A Growing Church Enters a New Season in Louisville

Growing up, I always just felt so empty and sad. I was a liar and a thief. I lied about who I was because I hated who I was. I stole things because I never had things! It might sound funny but I turned to food when I was young because food never disappointed me, I even remember saying to my 10-year-old self “Eating makes me feel good.” When someone put me down, made me cry, or even made fun of me, food was there. It was a better comforter then any of my parents ever were!

In 2014 about two months after I completed high school in Tampa, Florida where I resided at the time I met my husband John, who was my boyfriend at the time. He was a backslider from The Door Church that was located in Tampa, Florida. We met on a dating website, and found out that we live right around the corner from each other. We started dating, and then a month into our relationship John dumped me to go back to church. I was heartbroken of course and did not understand why he would leave me for a church!

John was the only good thing I had at the time. My mother was threatening to kick me out of the house and make me homeless as well as talking to me like she never gave birth to me. So that night I told myself “I’m going to end my life.” I wrote a suicide note bashing my mother and every other person that hurt me.

I sat on my bed and popped 40 pills. A minute or two later I fell out. I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I could barely walk so I just laid back in bed. I woke up in the morning and felt completely normal, all I said to myself was “it didn’t work.” So I threw the suicide note away and then went on about my day. I didn’t almost commit suicide because I got dumped! I almost committed suicide because I was broken, empty, and lost. I felt like I couldn’t handle life anymore, so I wanted to disappear from it.

Shortly after my husband backslid again, we dated for a year, then he told me “either you’re coming to church with me or I’m leaving you.” So I went and gave my life to Christ and I got touched miraculously! A week and six days later we got married.

Thinking back on what had happened I could have lost my life and my soul probably would’ve been cast into Hell!

I THANK GOD for giving me another chance at life to be changed, delivered, and set free from generational curses and sin. I thank God that he selected me, a nobody, and a disappointment in the eyes of the world to be a part of his will.

My husband John Burgess and I are still together five years later serving God wholeheartedly in Louisville, Kentucky with our wonderful Pastor Bill Cox and his amazing wife Alison Cox. We are truly excited to see what God has in store for us!