Testimonies of Faith

God is always at work in our lives. Often times we are too busy or distracted to notice.
Here are some "God at Work" stories from our congregants
that we hope will be an encouragement to you!

Elaine Seberg

While driving to Cape Cod on busy Interstate 95 about five years ago the brakes on my car failed. I had tried to brake after seeing that traffic ahead had come to a complete standstill. I was struck with panic and felt I was doomed to crash as I was travelling at a speed of around 65 miles an hour. In my moment of extreme anxiety, I prayed for God's wisdom and protection. My husband Larry advised me to apply the emergency brake which slowed the car down but I needed to come to a complete stop to avoid a crash. Miraculously an exit off the interstate appeared but getting there necessitated crossing several lanes. Thankfully car drivers yielded the right of way to me and I was able to guide the car safely off the highway and finally to a complete stop. I truly felt God's presence throughout this ordeal. While we didn't make it to Cape Cod that day, we both felt truly blessed.

Ben Paul

I was in my teens when I had a motorcycle accident, where my whole face was fractured. I had to undergo surgeries after surgeries including neurological. Perhaps, this is one of many incidents that has brought me today by the mercy of God and his enduring patience that I could stand before you to proclaim and witness Jesus. Not only has he granted me life in this world, but also in his holy place. Praise his name.

Evelyn Ramirez

I've always heard of prayers being answered by a "yes", "no" or "wait" from God. My fervent prayer took over 18 years to be answered but what an answer I received! My son always had anxiety issues as far back as I can remember. I always felt he was only "himself" with me. He started to self medicate by smoking pot in 7th grade which escalated to opioids in high school and then the big "H" last year when he was 33yrs old. My son was a church boy. He attended youth meetings ran by a deacon, went away to a Christian summer camp and was the sweetest, mannered young man you want to meet. My prayer was answered last August when he was arrested for attempting to buy drugs. Sounds funny but I knew on that night that God had clenched him from the evil one's control and had brought my son back to Himself. We put him on a plane to an inpatient rehab program on August 20th where God would continue to heal him.
My son just celebrated 6 months of sobriety but the best news is that he is now praying daily, reading his bible and telling the "good news" of Jesus whenever he can, especially to younger people at NA and AA meetings. At times I thought my prayers were unheard by God but I now know God was setting everything in motion to bring Glory and Honor to our Father in heaven.
Never stop praying, HE hears you!

Leisa James

My whole life is a Testimony to God,I have had several near death experiences and so I am confident that I am here for a purpose.
Here is one story that happened while I was working as a Health Care Provider for a 97 year-old lady. She was a devout Catholic who went to Mass twice per day.

After a double hip replacement of which she never recovered, she was placed in a Nursing Home. One morning on my arrival at the Nursing Home, I found her very agitated as well as disrobed...i covered her,and went to the Nurse in charge to find out why she was displaying that behavior.
I went back to her room and prayed with her and asked what was upsetting her. She told me that she did something very bad years ago and was not sure "He" was going to forgive her.... I did not ask Who she was referring to as I already knew. I told her to ask God to forgive her for the wrong she had done. She then asked if that was enough. I said "yes".
She asked for forgiveness three times.
I told her to say her name and then said "you are forgiven". She did this, looked at me and then turned her head to the side... and died.
The Priest was callled. He made a big thing about me helping her to "Cross Over".
I take no credit for this,we are all instruments of God's Grace and that is why we should be perpared at all times, to be used for His glory.
May God help each one of us to prepare our hearts and be ready to do His will.

Nicki Snyder

Three years ago I confronted my abuser who had emotionally and sexually abused me as a child. A few years prior Mark and I began praying for preparation into this journey of forgiveness and healing. God led me to the phone call and through the last three years. There have been many days of tears and even more of victories. God taught me true forgiveness, which I was incapable of on my own. He has healed the pain that riddled me at times with depression and anxiety. He revealed the power of the Holy Spirit in me. He spoke truth and exposed the lies of the devil. He restored hope where hopelessness took up residence. God FREED me. I am HEALED. There is no more pain, depression, or self-pity. I now have hope beyond my comprehension, joy everyday, peace that truly surpasses all understanding and pure happiness. I am FREE. God is ALIVE in me. God heals, restores and allows his children to prosper. Thank you Jesus.

Shirley Zaragosa

The moment of epiphany that faith was truly a driving force within my life was when all of a sudden I was awakened to the fact that I was a professor facing anywhere from 100 to 125 students every semester, 200 to 250 students every year. My students are mostly students of low income backgrounds, international or learning challenged. Essentially, my students feel or have felt the stigma of not belonging to or surrounded by the associations of privilege.
I had no straight path or plan to bring me to my role as a professor. I just felt the hand of faith since I was about 12 years old, when my mom always liked to say to me, “you were always looking for a church when you were little.” I was not born into religion, but somehow I knew early on, it was my search for faith that would steer me in the direction I needed to take. I questioned, was confused and cried through many junctures of life’s challenges and decisions. The tears were not all sad ones, the tears were also ones of incredulous joy, as life brought me the ability to bear and bring into this world, my three children.
Together, my blessed roles of being a professor and a mom to my three children have afforded me a life with great depth, meaning and confidence that faith is the fruit of the multiplier effect that breeds comfort, compassion and community. I was merely running on a track, when I was befriended by a fellow runner and we talked about mutual topics of interest. Faith would have it that we would bump into each other again on that track. Over time, that fellow runner invited me to stop in at his place of family ministry. I took him up on that invitation and it has been eight years since that defining track conversation that I have been a friend and attendee of the Scarsdale Community Baptist Church. I am grateful to my community of friends here for their continuous warmth, support and friendship.

your testimony goes here! (once it is sent to Pat or Mark)

Ellen Hefferan

While John and I were waiting to hear from the adoption agency, I was a fixture at St. Patrick’s Cathedral’s early weekday mass. One morning on what would have been my older brother’s birthday, (March 13th, he died as an infant), I said to him, “Craig, if you arrived, do something from up there, will you?” Two days later the adoption agency called. “We have a baby girl for you.” I asked: “When was she born?” “On March 13th”……..John and I were both on the phone. He was amazed because I asked no questions about her and just said , “YES! Absolutely we want to adopt her!” It took ten months to finish the paperwork in Chile but there was never a doubt in my head that God listened to Craig who listened to me.

Lori Oakes

I've been trying to come up with the right testimony since Sunday and wasn't sure what to write. I've always been fascinated with hearing people's testimonies. I always associated them with people having a "moment". One minute they're a "regular" person and the next minute they're "saved" and there's usually this great story and defining moment. I don't have any one particular moment because I have always felt a connection to God. I can't always explain it, as so many things have happened throughout my life that clearly has God's hand all over it and it has been hard to just come up with one story. I do know that God always answers my prayers. Sure there are things that I've been praying about for years that haven't happened yet, but then there are instances like today when I had a doctor's appointment. Since I haven't had a physical in a few years my usual worrying self had me feeling nervous. I prayed in the morning over the day and I know God also heard many of my silent prayers of worry as I drove to the doctor's office, but when I arrived at the office and started one of the tests for my physical, I looked up and this is the sign that was sitting right in front of me.

For anyone who is unsure- God is real and especially in my relationship with Him, He has a sense of humor!

Pastor Mark

My habit as a "good" Christian teen (I was at least trying!) was to never test God. I did not want God to know just how shallow my faith really was so I avoided the "Please God if you are there..."-type prayers.
In the midst of a season of desperation and mounting pressure I dropped to my knees and bowed my head under the haze induced night sky (thanks Philadelphia!) and through tears called out, "God, please let me know you are near". Before I finished the prayer I looked up and the flare of a shooting star streaked across the sky and in an instant my prayer was answered. My whole being not only knew that God was there but that He truly cared.

Maria Smith

When the topic of writing a testimonial first came up, my automatic thought was absolutely not. I hesitate at making any part of my life public for various reasons. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I have to be grateful for and how sharing those thoughts might be useful to someone else.
My life is a testimonial. My parents are addicts, my family in some aspect is always in chaos. Nothing has ever come easy and yet here I am at the age of 34 with one degree, working on another, and have my own apartment, car, employed, and happy. I sometimes don’t really know what the day will bring but I wake up grateful just the same. There are so many people in my life that without them, I honestly don’t know where I’d be today. Placed strategically at times when I was at my worst, or a crisis occurred and I didn’t know which way was up or even the day. So that has to be God, who I choose as my higher power. And I’m sure I’m watched by angels here and in heaven. Last but not least, I am flawed, will never be perfect, and don’t strive to be. I can only do my best and put my best foot forward.

Kunle Oshodi

It was in the early 1970's, before the era of mandatory seat belt or air
bags in cars. I was driving my 1963 Rambler Classic southbound on the Bronx
River Parkway (in the Bronx) on a bright sunny afternoon. Traffic was very
light and that was enough invitation for a young man like me to step on the
gas. I just had to be ahead of every other vehicle on the road. So, I
remained in the left lane, passing everybody. I had just passed the last
group of cars which were in the middle and right lanes when I noticed
distant bright headlights approaching in the northbound direction. With the
high concrete barrier separating the two directions of traffic and the
curves in the road alignment, I could not tell how far away that NB vehicle
was. I just noted that it was rather strange for the driver to have his full
headlights on on such a bright sunny afternoon. I didn't think much about
it, but remained in the SB left lane. Then, I felt like someone touched my
shoulder and told me to slow down and leave that left lane. There was no
other vehicle near me. So, I moved into the middle lane and slowed down a
bit. Within seconds, those bright headlights zoomed past me in that left
lane. I realized then that the NB vehicle I had noticed earlier was actually
trapped in the SB direction and God provided his angels to protect all of us
from any harm. No accident was reported on that stretch of the parkway on
that day. I got off at the nearest exit and thanked the Lord all the way
home on local streets.

Bob Ramirez

We all know when we are born but we don't know our expiration date!
When I was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer, I told Pastor Mark that the Lord started building the foundation to my "mansion by the river".
My church family began to pray. They prayed for healing and for the peace of the Lord to be upon me.
By my second chemo treatment my blood levels began to look normal and continued to do so.
I am in remission for almost 4 years now!
Thanks to my Jesus who gave me the gift of life and to my church family for all their prayers and support.