. You might even make a list. Ask Him to remove those from you, maybe even see yourself nailing them to the cross.

  If this struggle continues, you might want to confide in a few safe people and invite them to pray with you.

Second, after you’ve begun throwing out the old, with God’s help, bring in the new:

 As you forgive others, invite God to forgive you for any specific sins that He brings to your attention, and ask for His help in receiving His love and forgiveness. It can be good to do this with a trusted person and have them remind you that you are truly forgiven.

 Spend some time reading Scripture and look for passages about who you are in Christ – how you are defined as a Christian and a loved creation of God. Think about the words and ask God to help you internalize them.

  As you begin thinking about yourself differently, also ask God to change your view of Him; He is so much more wonderful than we can think or imagine, and it’s important to believe the truth about Him. Also, ask Him to help change your views of other people. We must learn to see others as made in His image and deeply loved by Him.

Remember, this isn’t usually an instantaneous, one-time event. Enjoy the process of becoming intimate with your Creator and Savior. After all, with you is a loving Father who will walk with you the entire way.

Whether we realize it or not, all of us center our self-worth and identity in something. Maybe you base it on how well-liked you think you are at school. Or maybe on how well you play a musical instrument or sport. Do you have a persona centered around the kind of club you’re in, or how you dress? It could be a million different things.

So it might help to stop and think for a moment—when do you feel you’re at your best…and when do you feel you’re at your worst? The answers might give you an idea of what you’re basing your self-worth or identity on.

But the truth is, God doesn’t determine your worth based on any of those temporary and changing things. God bases your worth on something unchanging— His unfailing, eternal love for us. (Read Jeremiah 31:3 and Psalm 139:13-18.). So while you might change over time in your tastes or how you see yourself, God’s love for you will never change.

So why do so many people choose to live like God’s love doesn’t even exist?

Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world that is scarred and damaged by another reality talked about in the Bible—sin. The effects of sin are dramatically seen in things like war, sickness, abuse, death, poverty, hatred and our own rebellion. Sin amounts to, in essence, our turning away from the God who loves us. And we have all done that in one way or another.

Because of sin, our center – the spirit or will – becomes disconnected from God and His deep love for us. Sin affects us from the inside out. In addition to separating us from God, it can disconnect us from others and even from ourselves, so that we don’t always know the truth about ourselves.

The good news is there’s another force at work in the world that can counteract this darkness and set us free. And that’s God son, Jesus.

To reconnect us with God the Father, Jesus was willing to accept the punishment for sin that should have been ours, even to the point that He sacrificed His own life for us. (Read John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:1-9).

Again, Josh McDowell does an excellent job of summarizing the bigger picture:

 “You are special … because you are of great value and worth to God. In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul said that we have been purchased with a great price. The value or worth of an object is usually determined by the price one is willing to pay to purchase or redeem it. It couldn’t be more true for you or me. When someone asks what I am worth, I can factually say that I am worth the price God paid for me, which was ‘Jesus.’

Did you ever wish that there was a true hero or a rescuer in your life? While there are people we trust and admire and who do help us, sooner or later we come to realize that they are a human, flawed person just like us. 

But Jesus was a true, unflawed hero. He lived a perfect life; He never lied, cheated or stole. He always loved God and always loved other people; He even loved and forgave his enemies. And He gave us an incredible gift: He willingly died in our place, in order to bridge the separation between us and God.

Each of us has a choice, then. Will I turn from the sin that separates me from God and embrace Jesus’ incredible gift? Will I let God adopt me as His own child? Will I choose to follow Jesus, who is a wonderful teacher, mentor and model, and the Son of God? Or, will I choose to remain separated from God, doing my own thing, making my own choices and going my own direction?

When you choose to trust Jesus and learn from him, you have a new relationship with God and a new way to live. Then you are adopted into God’s family, as His child. In this new relationship, as His children, we have God’s power to receive forgiveness for our own sins and to forgive and release sins committed against us. This new connection with God can transform our thoughts and actions, including our very identity and how we think and feel about ourselves.

See  Steps You Can Take

Fave Songs:

Hero-Abandon    http://bit.ly/ukkVsJ

You Are More-Tenth Avenue North    http://bit.ly/bfwvqj

There was not the level of social acceptance and support that many students experience today.  Although I never came out, I remember being relentlessly teased and bullied because most of my peers thought I was gay. And if that wasn’t enough, the church didn’t prove to be much of a safe place either.  Many in the church would voice their disgust over gay men and women and offer no alternative to their situation other than condemnation. 

All this left a confused 14-year-old boy sitting silently in the classroom and the pew with little hope of things ever getting better.   

 The situation seemed so unfair.  I never asked to feel this way or have these attractions, and no one seemed to understand.  I just simply couldn’t flip a switch and become “normal” like everyone expected.  In the intensity of the pain and loneliness, I felt that I would have to bear this dark secret for the rest of my life. 

However, nothing was further from the truth.  I discovered that there was a God who was not removed from my pain. There was a Savior who loved me and desired for me to find my true identity and purpose in Him.  He loved me in every way and rather than turning away from my struggle, He wanted to be in the midst of it.  All that was asked of me was to trust and follow.

I wish that I could tell you that everything was easy once I decided to embrace God’s plan for my life and sexuality.  In fact, the struggle seemed to intensify. There were days that I thought I had been misled and God was not upholding His end of the deal.  After all, once I had decided to give my struggle to God my same-sex attractions would immediately go away, right?  Wrong.  I soon discovered that God was not going to work on my timetable and the outcome would be His alone to determine.  I had to trust that He would give me the grace and ability to embrace the process.  And He did. 

I found out that God was more concerned about me having a deeper relationship with Him above anything else.  Once I laid down my terms and conditions, I realized there was a life beyond my struggle and there was so much more God wanted to reveal to me than I had ever imagined.  The secret to overcoming my same-sex attractions was not in having them immediately taken away but in turning my heart and mind to Christ and allowing Him to transform every part of me.

 It was when I started seeking His face rather than His hand of healing that I began to understand who He was and how much He loved me. 

Today, I can tell you that there is hope for your future.  Through Christ all things are possible, and I firmly believe there is a unique and wonderful destiny that God has for every individual.  God doesn’t promise anyone complete perfection in this life. But He promises to love us and to always be with us. You too can experience the joy of knowing there is a loving Father who gives hope in the midst of your struggle.   Thousands of men and women have discovered the true joy of living a life fully submitted to Christ.  I am one of them. Each one of us has taken a different road away from homosexuality and each of us has seen God move in different ways to bring healing and transformation to our lives.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 says “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.” 

As I began to discover more about who God truly is and learned to depend on Him, over time, God began to transform my heart.  As a result, I am now living a life that I thought I could never have.  I am now married, serving in full-time ministry, and loving what God has done with my life.  God has incredible plans for you too!  All He asks is that we trust Him and never give up hope!

More fave songs:  

Something Beautiful-Need to Breathe          http://bit.ly/hkn1Rn

Meant to Live-Switchfoot        http://bit.ly/gKaD2y