I'm Karen and I'm honored that you would take the time to read my story. When I was 8 years old, the Baptist church I attended with my family had a "revival". I don't recall specifically what the preacher said but I believe that I understood that I was a sinner and that God's punishment for sin is death, but Jesus, God's son who lived a perfect life, took the wrath and the punishment for my sin by dying on the cross in my place which satisfied God's judgement. I accepted God's free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ and received forgiveness of my sins.
While I believe I was saved you wouldn't have known it by the way I lived– especially in college. It wasn't until I married my husband Gordon and we both desired to get back to church that God led us to a church in Seattle where we were actually discipled and began to grown in our faith through Bible study. This start of a foundation carried us through Gordon's 10 plus year struggle with alcoholism. In 2018 as he finally and wholly repented and changed, I was able to forgive and the Lord saved our marriage.
In 2020 we realized that we weren't where we wanted to be in our relationship with the Lord. If he's Lord, that means he's master and we are to take up our cross and follow Him. At that point we commited to deep Bible study together. The Bible says in Psalm 37 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." I'm truly amazed by his grace and mercy and how he changes us and changes the desires of our hearts.
God not only restored our marriage and has grown me in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but I also have hope that no matter what happens I have the sure promise of our savior that I have eternal life. Jesus Christ defeated sin, Satan and death at the cross and because of that I am freed from the penalty and power of sin. I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16a).
1 Peter 1:3-5
"Blessed be the God and Father or our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revaled in the last time."
The best is yet to come! If you are interested I would love to share more with you about Jesus Christ and the excellencies of him who called me out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9b).