I was raised in a Christian home. My family went to church every Sunday, so I had a background in Christ since birth, but when I reached my early teenage years my grandparents who raised me both died. I then lived with an aunt and her children. They were fairly religious, but did not have a stable church home, neither was there stable worship at home. While still believing in God, I was a good child never getting into much trouble but the foundation for my Christian future was dwindling. Because I had no Christian leadership at this time in my life, I became involved more with caring about worldly things; friends, television, music, wanting to drive, wanting to get a job, shopping, etc... I finished high school, still what I would call a good child, giving little trouble, but my Christian roots were not there. While I was in school, I discovered the work force, landing a job at a local grocery store, soon to move on to a well known home improvement store. During that time, I started going to church again but still I didn't have those Christian roots and I think that I went more to please other people and socialize with a few acquaintances I had met there. I was talked into worldly pleasures and alcohol by friends, and also started smoking when I found a pack of cigarettes belonging to one of my friends in my car. Shortly after that, something happened that left an empty place in my life. I tried to fill it with more worldly pursuits and alcohol. The demon of smoking had latched on way before. I did manage to quit drinking soon after. I married a man shortly after. This man was not a Christian, and drank regularly for the almost 13 years we were married. Because I did not have a partner who was convicted in Christ what little conviction I was raised with was practically gone. I never quit believing, and always sent my children to church when I could, but I never went myself or had any religion in my life. Satan had convinced me that I had sinned so much in my life that there was no use giving God a second thought because I was so bad he would never forgive me. I was hellhound in my mind and that was that. I was not worthy of God's forgiveness. I should just enjoy life here and hope for the best for my life after. Keeping up in my sin, I stayed in that marriage until I could take it no longer. I am now remarried, and I know that God has forgiven me for all my sins. My husband has put God back into my life. Without him, I would still be lost and walking down the worldly and wide path that most of the world takes; not down the straight and narrow one that leads to Heaven. I know that God didn't want me to stay in the ungodly way I was living, and I know that he did not want me to stay in the abuse that I was living. Now, I know the truth and before I didn't. I was blinded. Since I have left that home, I asked God in Jesus's name to help me rid myself of the demon of cigarettes. He has taken away that craving and I haven't smoked one cigarette and I am now free. That is something that I spent 13 years trying to do. That is a miracle in itself. I had a dream not long after I quit smoking. I was walking down a road. I saw a man that was laying on the road bleeding and near death. There were other people there with him, and they were trying to call for help. I remember saying that by the time they get help the man would surely die because it was taking so long. Then a big black and powerful bear came and took me by the hand. I remember that I didn't want to go because I was worried about the man and I wanted to see if he lived, but the bear took me anyway and led me down the road away. The bear never said anything to me that I recollect, but I remember thinking that it was my best friend and that I had never felt so much love as I did with it. Now that I think about it, I know that the bear was God, and that the man was death. God came to me and led me down the path away from death. He made me feel safe and loved, and let me know that if I stay with him everything will be OK and I will not find death. I have seen many miracles in my life, however, the most powerful one was a personal experience. My daughter, (the youngest), was hit by a car. The doctors said she wouldn't live, however, by the grace of God and many prayers, she left the hospital 3 months later running out and without even a scar. God is great and powerful and is the answer to all you need.