1/16/13
I was blessed to have been raised in a church. I have always known Jesus and had a close relationship with him yet, there has always been one thing that kept me separate from him. From my junior year of high school to my junior year of college I struggled with underage drinking. Midway through September of my junior year, in the midst of this sin, I felt overwhelmingly convicted about it for the first time. This conviction was partnered with the knowledge that I was not at all living a glorifying life. At this point God completely took away my desire for alcohol so that there would be nothing left to keep me from him. It was at this point that I truly committed my entire life to Jesus for the first time. Christ is changing my life every day. When I gave up drinking I gave up the friends that went with that lifestyle. Since then God has blessed me with good Christian friends to grow with and to hold me accountable. Christ is also calling me to leadership within Salt Company. I feel the need to share my testimony with people who are struggling with the same sin I struggled with. Christ is also creating a new heart within me. I find myself being more compassionate towards others and I find more pleasure in serving others than I ever have before.
– Taya, Junior in Salt Company
I was baptized as a baby and I was a steady churchgoer for the majority of my life. When I got to high school I stopped going to church all together. I made excuses for myself because of sports and sleep. While I wasn’t going to church my mom went by herself the entire time. I couldn’t see it then but the lord was using her to teach me a lesson that I didn’t want to hear. My whole life I based myself worth on how successful I was at sports and how other people view me. I was trying to please the wrong person the whole time. I didn’t realize that until a year ago when I was brought to Veritas for the first time. I’m not sure if it was when I was signing or during worship that something felt right. Something pulled me in and had grabbed a hold of me. It was really awesome because I haven’t felt that in a really long time. It was at that point that I realized that without God I would never be truly happy and something would always feel missing. Since my salvation I have seen myself be more open with my faith not only to my friends but also my swimming teammates. I also find myself to be a happier person altogether. I really want to be baptized today because Jesus has really changed my life and so has God and I want to follow him in obedience for the rest of my life.
-Recently baptized student.
