Inspirations & Photography

Have you ever met someone that left a lasting imprint on your life? I have met many people in my lifetime but I’ve never encountered someone so full of love and compassion as my best Friend. He has never left my side. He’s been with me through the happiest and even the most trying times of my life and because of his amazing love, has helped me through them all!  His name is Jesus.

It was over 30 years ago and although I could not see him in this natural realm he showed himself so real that it was almost as if I could.
As time went on I began reading about His life and character.  I read in the scriptures how he interacted with people during his lifetime on this earth.  Real life stories of how he treated others. One of my favorites is Jesus encounter with the woman who was caught in adultery and how unconditional his love was toward this young woman. He was on his way back from the Mount of Olives and a crowd gathered and he sat down to teach them, “As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of a crowd. “Teacher” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:1-11 NLT.

This is the Jesus I met one evening 30 years ago. His love and grace left such an imprint on my life that I have been spending each and every waking moment with him ever since, learning from him and doing my best to follow his example. Giving and showing the same love and mercy that was extended to me many years ago. Loving my enemies as he did when he said to God while hanging on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” after they beat him and hung him on the cross to die.  Luke 23:34 KJ

If you have not met him yet, I encourage you to  open up your heart and mind. In fact he is standing at the door of your heart  right now, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Revelation 3:20 NLT.  When you make what I believe to be the most important decisions of your life,  you will not only meet  the Savior of the World, the Prince of Peace, you’ll meet the only Friend that will forever stay by your side. Your new relationship with Jesus will allow you to  get to know him and experience his amazing love on a daily basis. You will also be able to have one on one conversations with him (this is a form of prayer, just talking to the Lord) and he promises that he will “hear” and “answer” you.  He will then begin to show you His purpose for your life…all the good that He has planned for you.  All you have to do is talk to him.  Tell Jesus that you believe in him, that you believe that he is the Son of the living God, and that you believe that he died and that God raised him from the dead. Ask him to forgive you of all your mistakes and ask him to help you love others and forgive them as he forgives you. My personal prayer many years ago went something like this: “Jesus, I believe in you. I believe that you died for me and that God raised you from the dead. I believe that you love me and forgive me of all my mistakes. I believe you have a purpose for me, I want to follow you, I want everything you have planned for my life. I receive your love right now, be my Lord and Savior, thank you Jesus.”  Now that you’ve made this decision find a church that teaches that Jesus is the Son of God and that teaches that believing in Jesus is the only way to heaven.  A church that also teaches his commandment to “Love your neighbor” by helping others as He taught in the Gospel of John chapter 15, Mathew 25 along with  James chapter 2, and 1John 3.

May the Lord Bless you, protect you and give you His Peace.
Pastor Nina Tidwell

Visit our website at poncechurch.com or Facebook

“For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.  People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…” Romans 3:23-25 NLT

After I awoke this morning I felt the Lord compel me to pray for Casey Anthony, the young mother on trial for the death of her daughter.  As I went about my day all I could think about was the mercy of God and how we all need it.  There is not one human being alive today that is innocent, not one.  After Adam and Eve’s fall sin entered in and the only way any of us could be made right with God was for Jesus, the only sinless human being that ever lived to give his life for us all.

“God so loved the world (all inclusive, all sinners) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16  Jesus blood was spilled out for all mankind, including liars, thieves and yes even those who commit murder.  You may be thinking right now, “then you’re saying it’s OK to commit sin?” My answer is the same as John in the book of 1John 2:1, “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. BUT if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins–and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” You see all sin needs  a sacrifice and Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” 2Corinthians 5:21

If it were not for the Love of God in sending us his Son to take our place on the cross we’d ALL be on trial! We would ALL be found guilty.  What’s amazing to me is the media and the world’s focus is on this young woman’s case and yet we ignore the fact that there are more than 752, 000 innocent unborn lives (less than 9 weeks old)  taken every year, think about that for a moment.

Let’s look at Hatred: The word of God says , “Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life living in him.” 1John 3:15 Wow! Yet another point to think about as well.

There was a woman who was caught in the act of adultery and the people brought her to Jesus and said that the law gives them the right to stone her to death and then they asked Jesus his opinion and this was his reply, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!“  When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No Lord” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I, Go and sin no more.”

Update: Casey Anthony found not guilty today, July 5th  for murder and child abuse.

Thank God for his mercy on us all!

Just the other day I heard the Lord say to me these words: “A Father’s Love”.  I believe he was trying to get my attention to remind me of  “His” love for me.  Sometimes we can all go through life working and trying to figure things out for ourselves.  Full of questions that are sometimes accompanied by fear and anxiety.  I believe he was bringing me back to a place that I had experienced over 30 years ago.  Coming from a broken family, a mother who took her own life when I was just 14 years of age. The guilt I carried for years because I blamed myself.  Drowning the hurt and pain with alcohol, drugs and wrong relationships until one evening while no one was home I decided that I had had enough.  I was tired of the mess I had made of my life. I was ready for a change: I decided to give God a try.  I remember quite vividly that night, asking God to forgive me of all that I had done wrong and surrendered my life to his Son Jesus, believing and accepting what he had done for me when he gave his life for all mankind. As I prayed, I felt as if God had covered me with a blanket made out of his love.  I remember crying for what seemed to be hours, they were not tears of sorrow they were tears of joy.

Out with the Old and In with the New: I knew something had changed. Although I was the same person on the outside, the inside was very different.  I later found out after studying the scriptures what took place inside of me that night, Jesus described it as the New Birth: “There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but cant’ tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” Jesus went on to explain further what he meant regarding the things of heaven which then led to the famous scripture taught and preached all over the world, even at football games, you know the guy who holds up the sign that reads, “John 3:16″ “For God so LOVED the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus then said in verse 17, ” God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:1-17

The Father’s Love began to work from the inside-out.  His love began to help me to forgive myself and begin a new life.  A life free from sorrow, pain and guilt.  I began to see that he loved me no matter what I had done wrong. As I started to read the Bible I began to “see” this love in His Son Jesus and how he treated others.  His Love  healed the sick, raised the dead and freed others from the torment of demons.  His Love showed mercy on others and allowed him to forgive his own enemies while hanging on the cross.  His Love even showed mercy on his own followers, his disciples who had left him just before his crucifixion. The Father’s Love was powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead.  Even today, the Fathers love is readily available 24/7 for anyone who desires it.

I felt his Love that night 30 years ago and many days since.  If you are longing for a Father whose love will always be there for you, one who promises to never abandon you, then all you have to do is believe.  Tell him you believe in his Son Jesus and that you believe that he went to the cross for you, paid for all your wrongs, and tell him that you believe that he raised Jesus from the dead. When you do this and mean it from your heart, you will experience your heavenly Father’s love. No one and nothing can ever compare to it.

Believe it or not the subject of “Love your enemies” is just as much therapeutic for me as it will be for you.  Before I have ever started blogging, I have always enjoyed writing. Sometimes I would write to God about my concerns, worries, fears and even anger toward others. I have also been very good at writing people, especially if someone has hurt me, my family or church.  There have been many times in my life where I have been able to relate to Peter the disciple of Jesus. For those of you who have never heard the true story, Peter took his sword and cut off a mans ear because they were coming to take Jesus away! Folks, this was a man of God, a follower of Jesus and he was so angry and protective that he lost it! When this incident took place Jesus said to Peter, “You do not know what spirit you are of…” and proceeded to heal the mans ear.

As human beings the first thing we want to do is retaliate! Some of us are ready to rip others up one side and down the other, especially when they’re cruel, unkind and sometimes just downright ignorant.  Continue reading

Amid the rubbish stands one of the most beautiful sites anyone will ever see: Springtime Sakura, better known as “cherry blossom” trees.  While preparing for my trip to Japan, I look at the hard work our friends in Otsuchi are doing by helping the people that have been devastated by the tsunami that swept through their town, taking lives and tearing down many of the structures that once stood strong.  But with all of the pain and suffering, there is something more powerful than death and destruction: Life!

Jesus says in the ancient scriptures “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come, that you might have Life and Life more abundantly” John 10:10.  You may say, “Where is this Life? How can Life be present when there is so much sorrow? ” When God raised Jesus from the dead he sent His Spirit to live inside every person who chooses to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. This Spirit demonstrates the love of the Father (God) when we love those around us.  As the people of God his Love empowers us to help a neighbor living just down the street or thousands of miles away bringing comfort to the hurting.  This kind of Love is expressed with more than words, it is accompanied with action,  “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we must also give up our lives for our brothers and our sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but show no compassion–how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth.” 1John 3:16-18

Just like the Sakura trees showing off their display of life and beauty…the people of God are active all over the world  showing this  “Life”  through acts of love toward mankind.  “Let your lite  so shine that mankind will see your good deeds (acts of Love) and Glorify your Father which is in Heaven” Jesus words found in Mathew 5:16

Thank you for your prayers as I continue preparations for my upcoming trip to Japan. Below is Pastor Guna and Jey and members of their congregation returning from their first trip into Otsuchi.  They have recently returned with another team and are working to help clear anything damaged by the tsunami and cleaning the homes so the families (who are in shelters) can return to their homes. God bless them as they show the people of Otsuchi God’s love through their acts of kindness.

For more information regarding our call to Japan, read my blog titled, “Japan: Mission of Love” or go to our website at PonceChurch.com

For thousands of years the story of Jesus death and resurrection have been told in churches, meeting places and homes all over the world.  Jesus himself began to speak of his death even before they laid a hand on him. “Listen” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again” the gospel of Mark chapter 10, verses 33 & 34.

Celebrating Easter is more than the traditional  chocolate bunnies and colored Easter eggs, it’s remembering Jesus laying down his life for all mankind and God raising him from the dead. Why? Jesus Christ the Risen One was sent to us because of God’s amazing love.  Jesus endured the beatings for you and me. He allowed them to hang him on the cross to pay for our sins.

In the old testament Adam and Eve chose to not follow God’s instructions and when they disobeyed what the Father told them sin came into the earth.  Prophets in the old testament spoke of the coming Messiah who would take away the sin of the world.  “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2Corinthians 5:21  Because of the wonderful mercy and love of God, he sent his one and only Son to die for you and me, and when God raised Jesus Christ to life again, he made it possible for us to be put back in good standing with God our heavenly Father again.  All God asks of us is to believe. Believe that he sent Jesus to us, that he went to the cross for us, died and believe that God raised him from the dead.

Jesus Christ is alive and well today. He sits at God’s right hand in Heaven and because of the power of the resurrection, he lives in his people, his followers, Christians today. How? “The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11

As you celebrate Easter this year remember God’s amazing love for you and all of mankind. Realize and accept the truth that we need our sins forgiven. Understand that with our own strength or works we cannot make that happen, forgiveness only comes through believing in Jesus Christ and that he died for us.  Open your heart to Jesus and follow Him. Once you make this decision, your life will have meaning.  “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. As the scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced…Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:8-13

Happy Easter!

Pastor Nina Tidwell
Ponce Church, Ponce Inlet, Florida

Everyone Welcome! We’re Surfside and we’re Casual!
Sundays 10AM
4670 S. Peninsula in Ponce Inlet

“You’re never gonna be alone…If you feel like letting go-I’ll never let you fall…I’ll hold you til’ the hurt is gone”  Lyrics from the song “Never Gonna Be Alone” by Nickelback.  On YouTube alone there are have been over 8 million people that have nourished their soul by the verses from this song.  That’s 8 million people that are either going through or  have experienced some kind of heartache in their lives.

As I listened to the powerful words of hope, I could not help but think about how close they are to the very words of Jesus. In one particular scripture Jesus says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” and in Luke 4:18 Jesus himself says that He has come to “…heal the brokenhearted”

Maybe someone has hurt you or you have lost a loved one and wonder if you’ll ever be free from the pain.  Or maybe you have gone through a divorce and feel like you’ll never love again. Whatever you are going through the God of all Peace wants you to know that you truly are NOT alone.

You may be asking the question “How do you know?” Let me encourage you to read one of my previous blogs titled: “Girl Meets God” in it you’ll find my personal story and how I met the only one who could take my own pain of loss and heartache away. Is it possible? Absolutely! The only way the pain can continue is if you choose to hold on to it.  It’s like a wound on your own body.  If it is not given the proper care such as cleaning the affected area, medicating it and covering that wound with clean bandages it will not heal properly, in fact it can even get worse by becoming infected. Our heartaches and pains in life also need the proper treatment.  Just like Jesus said, “…I have come to HEAL the brokenhearted…” So how does he “heal” our broken hearts? He says that when we forgive and have mercy on others that we will receive that same mercy when we need it but if we choose to not forgive those that have hurt us, then we become locked in a prison of torment (Mathew 18:21-35). You might be thinking “That’s not fair! They’re the ones who have hurt me” Forgiveness is a powerful thing.  We did not “deserve” God’s mercy, but because of His love He sent his Son to take our place, to pay the penalty of our wrongs, He chose to forgive us and so He expects us to extend that same mercy.  When we choose not to do it, we make it worse for ourselves so much so it can lead to mental torment and physical pain.  Jesus wants us free, and the way we become free is by following his teachings and commandment of love.
Loss of a loved one: In my research when someone experiences a loss of any kind, there are emotional stages and one of them is “anger”  We can become angry with others and even angry with God.  Let me stop you here for a moment:  The scriptures say that we have an enemy and that enemy is NOT God.  Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief (devil, satan) has come to steal, kill and destroy, BUT I (Jesus) have come that you might have life and life more abundantly” Look carefully at this  passage Jesus is letting us know right away who our enemy is.  He clearly lets’ us know that it is neither God nor Himself  bringing evil into our lives.   In this passage Jesus is teaching us  that there is a thief  (this is the same enemy that deceived Adam and Eve in the garden) and that He (Jesus) came to help us and deliver us from this evil and gives us His Life in abundance.   If you look at the life of Jesus on the earth, you’ll see that the scriptures say “He went about DOING GOOD and HEALING all that are oppressed from the Devil”

So we can clearly see here that God is a GOOD God…and He sent His Son Jesus, giving us good things and providing a life greater than we can ever imagine.

Once we make the decision and believe the TRUTH which is God’s word, then we can begin to “let go” of the anger and begin to “Look to Jesus and do what He says” His promises to help us to be free from pain and torment, he promises to “heal the brokenhearted”.  There is hope my friend, just ask God to help you.  Believe in His Son Jesus and follow his teachings…He is the one who came to give you His Life…full of joy, peace and happiness…and remember, you’re “Never Gonna be Alone”

“Forgiveness” brings you freedom from the pain of others hurting you, listen for free “Mercy and Forgiveness”
Also follow Ponce Church on Facebook “Ponce Church Surfside-Ponce Inlet, FL” or “Pastor Nina Tidwell”

I’m sure many of us are familiar with the song sung  in Sunday Schools all across American and abroad: “Jesus Loves the Little Children” and it goes something like this: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world”. It does not matter what age we are nor the color of our skin, the Living God sent His Son Jesus for us ALL because of His amazing Love (John 3:16).
As I look at the young child from Japan in my previous blog, “Japan: Mission of Love” I think of how the Lord loves all children from every nation. I also think of His commission for His people: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…” This kind of person see’s all mankind as equal. There are no walls, there is no prejudice.  All we see is God’s creation and His desire to share with them the greatest gift of all: Jesus.

I remember growing up and how my father was kind to everyone.  It did not matter what color they were, nor their ethnicity.  I remember in the early 1970′s my father took me aside one day and said, “We are NOT prejudice”  I’ll never forget that! Day’s later my brother of whom was returning from Vietnam brought a friend of his from the war that was African-American along with his family.  You must understand, we lived in an all white neighborhood and the only time you would see a black person was when you crossed the  “8 mile” line. So for our neighborhood this was a big deal! As I think back I am so thankful that my Dad taught me to love all people, not matter the color of their skin.

As a minister of Jesus Christ,  I will go wherever He sends me, and I will preach the Good News of God’s Love to whomever He leads me.

“…red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight…Jesus Loves the little children of the world”

Ponce Church

Japan: Mission of Love

Have you ever been engaged in a conversation with someone and have them say something so “off-the-wall” that it leaves you speechless? Well that happened to me during my walk just the other day. While enjoying the beautiful ocean and river view from the jetty a friend was passing on their bike. We both stopped to say hello and chat a bit. During our conversation we got on the subject of family and friends that have struggled with addictions such as drugs and alcohol.  This person began to share how for some reason people who are struggling in these areas are drawn to them.  As they elaborated more about this subject they began to express how they believe God puts the addiction on these people, and basically said that is their lot in life. When I heard this I just about FELL OVER!! Friends, this ridiculous man-made philosophy could not be farther from the TRUTH! (This is a good example of folks not knowing nor understanding the Love, Grace and Power of God)  Please allow me to share why. Firstly the word of God  is truth and HIS TRUTH says that Jesus came to set the “captives” free, Luke 4:18. Do you know what that means? ANYONE and I mean anyone who is imprisoned (in a life-long struggle) by drugs, alcohol, and anything else that keeps one from enjoying life, has been given an opportunity to walk free.  Jesus who holds the key to their freedom came to unlock their prison door and let them out! 1Corinthians 10:13 says that God, has provided a “WAY OUT” of temptation, trials or troubles (including addictions) period!  It’s as if the One who has the key to your freedom (Jesus) comes and opens your cell door and says, “Come on out, you’re FREE!”  The word of God also says that Jesus has “rescued” us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son” Colossians 1:13 nlt
My friend this is GOOD NEWS! Your ticket to freedom comes from a very LOVING God, and He demonstrated His amazing love by sending His Son Jesus to set you free! This is no joke. This is not just a nice story, this is the power of God, and He is ready, willing and able to take you on a new journey to freedom. One, He is asking you to allow Him to help you. If you’re not a Christian yet and you want to be, all you have to do is ask Jesus to be a part of your life. Say this prayer from your heart: “Jesus, I believe in you. I believe God sent you for me, that it is your will for me to be free! Be my Lord and my Savior, show me YOUR way. Show me the way of your peace. Help me to be free from the things that can harm me. I want you now. You are my strength. Because of you I am no longer bound by this addiction. It no longer has power over me. Forgive me Father for my sins and I thank you that you love me and no longer remember my mistakes. Thank you God, and thank you Jesus! Amen.”
YOUR NEW JOURNEY, A FRESH START: Now one of the next steps to take on your journey of recovery is to give your mind NEW thoughts. The Bible says to “renew your mind” with the word of God. Why would He say that? Because God’s word is spirit and Life. When we become a Christian, a follower of Jesus, the Bible says we are a NEW creature in Christ Jesus. We’re forgiven, we now have God’s very Spirit living inside of us, but our minds always need renewing. Our mind continually needs to be nourished with God’s truth. God’s word washes away all of the negative thoughts that have kept us bound.  “And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing, FIX YOUR THOUGHTS on what is True (God’s word), and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. THINK ABOUT things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me–everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the GOD OF PEACE  will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9 nlt.
The Lord has put “pastors and teachers” into the body of Christ (Christians) and has given them gifts to teach God’s word. I would encourage you to find a church that teach Jesus Christ as the Son of God and that teaches Faith and Love.  I cannot tell you how when I first became a Christian, how powerful it was for me to “hear” God’s word and be in a church that teaches the truth. You especially want a church that teaches Gods love and that God does NOT put evil on you to teach you a lesson. You want a church that teaches about God’s Grace, Love and Mercy. If you do not know where to start, send me a message and I will be more than happy to help you find a church that offers what I have shared with you today.
Know this: God is NOT mad or angry with you. He is so loving and merciful. The word of God says that it is His love and goodness that leads us to Him. He is with you every hour and every second of the day. You can literally call out to Him and He WILL help you. He is that awesome and so faithful, ready to pour out His Love on you. I know, I met Him over 30 years ago and He has never let me down, ever!

I also encourage you to listen to Pastor Rick’s messages. His newest series “The Great Escape”  is now available to listen for free or download and listen to at any time.  Go to  poncechurch.com

Growing up as a young girl I remember getting up early every Sunday morning with my father and going to church. Although I have fond memories of singing in the choir and  hearing about Jesus in my Sunday school class, I had no idea how loving and compassionate God was until years later.

Much of my life as a child I witnessed a bitter-sweet marriage between my mother and father.  Rarely did I encounter love between the two of them.  The only time I remember peace in the home was usually during the holidays.

At the age of 10 I remember my father standing on the landing with suitcases in hand say to my mother that he was leaving.  When I heard this it felt as though my heart dropped into my stomach.  As I look back that was probably one of the most heart-breaking times in my life.

Over the next few years I watched my mother take prescription drugs seeking relief from the pain in her life.  What was supposed to be a temporary fix, turned into years of addiction for my mother.   This was a time when doctors would  write prescriptions without getting to the heart of the matter.

Over the next five years I witnessed first hand the heart-ache and pain that my mother so desperately tried to endure. But her battle was lost at the young age of 45 when she decided to end her life.

Even before her death I began to gravitate toward people my age and older that were big on alcohol and drug use. I remember (and I do NOT encourage) there were times when I would sneak out of the house in the middle of the night to get drunk with my friends while sitting on the corner of our street.

This behavior went on for years until one day, because I could no longer deal with my mothers illness,  I decided (just days before her death) to go and live with my father along with his new wife and family.   Two days after moving in with my new family my father received a phone call from a concerned neighbor asking him to come and see if my mother was alright since there had not been any activity at the house.  When my father, who was a firefighter and captain of the paramedic squad arrived, the door was locked which led him to climbed through the back living-room window. It was there he found my mother overdosed with a note at her side.

Now I had a new hurdle to overcome and that was my struggle with the enormous guilt that I carried for the next five years of my life:  The only thing I knew to do at that time was to drown my sorrows with drugs and alcohol which also led to eating disorders.

In my senior year of high school I decided to get married (mainly to get out of the house) but it lasted only a year and a half and it was not long after that I began “partying” again. Then one day after my divorce (and while living again with my parents)  I remember  my brother Bob came to visit and shared with me about this amazing person named Jesus. While he was talking to me I knew that there was something different about him which that in itself captured my attention. As I look back I see how God’s perfect timing was spot on because I was getting real tired of my life fast!

It wasn’t long after this that I had been given a cassette tape with the personal story of a woman by the name of Sandy Brown.  She was a former cocktail waitress in Vegas.  She spoke about how Jesus showed himself to her and she didn’t even know who he was until He said his name and then she thought to herself: “I know that Name, I use it all the time!” From that day on Jesus  began to transform this young womans life by helping her to overcome her drug addiction and ultimately opened the doors of churches all over the country allowing her  to share her amazing story with others about God and His amazing love through Jesus Christ.

Because of all that I had been through I knew that  I was ready for a change.  So I said a prayer that I meant from my heart, and it went something like this, “Jesus I believe in you..I believe that you died for me and rose from the dead…forgive me of all I’ve done wrong.  Help me to follow you, be my Lord and my Savior” After talking to the Lord I remember lying on the floor in my sisters bedroom and it felt as though I had a blanket on top of me, it was very comforting, I was also crying, not because of sadness, but because it felt like this huge weight was lifted off of me and I knew that something inside of me was different.  Although the outside did not change much right away I knew that on the inside my heart was filled with God’s love, joy and a peace that I had never felt before in my entire life!

Has my life up to this point been perfect? No. But one thing remains true: I have by the mercy of God experienced the Lord’s goodness and feel a great passion to share His unconditional love with anyone who is willing to listen.

The Lord has led my husband Rick and I along with our two boys to start the first church ever in the history of our home town.  Pastor Rick teaches the Bible in ways that can help us on a day-to-day basis.

If you are looking for something more meaningful in your life, just know this: God loves you! There is nothing that you have done, or are currently involved in now that will keep God from showing His love to you.  He is ready and waiting for you to call out to him. “They that call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”

Visit our Facebook pages Pastor Nina Tidwell or  “Ponce Church Surfside~Ponce Inlet, FL” you can also visit our website at PonceChurch.com