Jennifer grew up in a home where there was drug and alcohol addictions. This left her lonely, suicidal, hurt, and angry, yet God was working behind the scenes. Jennifer was able to experience God's goodness and freedom from all of the addictions and set her on a new course of thriving in her calling.
Podcast
Show Notes
She was saved at 7 years old but her home environment was anything but Christian.
I wanted to live for God but with my home life it was hard.
“If we don’t have the power of God to set us free then we can’t be set free from bondages. We need the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Her mother was very hurt and had a tragic childhood.
She believed the lies and the labels on her.
“The enemy tries to get us at a young age and skew our identity with words that are spoken over us. That's why it is so important to know our identity in Christ so we don’t believe the lies.”
There was addiction in the home.
She grew up quick and felt like her innocence was taken away.
At the age of 13 her mom went to prison.
“I knew God was good but I hadn’t experienced that goodness. So from 13-23 years old I was mad at God. I said ‘God if you are so good then why did all of this happen to me as a child? Why me, I didn’t choose this.’”
There was a spirit of suicide in their environment from her trying to commit suicide and a friend actually doing it.
She knew God was good but she hadn’t experienced His goodness.
At 23 years old she got her 2nd DUI and goes to jail.
“I had this mindset that I could never be like those church folks because the enemy had such a stronghold of my mind that I could never be good enough. But it’s not about us being good, Jesus is the good one, it’s His righteousness. When you have a revelation of that, He makes us clean, He makes us white as snow.”
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.
Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV
“The Lord will speak to me through license plates. At a stop light there were two cars side by side, one license plate said ‘Who’s God’ and the other license plate said ‘He’s coming’. My friend that was with me looked at me and said ‘That was for you.’ “
When she went to jail she ended up being in the same cell as her mother.
“The Lord said Jennifer, if you want to be forgiven then you have to forgive your mother. Because if we allow bitterness and unforgiveness in our heart we can’t be forgiven.”
She ended up seeing her mother as a daughter of God.
She realized her mom didn’t have a fair upbringing.
“I was more free in jail then I ever was in the street. I had peace and joy because l was able to be in the Word everyday in jail.”
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8 ESV
We may be set free but our soul may not be whole so then we go back to the same mess in life.
“We see the fruit of how someone is but we don’t know the root, we don’t know what their life has been like. So what they thought was love may not be love but that’s what they know it as.”
After getting out of jail she needed a strong foundation and so she had a lady that mentored her.
She had to separate from some worldly things, family, and friends to help herself. She needed to stay away from toxic people.
As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.
Genesis 50:20 NET
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Matthew 16:26 ESV
No matter where and how low you go, God is still present and He’s with you.
If you'd like to help Jennifer out as she travels with Christ Of All Nations and minister to those that don't know God, you can click on the bootcamp link and support Jennifer financially and/or with prayer. Bootcamp Payment (tfaforms.com)