My Beginnings with God
It is a blessing to be studying for my degree in ministry at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible classes, Click Here). I am a lover of God, wife, mom, and grandma. Growing up in a Christian home, I have been a believer and follower of Christ my entire life. I was baptized Catholic, confirmed Lutheran, and married Methodist. Growing up, I lived for Wednesday nights. I loved my youth group and believe that this group of people and my leaders truly helped develop who I am today. They poured into me and showed what it was like to live and love like Jesus. Some of my closest friends are from this youth group. We still (although many of us live in different parts of the world) pray for and with each other, do virtual Bible studies, and journey together in our faith walk.
My Life Through Love, Loss, and Hope
I got married to a man who turned out not to be particularly good right out of high school. In hindsight, I can say I never loved him. I fell in love with his two boys and felt bad because they did not have a mom. When I was 20, I married him and divorced him by the time I was 24. I met my now-husband, the man I know God designed just for me, while he was volunteering with a program through his parents’ church.
When I met him, I told him I was not interested because of my past with my ex. However, he did not stop. We have been together now for 15 years and married for 13. In our marriage’s first year, we lost twin girls, Olivia Pearl and Nevaeh Jean, and a son, Hue Martin. We found out that I had cervical cancer, and I had to have a hysterectomy. Then 6 months later, I lost my dad to cancer. Six months after that, my husband lost his dad to cancer. A month later, I lost my mom to cancer. To say our first 18 months of marriage was a trial is an understatement.
We believed God was strengthening and “firming up the foundation” for our marriage through it all. That is not to say we do not have problems. Everyone does. However, we have a marriage that is rooted in God. God is at the center of our marriage and life. Together, we do daily devotionals and Bible studies and with our children as a family.
Blessed With Children
Furthermore, we have been blessed with 7 beautiful, adopted children, ages 8-31, and 3 beautiful granddaughters, ages 1 month to 4 years. Our youngest child is the only one we have had since birth. The rest we received at different ages and stages. Our youngest 4 have the same mom. Adoption itself is such a journey and a blessing. Now we volunteer with our local agency to help the families who are going through the process. We love them through the hard days and rejoice with them at their adoption ceremonies.
My Work With Children
I have worked with children in some capacity for my entire adult life. I will be 40 in July. In my eyes, the most beautiful thing in the world is watching when a child gives their life to Christ. I am the Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries in Minnesota. I started in January of 2020, right before the pandemic hit. So the ministry has been different this past year. Before returning to ministry, I took about 5 years off to fight and currently winning against cancer. I am originally from Wisconsin and a true Midwesterner. For a short time of 3 years, I served in Florida, and after I got sick, we moved home.
I always look for the good in everything. I know that even though it may not always be clear, God’s plan is far greater than mine. If we had not lost our angel babies, God would not have blessed us with the crazy, amazing family He did. Although cancer has been a battle more than once, if I had not gotten sick, I would not have gotten almost 5 years at home with my kiddos while the youngest 4 were still little. I guess I am sharing these stories with you to tell you that there is always a light on the other side, no matter what you are going through. We may not always understand. However, if we remain faithful, God will bless us abundantly.
What’s Next? A Degree in Ministry
I do not know what God’s plan is for my life. And, after the way He has changed my life multiple times, I am not trying to figure it out but simply waiting and listening for His guidance. I am excited to be furthering my education here at the Christian Leaders Institute. I look forward to getting to know many of you in the CLI family. Ultimately, I hope to earn my degree in ministry. Although I do not desire or feel called to be a lead pastor at a church, it has always been my goal to earn my Master of Divinity one day.
I feel called to minister to children and teens, and I love what I do. I love the church that God brought me to last year. Even during a pandemic, I got to bring a few new teens to Christ, and that has been beautiful. I cannot wait to see what He has planned for the ministry I serve after the pandemic. I know it’s going to be great.
With my past student debt and due to medical issues, I could not complete my degree. Therefore, this option for free ministry training through CLI is a huge bonus for me. First, I will get my associate degree and then my bachelor’s degree in ministry. I plan to transfer to Ohio Christian University for my Masters. I will be praying for my classmates, teachers, and staff here at CLI.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
From Stray Dog to Sheepdog: My Walk with God
My name is Adam Stirland, and I am taking free courses for ministry at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible classes, Click Here). I live near Preston in Lancashire, the UK, with my wife, our dog, and 2 cats. We plan to emigrate to Canada in the next 2 or 3 years and begin the next chapter of our lives together. I am a sysadmin and software engineer by trade. I currently work for a large organization developing software for in-house use and maintaining the servers it runs on.
Outside of my religious studies and day job, I also enjoy reading, making music, working on engines, and electronics engineering. I have a passion for sustainable, self-sufficient living and growing my own food. I’m slowly but surely turning the garden at my house into a micro-farm.
My Journey to God
I was raised a Roman Catholic by my RC mother and Protestant (CofE) father. Still, as I entered my teens, I strayed away from religion, pulled by the temptations that usually lead a teenage boy away from the Lord. I have always maintained an interest in theology, particularly Christianity. Still, I had turned to a form of atheism or agnosticism as far as my belief in the Lord was concerned, and this is how it stayed for approximately the next 15 years.
I dabbled in various belief systems during this time (mainly Wicca and other Northern European pagan traditions). While the history and symbolism were fascinating to me, they still left me with a hole that needed filling.
My return to my walk with God began around 2016/17, after I was gifted a free ebook version of the ESV Global Study Bible. Initially, I was interested in the notes and commentaries’ historical aspects and the various pictures, maps, and charts. However, it wasn’t long before I started reading the Gospels and Scriptures. I also started to draw parallels with my life. The death of my beloved Grandfather at around this time moved me to search for more answers. I searched the Bible, and as I read more, I felt the hole in me starting to close. This was the beginning of my journey back to the Lord, not as a Roman Catholic, but as a Protestant with Calvinist leanings.
My Calling
That was the beginning of my personal journey back into the arms of the Lord. Still, the world events in 2020 brought everything into sharp focus for me. I decided to minister to people in need and provide spiritual support and comfort when people needed it most. After reading the scripture, talking to pastors, priests, ministers, and some deep soul searching, I understood the path the Lord was showing me. I began looking for ways to reach it by educating myself in Theology. Also, I studied how to help care for my fellow man in both spiritual and mental health matters. The question then became, “How?” I am not a rich man despite having a full-time job. That job also prevents me from enrolling in full-time education in a University, College, or Seminary.
Free Courses for Ministry at CLI
At this time, I discovered the Christian Leaders Institute with its wonderful array of free and paid courses. Then all the pieces of the puzzle clicked with me. For the first time, I truly felt I understood God’s plan for me. I felt that He did indeed walk beside me.
The free courses for ministry are an absolute gift from God! The opportunity to absorb this knowledge and use it to help my fellow man is an honor. Every course is packed with useful and interesting information! It is a modern miracle that this is available to everybody around the world free of charge! Usually, you would need to attend an actual seminary and spend £1000’s to get a similar education.
CLI has put me firmly on the path the Lord has picked for me by providing the education I need to fulfill my calling to minister to the needy. I am forever grateful to them for raising me up in this way.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
To God Be the Glory for My Story
My name is Jasmine Simons. I have a Life Coach ministry call and am studying at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible classes, Click Here). I am 33 years old and live in the United States of America and love Jesus with my whole heart and soul. To live my life totally and completely sold out for Him is my desire. However, things weren’t always this way. Come with me as I take you on a trip down memory lane to let you know how I got to this place in my walk with Christ.
My Youth and Struggles
I was born in San Diego, California. However, I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. My parents got divorced when I was fairly young. My brother and I lived with my mother and her family in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. In my youth, we struggled financially. As a result, we moved often and usually lived in places that were quite crowded with other family members.
While my mother and my aunt, who lived with us with her son for a good portion of my youth, went to work daily, the kids pretty much fended for themselves. I remember being hungry at times. So, I walked to the local grocery store to see if someone would allow me to push their grocery cart to their vehicle and unload it for them for $1. Then, I could buy food for my brother and me. I also remember being molested several times before the age of 10 by friends and family members. But I dared not tell anyone. Instead, I found other ways to cope. I threw myself into reading at first. Later, it was boys. Then, it became drugs.
By the age of 16, I had moved out of my mother’s home and into the home of an older man. I was an exotic dancer. Pretty much from that point forward, my life was on a downhill spiral. I married a couple of years later. That marriage was mentally, physically, and emotionally abusive and ended in divorce. I jumped from relationship to relationship after that, had a few children, and experienced a dark depression, unlike anything I’d ever experienced in my life. It was during that time that I tried to take my life 3 times in 3 months. The third time I tried to jump off of a cliff.
Saved by God’s Grace
However, God had other plans for me, and, by the grace of God, my uncle caught me right before I went over the edge. After getting out of the Psych Ward again, I got into a rehab facility that required me to move out of town. Go figure, the name of the rehab center was N.O.A.H., as in Noah’s Ark. It was there that I re-surrendered my life to Christ. I first gave my life to Christ when I was about 10 years old and struggled with my faith most of my life until this point. At NOAH, I had no family and no friends there. But I had God, who loved me back to life!
Life Coach Ministry Call and Study at CLI
Now, here I am 3 years later, by God’s grace and mercy, answering the call on my life to pursue ministry full-time. I never in a million years would’ve thought that God would’ve chosen me for an assignment such as this. However, I never would’ve thought that He would ask me to write a book or start a non-profit organization to help women worldwide “Awaken” to their true identity in Christ. But He did! And I’m so thankful that I answered the call. Now, I am at the Christian Leaders Institute, ready and willing to pursue my Life Coach Ministry call and ordination in Christ. The sky is the limit after that!
As a single mother of 4 children, taking free courses at CLI has been a Godsend. Ever since I’ve found this school, I haven’t been able to stop thanking God for His faithfulness. I pray that my story, journey, and testimony will encourage, inspire and motivate that person on the fence about pushing forth in purpose. Just know that if God did it for me, and He is no respecter of persons, He is more than willing and able to do it for you too! Only believe and do not doubt! God bless you!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.