Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Stories of Faith ::: Bobby Minor


This post is from my buddy Bobby Minor. Thanks for your story Bobby. I know this will be real talk for a lot of people.
I know this one is longer but please read it all...such a powerful story of Grace and Mercy.

"I am 42-years old and have live my entire life in Fort Worth. My life started out pretty much in Leave it to Beaver fashion. Me, my mom and dad, sister and brother lived in a two-story house on a tree-lined street near TCU in South Fort Worth. Life was good. That is until I was six-years old and found out one day when I came home from school that my dad no longer lived with us but one of his buddies from work did. He would become my mother's second husband. I also found out later that even at this time my mother was already selling drugs and had been arrested in a big drug sting that was written about in the FW Star-Telegram. We would soon be lose the house to foreclosure and would be forced to move to a place we could afford, right in the middle of the hood. Here's a summary of the next six years or so...mom arrested again for selling drugs, being evicted and having everything we own thrown out on the curb and coming home and seeing everything after it had been picked through, having our utilities cut off numerous times, going without food, our house was like a commune with hitchhikers being invited to stay at our house as long as they would like. I remember a time watching cartoons in the living room with a group of my mom's friends and while they are getting high someone passed the joint to me. I just passed it to the person sitting next to me and when they realized what they had done they all just started laughing. I was 11 years old at the time. Another that stands out around this time is not having any gas or water for two months and running a water hose from our next door neighbors backyard to our backyard where we would bathe in our swimsuits. There's a lot more but for the sake of time I'll save it for later. Here are bullets that can summarize my life up to now:
Ultimately my mother would marry and divorce four times before passing away at the age of 48 (14 years ago) after years of drug and alcohol abuse...
I came home from school in the 6th grade to be greeted by my mother's third husband (still a family friend to this day) who told me that she had moved out of state with the man that would later become her fourth husband...
I started running the streets, selling drugs, hustling and having sex frequently by the age of 13....
Had a felony arrest on my record by the age of 19...
Would be arrested twice more over the next couple of years...
Committed many felonies that I never got caught doing....
Always had some sort of hustle going on...
Got married at the age of 24 and had my first son later that year...
Still continued selling and using drugs, keeping it from my wife. All she knew was that I always had a lot of extra money...
Committed adultery numerous time throughout our 12 year (10 years together, 2 separated) marriage...
Up to this point in my life I had always made it about me. On the surface I seemed like a nice guy but I can look back and see all of the lives I destroyed along the way...
The ironic thing is that while I lived a lifestyle that was a complete 180* from that of a Christ-follower if you would have asked me if I thought I was going to heaven I would have said yes and actually believed it. I wasn't that bad of a person, besides, I never robbed a bank or killed anyone...
I pretty much lived my life for today and if anything good was happening in my life I didn't think it would last and it didn't, usually through self-sabotage...
I figured if I didn't let myself get close to anybody I couldn't get hurt (like I was hurt by my mother)...
While I was separated from my wife I ran into a childhood friend that had been a partner in crime on many occasions that wanted to share with me his newfound joy and peace...
I avoided him at all costs because I thought I had it all figured out and didn't need what he had "found"...
He tried to minister to me for two full years without giving up...
Finally, on September 11th, 2001 something happened that would change all of our lives....
As I saw mothers, children, wives, crying wondering if they would ever see their loved one again it made me think of all the people that also thought "they had it all figured out" that got up that Tuesday like it was any other day and got dressed for work, only never to return...
It made me think that maybe I didn't know everything that I thought I did, that I didn't have it all figured out, that it wasn't all about me...
I called my friend and asked him what time church started that Sunday and on September 16th 2001 I walked through the doors of Waves of Faith for the first time...
I was blown away by everything, the presence of God, the people, the music, everything...
I didn't change right way though, for several months I had one foot in and one foot out...
I would go to the club on Saturday night and be in church on Sunday morning (with a stamp on my hand)...
Got tired of playing the church game and on April 15th 2002 I pulled my car over in downtown Fort Worth and made a commitment to put God in the drivers seat and stop playing games...
Got baptized in July of 2002..."

More to come...stay tuned...
Blessings!
ZS

Stories of Faith ::: Scott Finch


Thanks for your heart Scott...your story is always a great reminder to me of the need for us all the work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

"I once stumbled into the basement of a church that had been set apart for their college ministry, and an amazing teacher told me about a time when Jesus healed 10 lepers, and one of the 10 came back and thanked him for healing him. I had wrestled with salvation and what that meant for a long time, but this was the first time I realized salvation was an amazing gift, and demands a life time of thanking God for healing and restoration in our lives. From that point on, I knew I had to stop questioning how God could forgive such a sinner, and get on with doing good in his name. I pray daily that he would give me an opportunity to make a difference, in my neighbor's life, or in the lives of people in need. Jesus is amazing, how will you respond?"

More to come...stay tuned...

Blessings!
ZS

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Stories of Faith ::: Erik Blakeslee


Another incredible story of faith...because of His Grace:

"Here ya go, man:

On July 7th, 1991, I quit drinking. The days prior I experienced numerous close calls with death. It is by the Grace of God that I am alive today! I've been blessed with an incredible family, great friends, an awesome job, an education, and a personal relationship with Jesus.

Before being saved days were shrouded in darkness without interlude. My life was in shambles. I'd flunked out of college, divorced, burned the proverbial bridges with family, and neared skid row. One step further surely would have brought insanity or death! ... Read More

However, God intervened. He picked me up, placed me in the care of people that truly wanted to help, and forgave me. From the jaws of death I emerged, victorious, by nothing other than the power of His divine intervention. Today he has placed a calling on my heart which I strive to perform. It's a great challenge. But, as they say in AA, "But for the Grace of God, there I go!"

More to come...stay tuned...
Blessings!
ZS

Stories of Faith ::: Susan Snow


Here's the first story I received:

"I was a "regular kid", but wondered what this "Jesus", "saved", "Heaven" was about. I was scared that I was going to miss it. I think it was the summer before 4th grade.....my best friend and I were attending VBS. I kept hearing stories from the Bible and they all were about Jesus, Heaven, and being saved. I remember wondering how I could make sure that I had all of those things. While finishing a craft from the VBS in my friend's garage the Friday evening of that week, I asked, "How can I know for sure that I am going to Heaven?" She simply answered, "It's easy. All you have to do is tell Jesus that you believe he died on the cross to save you." That evening in her bed. I remember telling Jesus, "Jesus, that stuff Amanda was talking about.....I want that."

He answered my cry, and has continued to lead me with wisdom and lavish blessing, upon blessing......I don't know why. Every desire of my heart thus far, He has given! (His timing of course!!)

Through years of growing pains, I've grown to understand grace and understand how small I am in comparison to Him. He's brought me to a place of perfect peace in Him. And even though I'm understand that I'm am a "worm" He has given me the gift of walking in freedom, for that is why Christ has set me free....and I am free indeed.....

Christ has given me a new heart that longs for people to know Him so they may be free as well. He's challenged me to truly rely on Him for my every need, not just claim to. He's challenged me to be a giver to meet needs. He's challenged me to look my fears in the eye and overcome them through His strength alone. He's shown me what He can do when I obey and let Him have control.

I'm amazed......"

Stay tuned, more to come.
ZS

Stories of Faith


Hey friends,
The past few days I have been posting this status on Facebook: " to all my FB peeps I want to try something...any of you that would like to, I want as many stories as possible this week of how Christ has impacted your life...it doesn't have to been a long (there is no word count) but it may be (don't hinder inspiration)...if you will type out your story about Jesus and message it to me I will post it to my blog, with your permission of course (www.zachsnow.blogspot.com)"
I have started getting some in so I will be posting them over the next few days.
To anyone who is RSS'ing the blog and not on facebook feel free to just email me your story (gatewayzach@gmail.com). I would love to hear it and also love to share it.
My hope is that this will be faith building for many. There is so much power in stories of Grace and Mercy.
Stay Tuned...

ZS

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Father's Day Reflection


I love being a dad! I've said this before but seriously, there is nothing about being a dad that I do not love. The list includes but is not limited to wrestling in the living room floor, taking batting practice in the back yard, quiet moments of snuggle time (which are few and far between), watching TV with them in my lap, waking up during the middle of the night because they need me to "lay down with them for a few minutes", changing diapers (which we are almost finished with), making lunches which usually consist of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, taking drives, going to the day care on Saturday morning to set up the church, camping out (even if it just consist of setting up the inflatable mattress in the living room), taking bike rides and pulling them in the stroller behind me and of course learning new things about Jesus from them.

My children have taught me more about Jesus than any of my professors in Bible college. I continue to be overwhelmed by grace.

Thank you Jesus for my boys and giving me the opportunity and the incredible weight of nurturing their faith while they learn more about you. Allow me to simply be a tree that they may climb in order to get a better glimpse of you.
For the Praise of Your Glory,
Amen

ZS