When I Met Jesus - Laura J. Davis

This is my first time to post at Canadian Writers Who are Christian and while I am familiar with most of the authors that post here, I realized as I set out to write something today, that you (the reader) and even some of my fellow authors, may not know a thing about me. So I thought that today I would begin by telling you a little about myself. We'll start with how I met my best friend - Jesus.

Many folks who acknowledge Christ as Saviour probably had someone lead them to him. Over the years, many tried to lead me to the feet of God, however my ears were too clogged and my heart too full of bitterness to hear them. It wasn't until a little book called The Omen came into my life, that I started to wonder what this "Jesus thing" was all about. 

The Omen, if you recall, was a book about the Antichrist. A movie was made about it in the '70's starring Gregory Peck. It was your basic horror book/movie. At that time in my life I was into horror movies, tarot cards and a few other things that kept me far away from God. Anyway, in the book the author had included scripture from The Book of Revelation in the Bible. I was so intrigued that Jesus was coming back again, that I read the entire book of Revelation one night. I went to bed shaking like a leaf! Jesus was coming back AND the world was going to end? That was too much for my 17 year old mind to take. I went to bed and immediately started dreaming. In the dream, I was standing alone underneath the glow of a streetlight. All around me was darkness. Then I heard a voice that said, "Laura, where are you going?" and I shouted back, "I'm going to hell." From there I went immediately to hell, a horrible place! A saw the river Hades, I felt the heat, the screams of lost souls and I woke up screaming and sweating.

Fortunately for me, Campus Crusade for Christ had just been to my high school and someone had given me a copy of the Four Spiritual Laws. I sprang from my bed and searched my room for the little booklet. I read the whole thing and then I read the entire gospel of John. It was after reading John that I realized what I had to do and I got down on my knees, confessed my sins, thanked Jesus for dying for me and invited him into my life. Around 5:00 am I went back to bed and I had another dream. I was dressed in white and I was coming out of a very dark place. I stepped into heaven and Jesus came and took my hand and said, "Now, everything is going to be alright."

The next time I am back, I will fill you in on what else happened. For now, I invite you to visit me at my website at http://www.laurajdavis.com where you can find out a little bit more about me and take a peek at my books Come to Me and Learning from the Master.



Until we meet again, have a blessed week!

My Writing Testimony - Payne

It was in the year 2000 that God called my husband and me to Orillia. We bought a home in a town where we had no family and no friends and started a new life.

It was the first time that I ever stayed home with my children full-time. I was used to working when they were young and then started my own business when my oldest started school. In Orillia, I was home all day, everyday.

Being a social person, I sought out other women and ended up attending a Women’s CARE Group at the Christian Reform Church. It was there that I gave my heart to Jesus and began my personal relationship with the Lord.

At home, I took to reading and studying Christian books. I enjoyed such classics as Hannah Whitall Smith’s The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, Josh McDowell’s More than a Carpenter, Catherine Marshall’s Something More and The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge.

By following the advice of Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way, I began to journal a minimum of three pages each morning. They were called, quite appropriately, “Morning Pages”. Through this process, I wrote about my fears, anxieties, observations and lessons learned as a new Christian. At first, my writing was between God and me. He revealed things to me that I never would have been open to receiving any other way. I remember the day when I was having a “discussion” with God about what my call in life was and He responded, “to write”. He told me to write to bring people closer to Him.

Since that day I try very hard not to miss a morning without writing my morning pages. I share my walk of faith with others through my weekly column, "Today’s Faith," in the Millbrook Times and Cornwall Seaway News. God has done so much for me in my life, writing a book – Fit for Faith, writing regular Christian articles, and writing this column are just some ways I can be obedient to His call in my life and bring others closer to Him.

Kimberley Payne
http://www.kimberleypayne.com/