I became a Christian at a very young age, and was raised in a “once saved always saved” church. I thought that meant I could do whatever I wanted to do. I began using drugs as a teenager because I did not know how to cope with life. After a bad car accident, I became addicted to pain medication. It was not long before I became addicted to methamphetamine. At this point, my life began to spiral out of control. My life became all about me and people were just tools in my life that I used to get high. My parents did not trust me, and I was not a very good mother. I spent a lot of time in and out of jail. After receiving a 10-year prison sentence, God opened the doors for me to come to Adult and Teen Challenge of the Upper Cumberland.
Since being here, I have found freedom that I never knew existed. I know who I am in Christ, and I know that I am chosen. I now know that a relationship with Jesus is what I have always been lacking, and what I spent all my time looking for. The relationship between my parents and me are being restored and made new. My beautiful daughter is counting down the days for me to come home and be with her. I have been made new, and God has given me a different outlook on life.
After graduation, I would like to go back to college. I plan on getting a place in the area so I can stay connected to this ministry. I want to give back in any way I can, and be a productive member of the community. I look forward to being the mother God has always intended me to be. The verse that I stand on is Zechariah 2:5, “For I,” says the Lord God, “will be a wall of fire around her and I will be the glory in her midst.”