Mirror

Spiritual Influences in My Life

Many people helped me in my spiritual journey...these are just a few:

Isabel B.

Isabel was my first sponsor in AA. She was instrumental in helping me see that God is a loving, forgiving God. She was gentle and patient as I learned not to be ashamed of my past and helped me to live one day at a time. She was at my side throughout the most crucial first 90 days of my sobriety and moved me forward, helping me to understand the role of the Lord in my life.

Esther Velez

I met Esther at Crossroads Free Methodist Church in Clifton, New Jersey. She is a beautiful woman of God who loves to pray. She never hesitated to let me know when my walk with God seemed to veer off in a different direction. I remember the day she told me, “You don’t trust God...God does not need your help. He is more than capable of handling your problems all on His own. Leave it alone.” I never forgot that, and I remember her when I wanted to go ahead of Him and “fix” my problems.

Nancy M.

I met Nancy several years ago at Celebrate Recovery. She became my sponsor and still is today. Celebrate Recovery is a 12-step program that helps people deal with past or present hang-ups, hurts, or habits that interfere with our daily walk and recognizes Jesus Christ as our Higher Power. Nancy is also my Spiritual Advisor. There is not a problem that I have, that she doesn’t have a Bible verse for. She directs me, guides me, encourages me, and accepts me just as I am. She is instrumental in working with the homeless and is a prayer warrior.

Rev. Dr. Gil Lee

When I first met Rev. Gil, I was in awe of his love for the Lord as I continue to be. Whenever he speaks of Jesus, his face lights up and I can see the love he has for his Savior. My first reaction to this was: “I want what he has. I want to know and love the Lord in a way that nothing else matters.”

Rev. Gil is a fourth-generation pastor. When he was a sophomore at Mokwon University in South Korea, he was moved to answer a call for missionary work after hearing a speaker during a Missionary Conference. After serving as a Pastor in Korea, he knew his mission was to be worldwide and ultimately his mission field would be the United States. He has gone on to expand that mission to the digital world. God’s dream of everyone being saved has become his dream.

I have had many spiritual influences during my life. Most of those encounters were static. They were in my life for a short time for a specific limited purpose. But this is the first time I have had the opportunity to watch someone I’m learning from who is also willing to be a student.

Rev. Gil continually broadens his scope worldwide. His never-ending search to find ways to bring people to the Lord has no limit and I'm sure will continue to grow. As a result, he will continue to be a spiritual influence in the lives of many as well as my own.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

1 Thessalonians 5:11