HOME    RICHIE'S GUESTBOOK   LIGHT A CANDLE

(This was Richies last Portfolio he wrote in his last year at South Laurel High School)

Saved by Richie Epperson

It was December 31st 1999, about 20 minutes before the new year came around.  I was at church with some of my friends and we was setting around not listening talking doing things that kids at that age of twelve normally do.  The preacher started talking about Hell and what would happen if you went there.  He asked the church people how many knew where they were going if something happened to them as soon as they left church and died.  My friends and I didn't know what to think.  The preacher went off and said, "you think that it's hot in the summer when it's ninety."  Think about your summer and imagine it about nine million times hotter.  My friends and I looked at each other in a way that we never looked at each other ever before.  We knew that if we died that second that we would spend the rest of our lives in hell.

So about five or ten minutes before the clock struck twelve the preacher said for everyone to bow their heads and pray with him, he told us to follow after him.  "Father we come to you today thanking you for letting us have a chance to be in your house and worship you, I pray lord that you would have mercy on all of the poor souls that never had a chance to know you Lord, I pray to you tonight Lord that you would save my soul because Lord I know that you died on the Cross for my sins Father, Lord I want to be with you in Heaven Lord throughout Eternity, I love you Lord and I believe that all the miracles that you ever performed were true and not just something that someone thought up one day when they were sitting around with nothing to do Lord.  I pray that you will save my soul Lord and help me to follow in your footsteps the best that I can Lord and Lord I pray that you would help me be the person I am supposed to be Lord thank you in Jesus name I pray, Amen."

When we got finished praying the preacher said how many of you have never prayed that before?  A Friend and I stood up and the preacher brought us up to the pool pit.  Then he asked us if we really knew that God died on the cross for us and if we really believed in him.  We replied yes.  Then he asked, "If you died today do you know where you'd go?"  We answered, "no." Then the preacher said, "you would go to Heaven because of what you just said with me."

We went back to our seats.  After Church was over, everyone came up to us and shook our hands.  They told us that they were proud of us and that they were happy for us.

After this happened it changed my outlook on life.  I take life more serious, I may not act like it but I really do.  I trust God with all of my heart and I pray every night before I go to bed.