Betsie ten Boom, a famous holocaust victim, was quoted as saying, “We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.” I have never been a prisoner in a concentration camp, but in a small way, I too have been a friend of suffering. And in that place, I met my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

My story starts as a young girl growing up in a military family. I had a wonderful family with two loving parents who came to know the Lord as newlyweds. They raised us in a God-fearing, church-going home, and lived out their faith daily.

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My father had a radical change in his life after coming to know the Lord, so much so that he could not help but share his joy and experience with others. One night he was telling us about a work colleague he had talked to about Jesus, and at the age of 9, I said, “Dad, I want to ask Jesus to be my Savior, too.” There in our living room I remember praying to ask Jesus to come into my life and committed to follow Him all the days of my life.

My father was a true “Maverick” and flew fighter jets. I remember him flying over our school and tipping his wings if we happened to be on the play ground at recess. Does it get any cooler than that?

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When I was 10, he went to serve in the Desert Storm War. It was a long seven months without him. We watched the TV news for a glimpse of him and had one phone call every Sunday to hear his voice. We missed him desperately and many nights were filled with tears as we anxiously awaited his return. Abruptly, the war ended and he was able to come home early.

On a beautiful day in March, he disembarked his plane and ran to greet us. My dad was home. I knew at that moment that God had seen us through and life would now be good and return to normal.

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It was good for many months. Life fell back into a rhythm, but one Monday morning on a cool, September day, I said goodbye to him before I ran out the door to catch the school bus. Little did I know that upon my return, life would change forever.

The uniformed officers arrived at our door. I hid in the kitchen and heard my mother’s sobs. There had been a mid-air collision. A typical Monday, when life was good, had just imploded.

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The funeral came and went. Lonely days of staring at chalkboards in the schoolroom. A move to a new city to be near family so my young, widowed mother at the age of 36 could have help from relatives in raising the three of us (ages 6, 11, and 13). So much change, but there was one constant—Jesus.

He was a rock when we needed grounding. He was a father to us, the fatherless. He was our comfort. He was our provider. He was our anchor when all was in chaos. He was the calm in the storm. He was exactly all He had ever promised to be and more.

That was the beginning of my faith journey and it has continued throughout the years. I have loved and served the Lord for thirty years. Once you have walked through the darkest pit of despair and been carried through to the other side by a gracious God, there is no denying who He is. There is no denying Him, when he has carried me through several hospitalizations with my son. There is no denying Him, when He has heard my cries and brought life back into my child’s body. There is no denying Him, when His path has led me somewhere I did not want to go, and yet the end result has always been for my good. There is no denying Him, when I have opened my bible and the very words I needed to hear were jumping off the pages. There is no denying Him, when I have sat in a doctor’s office praying and asking God how we would pay the medical bills, and my husband messages at that very moment to tell me that unforeseen income was being deposited into our account. How can I ever deny Him, when I have witnessed Him at work time and time again?

I have known Him, walked with Him, and beyond a shadow of a doubt, I can testify that He is real and His word is truth.

I wish that I could tell you how my life has been easy and free from suffering since knowing Jesus, but that isn’t how it works. I have walked to many mountain tops and through several valleys, but the difference is, I am never alone. I am comforted by a good and gracious God who holds my hand through it all and never leaves me, nor forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5). I have comfort (2 Corinthians 1:4). I always have hope (Jeremiah 29:11). I have joy (Nehemiah 8:10). And, because of that and so much more, this verse resonates as the anthem of my life:

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live. Psalm 63:2-4

I have seen Him and I know, that I know, that I know.

So, what do I believe?

I believe that there is a God— the one true God (John 17:3). I believe that He sent His son Jesus to come into this world and die on a cross to pay the eternal penalty for sin (John 3:16). I believe that He was buried in a tomb and rose from the grave three days later (1 Corinthians 15:4). I believe He conquered death and we too can live in eternity with Him if we “confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord”(Romans 10:9). I believe that this world is not all there is. I believe we are made for eternity and as wonderful, beautiful, and hard as this world may be, there is so much more to come (John 6:47-48). I believe in the Bible, that it is the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). It has breathed life into my soul on my darkest of days and given hope beyond anything this world can offer. I read it daily and live my life by it’s instruction.

I believe.

If you have not known hope, joy, peace, and grace. I pray that you too will come to know Jesus. Please feel free to message me, as I would love to share more about my faith with you.

Blessings always,