On November 15th, 1997, my story began.

Now you might start to think that I must have some crazy, outstanding story and in some way it is, but mostly it's pretty average. My whole life I have lived with my parents and they have raised me the best that they could. So, therefore, this is more of their story than mine.

I grew up in a family of four and one thing that was the most prominent was God. My parents taught me right from wrong but mostly raised me around God and how my life was his and not really mine. This really took root when I was about eight years old. That summer I had gone to VBS and on that last night I asked my parents how to get saved because I wanted Jesus in my heart. From then on I had the average life of any kid, school, play dates with friends, church weekly and spending time with family.

It wasn't until freshman year that things really started to change for me, not only was a starting high school I had a wake-up call from God. My parents had noticed that I and my brother had gotten to the point we didn't want to go to church anymore, for the simple reason we were the only youth in the church. My parents made the decision to move churches so my brother and I could be around other youth and grow in our relationship with God. I enjoyed the new church, I had more people my age to get to know but for me, that was hard because I was so shy. After my first big trip with the youth to camp, I had started making friends and started getting out of my shell. I got more and more involved in the youth the longer I was there are I really started to get to know God better.

Now it is my junior year and I am almost a totally different person, I was doing more for God and it was then I finally came out of my shell. New Year's eve of 2015 was amazing, scary, and the greatest thing I think I have ever done, I rededicated my life to God. I had always stayed in church but it was my heart that had changed, that night as the speaker was talking, I could feel God's presence and knew this message was for me. After he was finished speaking they had an invitation out and I had gotten this overwhelming feeling of God speaking to me to go and live my life for him and I really wanted to stand up but it was like I was glued down to my seat and wasn't able to move. Finally, I stood up and felt so much relief and I knew I wasn't alone in this because when I looked to my right I saw my best friend standing next to me giving her life back to God too. That night my crazy journey began.

God opened so many doors for me and the following summer I went out on the streets of Chicago and shared the gospel with total strangers. I had started teaching some to my peers as well as starting my own Bible Study. I started sharing my faith more and more to others and have grown much more than I ever thought I would. I still to this day have my struggles but since I have God in my heart I have been able to do so much more for his glory.

Now I am finishing up school and still giving God glory by singing for him at church. I know My life seems average but to me having God in it has made it a crazy joyous ride I know will never end. As I have always heard, the best is yet to come