My Testimony:

"These cookies began as a simple recipe—but became part of a much bigger story. What God pressed into my heart, He pressed into every batch: love, healing, and the reminder that even in brokenness, He can create something beautiful."

From Atheist to Believer in Jesus

I was raised in an atheist/agnostic household, so knowing about God wasn’t really part of my life. As a family we didn't attend church weekly and once my older brother became an Atheist he was intent that I should be raised Atheist as well. Growing up, Jesus was only mentioned in passing, usually as a curse word and faith didn't exist in my home. God, if there was one, was just out there somewhere, far, far away - maybe? I did attend church briefly in high school, but to be honest, that was only because my boyfriend at the time went. It was more of a curiosity thing than anything sincerely spiritual for me.

Looking back, I can’t even explain why I chose to attend a Christian college. It obviously wasn't for the religious aspects of attending since I was basically ignorant, but there I was. While in college, I struggled with the typical questions most 20-year-olds have about life, purpose, and meaning. Since it was a Christian College it was mandatory to take three Theology classes, my first two classes I did pretty well but the last one I ended up failing — this was a class I thought I could navigate even if I didn’t understand the Bible or what it meant. In my Senior year, I began searching earnestly for answers with a friend.

My friend Kevin and I would go out almost every other week and look into something: Hinduism, Buddhism, and just about every “ism” we could find. But one night, after trying another new "ism", something shifted. When I got home I thought of Pam - she just popped into my head. She was someone I had met on campus. Pam was different. She was unlike anyone else I knew—there was a joy about her, this unexplainable light that seemed to radiate from her. When she spoke about Jesus, she spoke as someone who knew Him personally, like He was her friend.

That night, frustrated and tired, I asked a question I’d never dared ask before: “Jesus, who are you?” People have been talking about you for thousands of years. I couldn’t grasp why He still mattered. Who are you? I thought. Why do people remember you when others are quickly forgotten?

So I searched for my Bible—the one I had barely understood or touched, especially after failing my theology class—and flipped it open. It fell to John 14:6, where Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In that moment, it was as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over me. I was jolted awake. I understood the words.

For the first time in my life, the words sank in to my heart and I could comprehend their meaning. Jesus wasn’t just some figure from history or a religious figurehead. He was real. He is the way, the truth, and the life. In that moment, I knew He was speaking directly to me, answering the very question I had asked: Who are you?

That moment changed everything in my life. It was as if a veil had been lifted, and I could finally see who Jesus was. All my searching, all my questions—they had led me right to Him. And for the first time in my life, I knew that Jesus wasn’t just someone people talked about. He was real, and He wanted me to know Him personally.

That’s when my journey with Jesus truly began.

In Love and Faith,

Maria