Changed Lives Through Christ - Blog
Published Bi-Monthly

Current Blog...            LAUGHING IN THE DARK             9/17/2023                                                                                                  Chonda Pierce
       Chonda Pierce was born in 1960, in Covington, Kentucky but grew up in South Carolina. According to Wikipedia, she was raised by her parents; her father was a preacher. But in spite of growing up in a faith-filled home, she had a troubled childhood. Later in life she discovered that comedy and laughter was like medicine for her.
       Chonda started in show business in Nashville. She joined the Opryland Theme Park as a Minnie Pearl impersonator. Unfortunately, she was a dreadful dancer and her director told her to figure out something else to do on stage. So, she delivered what her talents could supply: jokes. She memorized three pages of jokes from Grinders Switch, TN, and went on with her show for six years.
       Her performances were a great success and she decided to do comedy full time. She recorded “Second Row, Piano Side,” consisting of experiences from her childhood growing up as the daughter of a preacher. The audience really connected with her material and she credits her southern upbringing for both her warped sense of humor and her solid roots.
       Chonda Pierce has become an Emmy-nominated, best-selling comedienne, making audiences laugh for more than three decades. She works as a stand-up comic, television hostess, author and
actress and she’s the number one selling female comedian of all time, as reported by the Recording Industry of America, (RIAA).
       In her parallel universe, Chonda has been fighting a silent battle that most people haven’t known about. Mel Johnson of GodUpdates.com shares the details in his 2016 article.
       While in high school, Chonda met her future husband, “David.” At that time, David was trying to look after his divorced, alcoholic father. And Chonda was dealing with tragedies of her own. She lost one of her sisters in a car crash. She lost the other sister to Leukemia.
       Chonda said about David, "We were recovery partners after we found each other. I do believe it was a providential thing. We were each other's soulmates through all that."
       After college, Chonda and David married. They started their family; they had four children in the midst of their busy careers: Chonda hit the road as a comedienne and David was a professor. They found as the years passed that the children became resentful because their parents paid more
attention to their careers than to them. One of their children left home and cut family ties. Chonda often cried over that and David turned to alcohol.
       One night, David stumbled home and was incoherent. Chonda thought he had had a stroke, but the paramedics told her he was drunk. She was shocked, embarrassed, and angry. She said, “I was mad as fire at him. And just so hurt.”
       David went to rehab but it was short lived. So he went again. He was trying but it wasn’t working.
The second time he was released, he and Chonda had a nice candlelight dinner to celebrate. Then he left to make a brief trip to the store, but while there, he picked up a case of beer and drank nine bottles in the parking lot. Chonda took him straight back to rehab that very night.

A refreshingly honest and witty exploration of one woman’s journey through depression.
Along with the humor, Chonda Pierce shares practical insight, biblical teaching,
emotional support, and sympathetic concern. Whether you’ve experienced depression
in your own life or in the life of someone you love, this friend has something to offer you:
help, hope and, believe it or not, plenty of laughter.


(Click Pic to Purchase)
AVAILABLE AT AMAZON

 
        David never did overcome his disease. Chonda said, “I look back and sometimes say, ‘Why haven't
I given up?' I don't know if I'm incredibly optimistic, or I have such a strength in faith. Or am I just crazy?
I am crazy in love with God. I think he really dwells with us. And I'm crazy enough to believe that.”
  In their final conversation, David looked at his devoted wife and said, "I messed up, hun." He passed away in 2014.
       So, the life of Chonda Pierce has not been easy. She’s had many ups and downs and as a result has had to battle depression. At the same time, she has been an overcomer. She said about losing her
husband, ". . . what sets in is a great peace to know that he's at peace. There's a sweet resolve when you truly believe there's a heaven."
       That’s why she can “laugh in the dark,” because Jesus Christ has been her rock and her strength through it all. She has channeled her life experiences into positivity, bringing laughter to audiences around the country. As she publicly opens up to her listeners about times of darkness and depression
in her own life, she declares her faith in God in the midst of everything and draws humor and good
out of every situation.

References:
https://www.godupdates.com/christian-comic-chonda-pierce-on-her-late-husbands-alcoholism/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chonda_Pierce



Previous Blog...             AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE               8/20/2023                                                                                       Mylon LeFevre
       Mylon Lefevre’s life story is truly extraordinary. He was born into a Gospel music family in 1944 in Gulfport, Mississippi. His family performed as a Southern Gospel singing group. When Mylon was old enough, he sang and played guitar with the group.
       At the same time, he was sort of a rebel; he was expelled from Christian school as a teenager. So, he joined the army at age 17 and there, wrote his first song, Without Him. As the old expression goes,
“The cream always rises to the top.” The song skyrocketed, earning him $90,000 in just three months.
       That song made it to the ears of Elvis Presley. Elvis recorded the song in 1963 and a year later, 
126 other albums included it on their projects. By age 19, Mylon had written, produced and recorded 
his first solo album, New Found Joy, but it was a bit too contemporary for Southern Gospel audiences. He kept playing, forming a band that would later become the Atlanta Rhythm Section.
       As the years progressed, Mylon gained the respect and friendship of many iconic secular stars. Unfortunately, he was also living the rock-and-roll lifestyle. He became a cocaine and heroin addict and almost died after a near fatal overdose.
      In an interview with Steve Hill at TBN, Mylon described that time, back in the day. He said, “I went to a concert by a band in 1980 called “The Second Chapter of Acts” . . . I was a heroin addict when I went to that concert. . . . Buck Herring, at the end of the concert--he got up and just gave a simple invitation.
       “Now, I didn’t go down front, by the way. I stood in the back and cried. I was in the dark; I didn’t want anybody to see me, but I had been sitting there all night thinking,
       “Man, I’ve been around the world and I’ve sold four million records, and I really thought--when I was a kid---that if I made enough money where I could live where I want to, drive what I want to, and hang out with who I want to, I’d be happy . . .
       “There was nothing (to me) more depressing than to be in England, living in a castle, riding in limousines, and having a Lear jet to take me anywhere I wanted to go . . . and sitting in that castle with one of the Beatles . . . and both of us having to take care of one [another] to get through the night. [And at that concert I thought] Everything I had put my trust in has failed me. And what I found [in that church 
service] was love.
       “. . . That’s what I was looking for and that solved all the problems and it turned my life around.”
  Donnie Swaggert also interviewed Mylon and later shared their discussion on SBN TV. Donnie said all Mylon ever wanted was to become a superstar. So, he put a band together but it wasn’t progressing like he’d wished. After that, he moved to England and his career exploded. He was touring with George Harrison, the Who, Mic Fleetwood, the Stones, Steve Winwood, Little Richard, Eric Clapton, and Billy Joel,
       He was writing prolifically at that time but the drinking and drugs led him into heroin addiction by his mid 20s. Mylon said, here he was, six foot, one, 135 pounds, with bleeding ulcers and coughing up blood. He was dying but he didn’t want to die in England.

This is Mylon’s story, in its entirety, for the first time in print, with over 100 photos, 
and lyrics to 15 of his most popular songs. From playing stadiums, coliseums and 
getting high with some of the biggest rock stars in the world, to be strung out 
on heroin and cocaine, he was trapped in a seemingly hopeless pit of depression and loneliness.
 It’s all here, the good and the ugly. Mylon finally found what he was looking for, 
but it wasn’t in drugs money or fame... he found God. Not religion, but rather 
a loving Heavenly Father who forgave him and fulfilled him with purpose and hope.

(Click Pic to Purchase)
AVAILABLE AT AMAZON

       Mylon went back to the states where he landed in hospital. His dad, who had been an “unspiritual” man, performing music as a job (not a ministry) had since straightened out his life. Mylon saw the 
incredible change in him and prayed, “Lord, if you can change my dad, you can change me.”
       At the same time, out of his fear for his survival, Mylon asked God for help. At age 35, he became “born-again” and rededicated his life to Christ, understanding the difference between knowing God 
exists versus accepting and receiving Him as the Lord of your life. He explained to Donnie that he was partying and touring but he was empty and hated himself. He didn’t want to live and mourned over the great disappointment he’d become, but he discovered Jesus loved Him. And now, for the first time, Mylon fully understood the meaning of the words to the song he wrote years ago, Without Him.
       After this dynamic turning point, he enrolled in Bible classes at Atlanta’s Mount Paran Church of God while taking on a job as church janitor there. Through his humble surrender and growth, today, he is a preacher, teacher, and founder of his Atlanta based ministry. He and his wife Christi minister in about 75 churches a year.

References:
https://youtu.be/lfdX8nhKGCw
https://godinamerica2011.blogspot.com/2013/04/testimonies-of-gods-grace-mylon-lefevre.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylon_LeFevre
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/mylon-lefevre-christian-rock.html
https://mylon.org/



Previous Blog...                   SOUND OF FREEDOM                    7/23/2023
                                                          Jim Caviezel Plays Tim Ballard
      There’s been a lot of “buzz” lately about an independent film, 
released July 4th of this year called Sound of Freedom. It is based on a true story and was created and produced to expose the evils of sex-trafficking, going on in this country and around the world
  The film depicts the incredible true story of former federal government agent, Tim Ballard, turned vigilante who quits his job and 
embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers.
       In a CBN interview, Tim Ballard explains, “Nobody was talking about human-trafficking and I was telling people these stories of things I was coming across and no one believed me. And it was like, ‘These are real kids.’
       “And really it was my wife on this . . . she grabbed me by the 
collar and said, ‘I will not let you jeopardize my salvation.’ [the 
actress during this scene said, ‘You quit your job and you go and rescue those kids.’] . . . I really put it into perspective: why are we here on this earth?
       “And then we jumped in and the operation--as the movie depicts--was extremely successful . . . it was actually bigger than Sound of Freedom was able to show.
       The star, Jim Caviezel, (the actor who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ), explains, “It is the fastest growing international crime network that the world has ever seen. It has already passed the 
illegal arms trade and soon it’s going to pass the drug trade.”
       The horrors of what is happening to these children and adults alike can hardly be grasped. The website, Human Trafficking Research states that individuals are exploited “. . . through threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, and/or deception . . . and include the practices of forced labor, debt bondage, domestic servitude, forced marriage, sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers . . .”
       There are also reports about people being used for organ harvesting, adrenochrome collection through torturous fear tactics, and medical experimentation. But of course there is push back among the elites who say such ideas are no ore than conspiracy theories. Even so, many are talking about these issues and more of these operations are coming to light each day in spite of the “woke”.
       And just to show how “woke” our society has become, Wikipedia reports that, “Sound of Freedom was completed in 2018 and a distribution deal was made with 20th Century Fox. However, that studio was purchased by the Walt Disney Company, which shelved the film. The filmmakers reportedly spent years trying to get the distribution rights back from Disney and take it to theaters.
       “[Producer] Verástegui approached Angel Studios with the release rights. Angel presented the film to an online group of 100,000 investors in its past projects called the Angel Guild, which gave it a "yes" vote within days. On March 30, 2023, Variety reported that Angel Studios had acquired the worldwide distribution rights . . . On May 12, it received a release date of July 4, 2023.”

SOUND OF FREEDOM-OFFICIAL TRAILER
https://www.angel.com/press/release/angel-studios-announces-new-film-sound-of-freedom-starring-jim-caviezel

SOUND OF FREEDOM-GET TICKETS
        The first step to stopping these heinous crimes is to heighten awareness and this recent film 
certainly does that. Included below are links to the official trailer for the movie and a website you can use to find out if Sound of Freedom is playing at a theater near you. Let’s spread the word about this ground breaking motion picture. And let’s seek out resources to help fight this battle in what ever way we can.
       Remember, “Every person is created in the image of God. Human trafficking—the exploitation of men, women, and children in order to gain a profit—is therefore a crime against both humanity and our Creator,” (as stated at Samaritan’s Purse). Let’s do our part.
 
References:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7599146/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_of_Freedom_(film)
https://humantraffickingsearch.org/types-of-trafficking/
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/putting-a-stop-to-human-trafficking/



Previous Blog...                                  MY DAD, JOE                           10/9/2022                                                                        And the Thief on the Cross
       God deals with each of us differently. Some people accept Jesus as Savior at a very early age. Others become saved during adult life. Still others wait until they reach death's door. And of course, some never do come to Christ.
       My dad, Joe was one of those who waited right until the very end. And God was gracious enough to give him the time he needed instead of taking him suddenly.
       I know my father was afraid of dying. I know, because my mother told me so. When my dad's health started to seriously decline, he said, "I never thought the day would come when I would pass away." But the day was fast approaching. Did you know God is not willing that anyone should perish? That's why He makes salvation simple.
       Now, don't be mistaken. The Christian walk is quite the daily challenge but deciding to accept Christ is not hard. We just need to agree with God that we are flawed and have sinned, ask for His forgiveness, and then ask Him to come into our heart and be Lord of our life, (meaning we will promise to live for Him).
       So, what if a person's time is short or he doesn't know the steps or he has no one to help him? Remember the thief on the cross? He certainly was running out of time. He realized he would die within an hour or two. He didn't know what repentance from sin was. He didn't know he needed to ask God for forgiveness. He had no future to surrender to the Lord. Even so, he had something going for him: the right attitude. Here is the story from Luke 23:39-43; (ERV).
       39 One of the criminals hanging there began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Then save yourself, and save us too!” 40 But the other criminal stopped him. He said, “You should fear God. All of us will die soon. 41 You and I are guilty. We deserve to die because we did wrong. But this man, [Jesus] has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he [turned to Jesus and] said, “Jesus, remember me when you begin ruling as king!” 43 Then Jesus said to him, “I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
       As my dad lay in his bed, dying of end stage liver and kidney failure, he said, "God, please take me to heaven." And he described a vision he had of Jesus coming down off the cross to walk with him. Later, I spoke to him, and said, "Daddy, when your time comes, just call on the name of Jesus," for the Bible says, "Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved," (Romans 10:13; TLB).
       Maybe you've shared Christ with a friend or a loved one but they just haven't come around to making that decision. Please don't be discouraged. I, and many others prayed for my dad for over 40 years and often shared the Bible with him.
       I wrote countless letters to my dad over the years. None of those efforts were wasted. Remember, "As the rain and snow come down from heaven and stay upon the ground to water the earth, and cause the grain to grow and to produce seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry, so also is my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It shall accomplish all I want it to and prosper everywhere I send it," (Isaiah 55:10-11; TLB).

One of the most popular introductions to Christian faith ever written titled,
Mere Christianity, has sold millions of copies worldwide. The book brings together
C. S. Lewis's legendary broadcast talks of the war years, talks in which he
set out simply to "explain and defend the belief that has been common
o nearly all Christians at all times." Rejecting the boundaries that divide
Christianity's many de-nominations, Lewis provides an unequaled opportunity
for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear a powerful, rational case
for the Christian faith. It is a collection of scintillating brilliance that remains
strikingly fresh for the modern reader and at the same time confirms
C. S. Lewis's reputation as one of the leading writers and thinkers of our age.
(Click Pic to Purchase)
AVAILABLE AT AMAZON
   
       God loves people and He honors His word. Yes, there are folks who absolutely refuse the gift of salvation. Somehow, they think their way of believing is better. But what could be better than what the Lord and Creator of the universe has to offer?
       People say there aren't any atheists in the fox hole. When death is knocking on one's door, it's the same thing. There is no hope, peace, or assurance outside of Jesus Christ. If you don't yet have a personal relationship with God, I urge you to take care of business before it's too late.
       We will all pass away one day and will have to face God. The only way to be invited in through the pearly gates of heaven is to declare that we have accepted God's Son, Jesus Christ. What say you?
My Dad, Joe
November 8, 1937 - September 17, 2022
May he rest in peace.



Our Latest Products:




Events




Please like us on FaceBook!
Go to "Changed Lives Through Christ"