Larry Lulay - Born Again
In the midst of doing some of the most heinous things you can imagine... the following happened:
I called one of my good friends to go out cruising on a weekend, but his sister answered the phone and said he wasn't home. I called again in about a week, and the same thing happened. I talked to his sister for a while then decided to ask her out on a blind date (I hadn't seen her before, but heard from other friends she was attractive). She was a christian and exhibited christian qualities... something I had never seen in any girl I had ever dated. My strict rule of "dump them at three weeks" finally met it's match when I asked her to marry me at three weeks. She said yes even though I was a dead beat smoker with a job that paid nearly half of what she made, and I drove a broken down Ford Pinto (that I thought was pretty cool).
I began attending church with her and we married in her church (not a very popular decision from my side of the family). Her parents tried (but struggled knowing I was not what they invisioned for their daughter) and my parents struggled with the idea that she wasn't a catholic.
Within three months of marraige my mother-in-law cornered me in a bedroom in their house and began discussing salvation with me. My wife joined in for the "tag team" effort. They must have some how (guess how) sensed that I was ripe for the harvest, because I didn't hesitate as my mother-in-law lead me in a simple prayer that would conclusively change the course of my life on earth (and after).
All things old (sin upon sin, layer upon layer) were all cast into a sea of forgetfulness and I was made new... as a baby I began my christian walk from that day on. At that moment I didn't know the taste of sin, and all I wanted was to learn more about GOD and to make sure that all of my family, friends, and anyone I came in contact was privileged to experience this same life changing reality. The experience was better than any drug or drink I had ever been exposed to... nothing in life has ever offered such a high. The beauty is, that GOD didn't simply hold that "mountain top" experience to that single time. Since the first time the Holy Spirit has continued to invoke that great feeling whenever I am privileged to feel him moving in my life (or someone that I care about).
I am eternally grateful for GOD's incredible gift of salvation through Jesus' death on the cross, and the conviction and comfort offered by the sweet Holy Spirit of the Living GOD.
From that moment I was instantly delivered from the filthy mouthed language that I had spent such a long time developing. I was convicted to stop everything that could give me "a buzz", and did with no problems. Cigarettes were another story...
Disclaimer
I am not a trained theologian... I am just a dude that is a sinner saved by grace. I am sharing things as I see them, and you should challenge anything I or anyone else says by looking in the word and praying for discernment.