cherylokimoto.com

My Testimony

Cheryl Okimoto believes that as Christians we are to share our struggles with others so that they can learn from our mistakes. Jesus lived as we do, showing us how to live a godly life, but he never suffered the consequences of his own sin. Christians do that, and when we are transparent about where we’ve been, we can help others grow ─ recovering from tragedies and learning to live better.

Cheryl has experienced more than a few tragedies. Her parents divorced when she was two and a half and she never saw her beloved father again. She was physically and sexually abused as a child. Told that she was the child of the devil and that her mother hated her, Cheryl was convinced of her unworthiness, even though she received her salvation when she was thirteen.

As an adult, Cheryl experienced more trials and failures, some of her own making, some not. They included sexual promiscuity, divorce and the death of a husband. Her two sons have both almost died from severe head wounds and her daughter was run over by a car.

Cheryl spent eight and a half years in the US Army and another seven years as a military spouse. She was both officer and enlisted. She was stationed in Germany, Kansas, upstate New York, and various other places for training. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in history, with honors, while she was a single mother with three children.

After struggling in her Christian walk for more than twenty years, in 2000, Cheryl finally began to earnestly read the Bible. She read the entire book and studied it, seeking to know God at a deeper level. She discovered that salvation is not just for the afterlife, it is for a blessed (but not suffering-free) life this side of eternity. She also discovered that she's not a child of the devil, but a child of God. As God's daughter, she has great worth.

Though she continues to face trials, including a debilitating illness, Cheryl has learned to see herself through the eyes of her Savior, Christ Jesus. She now lives a joyful life.

Cheryl is happily married to Paul, her husband of eleven years. They serve the Lord together and are joyfully preparing for a new season in their life.

Cheryl has always loved to write. Over the years, she has written many articles for military publications and was a frequent guest columnist for both the Honolulu Advertiser’s and the Star Bulletin’s faith columns.

In May 2009, God gave Cheryl a story and asked her to write. That story became a novel, Seasons of Change, which Cheryl and Paul self-published in February 2010.

As of November 2014, Cheryl has written sixteen additional novels - and she's already got a good start on another. She's already published eleven of those novels. She continues to receive stories from God. As long as she does, she will continue to write!

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