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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: MOUNTAIN (07/02/20)
The Mountains I Have Climbed

Over the course of my 62 years on this earth, I have experienced many things. My life has included a vast number of valleys and some significant mountains that I have climbed. Along the way, I have gained the knowledge and truth of who I am, and the biggest mountain I conquered was one of surrendering to God. By realizing my need for Jesus, I came out of the valley of shadows that loomed over me until I met Jesus. Jesus became the Expedition Guide as He helped me conquer the tests and trials which represented some difficult mountains I had to climb over the timeline of my life. Much of my insecurity came as a child because my dad was an alcoholic and I worried about my parents and their relationship. Looking back the first few mountains, represented novice climbs and treks, and ones where I felt surprisingly good when they were over. In 1973, the first of the difficult mountains came. On June 3rd, 1973, my dad died in my arms from a massive heart attack. His last words he spoke were, “Tell everyone I love them, and I’ll see them when they get to Heaven.” Now mind you, I was only 15 years old at the time, and yet God used this mountain to help build my strength and character because He knew more mountains were coming. After my dad had passed, I retreated and kept a lot to myself. Within six months of my dad’s passing, my mom got remarried, which sent me on another climb, teenage drinking. This went on for the next 18 months, until one of my best friend’s mom started talking to me about Jesus and salvation. She took me on drives, and we went for many walks. Finally, on September 17, 1974, I prayed the prayer of salvation and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. As a new creature in Christ, I foolishly believed that I would never have to climb another steep, personal mountain, because now I had Jesus in my heart, and the security and protection from the Lord. Aw… youth. God used the experience of losing my dad as a teenager to mold, shape and build the character of what He wanted me to grow to become…a woman of faith, a humble servant for Jesus, someone with compassion and empathy, a giver, a helper to my fellow man, and someone who would stand bold for Jesus Christ and His holy Word. From 1973 to 2020, I have sung at 183 funerals, watched my parents and six siblings leave earth for heaven, survived breast cancer twice, recorded 2 solo CD albums, written 49 original songs, have spoken to several groups about breast cancer, and recently became a grandma. My only point in telling you about these few timeline events of my life is this, with each mountain I had to climb over the course of the last 47 years, Jesus has continued to be my faithful guide. God alone deserves all the glory, honor, and praise for everything He has done in my life to help me be ready for eternity. When I finally learned to turn everything over to the Lord, and prayed to stay out of His way, that is when I truly found the peace that surpasses all understanding. Psalm 121: 1-2 reads, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” I clung to these Bible verses when my dad died. Jesus chose to not give up on me from the time of that tragic night of my youth until I crept from the valley of my sin and chose Him to be my mountain guide. He has helped me to pack His truth, sovereign will, grace, tender mercies, and unfailing love each time I climb another mountain. With Jesus as my faithful guide, I will never be lost along the way. I pray that the world will turn back to the one who can guide us through the mountains we are currently climbing. If we make the choice to attach ourselves to the safety net of His hands, our hope will never unravel, and He will help us conquer the enemy and be victorious when we reach every peak until the last one, before He returns to bring us home.
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This article has been read 397 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Nancy Sullivan 
07/09/20
What a powerful testimony. So many mountains, and you've survived each and every climb as a beloved child of God. Thank you for sharing. Keep writing. God is blessing you and through you.
Holly Short
07/10/20
You wrote a powerful testimony! Your perseverance and strength in Christ came through. Separating your next writing into paragraphs will help with ease of reading and flow. Thank you for sharing!
Sue Botte 
07/10/20
A testimony of faith, belief and trust. thank you, (remember the paragraphs).
Barbara Culler 
07/10/20
Great testimony! It would have been easier to read had you broken up the paragraphs so there are spaces visible. Sounds like you've had quite the adventurous life!
Linda Lawrence 
07/10/20
So many ways to tell our story! You did a great job with the mountain topic. I encourage you to tell this same story with other themes as opportunity arises. We learn so much from waiting on God for the big picture. I suggest breaking this piece into paragraphs. You'll be surprised how much that will help you see how your story's progression can be organized. Your story is worth telling, so time spent telling it well is time well spent.
Kristine Baker
07/12/20
God has truly been your guide throughout your life and the many mountains you had to climb. As others have already noted, breaking your writing into paragraphs makes reading the entry a little easier. Overall, nicely shared.
Tana Craig
07/12/20
What a challenging life you have had; lots of mountains overcome. For me, I would take just one of them and let your characters tell the story. For example, your father's drinking, followed by his death. As much as you hated his drinking, you became an alcoholic yourself, at a young age. How did that happen? What is your most embarrassing memory of your addiction? How did you get sober? God, at conversion? a 12 step program? You made me curious. God has given you many gifts. He has given you back the years Satan stole. You have many stories to tell. I look forward to reading them
Marilyn (Marolyn) Tocker 
07/13/20
I too believed that once receiving Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I would not have any more steep mountains to climb.
Not true. I believe that came from the Prosperity teaching taught in the group I belonged to.
Thank you for mentioning that.