Sister Julie Ann
I was born and raised Catholic. I was baptized as an infant. We went to St. Bedes’ Catholic Church in Hayward, California every Sunday. Sometimes I would sit with my grandparents. At the tender age of five years old, I was tuned into God. One Sunday as I sat in the pew, I stared at the statue of Jesus’ body hanging on the cross at the front of the church and started to bawl my eyes out. I felt sorrow and heartache that Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins. My Grandma asked me why I was crying, but I said nothing.
At the age of twelve I made my first Holy Communion. I loved my beautiful white gown and veil. I took the eucharist that day for the first time. I had in my bedroom, on my dresser, an altar to God. I had a candle, Helen Steiner Rice religious cards, and a picture of Jesus. I would regularly pray on my knees in my room by myself.
By age fourteen, we (my family) got evicted from where we were living on Valentine’s Day. Exactly one year later, we got evicted again. In between living in parks and “camping” and staying in cheap motels with kitchenettes, there was a period of one week when my mom had the police take me to a place, which was for troubled, runaway teens. She said it was so I would get “3 hots and a cot,” meaning three meals and a bed to sleep in.
At this facility I experienced spiritual distress. The next night I stayed up all night long, literally praying on my knees because I had a pamphlet saying that if you ask Jesus into your heart, you’ll feel this supernatural feeling. I finally laid down at 5:00 a.m. and got up at 6:00 a.m. Somehow, I felt completely rested and wide awake. By the end of the week, I was given back to my parents at the court hearing.
We finally got an apartment in Hayward. One afternoon I was kneeling on my bedroom floor praying to God and the word “fervent” came into my mind, but I didn’t know what it meant. So I went downstairs and asked my mother what it meant and she told me “Holy.” I expressed to her that I had a hard time in the home for troubled youth but didn’t go into details. I believe that hardship builds character.
My mom passed away at age 47 when I was 17 years old. My mom wanted me to sing “Amazing Grace” at her funeral. She had shared this with me some time before however, she didn’t have a proper funeral and I was too heartbroken and scared to sing it. I kept that to myself.
I got married at age 18 to my first boyfriend that I met when I was 15 years old. We met when my family was living in a motel. My mom told me that I should write a book someday. My Grandma told my mother-in-law-to-be that I needed to learn to be more assertive.
Two weeks after getting married, we moved to Hawaii where my husband and his family were from. Danny told me before we got married, “If you marry me, you marry my family.” I had no clue what that meant, but soon found out. His mother, Grandma Joan, was the “third person” in our marriage. We lived with them for our whole marriage (six years).
Danny and I found a church called “St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.” I started taking what was called RCIA courses. This was a nine month program with meetings once or twice a week to attend before you can make your confirmation as a Catholic. It was basically graduating into the church as an adult. At the end of the graduation on Easter Sunday 1989, there was a nice ceremony. We were baptized again as an adult, submerged under the water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. (I learned later that this was not the biblical way to be baptized). Kanani, who was the leader of the RCIA classes, gave me a plastic egg with a phrase in it that said “If your going to walk with the Holy Spirit, you need to keep in step with the Holy Spirit.” I live that principle in my life everyday.
While living in Hawaii, I had experienced severe spiritual warfare. It was tough. It was scary. But by the very grace of God, I was able to overcome the warfare. My life had gotten significantly better right before I became pregnant with my first son, Chance. I loved being pregnant and was elated that we were having a baby. He was born on April 11, 1991. Eight months later I became pregnant with Peter. Living the life of a mother of two by 22 years of age was a blessing. However, Grandma Joan truly did not teach her son to be responsible. Things began to fall apart. One day I decided to take Chance, Peter, and myself to the airport to fly to Sacramento, California.
Moving in with my sister and her family was the plan, until I could save a down payment to rent a three bedroom house. We lived in that house for six months. The pastor that was at the non-denominational church I was attending, called me after he blessed our home and told me that this verse was meant for me: “2 Timothy 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and love, and of a sound mind.” - Thank you Jesus! As the years passed, the boys grew and I intermittently attended church, baptist and non-denominational. At times, I gave into my flesh and between two semi-long relationships, fell into fornication. I was wrong. Every time I went to church, I cried. God was tugging at my heart. I eventually realized that this was not how I wanted to live, especially being a mother.
Peter, at age 18, married Elizabeth, so that their union together would be right. They invited me to Church on the Rock in Anderson, California. They encouraged me to get baptized after that night in the beautiful name of Jesus. When I went up to the front of the church for altar call, I wept and pleaded for God to forgive me for my sins. That night I was filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. It was the Holy Ghost that set me free from nicotine addiction of seven years. So, you see, life may be tough and unpredictable at times, but we are to endure hardships as soldiers for Christ. By our patience, we possess our souls. If God is for us, who can be against us? Thank you God!
