TESTIMONY: Amanda Phillips
Growing up I always felt like something was missing in my life. I had a family that loved me so much, but still found myself feeling empty. I was desperate to fill the void in my heart; I turned to alcohol and drugs. I looked for love in all the wrong places. At 16 years old, I found myself pregnant. After I found out I was pregnant I was gifted tickets to Awakening Conference. There I found a sense of belonging, and I gave my life to Jesus for the first time on the last night of conference. But my toxic relationship consumed me.
I moved to Puerto Rico with my baby's father. I had to escape from there because the physical and mental abuse became so dangerous. I came back to church after I had my daughter, only to fall back into the world. A few years later I had another baby. And again, fell in and out of church.
Almost two years ago I came back to church for the last time and decided that I needed to stay no matter what happened. I was in a really dark depression and tried to end my life more than one time. I felt so abandoned and alone. My thoughts consumed me. I cried out to God for Him to save me.
I thank God that His plans for me are always better than my own because I am better now. He placed me in a community that prayed for my return to church after all the times I ran away from God. Those same friends became family to me, and prayed for breakthrough when I battled depression and suicide. My breakthrough came, and I've never been the same since. People always look at me and can see the joy in my eyes. It's all God.
God took my broken life, my broken heart and gave me a joy that is uncontainable. God placed me in the perfect community of people, who fight on my behalf, and truly care about me and my children. All the times I fell out of church, I came back to open arms.
As a church we do not believe in doing life alone. We want to pray with you.
Growing up I always felt like something was missing in my life. I had a family that loved me so much, but still found myself feeling empty. I was desperate to fill the void in my heart; I turned to alcohol and drugs…