Searching for Truth with Kellie | Ep 02

Jemese: Hey, friend, welcome to A New Creation Podcast where we're pointing women towards victory in Christ, one Jesus story at a time. My name is Jemese LaChel. I'm your host. Go ahead and get comfortable, get cozy, and let's dive right and to today's episode. I'm so excited about this episode. I have a new friend here, Kelly, and her Jesus story is going to be amazing. I just want to hear all about it. So welcome Kellie.

Kellie: Thank you so much to me for having me on. I'm so happy we found each other.

Jemese: I definitely think that was a God thing. You know, I'll share with our audience here, just talking back and forth a little bit like some of the things that you were sharing, I was like "Oh my goodness, I have felt that too" you know, about even the doubt about you know, should I should I really go forward with producing this podcast, do people really even care about hearing each other's stories, and it's almost like God connected us to say, of course

Kellie: We have a friendship now, because there's only so many people that do specifically what we're doing and it's just it's so comforting to know that there's someone else out there that has the same heart, the same goal. All when I was really filling alone in that for a minute, it was. It's seriously an answered prayer. Like I've only talked to you very briefly, but in those conversations you've actually helped me a lot.

Jemese: Well, that is such a blessing before we dive and I am just feeling and hearing the Holy Spirit remind me that I said we were going to pray before we started this episode. So I'm just going to do that right now and ask Dear heavenly father, will you please just inhabit this conversation with your presence, and I pray that anyone listening to this episode would be able to hear your voice help us to say exactly what she would have us to say and to see you and to see Jesus through this conversation and the mighty wonderful dame of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Kellie: Amen.
Jemese: I don't know about you, but sometimes I get those I don't know what you want to call them. Toose like, like the Lord is tapping me on my shoulder saying Hey

Kellie: Yeah
Jemese: Those little God reminders, you know, like okay and so, but what's funny to me is like, you know, we know how to hear that now, there was a time when we did not even know what that was like. It's and we'll get into that. I'm want to. I'm going to shut up and give you the floor. The question I always like to ask people when they come on is, what is your Jesus Story? We all have one so, tell us a little bit about your experience and coming into the faith.
Kellie: Oh Wow, okay. So honestly my story has to start when I was little, and when I was a little girl, I remember riding my bike and just being in awe of God's creation. I grew up in a Christian home and I just remember I was so at peace writing this bike and I was looking at the ants on the ground and the bird and sky and the flowers and everything and just being an awe and wonder and actually realizing, you know, there's a god and he's real. And I remember what I was writing. I was like please, Jesus, forgive me for my sins, forgive me for anything I do in the future. I love you, and this was just such an innocent proclamation. I wasn't religious in any sense. It just kind of happened in that way and I just I remember feeling so loved in that moment and so close to him, even though he was invisible. And sadly, after that it kind of went downhill from there as far as my relationship with him. I mean I was nine, I think I was a nine or ten when I was baptized. But the reason behind that was not from riding that bike. It was to have a party afterward because of all my Awana friends were having that type of celebration. So I wanted to have a party and I didn't really know him in that moment. I, like I said, that bicycle moment was so brief. It was just like one day and that was it, to be like perfectly honest with you, and I don't know. It just it kind of went downhill from there. When I was probably around or thirteen middle school, I continued to go to church, but because my family was making me. I remember my mom would get mad at me because at church I would never sing and I didn't understand. I thought was stupid, and my mom would literally look over at me and give me this dirty eye because I was like this is dumb, I'm bored, and that was basically how I was throughout my adolescence and in a high school I had really no connection to a church. I had one friend specifically that was Christian. She was from a different state entirely. Her whole family was Christian, their baptist, I believe, and she actually invited me to her church and I went because she was my best friend. I loved her and the church environment there was a little bit different. It was more positive, more involved and I had a really good experience. It's there, but I think the best part of that time was her friendship and I know that. I know that she was a really good influence for me. But that was the kind of the end of that too.
Jemese: It sound like it's almost like you know you had these experiences and you was sort of hit this high point and then it was sort of falter out.
Kellie: Yes, yeah, and I had a lot of questions to I butted head with I butted heads with my mom and I would ask her this tough questions. I would ask her like how was God real? Give me proof, I don't even think God's real. I remember saying that to her, I don't even think God's real, and she got so upset and offended, but she didn't give me an answer and I was searching for answers, I was searching for truth and I wasn't getting it. I also need to mention that my grandmother, her mom, was very like just love Jesus, truly love Jesus, but she passed away when I was very young and I remember my mom and my sisters were having seances to try to contact my grandmother and I remember being very confused. So I would find we giboards in the house. I would I remember we did a seance and my sister's apartment and I think I was like twelve when that happened. But there it was just really odd and very confusing. So I forgot to mention that part. That was back when I was like Middle School ag but I had so many unanswered questions and it was getting very frustrating on that end and so I had to seek my own answers of life. Basically at that point. I grew up in a very, I guess I call it like a latch key kid, so I was alone a lot. I had to take myself to school. When I come home the house would be empty. I'd make myself dinner. I didn't have any siblings that lived with me. They're all older than me, so I was alone a lot and when you're that age and the Internet was like starting out, it was not a good situation to be in because I was finding myself getting into chat rooms and just you know that that early age of the Internet, like early two.
Jemese: Yeah, yeah, I remember, it was like the wild wild wes with all the chat rooms, and AOL instant messenger.
Kellie: So that's what I would do. That was like what I would do when I get home from school and just it was such a dark place to be at such a young age. I was so lost and I apologize for not talking about that. I know I briefly skipped over the but I think that's very important to mention is that at a younger age I was seeking truth, but I didn't get it from my family, I wasn't getting it from my church, so I was seeking it on the Internet because that's where everything was. Right when I was eighteen, I had just graduate high school. That following somber my dad got sick and it was very quick. He had lung cancer and he passed away. And just think it was about two and a half months and I was in denial, assisting school at that time and I was there when he passed away. It's really traumatize me because, I mentioned before, I bought it heads with my mom, but with him I was a little bit closer. He was easier to talk to and you know, I was kind of like a daddy's girl. Typically I would probably call myself that. So dealing with that plus the repercussions right after that happened, we lost our house, I was engaged to an older guy and I I didn't know what to do with my life. I felt like the carpet of my life, like the basis, was being pulled out from underneath me and I had no idea what to do. I was like completely broken and lost and on the outside I would never show it to you, though I would. I would act like I was fine. I would go party and drink, because that's how I dealt with it. I would drink alcohol, I would smoke marijuana, I would do anything to keep myself from feeling what I need to feel and deal with the issues. And truly I was so broken and so lost and I remember feeling alone, just so alone, because my mom was not handling it very well at all, I couldn't talk to her. She was basically leaning on me. As a eighteen, nineteen year old, I had to be the strong one and that was too much. That was too much for me. So I know that's a that's a tough role for, first of all, anyone to go through, but it is really hired for a daughter to kind of take on the weight of everything that you're having to be the support person for their parents and such a time like that, you know, and but yeah, I hear what you're saying that was like. But had to have been really hard. It was extremely hard and I ran away from God at that point, like I went in the complete opposite direction. I did not seek help, I did not have any therapy, I did not turn to anyone who was like a real friend. I would party and I would just not feel I would do literally everything not to face that problem and I was I just remember being feeling so angry and lonely and sad and confused and hurt because I didn't understand why God took my dad for me at that time. I didn't understand why I had to be the one to support my mom emotionally when I was so young and I just remember building up a lot of resentment and anger and literally turning my back just I wanted nothing to do with God or any of it. I wanted to just live my own life and feel good things, basically, because all I was feeling were bad. All of all the things I was experiencing in life for bad. So I wanted to do everything in my control to feel the good.
Jemese: That's such a relatable story and I'm just excited that... I'm grateful to hear that you're in a place we you're able to talk about it, because I know that so many others have gone through something similar. Looking back on it now, like how, how did you know that you were running from God? Like when you were going through that experience were you conscious that "Okay, like, I'm putting this God stuff in a box."
Kellie: I said, yeah, actually, it's very specifically. So my my parents both worked at the hospital that he passed away, and so he actually knew a lot of staff members in that hospital because he was a transporter, meaning he just was everywhere and and we actually had a chaplain come in and try to talk to me and I remember her just leaning into me and trying to open me up, trying to ask me questions and I just remember zoning out, looking past her and just hearing blah blah, blah, blah blah, and
Jemese: almost like the Charlie Brown voice right
Kellie: Yeah. And and that was me just giving up on that. And that was, I think, right before he passed away. So it was it was a process of that time that I was not I was not trying to get anywhere near God. I thought it was it was all for nothing.
Jemese: What happened next?
Kellie: So, after only about a year after my dad passed away, my mom remarried somebody, and this person I did did not like at all. He was very kind of he was the complete opposite of my dad. Basically, my dad was a very kind, gentle person. This person was very aggressive mean. I just didn't like him. And not only that, I felt very betrayed by my mom for turning back so quickly and marrying somebody else. And so I was building up more and more resist more and more bitterness and more and more anger towards her and feeling more and more left alone. And I know that this route comes from me being a child, in me feeling abandoned in many ways growing up. So I was feeling it again at this very pinnacle point that I'm on my own. I got to look out for myself and so I decided to move out and I moved into a home that I rented. The Room I found on craigslist, and I this is how I describe it to anyone who asked me, is if you had cameras in this house, people would watch. It was like big brother, but like real there is no there is no money or anything, but it would the drama, the drinking, the party, all of that was my life and fortunately I had gotten myself into down all assisting very quickly right after high school, so I had a secure job and my job was my only security I had, and I'm very grateful for that because it was right around the recession time. But this household was very, very toxic. It was not a good place for me to be, but I would rather have been there than to be with my mom and her new husband. So I stayed in this house for it was about two and a half years, I think, with these people. So we moved to two different houses and I was during that time where I was alone. I wasn't I was I guess I was casually having I was casually like partying and for nicating with random guys. So I was in that date life scene, I guess, that culture of one night stands. Unfortunately, I had gotten myself in a very bad situation where end up getting raped and I still moved on and didn't enacted like that was nothing. And that's how I saw myself. That's Hollo I saw myself, how I saw my life. I didn't care about anything. And there was one night where I was actually sick from I had food poisoning and I was on this dating APP and I was bored and I was just trying to, you know, pass the time, and this message comes up from somebody and a couple minutes later after US talking, he calls me and we end up talking on the phone for about three hours, and that person is now my husband of ten years.
Jemese: Wow
Kellie: Yeah, he's two years younger than me and he grew up any Christian home. He was different and I was afraid of that. I was so afraid when I met him because I knew I was going to get married to him, like I knew instantly. Yeah, and it scared me to death. I was like no, I don't want to be you just it was too much. But we got married about a year after that, our first date, and he helped me so much. He helped me get out of that horrible place. I stopped the smoking marijuana as soon as I met him. You know, he had his own things that he was going through too. We're very young, you know. I was twenty three, he was twenty twenty one when he got when we got married, so we were very young. We were still very immature. But having to get to know him and how he was raised in his family, it was just like wow, people live like this, people are functioning normally, you know, and right it was such an attracting thing about him was that he had this stability in his life that I didn't have a hand. So our, I mean our early years in marriage were very, I guess, rocky. I guess because I had so much baggage on me that I was I pushed him away constantly because I didn't feel that I deserved his love. I felt like he was just going to divorce me and I'd be alone again. So I had to work through those types of issues and it took me a long time to get over that. But he truly loves me and that was something that I didn't really experience before and I truly loved him too, but it was different, you know, it was it was like an unbreakable love, because I had so many relationships where I'd say I love you, but I didn't, you know, obviously.
Jemese: Yeah, just words, empty words
Kellie: Exactly. I was just going through the motions. You know, it was different with him. So, like I said, we were been married ten years this past December and I guess the Pinnacle Point of my Jesus Story is during COVID. So I'm going to skip a lot because, you know, we are both kind of jumping around in churches. We would go, we would stop and in our walk, you know, I told him I was a Christian. I thought I was a Christian honestly, because I was baptized, and that I wasn't really having a relationship with Christ at all. And it wasn'tuntil covid happened. We were very isolated. During that time. I was pregnant with our second daughter and when I tell you, we were afraid to leave the house. We lived in such a bubble, so much fear about everything. I would only go to doctor's appointments and that type of isolation was killing me inside during that time. It was it was a really good time for reflecting on our lives, obviously, and he actually had found a zoom men's group. There was a church down the street that we were kind of going on and off for. You know, we liked it was smaller, we didn't feel lost in a crowd, and so he decided to join this men's group and one night he boldly questioned me. He said, Hey, how's your salvation? And I was like
Jemese: you're like what!?
Kellie: Yeah, I said Jesus, Jesus and me are good, and I said it in a defensive way because I knew I was wrong. We weren't good. I didn't have a relationship with him and he could see that I was not living the way I should be living. And from him going into this men's group, it was really opening his his heart up to and he was trying to tell me, trying to get me to really question and I actually a Christian or not. And Yeah, he's left type of person that does not shy away. He will tell you straight out whatever like that, especially a marriage like that, that is so important to have a spouse who is not afraid to like hold you to that standard, you know, and you know I'm kind of like you, like I didn't know, but that was possible to like it was uncomfortable for me.
Jemese: My story's a little bit like yours. Like it was uncomfortable for me being in a quote unquote, healthy relationship. Yeah, you know, like weird at first after having that experience of just letting people treats you however they wanted, you know. So I just love hearing that your husband had that boldness to just ask you straight up, because, come on now, I think, I think that's what we need sometimes. We don't need that beating around the Bush stuff for so long.
Kellie: We both were. We both were not, we both were not walking with Christ and and we both have had trauma in our life that we were both trying to deal with and we were not choosing Jesus for that help. It led us to be so anxious, so scared, so fearful, so angry, so bitter. That was a reality that we lived in for most of our marriage and we called ourselves Christian and that's why I said went were it was during covid like we were just so, so, so scared to talk to anybody.
Jemese: Oh, yeah, you were scared to even go talk to the mailman, or you know I mean, because nobody knew what was going. You're like how dangerous is this is, etcetera, etcetera. So, yeah, I get that.
Kellie: Yeah, and I was also pregnant to so I was like even more fearful of just anything, with the hormones just going crazy, you know. So during that time, I we had our daughter and we kept in the house, we didn't go anywhere, and it was probably early two thousand and twenty one when I decided to paint our kitchen because I was start I was starting to get tired of looking at it. Everybody we everybody relaying movement. Yes, I just feel like that's time. Would everybody was in the house, like I guess. Yeah, like, I can't prove it, but I feel like ninety five percent of households got some type of renovation or painted the bathrooms. For me, it was my bathroom. I'm like that, I am sick of looking at this bathroom. For you it was your kitchen. It was like kitchen and we have like these really dark gray floors and the wood was like it's really dark brown, so it almost like reminded me of a cave and I was like, okay, I'm going to paint it white and gray. So I got the tools, I got everything. I was like Hey, I have to wait for the vaccine anyway. I know it's a controversial topic, but this was where my head was at that time. I didn't even want to see family without a vaccine, that's how scared and just like no Jesus, I was okay. So I was painting the kitchen and during that time I was listening to podcasts and very specifically, I had a very strong obsession with true crime and I was listening to a lot of true crime podcasts, a lot of those type of things, and this was leading me to feel even more fearful of people, even more scared and paranoid and loss of hope, you know, and and of course it's entertaining. It's one of the highest rinking podcast groups out there. So I was just like enthralled with this and it made me feel less and less like a person. I remember feeling more and more empty, more and more depressed, more tired. Just the anxiety was just so heavy at that point and there was this soft voice was like, you remember that church you're going to before all this happened? Why don't you see what their sermons are like right now? And so I started listening to the sermons because I really, really enjoyed the pastor there. I really enjoyed their service, and so I was starting to just listen and then it would go into the Bible app which I had downloaded many, many times and undownloaded, you know. So I was like, okay, I'll listen to the Bible Apps. So I picked the plan, which was the New Testament, and I had it in The Message Translation and then I just started listening and going through the New Testament. I had never actually read the Bible. So I've heard stories. I've heard the Easter story that I've never actually read the Bible, but at this point, listening with something that I needed to do because I was painting. So I received the Holy Spirit during that, because it's the simplest thing I can go through, because the way that it was being said to me hit me and I understood what the Gospel was. I understood why Jesus was here, I understood religion versus relationship, and it was so quick how I changed. It was literally like one day and then the next day I was a new creation. Yes, that's how fast it happened. It was for me. It was so fast like that, and I understood what it was, what this born again thing was. My heart was full. I felt so much at peace. Literally nothing in this life had made me feel that way ever, and I tried everything. I tried to fill my life with the things the world tells us to feel that are going to help. And you know, the therapy, the meditation, like the exercise, all that was doing and it felt okay for a minute, but then I would feel empty again and this feeling wasn't going away, it was only growing and I just I can't even really explain that feeling, but it was just an immediate piece. Everything in my life was different at that point. The way I talked to my kids, the way I treated my husband, I wanted to go see people. I why I wanted to go back to church. I was different. It was not me anymore. All the worry, all the fear was gone just by really understanding the Gospel. And that's how the Gospel is so powerful, just in its own right, like it changed me in a day and from that point, you know, we went back to church. I immediately got involved in children's ministry. I got baptized that that summer I got rebaptized, like I really like got baptized, you know, wasn't for our Party, was because I was in Christ and you Mendin and you understood it. Yes, exactly, and I began to crave the knowledge and wanting to read the Bible and singing. I never sang any time ever at a church. Always thought I was dumb. I had confidence and things I I didn't have. You know, I had some pushback and my husband said that you know, hey, you're going to have some spiritual warfare coming up. So that did happen, but I pushed through it and it keeps happening and I keep pushing through it. But I was choosing Jesus daily, I was learning. I was just I wanted to tell everybody up. I want to be like Hey, look at me now. You know, like it the Bible says to boast on the Gospel, to share this with everyone, to, you know, not boast on ourselves, but share what Jesus has done in someone's life and in your life, and that's what I was wanting to do. I was so on fire for him and I did this because I was saved, like I didn't have that spirit of fear, anxiety, doubt, worry, and it was real. It was real and I cannot even express to you how real it is. And I was questioning everything. I had to. I had to know. Why do I trust the Bible? Where did the Bible come from? Like, I had to do all this research. I had to know for sure what I was probably my life into. Yeah, it was real and I finally got the answers I was seeking, even at a young age, I got the real answers and that darkness just crept down on me so quick, just so fast, and now I'm here. It's been actually about a year. This is about a year ago, around this month.
Jemese: Yeah, I just get chills because listening to your story and you don't you don't know how similar your story is to mine, and I know why the Lord wanted us to share podcast episode you know, which something you said. It was true for me and I know it's true for someone listening that like there's a difference between knowing of Jesus and then truly knowing him, having relationship. And the difference for me was that before when I knew of Jesus, you know, I knew I was supposed to go to church, I knew Jesus good, devil bad. I knew. I knew a bit like that, but there was not this desire or passion to like read the Bible or tell anybody about it. In fact, it was quite opposite. Like I remember, I didn't want to tell anybody about it, but it's like you have this experience with the Lord. He comes in and he just takes all of that darkness and then it's like he spent you around and like now you can't shut up about it. You know, I look like yeah, you want to tell everybody about it because it's incredible, right.
Kellie: Yeah, and there's some there's one thing I want, really want to share to that. It was it was basically me giving. It was basically me going through this process of, you know, starting to read and everything and or listening. And I still had these doubts, you know, as far as like I was changed by still had this little bit of doubt and me and I remember praying one night. I was like God, please please show me your real giving something like that. I can like concrete. Just know for a fact that you're real. And I didn't really know the Bible, I didn't really know any verses. So this kind of like pot it was like is kind of like a slideshow, and this is the best way I can explain it was like a slideshow of of a scripture that popped in my head very slowly. It was effusions to for through nine, very specific, and I remember looking at up and it was probably like two in the morning. Okay, so if I can read Ephesians 2:4-9, and let me emphasize this again, I didn't know this verse at all. Okay, yeah, but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved, and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show that incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us and to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. And when I read that, I started shaking, I started crying. I tried to tell my husband it just the words weren't clean on my mouth fast enough that it was just like a real it was just like real, like yes, I'm alive, I'm real, this is real. Stop trying to find answers to give you the wrong answer. You know, I try something to prove this wrong. I'm sure, yeah, prove it wrong. And it was just like, okay, that's it, I'm I'm your like, no more questions. Jemese: Beautiful. I love it. It can be scary but, like, especially since the pandemic and all this stuff, I just feel like God like really got our attention and he use that time to pursue his children and to just to call his children deeper into himself, because we were already like stuck in the house, you know, like there was no better time for him to begin working on us. And I think a lot of people don't realize that. If you do, if you have those questions. God is the only one who's able to provide answers. Like we really don't have to go searching on, searching online are searching in error because, well, what you were saying reminded me of this verse James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding faults. He wants us to have wisdom of who he is in how to find him and what, What truly does the Gospel say? I think it's just a beautiful that, you know, the Lord led you to find a translation that made sense to you. You know, like the message version is a the great translation. That's a great translation to put things into just common language.
Kellie: Yeah, that's what I needed. I needed that common just. Yeah, the King James, like I just flew over my head. It was too much for me to process. I didn't understand it at all. My daughter's in the room right now. That's okay. Yeah, but yeah, just it was just like wow, I've never heard this before. This is the Bible, like, this is what it's actually saying. And it was so simple. The Gospel so simple, and that's why I try to tell people it's so simple. What would you tell someone who didn't know Jesus like?
Jemese: What would be the hope that you would want to relate to that person? That's the feeling that you're feeling right now, whether it be emptiness, pain, anger, any negative feeling that you feel is just dragging you down. There is one simple solution, and it's Jesus and knowing that he loves you and that he came here to die for your sins, because God wants you to be in a relationship with him, and the only way for us to be in a relationship with him is to trust in Jesus, that he gave his life for you and the gift of the Holy Spirit is what's going to transform you. It's going to it's going to make you feel that love, that piece, that kindness, all the fruits of the spirit. It is true, and nothing in this world has ever made me feel that way, and I tried everything, guys, everything is he's it. He's really it, and I just pray that anyone listening will maybe ask the questions that I was asking, try to find some truth for yourself, because you know that does help, but to actually get into the New Testament and and really see what it's about, and if you always look at the Bible, the whole Bible is about Jesus. What I like to say is that the whole Bible is the story of Jesus being sent to save us from the fall, from that curse, and that ultimately, he is he's real, he's real, and I I can say he is real as much as I'm talking to a microphone right now, and a year and a half ago I would not, I would not be be this way. I was constantly questioning, maybe like you, like what is this Jesus thing about? Why are these Jesus freaks Talking About The Gospel? Blah Blah, Blah Blah. No, it is real. Look in for yourself, it says in the Bible that if you seek him, if you truly seek him, he will make himself known to you, and so I just pray that for you, if you're listening and questioning like I was a year and a half ago, for that person who is one wanting to know about this relationship piece. How do I actually have a relationship with this Jesus? How do I actually have a relationship with God?
Jemese: How would you guide someone into forming that relationship, into taking one step towards God when they're questioning?
Kellie: Honestly, it can start by praying, but simply you don't have to be like religiously praying, just like in your quiet moments throughout the day, just hey, God, are you there? I want to know you, to say I want to know you. Help me realize that you're real and that you want a relationship with me. And if you think of it like like seeking a friendship, almost you know, like if you don't have a relationship with someone, it's hard to know them. That if you're trying to seek a relationship, you can do it in small ways, just like asking like hey, I want to know you reveal something in your truth, if it's a person, if it's a place, if it's if it's something that you're listening to. Those little things kind of build up to the bigger to the bigger picture. I think I'm just starting out small like that and just simple ways. Honestly, if you're a if you look to write, that might be another way, just kind of writing your process out, writing your thoughts, you're concerns, what you're hoping to find. Maybe a letter to him. It could be like something that simple that there's just so many ways, just depending on how you are as a person. You may be opening up to a friend, listening to a sermon. There's just so many things out there, just depending on what you have access to. But the biggest thing is the Bible, and I know is will turn that to. Number one is reading the Bible, reading the word, because it's the word of God and the truth is in it.
Jemese: Amen, thank you so much, Kellie. This has been such a fruitful conversation.
Kellie: Yes, I was so happy to be on the other side of the mic this time.
Jemese: Yes, it's fun, isn't yes,
Kellie: it's fun.
Jemese: I know that somebody is going to be just so blessed by what was shared. Your story is so incredible, it's so relatable and I just love it. We've got a couple few minutes here, but you know, there's such a power and sharing your testimony there's such a power and and I know for me personally, it's like when I was in my born again process. Yeah, I read my I read my Bible, but there was something so special about hearing another woman's testimony or hearing someone's story. You know, and I don't know, God will just God will use whatever is available to him to use for us, you know, like, like you said, whether it's writing, whether it's somebody's story, whatever, he will use whatever we specifically need to help give us that that wisdom and understanding.
Kellie: Yeah, and, and I forgot to mention that to I was listening to testimonies as well when I was searching for truth, and you know, I I would see these testimonies of people that just were so like, way worse off in life than I was, you know, as far as abuse and relationships and stuff, and I was like, how can they go from that to this? And it just kind of got the gears turning in my head and it is so important that testimonies are shared. That's what I'm doing, besides being, oh right, you know, a wife in a mom my passion is to share testimonies with other people, because a year and a half ago I was that person listening on the other end and it really really helped me. What a blessing, and now you get to give it back to others.
Jemese: Tell us how we can find out more about you and your podcast.
Kellie: Yeah, so the Tell Me Your Testimony Podcast is on Apple, it's on spotify, it's on all major podcasting platforms. I also have a website. It's www.tellmeyourestimony.com and that has all that episodes on it and information on how to be a guest on the podcast as well. @tellmeyouretstimonypod. But yeah, I make it very, very easy for people to come on, just like you, like just like you're doing, and I have to say that what you're doing is a blessing to so many people and it's ultimately for God's glory. You know it's it. It's to share the good news, but in real terms and real lives, to other people. That me not understand what the Bible is actually saying, but to see someone go from this to that has to catch your attention.
Jemese: If something that you heard today has spoken to your heart and you're ready to take one step towards Jesus, you're ready to accept him as your Lord and Savior, or maybe you just want to recommit. He makes it really simple. The Bible tells us that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised from from the dead, you'll be saved. You can pray this right along with me. Father, I thank you and I believe that Jesus is the son of God. Lord Jesus, I believe that you died for my sins, that you were raised of a third day, and I choose you today. Lord, I choose to accept you into my life. Please come and make all things new and, if you just said that prayer, welcome to the family. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode. What you do us a favor and share this out to your social media or maybe text it to a friend who you think could use the encouragement? That would really be such a great blessing. I can't wait to connect with you again on our next episode. We'll talk soon.