My Testimony
For those who have taken the time to read my testimony thank you! I hope it blesses you. This will be long by the way so if you need a drink or snack, I suggest you grab it.
Growing up my dad was Catholic, my mom was Methodist, and they decided to baptize my brother and I Lutheran (If I could input a confused emoji I would). I barely remember going to church. We were definitely “Chris-Easters”, but I never doubted that Jesus didn’t exist. I always knew He did, and I knew that He died on the cross for my sins. I never had a personal relationship with Jesus.
Fast forward to the lowest year I have ever been in my entire life – my senior year of High School. Just thinking back at that year makes me cringe and I just see that year as darkness. So confused about what to do with my life, went through some of the most horrible situations that I will not get into right now, but a beam of hope came through when my mom and I were talking about what I should do after school.
I knew I wanted to work one year after graduating. I hated school and I desperately needed a break. I knew I did not want to go to college and my parents were totally okay with that because we all knew I would party their money/my money away and not graduate. One day my mom and I were talking and she said, “Why not go to cosmetology school? You love doing your make-up and hair.” I was dumbfounded. I never even knew a trade school was an option because at my high school all they did and everyone else did was talk about how they were going to these elite or prestige colleges. When they would talk about it, I wanted to barf because I at least knew at that point that is not who I am or for me at all! I did not know that it was okay though, I thought I needed to do that.
My mom and I searched for cosmetology schools in the area and found one across the river that was a private Christian cosmetology school. I thought that was so cool and wanted to check it out. We met with Debbie the school owner, and wouldn’t you know as soon as she said, “We do bible school every morning a half an hour before we start classes.” I immediately made up my mind and said that is where I wanted to be. I attended the following year and I was so blessed by that school. That was truly the start of my relationship with Jesus. They taught me so much; however, I did not become born again until years later.
Fast forward a year after graduating, I had moved to Texas with my boyfriend at that time and while I was there, I got word that one of my close friends from High school had been arrested. We were in touch and talking as friends before I moved. He was a heroin addict and desperately needed help. I wanted to try to get with his family to do an intervention on him, but I did not get to do so. Two weeks after I moved, he was arrested, and I was devastated. I wanted to visit him when I visited my family for my birthday weekend, but I did not have time or even knew how to.
I moved back home in October of 2013 and decided to make a visit to his mom two days after I moved back at her job. I told her “I don’t know if you remember me, but I really want to visit your son.” She took me to see him that next weekend and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When I saw him he was completely cleaned up, gained some weight back, and looked better than he ever did. I always thought he looked handsome, but sheesh, I couldn’t believe it. I stayed up almost the entire night trying to figure out what to write him and we talked almost every day after that. Yes, my current boyfriend and I at the time broke up and I continued visiting my friend.
That March of 2014 he transferred to SCI Camp Hill after being sentenced to 6 years in prison. By the way, I wrote him a card for him to read before his sentencing in February telling him I was going to stick this out with him. I knew it would be a long time, but no I didn’t think it would have been six years. That was the second worst day of my life. I bawled all day and I thought how are we going to get through this? Well, that April he became born again (prayed with his cellmate) on April 2nd, and on April 14th his cellmate’s wife talked with me in the parking lot of SCI Camp Hill where I prayed with her to be born again. I told her I already believed in Jesus, but sure I’d pray! She and her husband have become our spiritual parents and she gave me her number and she discipled me along the way. I thank God for those two every single day.
I was not evening living until that day. Something changed inside of me when I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I will never ever forget it and from that point on I started seeking the Lord. Was I still doing bad things? Yes, I was young and I needed spiritual milk, but I stopped smoking, drinking, and READING my bible. Yes, it took me like three years to read my bible because I didn’t understand it. I didn’t understand it until I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and things just became alive in me.
Side note: I am not doing hair or makeup anymore, but I do have my license. That is a whole other story, but I was a cosmetologist for about 8 years and I am still so grateful that I went through school.
After many rude comments and individuals who did not approve of me seeing this boy in prison for 6 years of my young adult life (can’t blame them honestly), I can proudly say that it was the Lord’s will for us to be together. That boy is now my husband and we have been together for almost 9 years in total. He is over 9 years clean and lives his life for the Lord! God took both of us and our dirty rags and made us clean praise Jesus! I did not even know what life was until Christ. I have so much joy now even typing this and expressing this to you all. My husband has been completely redeemed of his addiction (no cravings, no desires to use after being born again). I have been healed and forgiven of many horrible things and been redeemed from restricting food and over-exercising. I did not have a healthy relationship with food and exercise as I do now, and it is just amazing!
What He did for us, He can do for you too. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions at all about Jesus or our journey in general! I know going through prison with a loved one is especially difficult, so if you need advice, please feel free to ask! And of course advice on fitness, products, diet, etc. since they are one of the main reasons why I have this site. Click here to get in touch.
Blessings and love always!
Alexis