Hey guys! My name is Dakota Barber. I'm 23 years old, a senior at Jacksonville State University majoring in English. I love movies, anime, tennis, and most importantly, God. This is going to be a really long post, but I wanted to share something pretty cool with you guys that happened over the course of last semester and has made a great impact on my life. But first, context on some background

Growing up, I always went to church. My parents were and continue to be great Christian examples, and as such they made sure I went to church. When I was younger, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, but I didn't quite understand what that meant exactly. As I got older, I understood what that really meant and was glad I made that decision especially after the story that I'm about to share.

But years later, something that could've been very bad happened. I was getting on a Ferris Wheel with someone, and I was so excited, man. I couldn't wait to ride that Ferris Wheel! As I was waiting, the operator behind the Ferris Wheel lifted his foot off the safety panel, sending me flying in the air. Before I knew it, I was on the ground with my head split wide open. I wake up hours later in the hospital, alive. I told my parents that while I was unconscious, the devil tried reaching for me. Satan wanted me, but then God intervened and told Satan he couldn't have me because I belonged to God and God had big plans for me. God saved my life that day, and for a reason too. All through high school and for the majority of college, I always remembered that story and always believed in God and put Him as Lord. But, I didn't really find a need to want to really spend time with fellow believers in a small group setting or anything like that. I felt that if I did good works and tried doing things on my own, I'd be fine. I was also afraid to talk about God with certain people and was worried about what they'd think about me should I talk about God around them.

Boy, did that not go how I thought. It's MUCH easier to fall into temptation and sin without focusing your eyes on God and spending time with fellow believers. In the Fall of 2018, a really good friend of mine named Andrew Brumbeloe invited me to Engage. For those who may not know, Engage is a really cool place on campus at JSU where we gather together for worship and then a message is preached by Jesse Stewart, the college pastor at Engage. The first time I went, I really enjoyed it. However, I found the devil telling me I didn't belong there, people didn't want me there, and other typical lies the enemy loves to tell us. So, for several weeks, I made up excuses to not go back. And then God told me one night to go back..

And I haven't regretted it ever since I went back. But what really hit home was when Jesse was doing this series called No Hard Feelings. The gist of the series was worshiping God through the difficult emotions we have in our life. And this one message Jesse talked about how we as human beings tend to want to control situations that are beyond our control. And boy did I feel God talking to me about being worried about what people would think if I talked to them about God. I could feel God telling me to not worry about what others would think and I have no reason to be ashamed of Him. And you know what? Jesus was right. As a Christian, I have NO reason to feel ashamed of God. Following the message, I got in contact with Jesse to get baptized as a re dedication of my life to Jesus.

My life has radically changed ever since that baptism night. I'm no longer ashamed of Jesus. I'm happy to go to Engage and worship the Lord with others. I love hearing His word and having encounters with God and seeing others encounter Him too. I love the small group I'm apart of. I love each and every single one of those guys and I'm so thankful God opened a door for me to meet them and grow close to them and grow closer to God with them as well. I love being open and vulnerable so we can all share what's going on in our spiritual life so we can all encourage one another with the Word.

Without accepting Andrew's invitation to Engage, who knows if I'd ever truly come back home to God and start a true relationship with Him. All I know is, God will make a miraculous change inside of you if you just open the door when He knocks. I finally did, and it's the best choice I've made in my entire life. I love my family, friends, and my Lord.

Just remember, if you're ever having any doubts about life, you're struggling with something, or whatever you may be facing.. No problem is too big for God. He will never leave you or forsake you.