Just adding my two cents about searching for "it" the answer to life...

I grew up not knowing God, but always believing there was a God, just wasnt' sure what Easter and Christmas were really all about.

I also read the "Don" books, tried the mushrooms and psychidelic drugs to "get to a spiritual experience." I also tried: Tarot cards, crystals, psychics, palm reading, meditation and probably just about every drug out there...as well as self-help books, seminars, etc.

The interesting thing about all of these things is that none of them worked. I even worked for the seminar place because I believed in it so much and had such a positive experience, however, it just seemed like it always came up short and relied on other people and they always were human, so at some point I got disappointed in them and myself because I always came up short too, could never keep up the "positive thinking".

One day I said to myself, hmm, I am now working for the company I thought had the "it" factor, tried the things in the books, tried the drugs, tried the cards, the crystals, etc. and ya know, none of it lasts. They all had a point to where they failed or I failed. I said to myself, you know there are people out there that are happy and I want to know how they do it, what do they have that I don't? At that point, I said to myself "I know the answer is out there, I'll know it when I see it."

Not long after I ended up getting involved in a multi-level marketing company and it was a disaster, but they talked about God a lot. I got used to it and started to think about God a lot. Then I had this old employer that I stole customers from and he wouldn't stop harassing me, I was planning his murder to get him off my back because he wouldn't stop calling me and writing me (his family too wrote me and called me). It was awful.

I met this guy at the ML company and told him my story and he said I needed to pray to Jesus and ask him to forgive me for stealing the customers and to help me with this situation. I had NO idea what I was doing, but nothing else would get rid of this guy, so I went home that night and did what he said. I never heard from this guy or his family again. THAT got my attention. Then I noticed I was feeling so empty and no direction and was a complete loss as to how to get my life together. 5 months later, I asked God to deliver me from drug addiction, the moment I asked for help it disappeared, I had tried EVERYTHING...AA, CA, NA, always went back to the drugs. Got invited to a Christmas Eve service at a non-denominational church, everyone there was so nice, I had never heard the story of Jesus before in my life. It seemed to make sense. I wanted to go back the next day so bad to get that peaceful feeling again, but they were serving the needy, so I went on 12/26. I really don't remember the message, but I turned to my ex-boyfriend and said "I have tried everything else and have nothing to lose" so I went down to the altar and did the sinners prayer. 5 days later I was delivered from cigarettes, 3 months later alcohol. That was Dec 1994/Mar 1995.

Since then I have story after story of how my life was turned around, how I met my husband, got the jobs that I have, the direction, the knowledge, the peace, the love, the list goes on (just like SoSick). Things I had been looking for, for years were now mine. I give it all I have, and He gives me all in return. I have never been disappointed in this decision, can't say that about the other things I tried.

My eyes were opened as soon as I asked the Lord into my life, Suddenly the Bible made sense to me. It was like a veil was lifted off of my eyes. I don't pretend that my life has been perfect, but I will say this, since I asked the Lord into my heart, my life has gone right. When there are wrongs, I go to the Word and I get it corrected. It does take work to live right, but you can get up every day knowing you are following the truth and knowing where you'll be at the end of your life and you can KNOW PEACE.

As I stated about a week ago, asking the God into your life is not a MENTAL decision, it's a HEART decision. You have to trust that the Lord will take care of you and will not give you or ask of you anything that will hurt you. It's faith in HIM. It's not blind faith, because if you read the Bible, REALLY read it and REALLY ask God to reveal himself to you, you won't be sorry and He will reveal Himself. He says to prove Him, but you gotta ask. He's always a gentleman, we have our free will and He respects that because He wants your love because you want to, not because you feel obligated. Once you read the Word, you cannot help but see His love for you. Read the book of John, the love chapter. Ask God to reveal himself to you.

Gabriella