Michelle, here is my testimony....a synopsis anyway:  

Way back on October 23, 1982, I decided to go forward as a Christian.
I was only 10 years old.  I had always been a "good" kid, but I went
forward for the wrong reason.  I basically did it out of obligation.
Also, I wasn't ready, and slowly I would slide further away from
Christ until I could take it no more.  I would enter the darkest ages
of my life by 1990, but I would also experience a spiritual Renaissance.

The following includes quotes of a message I sent to Crusty before he
became a Christian:

" ....In 1989, I was an antisocial and depressed boy.  I was insecure.
I had no worries and I had whom I thought was the girl of my dreams. I
still felt a void in my life.  In 1990, I sank further into that
depression and I lost that girl.  I became vengeful, hateful, violent,
and every other word that came from my mouth was a foul phrase produced
by the flames of hell which motivated my tongue.  I was lost.  I
thought I believed in God (since then, I have discovered true believing).
I continued to sink into misery and I looked only at myself and took it
all out on others.  My friends couldn't help.  My family couldn't help.
Professional help didn't work."

I went even as far as debating whether life was worth it or not.  I had
always claimed to be a Christian, but I went to church and I didn't
care. I was religious on Sundays only while I lived it up in a pool of
sin the rest of the week.

"Finally, I was at work one night(May 31, 1990) tossing things and
cursing.  A guy who worked with me talked to me and ended up praying
with me for a couple of hours."

This was the moment that the changing began.  I changed slowly, and
I learned many things the hard way, but after that first night...

"There were many blessings.  Since that day, I have been changing.
Now, I am very social.  I still mess up and still have tough times.
... I cry, but then I smile.  I encounter a big trial of faith and
I make it through, and I smile...  I even talk to the Lord when I
drive down the road in my car.  It may look like I am singing or
something, but I talk to Him, and I get this good feeling.  Oh that
is emotion one may say.  Well, I will tell you that I cannot begin
to name the  many times that I have felt the power and presence of
the Holy Spirit in a way that seems or is physical.  Praying to
God in thought is just as effective. God can read your mind.  Satan
cannot.  Satan is just an angel. God is God!  Tonight, I will pray
again.  Praying is just as much part of my day as eating.  Reading
the Bible, absorbing it, and praying are food for my spirit.  My
flesh will pass away, but my spirit will live on. James(his name
was coincidentally James, also), basically, I have told you (just
on the surface) about my relationship with God and how it initially
changed me.  The relationship with Jesus gives assurance in letting
me know that in the end, it will all pay off and everything will be
new and good.  In the walk of faith, there are seemingly endless
opportunities to grow spiritually.  Each day for me teaches me
something.  To know what that something is, I must rely on God.  I
must have a personal relationship with Jesus. ..."

One month after that night that my co-worker/friend prayed with me,
I went to a Petra concert (June 30, 1990) and I continued to grow
more as a new being in Christ changing my ways.  There were people
in my high school who couldn't understand why I didn't curse, swear,
fight, and bully anymore.  I told them about Jesus.  There were
still many struggles.  I still have struggles, but I know now that
Jesus will take my burdens.  Four months after that night, I went
forward at a Crusade (October 1990) to publicly acknowledge Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior.  Then I had a lot of growing to do.
I did that my senior year in high school.  Then summer (1991) came
.....I had been a true Christian for a year.  I had learned alot
for that year, BUT I still had more to learn, and we all still
learn on a day to day basis.  It was still a slow transition.

A year after I accepted, I was evangelizing....I had found my gift.
The day before I came to JMU (August 25, 1991), I was baptized.  I
have grown a whole lot just in the last year.  God has blessed me
in many ways.  I still struggle at times as we all do, but not
nearly as much as I did at first or even before. I have been a true
Christian now for almost three and a half years.  Praise Christ that
I can type this good news that I have written here.  God bless you.
God be with you this week.

In Christ,
James
the
Beacon Deacon