My Christ Story

A pastor challenged his congregation to write their "Christ Story".  A lot of people think they have a "Christ Story" because their grandfather was a preacher or their parents were missionaries.  Some folks think they have a "Christ Story" because of the church they attend or the domination they support.  Many good people feel they have a "Christ Story" because of all the good deeds they've done for so many hurting and needy people in their community and around the world.  Though all these are good stories.  None of these say anything about what Christ has personally done just for them.  Jesus Christ is a personal Savior.  Jesus Christ wants to personally save and do amazing things with individual people.  I want to take a few minutes and share my "Christ Story".

There was a 17 year old girl finding herself in an unplanned pregnancy.  She was scared, alone, still in high school, no job, and pregnant.  The father was stationed in the army.  He was soon to be deployed to Greenland.  Friends and family didn't offer a lot of options.  The suggestion of abortion was a more realistic choice.  But because of the inconvenience of distance and not being able to drive...the nearest abortion clinic was going to be over a couple hours away.  The young girl and handsome soldier married on Valentine's Day 1961.  The baby was born 6 weeks early on May 6, 1961.  The young newly wed  named her baby Donna Marie.  The baby was born with some physical challenges experiencing seizures and paralysis in one arm and one leg.  After extra time spent in the army hospital and several weeks of therapy the baby developed fine and over came the physical difficulties. 

My name is Donna Marie, the baby girl born May 6th at Fort Dix, New Jersey.  I have two scripture passages that I live by.  One passage is my life verse the other is my passion.  My life verse is I Corinthians 15:58; "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord".   My passion verse is Proverbs 31:8; "Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction."  No one was speaking up for me.  While a young lady was scared and family was embarrassed and stressed no one thinks about the unborn baby.  I thank God for not having a convenient abortion clinic in the area.

 I did not always value and appreciate how God had saved my life.  It took me growing up, being married, having children, and adopting children for me to fully appreciate what God had done for me.  Before I could possibly value my physical life, I first had to realize my spiritual life needed God.  On March 1975, Easter Sunday morning, as best I knew how, I asked God to save me and to forgive me of my sins. I knew that without Him I would go to hell.

I met my husband on a blind date on March 21, 1981.  By mid April he asked me to marry him.  We wanted to get married in a month that had a Friday 21st.  The next month with that day was in June.  I thought  that was too soon.  The next month was August.  Perfect.  Five months from our blind date we were husband and wife.  Our first baby girl was born July 3, 1982.  Our second baby boy was born August 10, 1983. We were content with our little family.  One baby girl and one baby boy, momma and daddy living in the country happy and satisfied.  Until 1987, when I wanted to have another baby and could not.  After many hours of counseling, Doctor appointments and times of thinking I was pregnant and wasn't my heart was broken and heavy. (View my video clips on me speaking about my Chosen Children and pictures of the Chosen Children.)

The Lord lead me to a ministry out of Nashville.  They were a Crisis Pregnancy Center and a licensed Adoption Agency.  Our family jumped in and became very active.  We fostered 12 newborn babies, counseled over 3,000 teenagers, volunteered, directed a local crisis office, host large fund raisers, and even adopted one baby in Jan 1992.  Through this ministry I really learned just how God not only saved my soul, but how He saved my life before someone had a chance to take it.

You would think that knowing God had saved my life twice that I could stand in front of a church or a group of believers and be confident about life and answers to  spiritual matters.  I experienced abuse and alcohol in the home.  I can tell about being engaged 3 times before being marrying my husband.  I understand wanting a child and not being able to conceive.  I can share about 5 adoptions not going through.  I can even tell about my heart being broken when one of my children called me from jail because he was arrested for drug possession.  I can tell about adopting a troubled teen, being hit/threatened by her, and having to place her in a group home.  I can share about adopting a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome child.  I can share being excited about becoming a grandparent and  how our grand daughter was born with a rare genetic disorder.  I know about financial stuggles and being wrongfully sued in Federal Court on 64 counts for $20 million.   I could take all these difficult events and tell you how wonderful God is.  How amazing God was during those hard days.  But the one event in my life where God showed His hand the strongest, biggest, most comforting, and amazing was on June 1, 2009 when God once again saved my life.  Is a third time charm?  Maybe! But God saved my life in a terrible car accident.  (Watch my video clips titled "My Event".)

As challenging, difficult, and wonderful all the events were in the above paragraph, God became more real to me in a car accident where I thought I had died.  Though I am grateful for His provisions in the past events.  What excites me more, what amazes me more each and every single day is God forgiving me.  God loving me just where I am.  And He loves me and forgives me everyday. 

Life isn't about jobs, titles, money, houses, sports, music, family, friends, places, clothes, list of do's and don'ts, and not even church.  These things are a part of our lives and our daily affairs.  They play a part in our faith and our worship.  But the priority is JESUS.  JESUS.  JESUS.  Am I going to heaven or hell?  Are you going to heaven or hell?  Are my children going to heaven or hell?  Who I work with .....are they going to heaven or hell?  Who I go to church with....are they going to heaven or hell?  Do I live, act, talk, make decisions based on how my choices may effect someones decision on heaven or hell for themselves?  

I love telling you about my children.  I can brag about our son playing college football.  I can show thousands of pictures of the most beautiful grand daughter in the universe.  But what excites me more than anything else is that God has forgiven me  He's forgiven me of sexual sins, impure thoughts, lies, pride.  God spared me from a life of deep sin. But my sins still nailed Jesus to the cross.  I was a sinner going to hell.  God forgave me.  HALLELUJAH!!!! Can I say that again.  GOD FORGAVE ME of my sins.  Nothing can give peace like a clean heart and a clear mind.  God is good.  I've seen God's amazing work in people I care about.  I want to see God do amazing work in all 5 of my children and their family and children.  God is a mighty and an awesome God.  God is good.  God is AMAZING.

My only regret is that it took my life being out of my control and placed in the hands of God for me to get to a point where I give God ALL the GLORY for anything I may ever do for HIM.  I can not praise Him enough.  We serve an Amazing God.

"There is a river.  That flows from deep within.  There is a fountain that frees a soul from sin.  Come to this water. There is a vast supply.  There is a river, that NEVER shall run dry."