My Name is Valerie Baldwin and I am a member of the Word of Life Wesleyan Reform Union Church in Ashington, together with my husband Graham, we are experiencing the beautiful graciousness of God.

I was born into a loving Christian family, and surrounded by aunts and uncles.  My Grandfather and my Father were Methodist lay preachers.  I remember as a child looking up to my Father when he was preaching and feeling very proud.  I attended our local church, in the Sunday school and was tutored in the Scripture Union exams.  I have known Jesus all my life from being a little girl.  I got married at the age of 22 to a Navy Officer who was away at sea for six months of each year.  Just before the wedding, my father advised me not to marry this man, but I ignored his advice.  After 10 years and much heartache, where I experienced mental cruelty and a loveless marriage, we divorced.

As I look back on this period of my life, as a child, I was protected from worldly things and was quite ignorant of the evil that was around.  In fact I was the Prodigal daughter and wanted to taste the things that the world had to offer, so I became quite rebellious and left the church.  When my ex husband and I divorced and sold the house, the lady who came to view the house and subsequently bought it told me of Jesus and His love for me.  Well my heart jumped and leapt, as she was talking about the Jesus I knew as a child.  I went with her to the church and cried the whole service through and at this point I was born again.  The people all helped me move and I got baptised at this church.

During this time of struggle, feeling lonely and searching for love and comfort, I had an affair with a married man, which ended up with me becoming pregnant with his baby.  I told my parents, who were shocked but were prepared to support me.  I was devastated, I stopped going to church, as I knew I was an adulterer, but most of all I was upsetting my relationship with Jesus, yet I still continued in my sinful way.  I was told that the church never stopped praying for me and one or two of them called to see if I was ok.

Then one day I suffered a miscarriage and had to have a D & C operation, but the porter who took me down to the operating theatre was a member of my church!  How the Lord is always with us is a miracle, his footsteps are beside us all the time whatever we do and wherever we are.  I repented and renewed my life in Jesus and His church.

This was 35 years ago and now, as I was asked to write my testimony, I feel very ashamed and humbled to remember these events, indeed I have never put them down on paper, as I find them painful because I knew the love and peace of Jesus but gave it up for my sinful nature.  As time went by I felt the love and forgiveness from my friends and from God and I dared to pray for my heart’s desire, which was “for a Christian husband please and, if possible a baby Lord”.  God answered in his gift to me of my lovely Graham and at the age of 41 and 43  had 2 beautiful children, my son James and daughter Katie.

Prior to this happening, I had come to the decision to put God first in my life and leave my special prayer in His hands.  This was Christmas 1985, and I had already met Graham but did not realise the significance of this meeting.  We met again at a New Year party, but still no special interest until one evening after he had introduced me to his parents, it was literally like the curtain was raised before my eyes and I knew I was falling in love with this gentle loving man in front of me.  I think Graham would admit to the same thing was happening to him.

Soon after that Graham proposed to me on Valentine’s day 14^th February 1986 and we got married on the 30^th of August 1986 and by November James was on the way!  Then in July 1989 Katie arrived which was my bonus gift from God.

Eight years ago in March 2009 Graham and I moved from Watford, Hertfordshire to Hadston in Northumberland.  It was an essential move as Graham had been struggling with his insurance job and he could just not face going to work anymore.  We had previously been to Bellingham on holiday and loved the area.  We took a trip to Barters Books in Alnwick and proceeded to Druridge Bay for lunch, and when we looked at the beach, it took our breath away.  Little did we know that in 2009 we would be living here permanently and we have loved it ever since.

Moving so far away from our friends and church was quite an adventure.  We knew that we would need some income, but how?  God’s provision was amazing.  We became friends with a couple who owned a shop in Amble selling a beautiful skincare range and as this was my area of expertise, we came to a good business arrangement, which provided income for us until we received our pension.  It is also wonderful that Beverly and Philip are good friends of ours to this day.

Life is not always easy and I have at times, been angry, rebellious and questioning.  God has put me through the fire of refinement using various situations.  More recently I attended another church and felt “controlled” and not free to be me, it was if God had tied me up for a while, but just at the right time God released us into the Word of Life WRU Church in Ashington, where, at last I have a purpose and where God can wholly use me.

Even whilst writing this testimony, I have been so convicted regarding my own self-righteousness, judgement and proud attitudes for which I have no right at all to contain.  For God in His grace and forgiveness has made me what I am, and still doing.  He has blessed, protected and provided for me all of my life and all I have shown Him is complacency and pride with some prayer thrown in.  He has walled with me and loved me and I have taken it all, so now is the time for me to surrender completely all of my life to Jesus and I will

Amen