How Jeremy Camp saved my life!

Jeremy Camp is such an inspiration for all Christians to follow. I have been a fan of Jeremy Camp ever since he really got started in 2002. My mom actually bought me his first CD and at the time I was really struggling with my faith. I was skeptical at first about listening to the CD but managed to put it in the CD player. Every single song on that CD touched me emotionally and was like the songs were reaching and grabbing my soul. The CD was his first album Stay released in 2002 which had my favorite songs like "I Still Believe","Take My Life","Walk By Faith" and "Stay". All of these songs were very inspirational and the song "Take My Life" really was an eye opener for me. I began to read Jeremy Camp's album cover and came across how his wife had died of cancer.

The song "I Still Believe" is so inspirational because he is saying regardless of what is going on in my life, I am not quiting on my Faith, I am standing strong and I still believe. These songs really lead me back to Christ and I decided to go on a mission trip with my church to Acuna, Mexico. This was a life changing experience but I honestly believe that if I wouldn't have heard Jeremy's album I would not have gone to Mexico.

Time went on and I decided to join the Military in 2004 and I was shipped to Germany for 2 years. I had just turned 21 years old and was talked into going out to a club and drinking. Well this would soon take over my life and alcohol would become my new focus in life. I really started to almost forget about my Faith totally and almost committed suicide after being drunk and stumbling in front of a moving train. My life had fallen to pieces and I felt hopeless. Then a small miracle happened and it began with my Grandma sending me the second (Carried Me) and third album(Restored) of Jeremy Camp. 

The album "Restored"2004 gave me a spiritual beating with its inspirational songs like "This Man","Take You Back" and "Lay Down My Pride". I would listen to these songs over and over as I song them and for the first time in my life dropped to my knees and raised my hands to worship God. My Faith had been restored and I was made alive again. After the worship I sat down and read his album covers to see what has happened in his life and I found out that he lost his newborn son. This actually brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't believe the amount of struggles this man had went through and how he is still remaining strong. In 2001 my little brother was in a car accident that took his life but was brought back by two unknown people. His crash made me question God and for the longest time I held myself and I hated God for that.

But after hearing Jeremy Camp's story and his will to survive after all he had been through gave me hope. In 2007 I was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq where my Faith would be tested greater than it had ever been before. Everyday my life was in danger with devastating mortar attacks and my faith was slowly dying as I heard of news of people dying. I received a package in the mail and in the package was some Christian Inspirational books along with Jeremy Camp's album "Beyond Measure" featuring songs "Tonight","Let It Fade","Beyond Measure" and more. The song that really touched me was the song Beyond Measure where he is talking about his son. This gave me hope for a future, a future of settling down and starting family. From there on out when a mortar would strike, I would just hit my knees and begin praying. I returned home from Iraq without any injuries.

But the battle was far from over. November 2010 after I got home I got a call saying that my cousin was in the hospital and he was dying. My cousin, my year younger than me, wife had left him with his 2 baby girls while he sat in his death bed. I held my cousins hand for a few brief second while my dad stood by my side. My cousin then went to sleep from the meds. A week later my cousin passed away. I tried my best to realize he was going to heaven and he was in a better place. In Jan 2010 my little sister would have my very first niece. Little Aspen. When my niece was born it reminded me of a lyric in Jeremy Camp's song "the breathe of my new baby boy" because there is nothing like seeing a child being born into the world.Doesn't matter whether its your child or your niece. My dad was so excited to meet his first granddaughter and made plans to see her. But unfortunately, a month later my dad passed of a sudden heart attack and would never get the chance to see his new born granddaughter. I was absolutely in shock and disbelief of my father's death. All of kids attended the funeral a week later where I was the one that had to give the last speech about my father. My dad's last words before he died were in a text message "Remember who your Father is". My dad was talking about himself as the father but instead God our Heavenly father.  

Shortly after my dad's death I heard a song playing on my favorite radio station 89.9 K-LOVE and the song was "There Will Be A Day" by Jeremy Camp. WOW!!!! This song was exactly the lyrics I needed to hear at this tragic time in my life. Jeremy talks about Heaven where my dad will feel no pain, no worries, no fear.

Jeremy, Bro, I am saying this cause you are truly like my big bro in Christ. Thank you for your music and I just want you to know it is much appreciated by your fans all over the world! Your not just making music, your saving lives and bringing people to the Body of Christ!