Joan Williams
The know-it-all Teenager
"I was not going to have the older people in the Church telling me what I should do. In fact I was a typical know-it-all teenager until my life changed one Sunday evening when I was seventeen"

My Story
I lived with my family, Mum, Dad and my sister and two brothers in Reid Street in Dale Hall, Stoke-on-Trent.
We lived in a small house with a large yard with an outside toilet that was emptied by men in a lorry. One of my jobs was to cut newspapers up to be hung on a string and used as toilet paper. When I was 11 years old we moved into a three bedroom house in Fegg Hayes with an inside toilet and a bathroom with a toilet in too, it was great.
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While I lived there I met a friend called Winifred Belfield, who invited me to go to Sunday School with her at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Chell Heath. I really enjoyed it and it wasn't long before I started going to the Church services as well. It was the mission Church from St. Michaels in Chell. We had some good youth leaders, Jonah Stevenson and George and Alma Coxon, who encouraged us seek after God, but I was not going to have the older people in the Church telling me what I should do. In fact I was a typical know-it-all teenager until my life changed one Sunday evening when I was seventeen.
George Coxon, the lay reader, preached about 'the door' from John Chapter 10 verse 9. He said that Jesus was knocking on my hearts door, I could accept and go to Heaven or reject and go to Hell.
That night I realised that Jesus had died on the cross for my wrongdoing and rebellion and I asked Him to forgive me and change me. I became a Christian.
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As time went on I met and married my husband Philip who was also a Christian at the same Church. We have two children, Carl and Helen and a precious grandson James.
Life is not always easy as a Christian, I have had trials, sadness and health problems but through all my Christian life the lord Jesus has faithfully been with me. One day I shall see Him face to face and shall thank Him for dying on the cross for me to pay the price for my sins.