My husband and I have been Christians all our lives, but we went through a stage in our lives where we
just wanted to party and have "Fun." We were having one party after another or attending someone 
else's parties until all hours of the night/morning. We were too tired to go to church on Sunday so we 
just stayed home and rested or we'd invite friends over for a cookout or dinner. We did not leave time 
to read the Scriptures and meditation. At night we were too tired to Pray before going to bed or we 
were too busy serving ourselves at the dinner table to give thanks for our food. When we did attend 
church I would not get involved in reading the Scripture or helping with classes. I thought someone 
else could do that better than I could. 

Before I realized it, a dark shadow overtook my life. Satan placed someone in my life who would cause
a lot of stress and turmoil. The person caused me such anguish that eventually I developed such a hatred
in my heart that weighed me down emotionally. I had Never hated anyone in my life before so this became
a very heavy burden for me to bear. I became extremely depressed. I wanted to cry all the time, I didn't 
want to see anyone, I just wanted to stay in the bedroom with the door closed and just lay there and cry.
I was Very Confused and I felt as if I were going crazy! 

One day as I sat in front of the TV (most of the time I kept it on for company not that I was interested in 
watching it), an advertisement for Charter Plains Hospital came on. It posted a question. "Are You 
Depressed?" It listed 10 symptoms of depression which I was very familiar with, but the one that really 
caught my attention was question #10. It asked, "Have Thoughts of Suicide crossed you mind?" This question
shocked me back into reality because the thought had crossed my mind. I thought if I take my life right now 
I will not suffer anymore. I thank God for the Christian upbringing my mother gave us and I recalled the 
words she told us one time, "God gives us life and only He has the right to take it!" I quickly called on God
to help me and He did. Had I listened to Satan and taken my own life, he would have rolled with laughter
because he would have known that I belonged to him for Eternity! 

Thank God that through the Christian guidance from a friend of mine I was guided back to reading the 
scriptures and praying. Not long after that a new priest came to our parish who introduced us to church 
retreats and guided us to reading God's Word to guide us in our daily lives. It was through the retreats that
God reached out and healed me. The hatred was removed from my heart and with time I was able to find
forgiveness towards the person who had caused me such anguish. The Lord let me know that by staying 
away from the things that are of God, I had left the door wide open for Satan to enter my life. In order for 
me to prevent Satan from entering my life again I would have to get more involved in the church, read the 
Bible, and Pray. There is a lot of work to be done for the Lord so I needed to be part of that. 

I wish I had the time to tell you what happened to me at a very special retreat on September, 1998. The Lord
reached out and touched me after I asked Him with all my heart to forgive me for all that I had done and all 
that I had failed to do, and to fill me with the Holy Spirit to guide me in His way. The Lord anointed me with 
the Holy Spirit and I totally gave my life to Him. I vowed to serve Him in any way He directs me. He has 
opened many doors for my husband and me to serve Him. I am a Happier person now....I can laugh again 
and enjoy life! Praise and Glory be to our Awesome and very Powerful God. With God All Things Are 
Possible! All we have to do is call out to our God and He is there to help us. Sometimes His miracles are 
immediate, but sometimes it takes time for the healing process and the whole miracle to be manifested. 

Thank you, and God Bless you! 
Saved by His Grace, 
Hope M.