Keri Giambrone
Born: October 19th in Landstuhl, Germany
Siblings: a younger sister and brother (Sheryl and Matthew) and a fabulous brother in law (Josh)
Keri loves running, learning to play the guitar I bought 4 years ago, drinking coffee, and has recently developed a love for snow skiing (once I got past my fears of speed and heights!) and singing to Jesus.
Hero (other than Jesus): "Those who have sacrificed their flesh and lived to share Christ’s truth and love in the midst of pain, torture, rejection and death; who have gone to the grave proclaiming Jesus is LORD with their final breath! Stephen (Acts 7:54-60)-as he was being attacked and stoned, "being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’…and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said all this, he fell asleep.'"
Music: " Kutless, Tomlin, John Shirley (Heaven Hear Us album), Ross King, Petra…so pretty much anything about Jesus; Roger Creager, old school Pat Green, George Strait, Punk (the kind I can jump around to), 80’s & 90’s rock, and I can’t believe I am about to admit this…boy bands (it all started with New Kids on the Block)!"
Verse: Revelation 19:7-16"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he *said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he *said to me, "These are true words of God." Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
Life Story
My story is not one of radical change but one of running a long race. I accepted the Lord at a young age and was raised in the church. I had a strong sense of who the Lord was and my need for Him. In the 8th grade my youth group took a trip to Six Flags for Easter weekend concerts. During the Petra concert, they had an alter call. I felt the Lord asking me to “re-dedicate” myself to Him, making more of a “grown up” decision to follow Him and to go to the front. I told him there was no need for me to go to the front, I could do it right where I was. Then one of the band members said “If you are telling Him that you can stay right where you are and make the decision, you need to obey and come forward.” This was the first time I can remember experiencing the Lord in such a concrete way. I was so worried about what my friends would think, but I went anyways. The next day, our youth leader asked those of us who had gone forward to tell the group what happened. This terrified me because I don’t like people looking at me and being that open with a group of people. From that day forward, I pursued Him.
However, my race has not always been a sprint. I struggled with being over-weight growing up, being shy and uncomfortable with who I was. I surrounded myself with other Christians who were running the race as well. I thought I was doing great and would never succumb to the ways of the world like other girls. I just couldn’t understand how people could do some of the things they did. I mistakenly took my Christian bubble for righteous living. Little did I know I was being judgmental and prideful.
College and after-college life brought my race to more of a run/walk/run. Although I ran in Christian circles at first, I slowly walked into friendships that led me to partying and drinking. I justified it with the fact that some of my friends were my Christian friends or that at least I wasn’t doing this or that other thing. I moved home, found a home church and accountability group that have become life-long friends. At age 24 my coworker introduced me to a man ten and a half years older who he said was a Christian. We dated on and off for a year. I had been someone who judged those who dated unbelievers harshly. At the end of a very painful year the Lord used my sister and my best friend to confront me (both in the same week) and brought me to a fork in the road. He gave me a choice-choose Him or choose not Him. I knew what the answer would mean. I would have to break things off with the man I knew I should not be spending my life with. I chose Him. That choice was the most defining choice in my life, other than accepting Him as my Lord and Savior.
Since that time, the race has become more intense and I am learning when to run hard and when to slow down and encourage those around me to run. He has taken everything I thought I knew, I thought I was and turned it upside down, shook it up and is putting it back together in His way and timing. He continues to teach me patience and how to find my satisfaction in Him alone. The past 4 years have brought more change than the first 25. He truly has done immeasurably more than I could ever imagine. He has taken me, Keri, a weak, shy, insecure girl and is asking me to step forward, putting myself out there for all to see and to trust Him; trust Him with my heart and to trust Him to love me completely as He makes His Name known. Because, as I am always reminded, It’s not about me…
Vision for The Austin Stone
To be a united, transparent family that opens its arms to everyone, loves them with Christ’s love, points to Him, heals them and equips them to run the race until He returns or calls us home!
Anything else people should know about you?
I think everyone should take Covenant Bible study and “Praying the Names of God” is rocking my world; my secret desire is to be a worship leader; I over-analyze everything (this questionnaire has taken more time to fill out than I will admit); I love orange Tabby cats, mountains, the beach, partner-dancing (on my own I have no rhythm), New York City, cooking; I am VERY introverted but have a wild streak deep down inside I keep hidden.