The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
John 1:4, NLT Study Bible 2008
As you know, I just had a birthday. A short seven years ago, if Jesus’ name left my lips, it was profanity. “Jesus Christ” was an exclamation I often heard growing up, when something didn’t go right.
No wonder I shunned his then meaningless name.
How powerful Satan must have felt! My blasphemous words were music to his evil ears.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:5, NLT Study Bible 2008
Today, I stand on the victorious cornerstone of Jesus Christ, My Savior and Lord.
With my words, I show Him honor and love.
With my story, may He have all the glory.
What I can tell you is that Our merciful God sent one of His disciples to walk with me. We walked in my neighborhood on countless nights in snow, in rain and under the shining of His moon. I could ask anything I wanted to about God, but mostly I could talk about anything.
He knew I was lonely.
He knew I was bitter.
He knew I chose to drink three glasses of wine each night to squelch my stress.
The exact point of salvation is difficult to track. Some days are a constant stream of revelations about my past slavery to sin. Other days are showers of grace needed by my desperate soul to cover the heart-scars. Still yet there are times, tears free-flow with thankfulness at the slightest act of kindness, because I know He is with me.
Each step taken is toward Him.
Each fall is forgiven by Him.
Each unknown, each fear, each worry is a reason to seek Him.
First, His Loving Light warmed my emptiness with an unconditional love I have never known.
Then with all the tenderness He could send from Heaven, He held my trembling hand while I looked at my ugly past: the festering anger at the world, the lack of emotional availability I had for my husband and for my precious children.
His lights in the sanctuary of my church shone on my face while I told of His power to drag me out of the mouth of the enemy.
He has deemed my purpose.
He called me to speak and write for Him. He has commanded me to tell of His power.
The picture at the top of the page is His power. If you had asked me even four years ago if I would ever be at a Christian Writing Conference at The Cove, I would have shrugged my shoulders in confusion and utter ignorance about writing and the person of Billy Graham.
Unto Him, I will continue to grow as a wife and mother.
Strengthened by Him, I will write and shout His praises to the people He places in my path.
I will bow and pray for those who are blind, those who do not know to seek Him because they don’t know Him.
Romans 10:9-10 NLT Study Bible 2008
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
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Do you have questions about Jesus?
Do you have a story about Jesus you want to share? Feel free to leave a comment or …
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Julie Dibble, Speaker and Author 
Julie, your writing is amazing! Thank you for this series of your life testimony and how you were feeling and coping. It might be painful to bring those memories back up and into public besides, but it’s so helpful for us reading–it encourages and reminds us of Jesus’ mercy and love. Thank you! I hope your conference and time with your cousin was great.
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Thank you so much for being here Donna. And thank you for your encouraging words. It is sometimes emotional to write about my journey, but God’s promises are bigger than what gets stirred. It is also teaching me to lean into Him, sometimes moment by moment! The conference and time with my cousin was soul-filling. We must catch up soon. Have a blessed day!
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Thank you for sharing you powerful testimony. You give me hope. I have loved ones who live where you came from. I pray that they reach your destination soon. Love you for being real.
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Thank you for being here. I am sad to know others are lost, but I will pray they are found. God’s timing is perfect, even if I feel I came to Him “late”. Have a blessed day! Julie
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Reblogged this on paynefulponderings and commented:
There is joy in the Light. I can feel it in Julie’s story.
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Thank you so much for sharing. May it bring people running to Jesus!
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Julie, I loved reading more of your testimony. Praise God for His Power to transform us into people who revere His Name. May your calling to write for Him put pages of God glorifying testimony into the hands of those He’s preordained to trust in Jesus.
Blessings ~ Wendy
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Thank you for your beautiful feedback. I will continue as long as I have breath to praise Him when I speak and when I write. He is my Truth, my Light and the only way Home. Blessings ~Julie
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Holy goosebumps–which is what I feel when I read powerful writing!!
Keep going, my friend. God is with you~~~
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Thank you for being here Julie. And I really appreciate the encouragement to keep writing. There are days it is hard, as I am sure you well know. May He bless the rest of your day that He made.
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