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Michael Lopez
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| Joined: | Tue Dec 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 2 |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | |
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Posted: Tue Dec 5th, 2006 09:51 pm |
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My name is Michael Lopez. I was born July 17, 1975 in Fresno, Ca a city that has been a gang war zone for years. At the age of 5 years old I soon understood that here only the strong survive. My Uncle was murdered in 1980 by a violent street/prison gang named "Nuestra Familia" translated "Our Family". This gang was formed in the early 1970s in the California prison system by northern California Mexican inmates to protect each other from the prison gang rivals from southern California "Mexican Mafia".I grew up with one brother and an older cousin that had been abandoned by my aunt as an infant and he had been soon pawned off to different family members when he ended up with us when he was about 12 or 13. At this time my cousin was getting heavily involved with street gangs that had ties to prison gangs. He would soon end up in a sort of youth prison from bank robbery and would spend 1984-1991 behind bars. Meanwhile my parents worked hard to get us out of that neighborhood and I would soon be in Clovis,Ca living like a normal child should. All that gang slogans my cousin had taught me to say had been long past and also that was long past the violence I saw my cousin cause when he took us out as kids. I would soon move to San Jose, Ca in 1987 and at the top of freestyle wrestling for my age in the whole state. Soon I win a state championship in wrestling in 1989 but that year would soon turn out to be the start of a life time of struggles. My best friend would pass away March 9 1989 and that day I walked into my local Catholic Church and pray this "When I leave this place I am going to hurt everyone and everything in my sight". Watch what you pray for! I would soon get involved with a notorious street/prison gang as a matter of fact the same one my cousin was involved with in Fresno and it happened to be the same gang that murdered my Uncle Nick I would find out years later. I had now become a gang member at the age of 13 and my life would spiral out of control. I would start being promiscuous, drinking to a stooper, smoking cigarettes, pcp and marijuana, snorting cocaine, popping l.s.d, and a super deadly drug that would pop in and out of my life speed aka meth. My life would be filled with violence,and addiction from 1989-May 2005. In May of 2005 my car would break down and my father would let me use his car. He had his radio tuned to 1230 immaculate heart radio and I was tuned in because my father would get upset if I changed his programming. Then all of a sudden I heard this man ranting and raving about his past life as a homeless/cocaine addict. To my shock this was Fr.John Coapi. I was so doped up that the only thing that stuck in my head when I got home was " In the end of time you and I will be in one of two places heaven or hell." I got home to review my life and went off to bed. That night the Holy Spirit would come fill my heart with what I was seeking in all the drugs, women, violence, and the life I had lead. The very next day I woke up and broke my cell phone, stopped my lifestyle and my connections to my childhood friends and decided to start going to Church. For one week straight I dug in history and scripture almost 24 hours a day with very little sleep. The end of the week I came to the conclusion that the Catholic Church through apostlic succesion can date back to Jesus himself. I came back to the Catholic Church after 17 long years of addiction and violence. I still felt God was calling me to do something else and I knew what he wanted. He wanted me to make my confession so I can start on the path of healing. In July 2005 I would make my first confession since my first Holy Communion and that was when I was 11. I would soon have a restless heart again in late July and with prayer and sitting in the silence I heard what Jesus was calling me to and that was Confirmaiton. From May-August 2005 my parents would see a whole new side of me never seen before a totally new person in Jesus. My father and I talked those day for hours on end about God. On August 21 I was to start RCIA and i was ready to start the journey home. On August 19 my father would have a fatal heart attack in mine and my moms arms. I was saying invoking our mother Mary in a "Hail Mary" my mother was saying "An Act of Contrition" for him while my neighbors recited "The Devine Mercy". I would remember what he told me day before his passing he said "Mike when Jesus calls you, you must go, no matter what you are doing in life put it down and follow him." So I started the RCIA program and was confirmed this past Easter. I have now been clean going on 2 years only with Graces of God and the Sacraments. May God Bless all and please pray for all those addicts and people on the street living a hard life.
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JillD
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Visalia, California USA |
| Posts: | 678 |
| First Name: | Jill | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | heathen, EvFree, Messianic, LC-MS, Catholic 2007 |
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Posted: Tue Dec 5th, 2006 10:21 pm |
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Thank you for sharing your story, Michael. You are walking proof of God's grace. I'm so glad you listened to Him! I pray that you become a powerful witness of Him to your friends and family.
I'm quite close to your story, here in Visalia...
Blessings, Jill
____________________
"I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are our works! You know me right well; my frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth." Psalm 139
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5079 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Tue Dec 5th, 2006 11:17 pm |
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Michael Lopez wrote: My name is Michael Lopez.
Michael, your story is amazing. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I have a close family member who has been on the same path since she was 12 years old and at 47, she still has not changed her ways, and her family enables her actions at every turn. Through your conversion you are a powerful prayer warrior because you've been there. Please pray for her.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Michael Lopez
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| Joined: | Tue Dec 5th, 2006 |
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| Posts: | 2 |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | |
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Posted: Wed Dec 6th, 2006 12:07 am |
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| Cajunrick, yes addiction to drugs can be hard to kick. And yes your family member and all others dealing with addiction, life on the streets are in my prayers. I tried to kick addiction many times in my life. I finally understood I can do nothing myself and I must turn to God and the Sacraments for strength. I also found out this is a true spritual combat I was in and I must invoke Mary, and the Saints. Tell her never give up praying and trusting in Jesus and that he will deliever her from this shackle that Satans uses to bind people. My mother prayed for me for 17 years and to St. Jude because I was a lost cause. May God Bless All!
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JasPax
Member
| Joined: | Wed Nov 22nd, 2006 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 214 |
| First Name: | James | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Episcopal to Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Dec 6th, 2006 10:11 am |
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Mike:
Wonderful testimony. I am sure it will be of help to many others. I can tell you are a bright, sensitive person. I think God has plans for you - stay close to Jesus.
God's Blessings.
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James
"Abide in me, and I in you..." John 15:4
"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." John 6:56
RSV-2CE
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GodBlessJoanie
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| Joined: | Sun Dec 10th, 2006 |
| Location: | Washingtonville, New York USA |
| Posts: | 10 |
| First Name: | Joanie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Dec 12th, 2006 09:38 pm |
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WOW!
Welcome home!
Joanie
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God doesn't call the qualified, HE qualifies the CALLED!
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thestickman
Member
| Joined: | Sun Dec 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Taylors, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 17 |
| First Name: | Brett | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Church of Christ, now Roman Catholic by the Grace of ... |
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Posted: Tue Feb 27th, 2007 01:13 pm |
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May the Peace of Our Lord be with you always!
Thank you for sharing your story.
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emarc
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| Joined: | Wed Mar 21st, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 2 |
| First Name: | Enrico | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | cradle Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Mar 22nd, 2007 11:35 pm |
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Thanks for sharing your powerful life conversion story. Yes, I'll pray for those poor people shackled by drug addiction. I once had the chance to visit the juvenile hall in Sylmar CA. where girls as young as 12 years old were confined. These girls were there because they were caught doing something bad. But what was sad was most girls said they saw nothing but drugs from their parents, friends and neighbors while they were growing up. I introduced Jesus to them and prayed that the Holy Spirit will pull them to him. Let's all pray for these girls too.
God bless.
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Steven Barrett
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 14th, 2006 |
| Location: | Hadley, Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 796 |
| First Name: | Steven | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Episcopal communicant, Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Mar 28th, 2007 03:52 pm |
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Michael, Welcome home and into the family! And, may God's loving presence be with you forever.
 Steven
____________________
For anyone suffering from a mental illness or has a loved one with a mental illness, my book "Lead kindly Light: A Devotional For The Mentally Ill" might be of some help: http://www.lulu.com/ (Use search box at the top of page.)
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Truthseeker
Member
| Joined: | Wed Oct 4th, 2006 |
| Location: | Costa Mesa, California USA |
| Posts: | 347 |
| First Name: | Laura | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | lapsed and returned CATHOLIC!!!!!! |
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Posted: Fri Mar 30th, 2007 11:44 pm |
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That is certainly a life turn-around! The Holy Spirit must have filled you up!
God bless.
Laura
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Lord, please make my will your Will!
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Jackie
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| Joined: | Sat May 12th, 2007 |
| Location: | Jersey Shore, New Jersey USA |
| Posts: | 114 |
| First Name: | Jackie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jun 4th, 2007 11:20 am |
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Michael,
Your story is compelling to those looking for the Strength to fight their addictions.
It is only by the Grace of God that we too, who dabbled in drugs in our early childhood, broke free of the chains that kept us bound.
With the Lords help, may all who read your story, feel the call to bend a knee and ask for help from the One from whom all Healing comes.
And may they also, heed your fathers warning to:
".....put it down and follow him."
......... JESUS
Blessing and Support from a Jersey Girl
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