Here is my #Testimony thread. It's a long windy story full of tragedy, anger, depression, suicide and redemption. I'm thankful everyday for the new day I am given! Feel free to share or leave positive comments! #ManUp

My story starts around 9 or 10 years old(2005ish) my dad and mom end up splitting and dad left for good. My dad was a pretty good man until he found drugs. They changed the loving father into a raging drunk full of hatred, racism and anger. Im not sure what happened between them

That was the final breaking point. My dad inherented a generational curse that he also passed to me and my brothers. He would all the time tell us we were worthless, good for nothing and my personal favorite(Nobodies) it was hard for me to grasp my dad leaving that day. But the

Thing that was the hardest part of that day. It was the last time i ever seen my dad in my life. Life after dad was tough. My mom loved to date losers. And it's always fun when shes working 6-7 days a week while her unemployed boyfriend is yelling at her middle school kids to get

A job. I never understood it but it wasnt my life. My grandfather(moms dad) was the closest thing I had to a father figure growing up. Although he was a drunk himself, he was a really good man with an incredible heart and an expert fisherman. He unfortunately lost his life to

Lung cancer in 2009. I cant remember much about this time period. All i remember is mom thought it was a good idea to pack up and move to Florida. It was extremely hard to move 800 miles away during your already tough freshman year of high school. I never thought id see and live

Through some of the things that I did down there. But I did. We were homeless, kids slinging drugs in the school. Gunshots 2 streets over from our house every night. It was a huge change from little ole Kentucky. But we eventually moved back to KY and i finished High school.

During my senior year i took up heavy drinking. So much that it affected me at school and in sports. The only thing I wanted to do was get to the weekend so we could get hammered. A few years later i ended up meeting my current girlfriend and quickly gave up the drinking. I felt

It was time to grow up and felt no need to continue doing it. Fast forward to May of 2018. My grandmother is diagnosed with breast cancer on Friday night. Sunday morning she had passed. I just found myself angry with God and really just hurt and broken. My dad left a void in my

Life that I have always tried to fill with something. One day shortly after my grandmother had passed, i was riding the bike in the gym just kinda moseying around. My buddy Bryan walks in and grins ear to ear at me and says everything will be alright. And while it sounds like not

A big deal. That was the first time I experienced first hand someone being a light for Christ. One smile changed my whole life that day. I just felt fulfilled, for the first time in a long time. Later that year in July(2nd) i ended up getting a text that he had passed away. While

We werent the closest of friends, that hurt worse than my dad dying, my papaw and my grandmother combined. I can remember just pleading that I could take his place. He had such a bright future and I didnt. But God doesnt work that way. I still think about that day a lot.

That Saturday they had his funeral. And at the time I was just hurt, broken and lost. His mom had decided to make the funeral a church service. I had never been to a funeral but I thought that was strange. Looking back on it, it's so crazy to see how God was working the entire

Time. During the service they played a popular song called Chainbreaker by Zach Williams. (This was a bit of foreshadowing and truthfully God showing me that the best had yet to come.) But a part of it hit me especially hard. The words "There's a better life" just continued to

Jump out at me. Shortly after they made an altar call. And i figured I nothing to lose and everything to gain. So i went up and just pleaded with God to change my life. It was so miserable. I had spent so many nights pleading for death. I hated waking up and I was an extremely

Bitter person all the time. Thankfully, my destiny changed right there. The Lord took away the sin, sorrow, anger, bitterness, stress, worry, guilt and shame. I had for the first time in my life peace and joy. It was so real to me that at that moment, fear had lost its hold on me

Grace, mercy and Love came into my life like a hurricane. I wish I could tell you this was the end of my heartache and sorrow. But sadly it is not. In October of 2019, I was named Director of a Gym Mission called Chainbreakers(remember the foreshadowing?) God put me in a position

To be a mentor and leader to kids/teens who grow up in fatherless homes just like I did. Eventually i grew over my hatred of kids and we now train a few *pre covid-19* God blessed me with natural leadership and a ton of raw talent and strength. Powerlifting became an outlet for

Me. I was quite successful at it very quickly 5x State Champ 1x Regional Champ 2x National Champ. A ton of state and national records in my fed. I loved lifting so much it became #1. Something I've learned about God, He is #1 or He is nothing at all. In January of 2020 i began to

Again deeply struggle with depression and Suicide. I was seconds away from taking my life on New years eve. Eventually I just poured myself into scripture and said God I'm sorry for not always being faithful to you. Im sorry for putting other things ahead of you. After all youve

Brought me through, i put something as simple as powerlifting ahead of my Savior. I try my best to stay in scripture daily. If I had to leave you with a few lessons they would be as follow 1: No amount of Sin, regardless if it's Sex, drugs, alcohol, cussing, fighting or any other

Form of ignorance can fill the void that a life without Christ has. I find it incredibly difficult to wake up and not pursue Christ. I'm not perfect, and Lord knows i've falled short of grace a few too many times. #2 if you're the type who likes to be challenged in furthering

Your daily walk I highly advise you to read "Not a fan" by @KyleIdleman that book seriously changed my life. I attended Southeast regularly and never knew Kyle was the Senior Pastor. The book opened my eyes to where my relationship was with Christ. #3 Your past doesnt define you.

And no amount of noise can change that. You are not who other people say you are. You are who God says you are. Chosen and not foresaken. You are redeemed and God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for your sins. God saved me from a miserable pit of sorrow and shame.

God turned my grave into a garden( @elevation_wrshp song out now btw) and my life has a purpose. For the rest of my life I will sing Gods praises and do my best to lead others to Him. Stop living for the world and Start living for God. I know sin is fun but there's a life after

My name is Dakota Baker and I am a passionate heart on fire child of the Father. Thank you for reading this thread and thank you for following my journey to the cross. Christ loves you. Let him fight the battles you can't win.