BRENDA ONASCH
I was born in Chicago.  My mother was a churchgoer but my Dad was not.  I have 3 older sisters.  I grew up in the church doing all the things that were required of me.  I found church to be very boring and something I did only because I had to.

I received many things growing up, but one thing I didn't receive was the emotional love that I needed.  This resulted in me making wrong choices when it came to men and sex.

I became pregnant at an early age, was married and divorced in a short period of time.  I was remarried at 19.  By now I had 2 children.  Even then I was not living right.  My church upbringing had little impact on the way I lived my life.  I pretty much did as I pleased having no regard for God, the Bible or His Church.

Then we moved to Streator.  I thought I would like it here but I didn't.  We moved out on a farm and I didn't know anyone.  Out of sheer boredom I took a job at a restaurant.  Life was not happy in Streator and I was sinking fast.

I made some friends at the restaurant but some of them were in worse shape than I.   There was a couple I got to know and we became fairly good friends.  They were wild and loud and talked pretty foul.  I fit right in.  Then one day they were different, really different.  I was curious as to what happened to them and they said they had met Jesus.

Well, I had heard about Jesus all my life; He was the Son of God.  But they knew Him in a different way.  He was real to them and had changed their lives.  They were no longer loud and foul.

Knowing things just weren't right in my life, I went to church with them.  It was really different than what I was used to.  People were happy and talked to you and seem to genuinely care about you.  I spoke with the minister and he showed me in the Bible John 3:3 where Jesus said, "You must be born again."  He showed me scripture that said that my works won't get me to heaven and that it was by faith we are saved through God's grace and mercy.

It took me awhile to realize that I was going to hell if I died and didn't receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  So one Sunday I went up front when they gave the altar call and I asked Jesus to forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me.  I asked Him to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.  At that time I was born again and my life changed.

Within 3 days I noticed that I no longer had a foul mouth.  I was hungry to read the Bible and desired to go back to church every time the doors were open.  Jesus was a real person, no just someone who lived in heaven far, far away, but He lived inside of me.

Things in my marriage changed and with my children.  Life was good and I was seeing God do wonderful things.  My husband and my children attended church also and were saved.

It has been 27 years that I have known the Lord and I find Him to be sweeter and sweeter each passing day.