Breedlove, Kelsey

For as long as I can remember, I have known about God.
I was raised by a church-going family and baptized when I was young.
Serving God was always a central focus in my upbringing.
Behind the scenes, I was struggling.

My home-life was upside-down; my father was absent from the picture and my mother battled with dependence on drugs and alcohol my entire childhood, leading her to eventually become addicted to methamphetamine.
I had no idea how to cope with the large-scale
neglect and fear that I dealt with on a regular basis.
From an early age I began to self-medicate through pornography and masturbation, and I spiraled into a constant state of shame and guilt.

I was desperate for change.
I always knew Jesus had paid the price to ‘cover’ my sins, and that I had His forgiveness,
but what I didn’t know was that He had also paid for my complete freedom from sin.
I found myself at the altar countless times, apologizing to God for my sin and receiving forgiveness, but I still identified as a sinner.
My addiction continued.
I didn’t believe that change was possible, and I didn’t experience it.

After high school, I thought that making something of myself was the only way I could get past the shame and depression that I felt. I threw myself into college and I was a successful honors student with excellent grades. I began working at a local coffee shop, and decided that I would focus my career on owning my own shop one day. During the next two years, my time and energy became consumed with an effort to be successful in my career, and eventually I found myself working at one of the best coffee shops in my area.

That’s when everything finally did change.
When I wasn’t asking for it.
When I wasn’t looking for it.
God placed me right in the middle of a community of believers
who poured into me and ministered truth into my life.

The owners of the coffee shop, Kingdom Coffee, were Christians,
and God used them to completely change my life.

They shared with me truths from Scripture that I had never discovered or been taught. They spoke these things to me and God flipped a switch in my spirit,
awakening me to a new life in Him!

My eyes were opened to the truth of all
that Jesus accomplished for me through His death and resurrection.
I discovered that I died with Christ, my old self was crucified with Him and I was raised up in His likeness and declared righteous!!
In this new understanding of who I was,
I became free from everything.
I became free from my addiction, free from fear, free from pride and from myself.
Truth finally unlocked God’s grace in my life!

From then on my life wasn’t about masking my shame or creating success for myself.
Instead of grappling for an identity, I began to rest in a newfound knowledge of who I am within the Kingdom of Heaven… Everything I did began to flow out of the knowledge that I am a daughter of the living God.
I am one with Jesus; His blood flows through my veins!

It has been close to two years since I started working at Kingdom,
and my life is completely different.
Being a Christian has become so much more to me than an entrance into heaven,
Jesus is my life.
I’ve gone from knowing about God, to knowing God,
and getting to know Him more each day.
Now my only desire is living face-to-face with God, and experiencing more of His glory.
This is just the beginning!

Connect with Kelsey!
Instagram: kelseyleebreedlove
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelseyBatSGT
Personal Blog: http://www.kingdomcasts.com/blog

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