In response to my last post........

Thanks everyone for your very nice comments :).
Emily, I wonder that too sometimes.
However, I don't ever want to promote my past as like "This is the way to REALLY fall in love with Jesus and know the true power of His mercy and grace..do what I did" I don't ever want it to seem like I wear my past as some sort of badge of honor.
It was a LONG, HARD road back. I don't recommend it! :)
Of coarse the ultimate goal is to walk with Him and stay the coarse all the days of one's life.
But, God knew what I was gonna do and go through LONG before any one else did and so He already had a plan in place. A plan of redemption, a plan of restoration, and He also planned to use everything I went though and lived.. for His glory in the end. He knew I was His.
That is the awesome part.
He had it all mapped out long before I ever knew I would need it.
So, of coarse I believe people can be just as deeply in love with the Lord and know the power of His grace without having to have a "story" or a "past". But, He surely has used everything I went through to deepen me and to grow me and to establish me.
I think before I went through all that I did years ago, I loved the Lord and His presence and had experienced His power but didn't walk with Him one on one intimately, personally. I prayed everyday and all that, but I was still finding my needs met through others, and a lot of my experience with the Lord was also through others. So, He used me hitting rock bottom and being incredibly alone to begin a very personal relationship with Him. So, I am thankful for the gifts I have been given through the dark seasons of my life.
:)