January 23, 1994 is when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. Before that, I was just chillin and coolin in the world, but I always put God first. I grew up in a household where I was taught about the Lord and where I understood His goodness, His greatness and His love. My Mother always instilled in me to put God first and he will definitely pull you through. As any teenager or young adult, I wanted things my way and I felt a lot of the times that my Mother's way was the old way. I didn't have time for all that. I felt that I could do what I wanted to do, go where I wanted to go and I would be alright. I was so wrong dot com.

I recall November 20, 1991, my birthday, I was in the passenger seat of a vehicle and was hit by a van on my side. The impact totaled the car but, I walked away with just a few scratches.

In September 1992, I had bought a brand new car and, like being in the world, I coveted the car. In October 1993, I was held at gunpoint where a guy took my car. Now this person, unknown to me at the time, was already wanted for kidnapping, ATM robbery, murder, and other crimes. Granted, at this time I still was not saved. It was after midnight and I had just got home from work. I backed into my driveway, not thinking about the guys standing in front of the house. As I got out of my car, one of the guys walked up to me, pulled out a gun, and asked for my keys. Of course I gave them to him. He proceeded to ask for money and asked for my driving gloves. As he was putting my gloves on, he asked for the keys again. I told him that I had already given them to him. He then took the gun and put it straight to my head and said that I didn't. When I again told him that I did give him the keys, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys and handed them back to me to open the door. I asked him if he wanted me to start the car for him. I was being very nice. He then said that he wanted me to start the car but if I tried to leave he would cap me. I assured him that I was going nowhere. I reached into the car and started it for him. He then asked me if I wanted to take a ride with him, which I said no because my Mother was in the house and she needed me. He then told me to give him an hour before I called the cops--I told him I'd give him three hours. He got in the car and left, along with the other guys waiting. I then did a 180 to the door and woke my Mom up. Normally, she would have been awake waiting for me to make sure I arrived home safely. You know Moms, overprotective. But by the grace of God, she had fallen asleep. If she had came to the door and seen what was happening, both of us would have been lying on the ground. My Mother prayed for all three guys and she said that the Lord was going to touch their hearts and one of them would confess to what happened. She was so right because one of the guys turned himself in and that's how we knew that the guy that had held me at gunpoint and took my car, killed two people that very night. By the grace of God I survived and walked away without a scratch.

One Sunday in November that same year, I was thinking about going before the Church, but I couldn't move. The first Sunday in December, before I knew it, I was talking to the pastor telling him I wanted to accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and be baptised. After going through the classes of what it means to be baptised and to accept Jesus, before I knew, it was January and I was waiting for my new "birthday."

Since that day, my life has not been the same. I'm still coolin and chillin, but now I'm in the light as He is in the light. It's so cool to know that He's just a prayer away. I call His name and He is there. Ok Word.

(God has blessed me with music and through music I strive to do HIS WILL to bless others)

- Sythe