Dear Friend Cody-how he found Jesus!!!

Cornerstone Christian Fellowship

My intro to a very dear friend, humble soul, follower of Christ-who trusts Him with all his heart, soul, mind, spirit-FAITH! 

Cody and I never met, but we actually went to the same church-where we found Jesus at different times. He was mentally a tough cookie to change his negative "atheist" outlook for quite some time- but I give him no shame or blame. He was truly suffering in life already-but the beauty of it is God's love for us thru it all still. He was at Cody's side no matter how turned away he was. God knew how much he was going to need Him-search for Him, call out for Him, and soon turn to Him with some major trials and tough personal thoughts he had of himself. The way Satan works-all that negativity. But Cody was called to reach for Christ-and survive a tragic illness and so much more.... catch his story below.... Cody Ayars-such a blessing to many- a man of God- lives by the armor of love thru Christ! For Christ....  

After spending 26 years and 9 months as an atheist and in that time being bullied, picked on, beat up, alone in the world, suffering from obesity, speech impairment, and depression was a painful and challenging time going through elementary, middle, and high school. It hurt and scarred me for a majority of my life that brought me to some very low points, I'm talking about suicide for me it was an easy way out of the hell I was living not having a single friend to reach out too for support, comfort, assurance. My senior year of high school I started dating and shortly after graduation we moved in together and then we engaged at 19 years old and thing s were looking up for me we were planning on starting a family and when I turned 20 years old that's when my life took a nose dive for the worst, my girlfriend ended the relationship and threw a restraining order and left me with the bills which caused tremendous pain, hurt, anger, frustration, bitterness, and hatred toward women. From that point I ventured into what I call the 7 years of hell, all those words described became how I lived my life showing no care, no remorse, and no mercy! I lost my home to foreclosure, filed chapter 7 bankruptcy, lost my truck. Having the mindset on how can I inflict as much hurt and pain on others taking no prisoners pushing back my family and causing much hurt and scars on them when all they did was care about me and the remaining three months of that 7 year venture I had once again re-visited the lowest point in my life having no will to live dragging my feet hating the reflection in the mirror so desperately wanting to end my mere existence on this earth quit my job and had to make a decision to stay in Colorado or move to Arizona. So the day came it was 3 am and I was still undecided and I heard a voice in my mind saying "Just Go!" and so I was off to Arizona with more question marks than solutions, moved in with my sister and we talked shortly after she invited me to her home church (Cornerstone Chandler) and she made the comment to me that I will never forget, Well Cody you have nothing to lose. So I remember crying out to God stating if you are real and do exist prove it to me without a doubt, I'm giving you one chance to show me God! I shortly started attending church and the first 8-10 sermons it was like God was specifically talking to me and I was completed shocked and amazed! At the same time my sister got me plugged into the young adult ministry "Camber" and I got a call from a man and he invited me to small group and I went scared and nervous wondering if I was going to be judged and not accepted and I went and the man I spoke with on the phone was the first to introduce himself and from that point took me a broken, hurting atheist under his wing and introduce me to community and Jesus and two months later accepting Jesus in my life and a month after that was baptised. I started to make a lot of changes in my life and I got a job and then quit it out of anger and then I experienced an incredible journey (a trial) getting a front row seat to God's faithfulness and Grace. For 6 months I was unemployed with no money, no health insurance and in that time God showed in himself and revealed to me that he does exist and deeply love me and yearns for a closer relationship with me. I faced 4 near evictions (back to back), electric disconnections, need of food and resources and My Implantable Cardiovascular Defibrillator (ICD) had a very low battery and I continued to love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength loving others as myself (Luke 10:27) and went to God for help and having total trust and faith in HIM asking for a solution. The next day I get a call for my cardiologist's assistant and was asked to come to the doctors office and my heart doctor awarded me that the ICD, operating room, and ICD specialist will all be donated a $105,000 surgery donated. God provided and showed up once again on HIS good timing. I grew up with a heart murmur and at 17 years old needed to have open heart surgery to repair the damage, 5 years later at 22 years old had an ICD implanted to help support my heart and was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse with a enlarged heart,  5 years later at 27 years old I was diagnosed with Heart Disease and was told I will need a heart transplant within 1-5 years I was shocked and wanted to do anything to avoid the heart transplant I went to God for any solutions to delivery me from that. My mentor called me shortly after blessing me with a the P90X workout and he encouraged me to stick with it and even did it with me and I completed the 90 day challenged dropped 55 pounds and a few months after had a follow up appointment with my cardiologist and he was impressed with my weight loss and energy levels and said that as long as I continue being active that I should never need a heart transplant in my lifetime! Just to update my testimony in November of 2013 my ICD starting beeping (2 years after my last heart surgery to the replace that battery) and this time again I had no health insurance and no job, I prayed to The Lord for guidance and provisions and as weeks went by I began to trust in HIM as I searched for options online and finally after 2 months (a few days after Christmas) I received a letter stating I was approved for Access (AZ health plan for free) and 2 weeks later I was able to go through with my 4th heart surgery and they also had to replace one of the four "leads" that are embedded in the heart valves. I had been unemployed for now 13 months and God has been providing for all my needs along the way. In conclusion I remember thinking I will never live to see age 30 and here I am 30 years old going on 46 months in my walk with Christ and I praise and worship HIM daily for each day I live and also thank HIM for my mentor and for bringing other leaders into my life to help me grow stronger in my walk with Jesus! Looking back over my life so far I've experienced more in life over the past 30 months with God than 26 years and 9 months as an atheist! God has healed me from hatred, speech impairment, self-consumed mindset and mistrust in people.

by Cody Ayars

1 Peter 4:10

God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

John 16:33

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Lift Up Our Eyes

Precious Friend Amy Mescher- my Mentor for YEARS! 

"You're the Giver of Life," Dear Jesus!!!

No matter how lost, how unwell, how busy, how full of hatred, how confused-- "we" can't truly fix these issues... what WE can do is bring our hearts to Him from so far away!!! And it is Jesus that can lift us, comfort us, heal us, change us-our focus. Have us see or re-see or open our hard hearts to His amazing unconditional love. Open our understanding, truly all He does for us. Starting with creation.

But many of us never learn about Him growing up. Parents of this generation think it is the "right" thing not to press anything on their children-let them "figure" it all out when they get older-what is "their" right faith. I lived thru that. As many know, I had to find Him the near death way.

But as we live our faith, no matter what is going on-you can feel the comfort and see plans from our Lord being made for us. But when the tough time feels like it isn't going to end, we begin to doubt, pull away. During my illness when there were no answers for such debilitating pain after my 3rd brain surgery-I figured God clocked out on me. So I figured I would handle it myself then.
Never once did He leave me. But my comfort was not there. When we harden our hearts-we easily doubt, get angry, feel jaded.

But turning back to Christ may not have given me a direct answer on how to cure my body pain. But my comfort and trust and hope was back. That is fine with me. Whatever pain I endure, I need Christ more, so perhaps that is His way of keeping me close-the thorn in my side. I just have seen and been thru amazing healing-am finally seizure free following that 3rd brain surgery. We have to see the blessings and live them out. When we don't-there is a little pause on our plans until we see as close thru His eyes as possible.

Thru this pain, the most days I could-minus some selfish ones, I reached out to friends to enjoy time with me. Share life struggles. Be their for them in any way possible. And when my body could-take them to my art room and PAINT!!!!! :) I love to comfort others and thru all I've endured in life-thru the grace of God, be able to share stories and guide souls on right and wrong actions in His eyes. Yet let them know-He loves them no matter what choice. Just might have some learning time when we do something we know biblically better.

I have been very blessed being in two states I have lived many years in both. Both states are much kinder to my body pain than MN. And MN is beautiful. It just attacks my body in excruciating pain. Arizona hurts my body for a few months when the monsoon comes in. And So Orange County made my body feel new again. Both places I met up with friends I haven't seem in over a decade! God is so good! Plus, my husband and I had such a marvelous time. That is all glory to God! We are very gracious for guiding us together and pouring so much love on us, even when we don't deserve it. To YOU GOD--all the Glory, Honor, Praise!

Thru anything, no everything you go thru- don't doubt Jesus. Lift up your eyes to our giver of life! To Him nothing is impossible-this I know very well! Have Him show you the love HE has for you-and so many others. Give your stress and worries to Him. Spend time with Him, the family and friends He blessed you with. Sharing His Truth and Love. Trust in His love always-He will never fail you!

Much love to you all from me....

In His Love,

Heather Siebens
http://www.Facebook.com/AliveinMe
http://www.twitter.com/AliveinMe

Ephesians 2: 8-10
God saved you by His special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done. so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.