What brought me to know the real God was actually someone I knew in high school.  Not peer pressure, but more on the positive side of peer influence, although she was a few years ahead of me. I went to a K-12 school with the elementary on one side of the builing and the high school on the other side. I was in 8th- 9th grade when this girl influenced me so much. This girl's name was/is Beth and she always said "hi" to me in the hall when we passed by eachother on our way to classes. I was very quiet during that part of my life, but seeing her smile and say hi to me always made my day, there was just something about her that I liked.

 I started going to a jr. high youth group with my best friend, Heidi, in 8th grade and when I got to 9th grade (high school youth group I didn't know that Beth also went to that youth group and I admired Beth even more (not in a wierd way), and when I would watch her sing the worship songs that we sang at youth group before the message started,  the joy on her face was just incredible and I wanted that joy SO badly. I was also kinda depressed at that time of my life, also, so that's another reason why i wanted that joy so much... yeah i COULD see it in her eyes as well... I'm going to have to post on the "Are the eyes the windows to the soul" post, also. :) 

Anyways,  It wasn't until I went to a summer camp with that same  youth group(which Heidi also came that year)  that I finally figured what it was Beth had that I wanted so much. So after a time of worship and the message on day at that camp, (I remember it was on a Wed and it was a week long camp)  they had an alter call and both Heidi and I went up (seconds between eachother)  to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. I knew that I knew that THAT was what gave Beth that joy she had. I remember the message well. The speaker was talking about the story of Daniel and the Lion's den and his bravery with throughout his entire life with God in his life.

OK, I don't want to "fluff things up" but this is really what happened to me... I remember after I had gone up to pray the prayer of forgivness and acceptance at the alter, I got up, still being led by the Spirit (the Sprit of God, The Holy Spirit, to those who don't know what I mean when I say The Spirit) and I found myself outside just looking at the surroundings and up at the trees feeling His love all around me and knowing just how much i am loved by Him, but yet I felt so small compared to the greatness of His Creation and God loved me just as much.  I did, I felt that joy that Beth had/and I'm sure she still does,  through His love shown to me and I was SO happy!

God gives us a choice, and I HAD that choice and I decided to take it with His gentle nudge asking me if I would accept His gift of Jesus for us and me. So I did.  We were all standing up praying, anyways, so all I had to do was just take that first step (which I did) and God's gentle, loving Spirit led me the rest of the way up to the alter. Of course, God knew I was afraid to get up in front of people, but all I had to do was just take that first step and He did the rest and I am SO happy that I did and that He did. I'm so happy that I took that step to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. God's Grace and Love through Jesus is Surely sufficent and effecient for me. How about you?  In His Unfailing Love   ~EpiphanyStar