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Testimony of Hope
My name is Tiffany Keeler and when I was 18 I ran out of hope. As a child I suffered years of physical abuse at my father's hands, and my alcoholic mother took every opportunity to tell me that I was just like him and the source of all kinds of problems. I started to cut myself in secret after spending my Sweet Sixteen birthday alone. I became bulimic. And when my boyfriend, who had graduated from MJ and beer to angel dust, told me to go kill myself, I obliged.
The first time I attempted to take my life, I swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills, read a chapter of the Bible, kissed my dog for the last time, then laid down and told God, "I'll be with You soon." When I woke up four hours later, I didn't even have a headache. Miraculously, God had brought me through my attempt unscathed. In the depths of my emotional pain, however, I thought that even God didn't want me around.
I tried to end my life twice more that week. The third time ended with me in convulsions. This attempt was very nearly fatal and probably would have been if something hadn't compelled me to make one last phone call in the dining room. After picking up the phone and struggling to make out the numbers on the dialpad with dilated eyes, I don't remember much. A flash of the ambulance outside. Asking the paramedic if he was mad at me (he said he was). An emergency room. A bottle of charcoal. Vomiting. Even when it was certain I'd survive, the doctors thought I would have permanent short-term memory loss.
At eighteen, I thought even God couldn't love me. In His endless love and mercy, He gave me another chance to understand peace that surpasses human understanding and to draw close to Him. He has used many people to show me His love. My friend Brian would comfort me when I had night terrors by praying with and reading the bible to me. Pastor Terry and his wife Debi have become like family to me. And I was able to relate to stories like those of Joseph and David of the Bible who, like me, had less than supportive families, as well as the true stories of people like Corrie Ten Boom, who survived the Nazi concentration camps. Because of God's love and the support I received, I have grown in so many ways. I work in Mental Health helping people to find hope and meaning. I have gone back to school. I experience joy and peace beyond any I could have imagined.
If you are reading this today and you are hurting with an unbearable pain, I want to encourage you with the words of Corrie Ten Boom: "There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still!" God saved me from not only my premature death, but also from the deep darkness of my pain and suffering. He has given me a future and a hope. He will do the same for you, if you will let Him. You can believe His promises! Jesus loves you--specifically you--more than you could ever comprehend.
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| Prayer Team Be a part of our concerted prayer effort for families who have lost a loved one. Prayer Team members will be notified by email when a Condolence Packet is sent out. We can surround these hurting families with the love of God through our prayers for them. Email lilgaryslegacy@cox.net to join us in prayer. |
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lil' Gary's Legacy!
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Rewards Programs
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and
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Monthly Support
$10 Hope Chest
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Hope Chest by
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lil' Gary's Legacy is a ministry of Christian Resource Center,
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Donations are tax deductible.
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Fall 2015
In Loving Memory of lil' Gary and Tiffany
Help Us Build a
Family Resource Library
@ My City Life Youth Center
in
Hemet CA
My City Life Youth embraces the physical
and spiritual needs of at-risk and under resourced youth by directing them away from idle street involvement, engaging them in safe and healthy activities, encouraging them through the love of Jesus, and empowering them through Godly positive mentors.
Programs and Activities Include:
- Basketball Club
- Skate Park
- Boxing for Christ
- Chick City Teenage Girls Program
- Teen Parents Program
- Mommy Store- for Teen Parents
- A Sound Studio
- Recreation and Activity Center
The Library will consist of faith based books, DVD's and CD's on various issues relating to families. These resources will be made available, through a lending system, to
families the center is ministering to at no cost.
TOGETHER THIS AWESOME
RESOURCE
FOR THE CENTER!
- Make a donation to the Good Works Project fund. All monies will be used to purchase items for the library.
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For more information or to register for these events click on the pictures below.
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Inland Empire
San Bernardino & Riverside County
Walk Location
Diamond Valley Lake Marina
Hemet, CA
For More information:
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Confessions of a
Grieving Christian
by Zig Ziglar
Can a person  prepare in Advance for Grief? Is there a way a person can prepare for grief, an experience virtually everyone will go through at some time in his life. No, I don't believe you can deliberately prepare in advance for grief, and yet, there is a preparation. It lies in the way you attempt to live your life from the moment you make a commitment to Christ.
I am convinced that all grief, not just that of losing a child, can be more effectively dealt with if you in your own mind and heart truly know Christ as Lord. This knowledge gives you the assurance that you will spend eternity with Him, and with that assurance you've just removed a major cause of worry from your mind.
The psalmist proclaimed, "Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength, and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion."
(Psalm 84:5-7 TLB)
God does not see time the way we do. God can handle our questions.
Grief is natural. Loved ones are only absent. Grief may subside, but it never
fully departs. There is still something left for us to do.
There are miracles everywhere, even in grief.
This book strengthened my soul by reminding me that grief is part of the human experience. Although it hurts deeply, with the Lord help, joy and grace can be found in the midst of it. I highly recommend it.
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Newsletter Layout and Design by Susan Brown
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