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Clay and Natalie's Couples Testimony

Clay Introduction (3 minutes)

Proverbs 31:10–31 NKJV

10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. 22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

broken home

failure

molested

confusion

life of sin

high school player and bully

drugs

prison

Natalie introduction (3 minutes)

grateful believer

grew up in a home that was normal to me, two older brothers and a mom and dad that would do anything for me.

self worth-wore lipstick as a mask

meeting clay-bully, conceited, mean, and only after what he wanted at that time.

started drugs and alcohol at age 14

met my first husband in college in which we all hung around clay at that time. Clay was still same ol’ same ol’ , a bully

Unfortunately My first husband died unexpectedly fighting his own demons and I was left as a widow with a 2 year old.

Clay

July 13, 2018 got out of prison

paroled to my dad’s house

went to Scott’s house to hang out

next thing I know.......

Natalie

had mental breakdown due to counter acting drugs, alcohol and adderall all together and started hearing voices. Needless to say I got out of psych ward end of June 2018.

was still out there even after having mental break down.

called one of my best friend’s Scott and low and behold He told me guess who is out of prison…It was Clay Johnson and I immediately told him to let me talk to Clay and the weirdest thing that came out of my mouth was inviting him to church...

Clay

“You want to go to church?”

Is that what they call it these days?

Sure I’ll go to church with you.

Natalie

I was ecstatic but also thinking this would never happen.

Boy was I wrong, he figured out a way to get in touch with me and me and River brought him breakfast the next day.

crazy story river tried to jump in water and Clay with his spidy senses caught her in mid are and from then on I was SMITTEN.

We went to byne baptist church in Albany in which he held my hand and all of the butterflies and feel goods was all I was experiencing. Life was good, he even took me out to McDonalds for lunch. I mean here we are him fresh out of prison and me fresh out of the psych ward what better could we ask for?

Clay

It wasn’t long before I moved in with her and the kids.

We were going to church only to check off the boxes.

Before we knew it we were getting high again and living a life of sexual immorality

With a close call with parole I laid down drugs for good on Jan. 10, 2019.....

Natalie

I had fallen head over hills in love with Clay. You see my first husband, I thought was my best friend and the one for me but after meeting clay he opened up my life and world to so much more. I guess you could say that God was turning my mourning into dancing right before my eyes and I didnt even realize it.

Now, did I like the lifestyle we had fallen back into? Heck no, we were always paranoid and the voices came back during this time. It was very hard.

I was right there with clay “playing christian and the good girl” at church-like we were being graded or something, them sunday seat warmers.

Clay

I remember sitting church one Sunday morning and looking a passage in Romans that Paul wrote:

Romans 7:18–20 NKJV

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

I started crying. I wanted to do the right thing but I didn’t truly believe in the One that could do it for me.

My Sunday school teacher and friend James Barry made a comment one day that cohabitation was sinful.

Good night that is old fashioned hogwash........

Natalie

I was still drinking even though I quit the drugs in March 2018.

I didn’t see anything wrong with it but I was slowly seeing Clay change in front of me and he would drop some comments on my drinking every now and then.

You see drinking was the only thing I had to hold on to that would numb my feelings on bad days and because it was legal well then I should be able to drink!

Clay

summer of 2019

I was wrestling with the question, “Does God really exist?”

1353

July 21, 2019

moved out that very day

Natalie

When clay surrendered to Jesus Christ all I know is that we were sitting on the pews and he had this look like I’m about to do this and he took off down the aisle.

I just busted out crying and was so so proud of him.

When he said that Jesus told him to move out of our house and responded with well Jesus didn’t really say that to me!! I was upset, happy, scared and excited!!

After seeing what God was doing in Clay’s life the next week I went down the aisle and followed he lead, but I still think in my case I was just checking off boxes again because I still hadn't surrendered anything to the Lord, I didn’t really believe I had to do that.

Clay

August 24, 2019 would go down as the 2nd greatest day of my life.

On that day God allowed me to marry Natalie Johnson.

My daughter was maid of honor

Fletcher was the best man

River was the flower girl… sort of....

Natalie

I finally had a family again and even though it was blended I feel like we all just clicked and it was perfect.

Clay had limited my drinking to only socially or on the weekends maybe. So I was sneaking and drinking everyday not thinking anyone knew and i had it under control

Clay

When I got saved I became all in

off to the races

I wanted to save the world. I still do.

It’s just now I realize only Jesus can.

Charles Spergeon said when he got saved he lost 85% of his vocabulary.

I think I lost 86%.

Natalie was pretending to be all in and was extremely frustrating.

I did my best to pick my battles.

Dude I know your drunk.....

Natalie

On December 13, 2019 my whole world changed.

Clay ask for a divorce and had already spoke to a lawyer.

I didn’t realize he knew but he said I needed to quit drinking or I would lose him and my family.

I was devastated because he even left the house that night and all I know was that God came to me during that horrible dark night. I was compelled to drop to me knees in my laundry room to and cry out to God. I have no clue what all i said but I know that I made a promise that I would surrender Him and chase after Him if he would let me keep my family. I was scared and afraid of my withdrawals and the shakes and aches but by The Grace of God I had nothing like that. I was instantaneously saved from my alcohol bondage and freed from my voices.

Clay came home and talked to me and could immediately see the glow i had and knew I had been redeemed and finally was all in.

Clay

Our 4 years of being married have been a challenge to say the least.

There have been highs and there have been lows.

Natalie

During all of the good, I was secretly fighting a mental battle again in which my voices came back at an all time high which I wound up “going away” twice and quitting my long years of teaching due to my mental health.

This last time I had to go away I took it more seriously about this spiritual warfare because the voices finally softened and then stopped. I continuously fight with the word, listening to praise and worship all day everyday in my house and car, and ending the night with something positive like the bible or one of Joyce Meyers books. All of these episodes usually come on when something super important is going on through ministry work especially if my husband has a revival or something and is making progress towards the men’s recovery home, penial.

Clay

When you go wide open for the kingdom, the enemy attacks.

Jesus fights our battles

Are you loosing day in and day out?

invitation