I AM CHANGED

My Story--Published in Christ's Place Magazine (cpmag).
The cpmag is published once a year by Christ's Place. 
1111 Old Cheney Road, Lincoln, NE 68512. Copyright 2013


I was a broken girl and all I wanted was to feel loved. I chased after men, sex, smoking,
and excessive use of alcohol, trying anything to get attention and love. But it usually
just led me to a crumpled ball on my living room floor. The more I tried to fill myself with
all these things, the worse I felt. But I just kept doing it over and over. I believed I was
worthless and that the world would be better off without me in it. I honestly wanted to die.
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I'LL NEVER FORGET THE MOMENT
MY LIFE CHANGED.
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I’ll never forget the moment my life changed. I still remember what row and exact chair I
was sitting in. My best friend Kendra made me go to Christ’s Place on a Saturday night
in January of 2012. Quite honestly, it was the last place I wanted to be.

When Pastor Rick asked those who wanted to get right with God to raise their hands, I
didn’t just raise mine; I ran up to the front, desperate for something different in my life. I
discovered Jesus was the only answer. I gave my heart to Christ that night and, with it, I
surrendered control of my life. I was baptized the following weekend.

While I was in the water and my video testimony played, Pastor Bruce told me, “You
are part of a new story Jes. The old is gone and you are new.” These words are forever
engrained in my soul. The idea that I could actually be free from my past still brings me
to tears. When I went in the water I let go of my past and came up feeling new. Pastor
Bruce was right.
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"THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN 
CHRIST THEY ARE A NEW CREATION,
THE OLD IS GONE THE NEW IS HERE."
                                          2 Corinthians 5:17
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I got involved at Christ’s Place right away by joining the worship choir and was instantly
overwhelmed by the way the other choir members loved me and spoke life into me. I
began to see myself as a person who could do anything!

I also joined the Starting Point Connect Group. Being in a room with other people
and talking about life and God made me comfortable for the first time. When I shared
my story, out loud, from beginning to end, something changed in me. Pastor Nathan
was one of the first people to really touch my heart. He really cared. And he made me
promise I would never date again unless he met and talked with the guy first. Such a
simple statement made me feel like I mattered.
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WHEN I SHARED MY STORY, OUT
LOUD, FROM BEGINNING TO END,
SOMETHING CHANGED IN ME.
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A few months later God started even deeper work in my life. Through the Scars sermon
series, messages Pastor Mike shared in choir, and getting involved in Stephen Ministry
training, God showed me I needed to re-visit my past and allow Him to heal me.

Early on in Stephen Ministry training, at the same time as the Scars series, we had a
class about people not opening up and putting on a “fake face” to appear to be OK. We
were all supposed to share a time we did that. I bawled and admitted I was doing it in
that very moment. I opened up about my lack of self worth and everyone prayed for me.
Throughout the rest of the training I was able to identify and target areas in life that I still
needed to heal and work through. The training served a dual purpose for me. I learned
to care for others, but I also had no idea it was going to heal me the way it did.

I shared my story on video for the Scars series last spring.
(click here for the link to the video and click here for the link to the Scars Sermon Series)
Just like sharing my story inStarting Point this helped me overcome my past.
As Rick said during the series, “Exposeit to dispose it.”
I began to see how it impacted others and started to develop a deep
desire to continue reaching out to people. That is when I started living my faith openly,
and writing a blog, telling my story of how Christ freed me from my past.

Being involved in church and around good people who fed life into me helped me see
my true self-worth and see myself as God sees me. I know that I matter now, and what
other people have said about me in my past doesn’t define me. What Christ says about
me is what matters - He says I can do ALL things through Him that gives me strength.
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BEING INVOLVED IN CHURCH AND AROUND
GOOD PEOPLE WHO FED LIFE INTO ME 
HELPED ME SEE MY TRUE SELF-WORTH
AND SEE MYSELF AS GOD SEES ME. 
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God not only saved me from myself and where my life was headed, but he taught me He
could use my experience to impact others. In this last year, I started volunteering with
Guest Services as a greeter, in Rock Solid as a youth sponsor, was commissioned as a

Stephen Minister Commissioning

Stephen Minister, continued in Worship Choir and began leading a Connect Group. In all
the areas of ministry I became involved in, it became less about serving and more about
helping others experience the love of Christ and the life change that happens in following
Him.

Before that moment my life changed in January last year, I had my own ideas for my
life, my own plans, but God had bigger and better plans. And, through this past year of
leading and growing in my relationship with Christ, God has put many people who I’ve
had the opportunity to lead to Christ.
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I HAD MY OWN IDEAS FOR MY LIFE, MY 
OWN PLANS, BUT GOD HAD BIGGER AND
BETTER PLANS.
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Tori's Baptism

Just recently two friends of mine were baptized at Christ’s Place and I was blessed to
be a part of their day with wet, tearful hugs as they came out of the water. Seeing first
hand the domino effect of invites that led to each of their salvations and life change, is
something that will never get old.


God continues to guide and direct me and I’m trusting His plans for my life. I am in the

Jen's Baptism

process of selling my furniture, giving up the comfort of my own space, setting aside
career plans for my life and moving in with Kendra to live on her couch. She is taking me
in so that I can follow God’s call to attend CPLC next fall in the Church Leadership Track. (click here for more information on CPLC)

I don’t know what the end of my story will be. It may just be beginning all over again. I
do know one thing: whatever it is, I will follow and trust Him for he has proved His way is better than mine.

Wherever He leads, I will follow.

The girl who came kicking and screaming, who wanted nothing to do with God, is now
devoting her life to serve Him. I wouldn’t have it any other way, for it is through Christ
that I am changed.