KATE

♥ FAVORITE VERSE:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Psalms 32:8 (ESV)

♥ TESTIMONY:
I grew up in a Christian family in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. Right from kindergarten, I went to a private Christian school called Imago. I thought my life there was perfect, but God had other plans for my life. Directly after seventh grade, my parents decided to move to Washington for a better job opportunity and I was given a month to say goodbye to the life and everything I knew and loved. Three days before my birthday, we left for the opposite coast, not knowing where we were going to stay or anything else really except that God was leading us here and we had to trust in Him to get us through.

In less than a month, I was in public school for the first time, not wearing uniforms for the first time, and not having any friends. I couldn't find a place anywhere, not at school, not at my new church, not even at home. Before long, I found myself letting God go, telling myself that He must not care and slowly slipping into a crowd of bad influences. It wasn't till later at a church retreat that I found my home in Christ once more and finally started easing myself into a small group of loving and Christ-devoted followers, many of which are some of my greatest friends till this day. I met my best friend after joining a student leadership team at Overlake Christian Church as well and I was finally again striving towards God and living in my faith more than ever. Then high school came. I was introduced to a whole new set of issues as sophomore year came. I was surrounded by the drugs, boys, and alcohol and watched as many of my close friends including my sister give in to all of these obstacles. I watched as my sister drowned in depression, not knowing what to do, and when she reached the rock bottom finding an escape from it all, there was nothing I could do. Thankfully, she made her way back to God, but I was still in shock, full of anger and hurt and blame that this could ever happen, to my family, to my sister, to me. My anger and hurt turned to depression and desperation. I blamed myself for all the problems surrounding me. I turned away from God; I didn't think He cared anymore or that He even existed. I stopped going to church and ignored my friends. Around school I rightfully earned the reputation of being a slut, someone I had sworn I'd never be. I lost friends and started to drink and my depression worsened. My grades plummeted, I had no desire to do anything anymore except sit and let the days go by.

It wasn't until Houseboats (a church summer camp) that God forced me to realize His love and forgiveness for me. For so long, I had chosen to believe the lie that God couldn't forgive me anymore, that my sins were too great. With my small group around me, and all their love and compassion, God helped to heal my suffering and anger and destruction in a way I can't explain except pure peace and freedom. After that experience, there is no way I could ever deny that there is a God who cares and loves us. Since then, it has been a struggle and a long healing process, but the wound is healing and my walk with God has never been stronger. I know that God has a plan and purpose for my life, and He will guide me in the right direction for that purpose, and I will gladly follow. He has saved me from my darkest hour and given me new life. :D
3.18.11