Who is Carol Van Atta?

That's a good question! I'm a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, and heiress to a royal Heavenly Kingdom, where Jesus Christ will rule forever.

Wow! Now that truth takes my breath away…I'm a servant, commissioned by God, to help others break free from what holds them captive. I myself am a former captive who finally realized that the prison cell has been unlocked for a long, long time. It was up to me to open the door and walk out of the cell of darkness and into the God's everlasting light. Do I have it all together? No way! I still have several areas that I'm working on, and I believe God will continue to reveal more to me as time progresses. But…what I do have is a willing heart to follow Jesus and to never ever give up on Him, or myself, no matter how hard my circumstances may be. I've learned from experience, including my successes and my mistakes, to take life one step and one prayer at a time.

God's Word says we must possess at least a mustard seed of faith to grow in Christ. My life has been filled with one mustard seed, added to another, to another,
to another in order to finally create that unique, spicy, yellow, mustard spread. Actually, my faith has grown; from one miniscule seed to something that I can hold on to and rest in.

I grew up in a fairly middle class family riddled with dysfunction. But what family doesn't have struggles? I want to point out that in no way do I blame my parents for the choices I made. I believe, that our past pain and experiences most definitely influence our choices and behaviors. Many of us have had horrendous past pains, but when we belong to the Lord, He offers us the chance to lay these hurts at the foot of the cross. We can learn to live differently by reaching out to safe people (pastors, support persons, bible study groups etc.) and by confessing our sins to one another, and most importantly to God. Our Lord's precious Word, His love letters to us, offer the perfect restoration plan for our lives. He is the Ultimate Potter that can craft a broken vessel back into a beautiful piece of art. AMEN!

This healing and restoration did not happen for me overnight. In fact, it has been and continues to be a long process of tears and testing. My point -- IT IS A PROCESS. No matter where you are in your life, right now, this moment, don't fear. God has your best interest in mind. Does he sometimes heal us immediately--absolutely. I experienced immediate freedom from the smoking bondage, but more than often He invites us to be a part of the process. It's in the process of daily change that we learn to depend on Him completely to sustain us. I hope my experiences, failures, successes, and most importantly, God's love will inspire you to take one step forward, say a prayer, and follow Jesus on the most interesting and meaningful adventure of your life.

May God bless you richly and beyond measure.

Carol Van Atta