Let me introduce you to Chelsie:

When I was at the tender young age of five, I remember riding my bicycle so carefree in our immaculate yard. I was free from the cares of this life and I knew not the pressures which lied ahead of me. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that day. I now call it the "good old days." But because of Adam and Eve, all had to be faced with the adversity of this day.

I recall pretending to be a teacher and heck, sometimes a preacher. My grandmother kept my sister and I in church Sunday after Sunday and sometimes on school nights. So, I guess now I was just mimicking what I saw from the sermons that I had heard. The whole preaching thing just down right fascinated me. The small southern atmosphere was a great one overall to be raised in. We stayed way out in a small rural community with very few neighbors, but the few neighbors we had were very much friendly.

I grew up without a father, meaning my mom and dad divorced when I was about three years old. My mom raised my sister and I the best way that she could, but she had help from my dear grandmother, her mother. My grandmother played an integral and pertinent part in our lives. She was my life and truly she was the glue that held us together. Her guidance and discipline brought me a long way, as well as, the morals and values that she instilled in me. My mom was a young mother when she birthed us. I guess you might say she didn't have it all together because of her young age. However, she did her best at the time. Mom was a party mom. She would go out and party hearty on the weekends and leave us home with my grandmother. My grannie didn't mind keeping us sometimes, but I precisely remember hearing her tell my mother, "You just need to slow down and keep your own kids sometimes." Now do you really think for a moment she stopped or minimized her clubbing? Guess what, she took us with her, but not inside the club. We sat in the car with her and her friend. You see, back then in this small town you were allowed to hang out in parked cars on the street.

Oh my! What a way to sow seeds into your child's life. Now what kind of harvest do you think came from such a seed? Even now, as I am writing this I cannot help but to think about the young, single mom who has already or is sowing these seeds of regret. If you are married or single with a child or children, remember God has created and ordained you to train up your child to be righteous, holy, obedient and respectful. We are accountable to God in how we raise them up. Do a self evaluation on yourself. Are you leading by a good example? What kind of seeds are you sowing into your child?

As I share my story with you, it is my hope that it will totally transform your life forever, as well as, the lives you hold so dear to you. May the eyes of your understanding be lit just like a city that sits on the hill that cannot be hidden.

Growing up without a father was hard sometimes because, you see, my dad spent time with us, but he too, was young and unfocused. My dad would hang out a lot at the local bars and drank and party a lot and just didn't keep a clear mind long enough to be the father I longed for him to be in my life. My spirit thirst for the father God ordained for him to be. My dad also partied a lot and would take a few swigs of dranks and just didn't keep a clear mind. You see, there is a difference between a father and a dad. A father is one who is always there and is sober-minded when he is there. A dad to me is just the opposite and this is why I call my dad, "Dad." I loved him so and he meant so much to me, but I needed the real man to stand up and father me. My dad used to come and pick me up and I would go with him around to the mall, movies, and out to eat a lot. This time with him meant so much to me and it made me feel loved and cared for. After hanging out with him I always felt like I could do anything and that I could climb the highest mountain. How I longed for more of his time but it was limited and shared with the demons that controlled and enslaved his soul for the pleasures of this world. I enjoyed the time that I spent with my dad, it was the missing piece to the puzzle in my life. It kept me well-rounded and balanced as a young lady. My dad was my super hero but I needed him to rescue me completely from this peer pressured teenage life. I heard that the reason my parents divorced was because they were just simply too young and immature to be married. They were to young souls ignorant of the true meaning of love and battling with the lust of carnality. Since I found that out, I knew that the split-up was for the best, therefore, it never bothered me.

My mom was a good mom, in that she always kissed me and told me just how much she loved me. It felt authentic and genuine. My grandmother was more of the disciplinarian when we were just plain out hard-headed. My mom never wanted to whip us, but with my Grannie, you didn't stand a chance. She would whip us pure naked, meaning she made us strip our clothes off. This technique was done so that we would feel every inch and print of the switch. Now, she was a devout Christian woman who strongly believed in the scripture about not sparing the rod of correction. My, mom, a young vivacious woman was doing all she knew to do in order to love, protect and care for us. However, later on she went on to achieve her high school diploma and obtained a four year degree in political science. Also, my dad currently holds a two- year degree in electronic engineering. She worked at the local doctor's office as a receptionist day in and day out, working to provide food, housing and clothing for us. And you know there wasn't ever a time that she murmured or complained. She was so strong, but I now know that if it hadn't been for the Lord who was on her side, we wouldn't have made it. God is the answer to all of our hurts, pains, heartaches and adversities. He is all we need. It is not another man, woman, another drink, crack cocaine or whatever our stronghold maybe. God is a deliverer and a rewarder of those who seek Him!

Our grandmother loved cooking us those good home-cooked, southern hospitality meals. One summer day in mid-August, she was cooking us a delicious meal. She sang while she was cooking as she normally would do and I can precisely recall her singing like I'd never heard before. It was almost unusual, but I listened and enjoyed the sounds of her strong, vibrant, soprano voice. My sister and I were watching T.V. and waiting for our dinner. Grannie went back to lie down and read her Bible before she finished cooking. Suddenly, I heard a noise, like someone choking and I went into Grannie's room and there she lay on her bed on her back, having a seizure. So, I called 911 and my mom at work. The ambulance rushed her to the Emergency Room. Little did I know that this would change our lives forever. Shortly, she was pronounced dead in the Emergency Room. My life, how I once knew it, was shattered and the days ahead were dark and gloomy without her. My glue, my bond ... was gone. Oh, how I missed her! Now I thought, "Who would hold us together or who was going to meet our needs when my mom fell short of money?" Suddenly confused and full of emptiness, I just didn't know what to do. Where were all the sermons that I had heard and meditated on and once mimicked so well? My mind was cloudy with racing thoughts. We all had such a tough time coping with her lost. We not only lost...