Episode 2: From Self-Doubt to Confidence: How Sharing My Testimony Changed Everything

In this episode, Tasha shares her journey from childhood faith, navigating life's hardships, to finding Jesus as not only Savior but also her steadfast companion. You'll discover how God's presence is constant, even in the moments we feel forgotten or doubt His closeness, and how ordinary days can hold extraordinary miracles of His love. Tasha breaks down the real-life ways God guides us, protects us, and turns our struggles into testimonies of grace. This episode is for anyone feeling spiritually dry, overwhelmed by life's changes, or unsure if God's listening. You'll hear how faith isn't about perfection but persistent relationship, and how your testimony, no matter how simple, is a vital part of His grand story. Whether you're new to faith or have walked with Jesus for years, this story reminds us of all that God's transforming power is ongoing, real, and accessible right now. Don't miss this encouragement to step closer and let Jesus saturate your life with His love, hope, and friendship. Your story of transformation begins with trusting Him today.

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"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." - Revelation 12:11

Transcript

Tasha (00:05)

You're listening to the soaking ground, a podcast for spiritually dry and weary souls. Just as the rain soaks the earth, healing and recharging it, God wants to saturate the earth with testimony of salvation and life through Jesus, the source of living water.

Tasha (00:28)

My name is Tasha.

I used to think my testimony was not very exciting. And I came to know Jesus as my savior when I was a little kid. And I don't really remember what life was like before I met him, because I was so little. Even though I don't really remember a time when I asked him into my heart because I wasn't sure that I really had, even though I think I had. And so my mom was in my brother's room and talking to him about Jesus and what you had to do to ask him into your heart and I was sitting in the living room in front of the screen door Just kind of looking out and then like observing nature and all those things and I heard her conversation with him and I was like Well, I think I did that but I'm not 100 % sure so I'm going to do right now so I remember talking to Jesus there at the screen door and saying I want you to be in my heart and I want to have that relationship with you and so that's the time I remember, but I really think I knew him before then. And like he just always, like I've always felt him with me, even when things like sometimes, it seems like he's not there, but I know he's there. And he's always going before me and setting things up for me before I get there. Especially when I look back, then I can see that, even though sometimes in the moment it doesn't feel like it. And I've known him a long time, but of course I was a little kid and had to grow up. So there was all the growing up I had to do and all the things that come with learning about growing up and just temptations and different things that I still had to face and sins that I still did that I had to get forgiven for and still battles I had to fight, but he was always there with me and preparing me for those things and helping me through and protecting me, I'm so thankful that I had him in all those times and the things that he protected me from even though I went through hard struggles, he protected me from even harder things.

So there's definitely been like times where I really seek him and spend a lot of time with him and even meet with other people seeking him. And then I feel him really close and I hear his direction more when I'm in those times. And then there's been times where I've allowed myself to get distracted or listen to the enemy trying to draw me away. And so in those times, things were a lot harder, but in the end, I always end up turning back to him. And when things do get really hard I turn to him because he's always there and he's always listening even when no people are listening or when I don't feel comfortable talking to people I always feel comfortable talking to him because he knows me and he knows everything whether I tell him or not so I don't feel like I have to hide from him I can just tell him anything and he knows the inner part of me that I can't express to other people and so other people may not understand but He understands and he comforts me and listens to me and gives me the steps I need to get through any situations that come up. So for me he's not only my savior, being my saviors like where it started and is the most important thing, but he also has been my best friend through my whole life. So anytime people have let me down, he's been there and he's that faithful, steady friend through my whole life. And he still is the other things. He disciplines me when I make bad choices and corrects me when I'm wrong, but he's also my friend. And so that is one of the most important things, I think. 

When I was a kid, I remember going to church. A lot of our friends went to the same church. And so my parents' friends, we would hang out them and their kids. And like everybody was like mostly nice to each other. Like that's what I knew until I was like 10 was just mostly nice people who were nice to each other, at least that I perceived because I was a little kid. And my family, my grandparents, they all went to church. So I had that example of people who served in the church and loved God and I had that to see how that was like. And my parents served in the church. My dad was a deacon and my mom did a lot of different ministries  we would be there helping as well as kids or just tagging along And for my schooling, I was homeschooled some, but I also went to a private school for a few years. And so all of that was wrapped into everything we did. But then when I was 10, we moved. And so that was like a big life change that really changed the way I see the world because I kind of had this more sheltered, protected life and then when we moved we went to the public school and it was very different. So I got to see that part of life and experience it and people would like say they were a friend, but then they would be mean to you and make fun of you because you didn't know something that they knew that you really shouldn't know at that age anyways. And things like that that just really hurt my feelings. I feel like God made me a sensitive person. I'm an artist and musician and I think he just made me more sensitive to people and their feelings, and also my feelings are more sensitive. Like when people would say they were a friend but then turn around and make fun of you, it really hurt a lot. so moving was really hard because I had to make all new friends and then I didn't know who to trust because some of them weren't as nice as they seemed. And it was just really hard to make friends. And eventually I did make some good friends. there's some of the friends I made back then that I still am friends with today. But even then, a lot of times we were like in a group of friends and I still always kind of felt like it was on the edge. I always long to have like that very best friend that you could do everything with and you always have fun together. Of course, I know that's not true. You still would get in fights. But you know, I mean that really good friend that you just always had for a long time. And I kind of always wanted that but I never really felt like I had that I would have good friends and I would have friend groups they do a lot of things with and enjoyed their company but I still kind of always felt like the third wheel or something. But I think now at this point in my life I look back and I think, but God, He was always there for me. Jesus was always there for me and He's that best friend for me. I can always turn to Him and He's always there for me. Cause the people fail me.

I forgot to mention, when we first moved, we started going to a church. But then my dad had to work on weekends a lot and so he didn't get to go to church. And then for some reason we didn't really go as much anymore. We would go once in a while for special things, but. Not as much, but I really always loved going to church. of course I was a kid, so I couldn't bring myself to church. And it was kind of far, like 30 minutes away. So that was elementary school and moving. And then by the time I got to middle school, our middle school was in a different city And so when I went there, there was even more people I didn't know. And a lot of the ones I knew in elementary school, I wasn't as close to all of them, some of them still, but, so I made new friends too. Once I got to middle school, then I met people who went to that church that we went to when I was a kid they were part of the youth group in the middle school. so I started going, one of them lived near where I lived, so I would hitch a ride with her to youth group and go to youth group stuff. that was really cool. And sometimes I'd go to church too. But it was like just me who went, like nobody else in my family went at that time. And occasionally they would still come to church but not every week.

Youth group was really fun, of course they made it fun for us and learning also. We would do this mission trip where we'd go to Virginia Beach. We would learn skits and little puppet shows. And I love doing the puppets. But then when we were there, we would go out to the boardwalk area at the beach and we'd do puppet shows. we also were supposed to talk to people and share our testimony. So they would do these workshops where they'd prepare us to share our testimony. But I was always really scared to share my testimony and I would hear everyone else's testimony, and we're in middle school so it's not even been that long in our life, but people had these testimonies I'm like ⁓ mine is so boring nobody wants to hear my testimony. And I was really intimidated to talk to people and I would pre-think these people have all these things, and what am I gonna say to them.And so I was just afraid so I always not say anything because I was scared and just thought mine was not interesting nobody want to hear it. And that was my first experience with like testimony sharing then high school came and I continued to go to youth group we had a couple different pastors but we would still go mission trips but one of the pastors that we had in high school we would meet for regular youth group, on Wednesdays, and then on the weekends, he would have us meet like a leadership team. So if you wanted to be more serious, then you could come to the leadership team. he had these little notebooks made for us, and he taught us how to study the word and how to pray and use Jesus' prayer to show us the structure and how we should pray. every week we would have a chapter that we would read each day the same chapter and we would do Bible study on the chapter and then we would get together each week and talk about it and then also we would have small groups where lots of people came not just the leadership team but the leadership team we would be in each small group to help facilitate with an adult as well. it was a good opportunity. And I got to learn a lot about God and his word and learn how to study it on my own and just grow closer to him in that way. 

And then the summer between my junior year and senior year. I wasn't sure exactly what wanted to do, I thought I wanted to be an architect and historical preservationist. Because I always used to like to watch Bob Vila he would fix up all the old houses and I loved that. I was like, oh, I want to do this. I took lots of drafting courses and I was looking at colleges that had architecture but math was always something I struggled with and I also didn't think I was super creative in coming up with ideas related to houses so was afraid I would end up with a job that was not that exciting. That's what I was thinking I was gonna do, but I wasn't 100 % sure. And then we were going on this mission trip to Mexico. And before the mission trip, we went to Tennessee or something, and we had a retreat where they trained us for the mission trip. And one of the youth pastors from Mexico was there to help prepare us and tell us what things were going to be like and what we were going be doing. while we were there, I was talking to him and telling him my plans, know, my plans that I came up with. And he's well, is that what God wants you to do? And I was like, I never really thought to ask him. I just didn't know. cause my relationship with him, even though I know him since I was young, that relationship was growing with me growing as a person. So I didn't know everything when I was a kid, We have to learn as we go. And so I was like, okay, well I guess I need to ask him. at that point I just felt like I don't think architecture is the way to go. what does he want me to do? And I thought about maybe doing teaching because when I was a kid I always liked to play school. I'd drag all my books home on the weekend and my friend and I would like set up a whole school room and pretend to be teacher and student and take turns. but I wasn't really 100 % sure I did always like art growing up

I hadn't taken any art in high school, but I really like it. So I just felt like I was supposed to do art and I really want to go out of state, because I always like to experience new things and try different stuff. And then I wanted to go to private school. those were three requirements I was looking for. But back then there wasn't the internet like there is now. You couldn't just search up colleges and find the ones that have what you wanted. It wasn't that advanced yet. So you had to know somebody or I don't know how you found these things out. I had a friend that was in our youth group and her family's friends went to this college in Pennsylvania and it met all three requirements. when ⁓ their family was down visiting, they told me about it and then I ended up going to visit it. once I got there, I knew that was where I was supposed to go. And so I applied and I got in.Then I my senior year and I took finally took an art class in high school Since I decided I want to do art. I looked at some art schools, but I still wasn't a hundred percent sure Even though I thought it was art and so I wanted to go to school where they had other options Just in case I wanted to change my mind. I wouldn't have to totally switch schools.

And that was what I ended up doing, I thought I wanted to do graphic design photography, but that ended up changing. Once I got there, I was like, this is not for me graphic design. I still did photography, but then I switched to textiles and I didn't do the teaching because then I had to go to a different campus. the college part, I just studied art stuff.

The closer it got to going away out of state, at first, you know, I'm like, yes, this is what I want to do. And I think it's the right thing I'm supposed to do. But then the closer it came to leaving the state and going somewhere where I knew basically nobody, I would get nervous. I got this magazine called Brio Magazine for teenagers and they were doing this mission trip to Costa Rica. any of the readers could write in and apply to go on this mission trip. And so I was like, oh, this sounds fun. I applied to go on the mission trip and I got to go. this was a good practice for college because God showed me I was going to be okay through this mission trip.

It was again, I was going with all these people that I didn't know a single person and we went to Miami and trained and learned the skits and things we were gonna be doing. And then we went, it was a very big group of girls and we traveled to Costa Rica and we did our skits around and I had a really good group. It was a husband and wife were leaders of our group and she was an author and they were just a really good fit for our group. And our group was the only group that got to do an extra trip within the trip where we went to a more remote area. And so we really bonded a lot because we had that extra separate trip and God just showed me like I can make friends with people I don't know pretty easily. he just created me to be able to make friends with people. Even though I get nervous and shy, but really that's not who I am. I don't know why get that way. I think because of hurts when I was little, I get nervous about people, but I really love people. And I think too now that I'm older and look back, I think one reason I didn't have that one close friend is I was able to then be friends with a lot of different people. And so it makes me be able to reach a lot more people because I can communicate and make them feel welcome. And so I think that's actually a gift that I have. But if I had only ever been with one best friend, then I wouldn't be able to do that as well because I would be more closed off to other people. now I see it as a blessing, but when I was a kid, not so much. this trip. It just prepared me to know I'm going to be okay in this place where I don't know anybody I can do it. I've done it and now I can do it there. And so when I got to college, I was fine. I met new people and I had friends and it was a really good experience for me. To me college was one of my best experiences. it really formed a lot of things in me, both my relationship with God, but also things that I use daily for my teaching and my art practice and just living life. I know I was in the right place that he had for me because it was good. That doesn't mean I didn't have struggles while I was there and some choices I made that weren't so great that could have been better but overall it really was important part of my life one of the things I learned about college too is

You know, I moved to a new place so I had to find a church but at the college they have this big circular drive and every Sunday all the local churches would send buses and vans to come pick us up. you could figure out where you wanted to go and you could get on a van and go to church. And it was cool because I got to explore and see what different churches were like. Also some of my friends, I would go with them and see what their churches were like. and learn a lot about how people worship. I eventually did find one that I like really connected with. it was a really big church. So it was hard to get to know people there, but someone I knew went there and they had a small group. I would go and babysit the kids while they had small groups. I would do little lessons with the kids so that was another experience about college I liked is just getting to explore churches and have those different experiences. That was fun.

All this time, through growing up in college and even after college, there were times where I was really focused in and reading God's word every day, and you know, really being close to him. And then there were times where I would get distracted by friends or relationships or things with school that would pull me away. And then something hard would come up and then it would pull me back into Jesus because he was there. He was my friend and he was the one I always called on when I was stuck. But I know that he was there all the time and guiding me and he would just put people in my path that would say something to me like is that what God wants you to do? he would put those people in place and check me and make sure I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. But I still always had the choice to listen or not. So then once I graduated from college, I had to figure out what I was gonna do. And I was trying to live in Boston, but that didn't work out. Nothing was really working out, so I went home to visit my parents, and I never left. Well, for a while. And I thought I was gonna settle in that area, and I was substitute teaching and working at some churches, doing babysitting kind of things. And eventually, when I was substitute teaching I got a long-term sub position and I went into interview for that and I thought it was gonna be a real interview and that there was other people but I got there and they're just like well you're the only one who meets the requirements and doesn't have to move here's your classroom are you ready on Monday and I was like okay so it was like a two or three months and then eventually that person who I was subbing for didn't come back and they liked me so much they're like we want you to stay and become the teacher but I didn't have my teacher certificate because at my college I didn't get it because of how you had to do it I only had the art degree but they had where you could get an alternate certification so I had a temporary certification at first so that I could keep teaching but while I did that I had to take some classes and take some tests but everything was down to the wire I had to have it by this certain date and I only had one opportunity to do everything to fit within the timeline and it was nerve-racking because I couldn't mess up or I would lose this job that I really liked. But God helped me get through all of it. I went to take the one teacher's test that had math on it and I got there and I forgot how to solve for X because I hadn't done it in so long. But I was able to get like all the questions down to two answers and then guess and I guess I guessed right enough. and I didn't finish like all the reading because I read kind of slow and have to reread things. But my essay was amazing. I wish I had a copy of it because my dad and I had had this conversation on the way to the test. He drove me there and it was the perfect conversation for this essay prompt they had given us. God provided me the perfect thing to say for this essay. And I came out of the test though thinking I failed it. And I was like crying like I didn't do it. And it's my only opportunity or I'm going to lose this job. But then it turns out I passed it. I don't know how but I did. So he helped me with that and helped me keep that job and get all my certification stuff so I could be official. So I did that for a few years and lived in that area and then I ended up getting married and I moved back to where I was born

our moms were friends when we were little kids at our church. And so they met back up when we were in high school. And then from that point on, he always if he was in our area, he would come visit and then eventually like we both ended up liking each other and we liked each other at different times and then all of a sudden we liked each other at same time and so I had to move again moving is really hard. Moving to college wasn't as bad, I was scared, but I made friends. But moving as an adult is really hard. you don't have school anymore to like know people. You have work, but it's a little different. And church. So I had move again and leave all my friends and start over basically and I really struggled with that this time. it was really hard. There was many church services where I'm just like crying through all the worship songs because it was just so hard. even though I had my husband, I still felt really alone because I didn't have those other kinds of friendships everything was a big change. God always provides me jobs in weird ways. the second job I ever had, I got at my friend's wedding. And then that teaching job, I thought it was gonna be just a substitute, and then it turned into a real job. He always provides me these jobs in crazy ways. And so he provided me...

The only teaching job the second year I lived here where I live now. The first year had to, there was no art teaching job because I teach art. those jobs don't come available very often. And the first year I lived here, there were zero available. And I tried to get a job to be an assistant type person, but they had a hiring freeze right as I was supposed to have an interview so I didn't get to do that and I worked at the craft store for the first year and then the second year there was one job available and I applied for it and got an interview and they're like, we'll call you back in a week and let you know. Well, it had been a week and I didn't hear anything and we were going to New York to visit my grandparents. So we went up there and I had a cell phone, but I didn't turn it back on after we were on the plane because I didn't have friends. Nobody was calling me except my mom and I could talk to her on my grandma's phone. I never turned on my phone while we were there until like right before we were about to leave and I open my phone and there are all these messages finally that we want to hire you, can you come in and blah blah blah and do all the paperwork and I'm like, I'm in New York, I won't be back until Monday and then I can come in and they're like okay so I kind of started that year a little late but I got the job the one job and so I loved that job and I made a very bad decision in my journal I wrote “God, if you ever want me to leave this job, you're have to make me hate it, because I love it.” You should never write that. You should never say things like that to God because he made it come true and it was not fun. I had kind of forgot I wrote it, but then when I was in the time where I was hating my job, I found that journal entry and I was like, why did I do this to myself? it was bad. So you have to be careful, I used to pray for patience and people would say, oh, you don't want to do that. I'm like, well, I know it's going to be hard, but I really do want patience. So that I think is worth it, but. Asking to hate your job, that was not worth it. You should not do that. So I did that job for 10 years, and I made good friends there. that's really why I stayed so long as I made really good friends with other teachers and I really liked working with them.  And I did like the job, but it got harder and around the seventh year is when things really got hard by the end I was having to give myself pep talks in the morning. I would listen to worship music all the way to work and pray and read my Bible because I was so stressed out and then I would get to school and I would stand in the bathroom bawling and giving myself a pep talk that I could do this that day and I would get through the day but it wasn't a good day and I was just so frustrated. I wasn't even myself. I wasn't acting like myself. I wasn't talking like myself because I was so stressed and frustrated. that last year I was there, my evaluation didn't go good. I ended up being like sick on my evaluation day and I wanted to go home, but they wouldn't let me go home. And it ended up getting messed up. it wasn't the time and day I thought it was supposed to be. So I wasn't really prepared and the kids weren't acting right and I wasn't feeling good. So I was having a hard time managing it all. And I got a bad evaluation and I was really upset about that because I never had a bad evaluation. I had always had a good one, but it just was a bad day. And I was just really upset. Like I was ready to quit teaching altogether. And my principal, she knew what was going on. And she was pretty nice and supportive. It's just the whole thing was, it was more than that that was going on. And I think I was hating my job because I had wrote that and it was time for me to move somewhere else. And so there was bigger things at work.

And my other friends had always told me stories of when they taught high school. And so was kind of scared of high schoolers. I don’t know why I was scared of them, but I was scared of them. But there was an art magnet school. it's like, well, if I could work there at that high school, I would be OK. And so a position opened up. wasn't with the magnet kids, but it was there, which would open doors to eventually be with the magnet kids if those positions opened up. So I was like, well, I can do that. And I applied for that job. And I didn't get that one. And so I was like, OK, I've got to do something. I can't keep doing this. And then eventually another job opened up there. So I applied for that one, a photography job. when I applied for that one, then my principal texted me, she's like, you know, there's this other high school job open where they're trying to restart their art program. They didn't have art anymore. They had got rid of it and they wanted to bring it back. And so I'm like, yeah, I know, I saw that, but I don't really wanna do restarting a program. I've done that already and it was a lot of work and I don't really wanna start from nothing. And she's like, oh, but it's a good school, blah, blah, blah, because she had been to that school, so she knew what it was like. And I was like, I don't know. She's like, well, I'm at the principal's meeting. I'm going to talk to the principal, because they've been looking for a long time for someone. And they wanted someone who had experience to start the program, not just someone new who didn't really know what to do. I didn't really want her to, but she did. And then a little while later, I get this call from the school and they're like, hey, we want you to come for an interview. And I'm like, for the job I didn't apply for? And they're like, yeah, we heard that, you do really good program and we want to talk to you. And so I was like, okay, I'll come for an interview. what do I have to lose? I'll at least go for the interview. But the moment I went to that school for the interview, I knew, just like when I went to the college and I knew that was the place, I knew that was the place that I was supposed to be. And I still had an interview set for the other school. I was still kind of questioning, I don't know what to do. But in my heart, I knew that this school was where I was supposed to be.

So when I got back to my other school, it was the end of the year, so I'm having to pack up my room, but I'm like, don't know how to pack up, because if I quit teaching, I'm gonna pack one way. If I go to this other high school, I'm gonna pack one way. And if I go to this other school, I'm gonna pack a different way. I didn't know which of my things to pack and leave behind, and so just as I'm like pondering all this, my phone rings and the one school says they want to hire me. And I'm like, well, I still have this other interview. Can I at least go for the interview? And they're like, yeah, that's fine. So I went to the other interview But the other school then after the interview called back and said, no, we're not going to hire you. So then of course I told the other one, yes, I'll take the job. So I ended up going there and it was a good decision. I really liked being there. And I restarted the program, it's been a lot of work, but it's a really good fit. I needed the change and the high schoolers were not as scary as I thought they would be. The year I switched was the year that COVID came. So that spring when we were all shut down, even though that was a really hard year, like globally, I was so glad to be where I was. And that made it a lot better to be where I was supposed to be. Because of COVID and being more online with the teaching, I had a lot more time and that's when I really started to develop more my art. I obviously was an artist all along and I went to school for art, but I hadn't really been practicing focused art on my own. Like I would do stuff here and there and stuff with the kids, but I never really took my part seriously. But that time allowed me to start taking that more seriously and getting involved in the arts community where I live.

Which I think also being able to talk to a lot of people, getting more involved in the different communities with my music and my art gives me more reach to talk to more people and to pray for more people. Because praying for people has also always been important to me. I can remember even when I was a little kid praying for my relatives and praying for people I knew and I've always had people all along the way on my heart and on lists that I would pray for. So I think having the exposure to all of the people in my life, which is thousands of people, when you start adding up all the people I've had contact with, those are just people I'm able to pray for and somehow have an impact in their life. Whether I'm able to directly talk to them or not about Jesus, just trying to be an example and a light and even being able to pray for them. And I have seen changes in people's lives and I don't think it's just me praying for them. I think there's other things going on obviously in their life, but being able to see some of those changes, it's been really inspiring.

Ivet

Because you've been a Christian all your life, how does your relationship with flow out to the people around you? 

Tasha

Okay, Well, I don't really know how people perceive me because I only see what I see from my eyes, but I Mean some people told me I'm very welcoming to people In church so for a while we had women's Bible study in the mornings before church and just being able to connect with people that maybe others aren't easily able to connect with and making them feel welcome. I know people who've told me they felt welcome because I talked to them. So I think he just uses that part of my personality that he created where I can talk to people, that he uses that to help people feel welcome. even with my students, a parent one time, came and told me, whatever I said to her child, made her not nervous about coming to school because it was her first day coming to middle school whatever I said to her at the open house made her feel comfortable and welcome people have told me over the years things that I've done that I didn't even know I did that helped and that doesn't mean I always do things perfect because sometimes I say things and people take it the wrong way, but just being welcoming to people and caring about people and Trying to encourage them. I think I see the good in people even when it's hard to see sometimes. So trying to encourage them in those things. There have been times where I've been able to say directly things. Several times God's done weird little things. He shows us himself and even the weird little things that we think he doesn't care about. twice I've had a piece of jewelry go missing and he has helped me find it. in a pile of leaves and in a soccer field, places it would be very hard to find. And he has led me right to it and show me him through those little teeny things. And then I was able to do the same thing with a student once. she lost a piece of jewelry in my room, and I was able to talk to her about that and we ended up finding it one day when she just happened to be there. I was like, see, see, we found it. And so like, there's just been times here and there where I've been able to share and just be who I am. But there's also times where I get frustrated and I'm not a good witness. But Sometimes when I have those situations, I also try to apologize to the people and I think that makes a difference too not just letting it go and Having that discord but going back and saying I was wrong. I said or did the wrong thing will you forgive me and I think they see that and it changes their perspective, because not everybody does that I can't see myself from everybody else's point of view. This is just what I know based on things people have said to me. But I hope to be light and I know that I'm not always perfect and I make mistakes, but I try to, be a good example wherever I can be and be encouraging to people. And I think doing this testimony I've never really shared my testimony like this, cause I've always been nervous or thinking it's not good enough. And I think that's the enemy, always telling me yours is boring. It's not interesting. But I remember one time being in our small group and somebody said, every testimony is important because it's not us. It's not about us at all. It's about Jesus and what he did and every transformation is miraculous and important. It doesn't matter.

What you're coming from we're all coming from sin and sin is sin it doesn't matter what it is It's all the same. We're all in the sin We're all in the darkness and he saves us from that and brings us to life and light and we all go through that transformation when we accept him and So it doesn't matter where we're coming from. It's still darkness and it's still sin So it's still this miraculous transformation. that changed my perspective on it. And the testimony isn't about me. It's not about my life and the things it's about what God's done and what he's continuing to do and the way that he leads and goes before me and prepares the things that he has and even Starting this podcast about testimonies I've always loved testimonies even when it was hard for me to share my own I love hearing other people's testimonies and I love reading books about it and listening to them and every time we have a missionary come to church, I want to hear and be there. I make a point to make sure I get to hear that. Because it's so encouraging to me to hear what God's doing in all the different places and in people's lives, even before we started doing this podcast, he was preparing me, in ways I didn't know and having me read books that were talking about the importance of words and your testimony and sharing with people and listening to a lot of testimonies online from people. I was already doing all that and then you asked me to do the podcast and I was like yes I want to do it but then I'm like no but I'm gonna have to share my testimony which I've always been scared to do so now here I'm doing it even though I don't know why I'm so scared so yeah no matter what the story is it's a miracle and It's about him and what he's doing and what he's going to do. And really our testimony just keeps going because he's working with us and walking with us and preparing the way and doing amazing things all the time. Even in the everyday little things like finding an earring in a soccer field. He just sho us in so many ways. And some of them seem like bigger miracles, but they're really all miracles. Is there anything else you want to share about Jesus with our listeners? I just want to say Jesus, He is even sometimes before you ask for Him to be there, He is there, He knows you, and He wants to be your friend, and He wants to save you from sin and transform your life and just don't be afraid like to let him in and ask him to transform you and to be your best friend. You won't regret it, because he's always there. He knows your heart, even when you can't speak it. And he will comfort you, and he will be there. You can talk to him just like you talk to a person. I talk to him out loud all the time. Usually not in front of other people, but. He's just, you can talk to him and he will comfort you and he will be your best friend and he will always be there. He was there in the Bible times and he's here now and he's going to be there in the future and he's always the same. Even when we sin and make mistakes, if we ask his forgiveness, He gives us forgiveness and he transforms our lives over our whole lifetime. Not just when we get saved, but our whole life is a transformation growing closer and closer to him and It's just exciting to see what he does if you trust him and focus on him. And I just hope that you also let him in to be your friend and to be your savior and just see what he has in store for you because it's going to be great, even if it's sometimes hard.

Ivet

Will you pray for our listeners, especially those that don't know Jesus yet? 

Tasha

Yes, of course.

Papa God, I just thank you for this time that we can have to share the life that you have given us, and the testimony of your salvation that you came to this earth and died so that we could have this life, Lord. And I just thank you so much for that. I thank you that you are always the same, that you're never changing. So much in this life is change. And for a lot of us, change is really hard and comes with a lot of difficult situations that we have to navigate, Lord. But you are unchanging, and you have always been unchanging. You are there for us in those times and you can be our best friend and our God and our Father and you can heal us. And I just thank you for all the things that you are Lord. You are so much to us. And I just pray that those who don't know you, that they would find you Lord and that they would seek you and that they would cry out to you and that they would accept you as their Lord and Savior and that you would come in and be a friend to them, those who are lonely and feel like they don't have anybody to talk to, that you would be there and liste and comfort them and show them the things that you have for them, Lord, that they would take the steps they need to take and that you would show them the next step, Lord. Sometimes we have to take that first step and then you show us the next step. We don't always know before we take that step. So I pray Lord that they would not be afraid to take the step towards you and that you would just show them the glorious things that you have for them and that you would transform their lives, Lord, and that you would bring them hope, a hope that's never ending.

I pray Lord their lives would be a light in this world for your kingdom, And that you would be their friend even when they're struggling and when they think they're alone, but they would be able to talk to you and be comforted by you, Lord. I praise your holy name, and I thank you in Jesus name, amen.

Tasha (43:11)

Thank you for joining us today at The Soaking Ground.

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