My Story

Happy Friday!!!

Don't you just LOVE Fridays?? Even when I had to work on weekends, Friday just seemed like the finish line to the week. 

Since this is the first blog entry that I am posting on a Friday, I would like to introduce my theme for this perfectly awesome and amazing day of the week!

I love the Word of God, and as an ending thought to every week, I would like to start writing posts about who God is, what His Word says, and how that is relevant and applicable to us today in 2017. 

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and as we grab a hold of that truth, we will find that His Word is also the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible, though it might be old by date, is alive and has purpose for us in every area of our lives. 

To start, I would like to share a little bit about me, and my testimony of how I found God. Or better yet, how He pursued my heart. 

Back in the 80's, I grew up in church. My parents took me regularly, and as I grew up, I joined several different types of congregations in many states. When I was five, we went to a really great church -- The Worship Center in Lancaster, PA. 

There, I remember the children's pastors, and all of the staff, being so approachable and real. I was introduced to some pretty entertaining means of teaching the gospel to kids like me, and then one night, my mom prayed with me to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. 

I was then baptized in water by Pastor Sam at the same age in a pool where I could only reach the bottom with my toes! From that point on, my relationship with Jesus grew and I got filled with the Holy Spirit. 

My parents surrounded us with TV shows and music that taught the Bible, they made sure to keep us in churches that taught the Word, and they encouraged my sister, brother, and I to spend time on our own reading the Bible and praying. 

Needless to say, I grew up in a home where God was first and everything we did was centered around Him. Now, at the same time, we walked through seasons that were hard. Where we had nothing but our faith in God to get us through as a family. We were human and we had days that were bad as well as good, but even so, my parents always kept an awareness of His presence in every situation. 

As I entered my teenage years, I found a new desire to get closer to the Lord. I heard Him say to me once, "It's time to make this yours". What He meant was, it was time to take my relationship with Him from a place where my understanding of Him was based on my parents' faith to a place where it was just between Him and me. 

I started a new journey with Jesus at sixteen when I surrendered completely. I chose to commit my heart, my purpose, and my future to whatever He would have for me. 

In 2002, I graduated from high school and went to RHEMA Bible Training College. There I studied in the areas of Evangelism and Worship, and there I met the love of my life. Long story short, we are now in the ministry, pastoring in the beautiful area of Western North Carolina. 

So, why did I go into all of that? You might think, well that's nice, but who cares. 

Here's what I would like to point out: Whether your background is or isn't similar, we all have a story to tell, and when Jesus is at the center of that story, our journey will become meaningful, purposeful, and greater than we ever could imagine. 

This post is just the cliff notes version of my story, which I plan to share more of in the future, but I would like to invite you to write in the comments section below about YOURS! 

Try answering these questions:

1) When did you receive Jesus?

2) What memory do you have that led you to receiving Jesus?

OR feel free to comment about:

1) Any questions you might have about Jesus

2) Your thoughts about this post

Knowing Jesus is fun. A relationship with Him is fulfilling and satisfying. And though there is a daily surrendering of ourselves to Him, we can become more like Him and allow Him to be God in our world. 

What does that mean? It means that the power of God is tangible. It means that the Word of God still speaks. It means that the heart of God is for all of us to experience a life full of joy. Enter in to His rest today and you will experience the life that Jesus died to give us. 

May this Friday be the end of a fulfilling week and a hopeful beginning to your weekend! Until tomorrow, continue being an amazing YOU!

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.

Matthew 11:29-30

* To find out more about the Worship Center: https://www.worshipcenter.org/

* To find out more about RHEMA Bible Training College: http://www.rbtc.org/