There have been times in my life when I didn’t know how I was going to make it.
The battles I’ve faced, the storms I’ve endured, and the losses I’ve carried could have easily broken me. There were moments I felt like giving up, moments where the pain was louder than the promise, and days when the weight on my shoulders felt too heavy to bear.
But through it all, I learned something powerful: my strength has never been my own—it has always been my Father’s. Jesus has carried me through it all.
The journey that could have broken me many times over has become the very testimony that shows the strength of the Lord in me. I have walked through some valleys so deep that many people have never come out the same.
Ephesians 6:10 says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” That verse became more than just words on a page for me—it became the truth I had to live by. Because the truth is, I didn’t survive my hardest seasons because I was strong. I survived because God’s strength carried me when I couldn’t carry myself.
Looking back, I can see the hand of God in every step. The nights I cried myself to sleep, He was the One who gave me peace. The days I felt like I had nothing left, He was the One who gave me breath to keep going. The times I thought it was the end, He was already working out a new beginning.
My testimony is not that I never fell—but that when I fell, God picked me back up. My testimony is not that I had it all together—but that when I was falling apart, God held me together. My testimony is not that life has been easy—but that God has been faithful.
I faced unthinkable pain at a young age—being raped and molested when I should have been protected. I carried that trauma silently, wondering if I would ever truly heal.
I know the heartbreak of loss. Losing my grandson, Malichi, my best friend, Ny and saying goodbye to my Dad, Frank. I’ve stood beside my husband Tony as we grieved the loss of his mother and grandmother. Grief tried to crush me, but God’s comfort lifted me.
I’ve endured heartbreak in marriage, too. From the time I was 18, I went through four marriages, each one leaving its own wounds and scars. One of the hardest seasons of my life was when my children were taken away from me for over ten years. Unable to be with them unsupervised. That pain was unbearable.
Yet, in that same struggles, God was still working.
I am now not afraid to speak up when a woman or child is in trouble. I find joy in knowing the ones we have lost are now dancing with the Lord. God blessed me with Tony — the love of my life. Yes, we went through our own battles, but through God, he and I have found a different kind of peace, healing, and partnership that only God could have written into our story.
My amazing sister and brother-in-law stepped in to raise my children, not only giving them stability, but also planting them deeper in the Lord. That painful season gave me the space to heal, to find myself, and to grow in my relationship with God. What felt like punishment became part of my restoration.
Today, I walk in strength as a mother again. My children and I have an unbreakable bond. They come to me for advice and guidance. This is healing that only God can accomplish. My husband and I are now raising Super Alex, who is nonverbal and autistic. Raising him is not always easy, but he is my joy, my teacher, and one of my greatest testimonies of God’s love and purpose.
Through him, I’ve learned that strength is not always loud — sometimes it is quiet, patient, and rooted in unconditional love.
Through every loss, every heartbreak, every tear, and every trial, I can say without a doubt: I am only standing because of the Lord. When I was weak, He was my strength. When I was broken, He was my healer. When I was lost, He found me. When I was empty, He filled me.
My parents — Daddy Pastor Stan, my Dad Frank (who is now resting in Heaven), Mommy Lynn, and Mom Leah — have all been part of shaping me, covering me in love, and pointing me back to God’s grace. Their presence, along with Tony, my children and grandchildren by my side, has reminded me that even when life tries to strip everything away, God always surrounds me with people who reflect His love.
So today, I stand as living proof: what was meant to destroy me only made me stronger in the Lord. My story is not one of defeat, but of victory through Christ. I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a survivor, and above all, a child of God.
And I will keep on standing — not in my own strength, but in the power of His might.
And I stand today stronger, not because of me, but because of Him. What should have destroyed me only deepened my faith. What should have silenced me gave me a louder voice to testify. What was meant for evil, God turned around for my good.
So, if you see me standing, smiling, pressing forward—it’s not just me. It’s the strength of the Lord shining through me. I am living proof that no matter what you go through, you can make it when you lean on God.
This is my testimony: I am strong, because He is strong. I made it, because He never left me. And I will continue to stand, not in my own power, but in the power of His might.