The News You Won't See on the Networks

Before I received Christ in 1999, I was driven in my TV news career and so VERY full of myself. I only saw other people as obstacles to my success. I was an adult "only child" who always believed I was the center of the universe!

For example, I was working at WTOC News. I finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a TV news anchor! I had that dream since I was a junior in high school. I had worked at 7 stations over 9 years to get that opportunity. I had a handsome husband and a beautiful baby girl. I had everything I thought I wanted. I should have been happy, but I was still empty inside. I knew something was missing.

Now that we were parents, I started feeling like the right thing to do for our daughter was to attend church. We tried many but liked none. On September 19, 1999, we visited yet another church in Bluffton, South Carolina. We knew no one. It was revival time, and they had a guest preacher. To this day, I have no idea who that man was, but he simply quoted John 3:16, and I heard the voice of Jesus say, "Terri, I died for you." My heart burst into a million pieces. I felt the crushing weight of my sin, and as I confessed my unworthiness of such a Savior, I felt Him lift that burden off me. I was lighter than air! I felt a supernatural peace come upon me. I knew at last, I was right with God, and nothing could ever take that from me. That was what had been missing all my life.

He made me a new person with new peace. His forgiveness set me free to love others and have joy and contentment in serving others. He opened up a whole new life for me. I got out of the TV business and spent quality time with my daughter and a son, who came along shortly after her. I discovered my purpose in life.

I always wanted to be a dance teacher when I was young. My dance teacher even promised to take me to NYC to audition for Broadway and promised to leave her studio to me someday! But when I was 15, my mom found out that the dance teacher was on drugs. (Probably why she made all those false promises!) Either way, I had to quit lessons, and my dream died. Until Jesus came into my life. He is the Resurrection! When I was 30, He resurrected my dream of being a dance teacher by encouraging me to teach dance to my 3-year old and her friends. I thought He was crazy. Certainly no one would come to my living room and take dance from someone with no professional dance experience, right? But I tried. The first class, there were 4 students. Within a few months, there were 20! I have been teaching dance now for 12 years. Who but God could do that?

Jesus guides me each and every day with my decisions and builds me up by reminding me how much He loves me. Now this once self-centered only child is maturing and seeing that Jesus is the center of the universe! He has allowed me to go on missions to Cuba and Nigeria to share His love with others. He has also given me the ministry of children in my hometown. Most importantly, He has given me peace and security in life and in death. I saw Him save my father and take him home after a battle with cancer. I know for certain that when my time on earth is through, I will be absent from the body; present with the Lord. No doubt! I will dance on streets of gold forever praising the One who made it possible.