Connie K.

My favorite verse is Philippians 4:13 I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.

My favorite quote is from my Pastor Denny Duron, who once told me, "If you are going through hell don't stop, and if you are catching hell, don't hold on to it."

"We are the only limitation of what God can do through us.

another verse-Psalm 35:17-19- The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.

The righteous face many troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every one.

I was an alcoholic and a severe drug addict, until the age of 33.  As I layed in my bed one night suffering from withdrawels and DT's, I was sweating blood, shaking, sick, and it felt as if someone was sticking lit cigarettes to my skin. I found out later that most alcoholics never survive to ever feel these affects.

I wasn't afraid of death, the misery in my life made me look forward to it. I knew I would not live through the night. I began to pray from the bottom of my heart. IT WAS NO LONGER A MATTER OF HOW I WANTED TO LIVE, BUT HOW I WANTED TO DIE. I was close to the Lord as a child and I knew I was forgiven and I prayed for salvation, I was ready to go home to Jesus.

I prayed from my spirit with such emotion, no vocabulary could communicate to God what I was praying. All of a sudden a language came from within me. I cried and prayed in that language until I fell asleep. I woke up completely healed of the alcoholic and drug withdrawels.

At first I was mad at God, because He didn't bring me home to Him, and I knew I could never return to the lifestyle I had live from ages 13 to 33. I knew I had to Live What I Believed.

I didn't always resist temptations, and I had many downfalls and climbs to the top just to fall again. But I never fell out of love with Jesus.

After a few more episodes of batteling with the flesh I went to Ministry School and became a minister. I worked with my parents at the Teen Challenge Center For Girls in N. Louisians, aka Grace Christian Home for Girls. I was i preacher and counselor.

A few years later my father died of cancer. My family changed, and the ministry he was used to build was pushing out all the values my father instilled in it. I became bitter. I began to harbor resentment, and I started to become everything I could not forgive in others.

My mother died of cancer shortly after and I fell into sins of the flesh once more. But not for long! He did it before and He will do it again.

I am now in the process of helping another minister in Shreveport, La. open a home for girls as my father once did. God has restored me to Himself, to ministry, to my children, to my ex-husband, and in the process of restoring my prosperity. He has healed my broken heart and is teaching me to use my pain for His glory to somehow reach out to others, as my father did before me.

I will be preaching again soon, and ministering once again to lost youth of our community.

Even Ministers fall, But the real sin is in the not getting back up.