I was nine years old when I received the gift of God; I went to church for about two years before deciding that was what I wanted to do. I continued going to church every Sunday for years after that. At first, one could not tell that I has received Jesus in my life. I still acted as the people around me acted. I was very shy and never spoke out against anything that offended me or what I believe.

I went for many years living this way, until I was in seventh grade. I went to a camp called Circle-C. There, I like everyone else, attended a regular chapel service. That week, God started working on me; He showed me that I needed to stand up for what I believe in and I took this to heart. I started to learn, very slowly, how to stand up for what I believe in and how to speak on behalf of what I believe.

My church was a very small and could not afford to send the youth to camp for four years. I felt discouraged because I felt that God had really talked to me that week. I went through junior high and on to high school, trying as hard as I could to understand the pastor of my church as he spoke. I hoped the Lord would use the pastor to speak to me, as He used a song, from the camp I had gone to, to tell me he needed to make a stand.

Over the summer of my freshman year, I got a job and met some new friends. I met these friends at a place called Milestone Youth Center. They had offered to let me work there for part of the summer and they would use some of the money they raised to help send me and others like me to Circle-C that summer. During this time my friends and I got to know each other very well. We went to camp that summer on the same week and again I felt the call of God in my life, and became renewed to my faithfulness in God.

That year I rededicated my life to God, I went back to my home church and gave the testimony of how I rededicated my life that year at camp. I told how I had learned that Jesus came to earth, in human form, and died on a cross for my sin. Also, that I had to confess that I was a sinner and believe that God would clean out my life all the sins that keep my eyes off the Lord. Not that I had not known it, but it was clearer that God really loves me. Since then, I had grown in the Lord, I have had plenty of my share of struggles with sin, but I quickly regain my thoughts and confess my sin to God. I am not perfect to our eyes, but when I accepted Jesus in my heart, I became perfect to Him. He wiped away all of my sin that I will do, as long as I confess that I am wrong and willingly give my life back to Him.

If you feel you want to receive the gift of God, say this prayer: "Father, I know you sent your Son, Jesus, to die for my sin. I ask that you will forgive me of my sin thank you for loving me enough to die for me, Amen." After you pray that prayer, make it official! Go see a pastor or church member and pray with them about your decision.