My name is Heather and I am a 45 year old woman of God. I’ve not always referred to myself as such, nor have others. I have been known by many adjectives in my life, drug addict, junkie, deadbeat mom, criminal, worthless ect. It wasn’t until walking through the doors of Crossfire in 1997 that my adjectives began to change. When I entered the church doors that Spring, I was not there to “find God”. I honestly had never known of such a thing. I had been residing in a residential drug rehab at the time. Yet it was not like the rehabs of today, we didn’t leave the building except for AA/NA meetings as a group with staff from the center.

This peticular morning I woke and began the daily stumble towards the cafeteria to grab my morning coffee. When I got there I noticed a few of the other girls all dressed up. “Where are you guys going?” I asked. “Church” was the reply. “I want to go!”, “ok” was the answer. Now I need to be clear I didn’t want to go to church, I wanted to go anywhere outside the walls of the center.

When we arrived, We sat in the front right hand side of the sanctuary. Everyone was singing and dancing. I was not singing because There was something going on inside of me, something I had never experienced before. I didn’t understand what was happening yet I knew I NEEDED to know. I leaned forward a little and looked to the center row and there were some women there. Now I could tell these women were not like me. They were singing, smiling and looked peaceful.

I began to flail my arms around and try to get their attention. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the feeling that I needed one of them to come talk to me right this very second. A beautiful blonde lady looked over from that row named Brenda Rhea. She came to me and I said to her “I’m not sure what is going on here but I need this”. She explained to me the summary of who Jesus was and what he had done for me. Then she had me repeat a simple prayer after her. It’s a good thing it was not complicated because I was so afraid and confused that if it had been hard to understand I believe I would’ve been lost forever.

After I left the church I didnt even think about it again, until the following morning that is. Upon awakening I heard my own voice singing the chorus of the song “Prepare The Way for the coming of The Lord”. I hadn’t even opened my eyes nor was there any conscience thought yet. This was the song being sung when I prayed the Prayer the day before. I had never heard it before that Sunday either. I continued to wake this way for several days to follow.

I knew something had happened inside me, yet was still very scared and confused. Joyce Taylor had given me a bible and her phone number so I began reading the bible and called her often. After a week or so I realized that my vocabulary had changed from frequent curse words and anger to not cursing at all. I WAS RADICALLY CHANGED IN A MOMENT OF TIME!

My walk with Jesus began there. It progressed through my first vision from The Lord. That vision led to being introduced by Pastor Aaron to my Spiritual Mother Marlene Hinthorne. This amazing woman of God and her precious father, Papa Macy, taught me how to study to show myself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth (2tim.2:15). Momma Marlene also encouraged me to join the Heart of David Tambourine and Banner team. There, Cindy Parnell taught me of the powerful weapons of warfare and how to intercede. I learned about worshipping the Lord and spent so much time in the presence of the almighty God that my understanding of Emmanuel, ( God with us), developed into a certainty that is unshakable. I know, that I know, that I know nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)

This walk has not, I repeat NOT, been without stumbling, falling, doubting and running both away from and back to our Lord repeatedly. I served The Lord through Crossfire for about 5 years before my first hard fall. Upon falling that first time, I ran away to Kentucky where I currently reside. I continued to use drugs and try to run from The Lord until 2009.

By 2009, I had lost all rights to my two children, been divorced and married again into a domestic violence prison. I had been in and out of jail repeatedly. I had attracted Hepatitis C from IV drug use. I spent most of my using drug years homeless. The one thing I never lost was the knowledge that no matter how horrible of a person I had become, Jesus was Lord! I never doubted that he loved me, I just couldn’t understand why. I also didn’t love myself. I had come to hate myself and felt like such a disappointment to the Lord, my kids, and myself.

No matter how low I got in my existence, I never quit praising Jesus. I had learned from my time at Crossfire some truths that I still believe today. I believe that when I sing praises to the Lord I was kicking the devil in his teeth (paraphrasing lol). I didn’t worship God because of what I was doing, what I had done, or even what I wanted to do. I praised him for what he had already done. See, although my flesh was weak I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that my soul was SAVED! Pastor Aaron had said one time that a person couldn’t dispute my own personal experience. My experience when I accepted Christ was indisputable even for me. I could not deny who Christ is! I could not deny What he had done in my heart. I could not deny truth.

So in November of 2009 I had, had enough (I THOUGHT) so alone and afraid I checked myself into a domestic violence shelter and began to seek the Lord again with my whole heart. I divorced the abusive husband, got off drugs and became a member of a body of believers in Morehead KY. They allowed me to worship with the weapons of warfare that I had been taught to use at Crossfire. I began to try to help the women and children of Trinity Christian Fellowship to play the tambourine and fly banners. I was so grateful, He had accepted me back. I was sure I knew just how the prodigal son must have felt.

I was on cloud 9! I didn’t think anything could ever take me down again. Yet, pride comes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. (Proverbs 16:18) When my fiance that I had met asked me to marry in 2014, I was ecstatic. He had accepted Jesus and been baptised. He said we had to marry because we were living in sin. I didn’t think I could ever be any happier. By this time my two daughters were back in my life we had gained custody of his daughter and nephew. I had purchased a home that was paid for in full. Life was good.

We married June 27,2015. We had a real wedding in our church, I had a gown and everything. June 28, 2015, I woke on our honeymoon to him holding a folded up little piece of paper. He proceeded to tell me that he had been using heroin and opiate pills for close to the last two years. I met heroin for the first time that day. After 6 yrs clean and the Lord completely forgiving me I had done it again! I had failed him, my children and myself all over again.

Once again I was off and running trying my best to hide from God. The shame that I felt could not have been any less than that of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. I hated myself I would go for days without brushing my hair or teeth to keep from looking at myself in the mirror. How could I have done this, how could I?

I lost the children, home, ministry, dogs, friends, and myself AGAIN! What I did not lose was my belief. I still was 100% sure of who God was. I still knew that if I praised him I was throwing blows at the devil. As much as I hated myself I hated Satan more! I began to sell the very drugs that had destroyed me after my husband was taken off to prison. I would be standing at the counter in the house where I sold with the drugs, scales and baggies on one side of me. Yet on the other side was my bible! I refused to quit reading The Word and praising God! I can’t tell you how many times I would say to The Lord, “You should send me to Hell, and I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I don’t believe you will, but if I’m wrong, I’ll be praising you from there too.” LOL crazy I know! But you see God never failed me, it was I who failed him.

So after many more trips to jail, and three more years of homelessness and drug use I sit here today a free woman. I am currently residing in The Faith House, in Lexington KY. I am here by choice because I need the extra structure to help me get my life back on track. Today I have almost 4 months clean and sober. I am serving The Lord in some various homeless ministries locally. Including being a prayer warrior for the ministry I reside in. I’m not where I would like to be, but finally, I am not where I was. I am enrolled in some classes through AmeriCorps. I have hopes to attend Berea College and study Theology. I do not know what God intends for me to do in this life, yet I know what ever it may be, I will praise Him. Will I fall again, man I sure hope not! I know it won’t be today though because I overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of my testimony. (Revelation 12:11)

Thank you Pastor Aaron for allowing me this overcoming opportunity, and to all my family at Crossfire thank you for all the wonderful truths that you planted in me I love you all deeper than I could ever express. LOVE ALWAYS, Heather

In 2014 my family and I found your Church – what a blessing that was for us. I have been a member of large Churches that had wonderful music, facilities, worship – – but they lacked the close, family connection that we are experiencing here at Crossfire. Do we have challenges? – absolutely…, What family doesn’t? That is the thing we love most about Crossfire. We’re not sugar-coated, and we don’t pretend.

We’re not rich, we’re not fancy, we are sinners,…. we are imperfect. Jesus did not focus His ministry to the privileged – in fact quite the opposite. He made disciples out of a wide cross-section of folks, including fishermen, physicians, and even Roman tax collectors. Jesus loves me and my family, and so does Crossfire. We’ve made some wonderful friends! Pastor Aaron’s messages sometimes cut me right to the bone – challenging me to turn offense around and not let it and Satan’s will create havoc in my life – to truly forgive and move on, to speak up not shy away, to read my Bible….friends, this is one of my favorite testimonies of the year – Irene and I LOVE spending the last 15 minutes each night before we go to sleep with God, in His word. It is my favorite time of day – what a powerful, awesome gift God has given us with His word. We learn so much! The old saying, “what would Jesus do?”…I love reading the story each day and answering that question with the amazing stories, miracles, and parables of the Gospel and the experiences of the disciples. Thank you Pastor Aaron, Pastors Chris, and Jeff, and our good friends Steve and Debra who moved this year to Portland. I love that sometimes after a moving message I walk away thinking, “man, that kind of stretched the boundaries…did he really say xyz there in Church?”, or “man, kind of seems a bit like a guilt trip”. But then the more I think about it during the week, I understand – Pastor Aaron is just one authentic dude – just hanging it all out there….and he is right, and I need to reflect his wisdom onto my life and find ways that I can apply it and take some action on it.

Thank you for being authentic and unafraid to say what God is putting on your heart.

That and so many other beautifully authentic things about Crossfire make me just keep wanting more and more and more. I want to learn more, so please keep teaching.

Love brother Mike Lang