Life with a Guest Post #4

Today is the final day of Faith Walk Week.

I told the next writer that she was my Grand Finale! She may have let that go to her head!

Lucy is one of my favorite people in the world. I met her at a time when I needed friends to love me unconditional.

She’s taught me so much about God’s abundant grace.

I’m honored to share her story today.

 

PS...If you would like to share your story, please link up to this post or add to the comments.

I’d love to read about your Faith Walk.

 

In a hospital room on May 17, 1983 I breathed my first breath. Tears of joy streamed down my mother's face as she laid eyes on her FIRST (and only) daughter, and after having 3 sons the words "it's a GIRL!" were music my parent's ears. The midwives kissed my dad in congratulations and I was brought into the world with excitement and celebration. My mom still remembers the way they brought me wrapped in a pink blanket...she had only ever gotten blue blankets, and I'm sure the pink blanket was softer and smelled better too.

 

Life went on. Childhood was grand, and loud, and adventurous...what else would you expect with 3 older brothers? Mom took us to church, Dad worked every Sunday, and I was starting to wonder more and more about this God that my family worshiped. He seemed pretty big, and even scary if you get on His bad side. I didn't want to go to Hell and Jesus looked so sad in those pictures of Him on the cross. How could I not choose to accept Him as my Lord and Savior? And so I did. Somewhere in my early childhood I asked Jesus into my heart, and I was so happy that I wouldn't have to go to Hell, but I had no idea the depth of Love and Grace I would get to discover over the coming years and course of my life.

 

My real and relational Faith Walk started with something so silly and futile that I almost shy away from even writing about it, but God chose to write it into my story and He is the Author and perfector of my faith, so I will embrace His writing. I was in 7th grade, and I had a (gasp) shop-lifting problem. My family did not have a lot of money and I was starting to realize that more and more as I got older and couldn't do or have the things my friends did. So my best friend and I would frequently go to the mall and take things without paying for them, I can remember several times as I was walking out of a store praying something like, "God please don't let me get caught, this is the last time I promise." Well it wasn't the last time and the guilt grew greater and caused me shy away from Him.

 

My 'relationship' with God at this point in my life consisted of me begging Him not to let me get busted followed by me begging Him for forgiveness...until one day where His grace came crashing down over me in a way I could not deny. I wanted a beanie...yes those knit hats. They were all the rage amongst my circle of highly refined friends (you know the ones I shoplifted with) but I did not want to steal again, not because I loved God so much, but  more because I figured His patience with me was about gone and I was going to get caught. Unfortunately my desire to fit-in and be accepted by my peers was greater than my fear of being caught and greater than my desire to please God. I walked up to the mall alone ready to steal the first beanie I could find. Well, things didn't go as planned. I just couldn't do it. The guilt was too much and something (God) gave me the strength to leave without stealing. I was walking home and remember feeling glad and proud but most of all relieved from the weight of guilt that I was allowing to get between me and God. I continued to walk and looked in the distance and saw something on the ground...a beanie. Right there in front of me, no one around to claim it, it was meant for ME! This pre-teen girl felt so unbelievably loved. I nearly skipped the rest of the way home. I walked in the house, still giddy about what had just taken place a few blocks away,and found my much cooler older brothers all hanging out talking and my oldest and coolest brother tossed something in my direction and said "Here, do you want this?" ANOTHER BEANIE!!!

 

Say what you will about the shallowness of that story. God literally used the most shameful area of my life at the time to display His love and grace and my relationship with Him has never been the same. That day; the guilt, the rebellion, the resistance, the confusion, the internal dialogue, the surprise, the joy, God used it all as the launching pad into a real and ongoing relationship. The Creator of the universe knelt low to become real to a girl...His girl.

 

From that day and until now I have remained His girl. I've been stupid, and selfish, and wrong along the way,and I've been loved, and blessed, and taught along the way. I've had ugly motives in performing religious duty, and I've had glimpses of pure heartfelt overflowing service to Him. At times I've placed my trust in worthless feeble things, and at times I've seen His faithfulness and been overwhelmed by how trust-worthy only He is. I've put people down in an effort to lift myself up with "I'm-better-than-you" ammunition, and then I've been humbled by how level the ground is at the foot of the cross.

 

It has been a life of sloppy learning, speechless beauty, crazy love, and outrageous grace...and the further I journey the Faith Walk the more I realize... and rest... and remain in the truth that I am His girl.

 

I. am. HIS. girl.

Life with a Guest Post #3

Here we go with Guest Post #3!

Today we welcome my Auntie Jeanne.

(Two of my faith shapers)

After my mother and grandmother, my Auntie has shaped a majority of my faith walk.

When I’ve had the pleasure of being in her company (She lives in Hawaii so I don’t get to see her often!) talk mostly turns to our life walking with Jesus. We have gone to a few conferences and have shed many tears together!

If you follow me on Facebook, you will notice that She comments regularly with a note of encouragement.

You can’t beat that!

Here is her story about a time when her faith was challenged and strengthened.

 

HI Rachel, I really don't know where to begin writing about my walk in Faith. I have to talk about how Faithful God has been to me - not how Faithful I have been to HIM. Because it's God that is Faithful and has never failed me. It began many years ago and God has provided wonderful parents, church leaders and teachers to strengthen my Faith. HIS Word is so simple and yet so challenging.
When Uncle Lee had his stroke, God made sure I was there sitting on Lee's hospital bed when the stroke hit! I was going to go home a few minutes before the stroke hit but a little still voice told me to stay. And, HE was there every step of the way. Even when I didn't know what to ask the medical staff, God did. Little by little I learned what to expect and what to do for the months and years ahead.
When we brought Uncle Lee home, four months later, God sent a older, intimidating nurse that sat me down and said "now here is what it's going to be like and it's not going to be fun" but she prepared me in a way that no one else had. God saw to that.

 

Now I have to tell you that with a life changing illness, finances become very tight. I have tithed for years and suddenly, I felt like I didn't have enought to go around and I questioned for the first time if it was smart to tithe. Of course it's not smart in the worldly way but it's FAITH! It's being obedient to HIM. God has always made ends meet. Not in ways that I expected but HE has always seen to it that I had enough to pay the caregivers and the medical bills. And, HE has added JOY to the giving! I love to put my envelope in the basket.
My "go to" verse the last couple of weeks has been 2 Timothy 1:7 - "God has not given me a spirit of fear or timidity but of POWER, LOVE and SELF - DISCIPLINE." I battle fear in the middle of the night but I just call out Jesus name and fear has to back off. Fear is a lie and is NOT from the Father.

 

This is a little of what FAITH means to me - I feel like it's a gift that God gives out and the more we accept it, the more HE gives. It's turning to HIM when times are rough and telling HIM that I can't do this anymore but HE can! HE tells us that HE will take our heavy yoke and leave us with HIS light one.
For those of you that don't believe this, please just try it next time things go haywire! Just tell God that you need help and HE will be there. For all of you reading this, I feel the Holy Spirit just filliing my soul and my heart and telling me to pray for each and everyone of you. With God's Awesome Love and HIS Unending Grace, Love to you All! Auntie Jeanne - October 11, 2011

Life with a Guest Post #2

I hope you enjoyed Emily’s post about her faith walk.

You can find it here if you missed it yesterday.

Today I have the pleasure of featuring my beautiful cousin Joy Marie.

Joy is not a blogger per say, but she has been managing the site www.helpalandmoe.com.

She also had the most amazing beach wedding.

(Don’t we all look so much alike?)

(That would be me screaming in Joy’s arm while our loving caring Grandpa looks on!)

Take it away, Joy!

My little brother, Johnny and I were taken to church with my mom.  Dad didn't go often but Grandpa, Grandma and cousin Chad were there.  My grandpa Miller was the light of heart. I do believe he was my first soul mate.  My dad wasn't around much growing up, but Grandpa was there.  He took care of me when I was a baby and my mom had to work 3 jobs to take care of us.  He was the first person I said 'Daddy' to. After I learned his name was Grandpa I called everyone Grandpa because I loved him so much.  I loved to listen to him sing at church.  Even being so young I could feel his faith and that resonates with me today.

We went to Sunday school, vacation bible school in the summers and were brought up knowing Jesus loved us.  When your child, you think as a child and just know that things will always be taken care of.  When my parents divorced, things were still taken care of.  I had what I needed, not always what I wanted but with Mom being a single parent she did all she could. Have a big, loving family helped then.


When I was 8, tragedy struck our family.  My little brother Johnny was hit by a car while riding his bike.  Mom and I were there and saw the entire thing happen.  Johnny died.  My childhood died that day as well.  What I didn't and couldn't know that day was that my parents each died that day.  They would never be the same.  Time passed, life went on and things kept being taken care of.  I was told Johnny was with God and Jesus.  As an 8 year old you can not possible grasp the concept of heaven.  One day you have a brother and the next you are alone.  You have no one to talk to.  You are incapable of finding the words to describe how you are feeling.  You don't know how to feel. 


When I was 12 we moved to Georgia.  The big, loving family I had was gone.  I was with Mom, my (step)dad and (step)brother Erik (who at this time resented me and treated me horribly!).  We found a church.  I started confirmation classes at a Lutheran church.  I had not yet found my faith.  The pre-teen years for a girl are hell.  Plain and simple.  I was angry at everyone then.  (Except my Aunt Terry because she convinced my mom that it was okay for me to be wearing a little bit of make-up and learn proper skin care which helped a lot with my self esteem around the 'city' girls in Metro Atlanta.)  I couldn't understand why God took Johnny and not me.  Why did he leave me here?  What was so special for me to do in my life that I was left behind? 


The questions haunted me for years and it interferred with my faith.  I had a hard time trusting that He loved me and that I was already forgiven.  I believed I had to earn my right to be left here and one day be with Him and Johnny.  That I was left here to do something incredible and my life had to have some great meaning or purpose.


I was supposed to get married in September 2001.  I cancelled the wedding the June before.  I knew I wasn't ready and neither was Jason.  In October 2002 my Grandpa, my soul mate and man that I held nearer to my heart than any other, died.  Suddenly.  I was devastated.  I got depressed.  I was angry again.  Angry at him for taking care of everyone else before he took care of himself and angry at God for taking him before I was ready to let him go.  In November of that year, I left Jason, thinking it was for good.  I felt that I couldn't love him the way my Granny loved 'Papa'.  That on his deathbed, I wouldn't be crawling in bed with him to kiss him goodbye and that my life may as well end as well....like Granny and Papa.


I mourned, I grieved...I prayed a LOT!  I was lost.  The entire time I heard a knock on my soul and God would ask, "Joy, are you ready to let me in yet?"  I would answer, "No, Lord, I am not yet worthy of your Love."  I believed that.  I truly believed that I had not achieved what it was that He wanted me to achieve yet!


Every night I would say my prayers the same way that I had since childhood.  I would always pray for Jason first.  Couldn't stop.  I would get angry because I didn't want to pray for him!  At the same time, I was dating.  There were some awful and funny dates in those years!!!  I can laugh at them now but at the time I was wondering how long I was going to be alone.  Yet, in my heart I knew that the person I was going to marry was already in my life.  Where and who was a mystery but I had the intuition.  In 2006, Jason and I found our way back to each other and it was magical to us both.  We were married on the beach on a beautiful October evening at sunset.  This is why I continued to pray for him and I was grateful.


I got pregnant in May 2007.  I was so scared and excited!  Complications came with the pregnancy.  I had gestational diabetes, low amniotic fluid, the baby was breech and the placenta was in front of the baby meaning I didn't get the moving and kicking that the majority of pregnant women get.  At this time I opened the door wide open to God.  I let go of everything and gave it all to him.  I had to only think about me in order to take care of the miracle inside of me.  Kylie-Rae Maureen was born 4 weeks early but was healthy, strong and loud!  I had an emergency ceasarean and it was found out at her birth, that she had a know in her umbilical cord.  God was there for my baby!  He was there for me and Jason!  Our prayers were answered and we were so grateful and continue to be.


The elation and faith went away.  We lost everything in Florida.  The economy tanked and the housing market crashed.  Jason, being a carpenter and owning a framing company was hit hard and was one of the first hit.  It wasn't losing the material things that bothered me.  It was losing my independance and having to move home.  I couldn't find work.  I shut the door again.  Our lives were a mess and we were bouncing around between Georgia, Florida & Wisconsin, Jason was working in any state that he could find work in.  We were apart and I was raising Kylie alone.  I was miserable.


My best friend, Karri started going to a new church and I went with.her to check it out.  I walked into His Hands Church and heard the guy on stage say "God loves music, let's play some rock and roll."  Then I heard the most AMAZING Christian music I have ever heard in my life!!  I was in love.  I was home.  The message at His Hands is "Jesus...Not Religion".  We do not judge.  We do not preach.  We share.  We love. We party and celebrate the love of Jesus Christ.  When we were all settled back in Georgia, I took Jason to church with me.  We went every week.  I was listening to the Word and feeling great.  The door was opening again.  I had let God in for some coffee, but wasn't speaking with Him yet. 


Things weren't getting better.  I vented to Jason one day and he turned to me, looked me in the eyes and said "I am not going to church with you anymore.  You go, but you aren't listening.  What's the point if you aren't giving it to God completely?"  I was at a loss for words.  He was right.  I was talking the talk, but not walking the walk.  My attitude changed then and there.  God was let into my heart for more than just coffee.  We are together 24/7 now! 


I let him in just in time to get me through some difficult months.  My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer in June.  She was in ICU for 3 weeks.  She had gotten so sick that there was a lot of things wrong at once.  I prayed non-stop.  (James 1:5-6)  I never thought she was going to die.  I just knew that she was going to get better!  I cried, of course I did.  It was so hard seeing this brave and strong woman who I admire and love so much be stuck in a bed with tubes in her and sedated severely.  It was awful!  During this time there was family in and out of town.  Behind my back it was said that I was in denial.  I was appalled when I heard this!  Number 1 - I have FAITH.  I knew better than anyone how sick she was.  I watched her deteriorate for months.  I dealt with the awful staff at the doctor's office giving her run around and held her as she cried because she was at a loss of what to do, she felt so bad!  Number 2 - I know how strong she is inside.  She continued to live when her child was taken from her.  She choose to live for me and herself, then for the man I now call Dad.  She is stronger than anyone I know. 


I choose to have faith.  To let faith consume me.  I take each day as it comes and go with it. (Matthew 6:34)  I live my life knowing that He loves me, He loves us, oh how he loves us!  I am proud that a great lady told me she was proud of me for having God in my life before she passed away.  I am grateful to her for loving me enough to tell me that.  I'm proud too.  Things are getting better every day for us.  My mom is healing.  She is kicking cancer butt!  My daughter lights up every room she walks into (she begged me for 2 days to shave her head for her Nana when Mom lost her hair from the chemo so we did it!)  We always make it through each month financially.

I was brought back home for a reason.  I was jobless for a reason.  I prayed for Jason for a reason.  I was left behind for a reason and I know now it is simply to exist and love.  To make other people smile.  To help and love others and be a Servant to my Savior.  That is great in itself.  The world would be a better place if everyone chose to be a Servant.  I judge no one.  I pray for everyone.  I forgive because I was forgiven before I was born.


God's Blessings to y'all,
Joy

Life with a Guest Post!

Hello there!

Welcome to:

Here we are today with my first guest blogger.

Emily is one of my dear friends that I met in college. She was a freshmen when I was a junior.
Emily also has the distinct pleasure of being shorter than me! Something, you’ll have to ask her about. Seriously, the first day she walked on campus everyone on my Orientation Staff came to me and said, “Rachel, dude, there’s someone here who’s shorter than you!” (Sorry, Em, had to share!)

She blogs over here.

I’m so blessed to have her here today, I’m also guest posting at her place.

Could you stop by and tell her I sent you?

Pleaseandthankyou!

Take it away, Emmy!

10 days old: I get baptized and my parents throw a party

5 years old: I love my kindergarten teacher at my Lutheran school. She uses a felt board to tell us about how God created the world - it's so cool! At home I listen to the We Sing Bible Songs cassette tape Mom got for my sister and me. I love singing all of the songs and proud of myself that I can spell B-I-B-L-E. At night when we don't have time for long stories I ask Mom if she can read from our book of really short Bible stories instead.

8 years old: In elementary school helping with chapel and the operettas are some of my favorites. Noah's Ark is chosen for the school operetta - and Lisa and me are cast to say the first line. "When God first made the world and space the world was fine without a trace of imperfection wrong or sin, a wonderful place to frolic in." Lisa isn't as excited as I am though. In the summer I can't wait for VBS to start. By this age I have seen The Ten Commandments on VHS dozens of times and I'm sad because my favorite character, the Egyptian princess, doesn't love God. When I have surgery I tell my mom I'm going to pray before I go to sleep so everything will go well.

11 years old:  Religion class is a little more in depth than is has been before and I can't remember all of the different facts my teacher wants me to remember about the book of Acts - but that might be because I'm distracted by my first big crush on a boy. In Sunday School our teacher tells us the story of her faith. Other kids in my class didn't like it and got really freaked out by some of the stuff she said. I didn't say anything - but I thought it was a good story and I thought she was brave to tell us.

12 years old: My sister spends a week at a Christian camp over the summer and shares her newly revived faith. She tells me about how she felt sorry for everything she had done wrong but knows how much Jesus loves her and it's the best feeling in the world. She asks me if I ever have felt Jesus' love like that. I tell her no - which I feel like is a partial lie. She says she feels sorry for me. I later go back to my room and cry because I didn't tell her the whole truth, and I feel bad for everything I had done wrong even though Jesus loves me so much.

13 years old: Religion class has turned into Confirmation class. Although... I couldn't really tell the difference. They tell us that at the end of the school year we will get confirmed and have our first communion. Communion seems pretty cool, I don't get the point of confirmation though. They say it's when we tell everyone that we believe in Jesus and know he's in our hearts. Well... of course he's in my heart and I believe in him. Isn't that why I got baptized when I was 10 days old and go to church every Sunday and go to a Lutheran school. But as I get older I learn that it's not "cool" to like the Bible and religion class anymore. So I don't.

In the spring my mom has to get something from the Christian book store, and I go with her because I love books. In the young adult section I find a book called Summer Promise by Robin Jones Gunn. It's about a girl around my age, she's from Wisconsin, goes to California, and makes a promise. It looks good so Mom gets it for me. I eat it up. Christy is just like me. She thinks the way I do. She likes the same kind of boys that I do. She grew up as a Christian like I did. She has the same insecurities I do. And we both learn... loving Jesus is so much bigger than just going to church and Sunday school and praying before I go to bed.

So that's what this whole confirmation thing is about. I've always known God's love - but now it's time to show it and live it.

15 years old: I have one whole year of public high school under my belt. It was different than the Lutheran school, and I was nervous at first. But I love it. I have great friends and I like my teachers. Band and theatre are the best. I make my first friends who aren't Christian, and they ask me a lot of questions that I don't know the answers to. I have to tell people why I love Jesus for the first time. It's hard. But it was good for me. I go to the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans with my church youth group. Not many of the other people in the group seem to really enjoy the sessions and the big gatherings as much though which makes me sad. A friend at school says he plays guitar for the youth group at his church - he tells me to come visit and maybe they can help me grow in my faith. It turns out that a lot of people from my school go to that church. For the first time I feel like people outside of my family understand my relationship with Jesus.

17 years old: It's my last year of high school and things are going to change. I pray everyday for a boy I like so that he can love Jesus. I lead a home Bible study group with a new friend I've made and help a small group of freshman girls come closer to Jesus. I'm not sure what I want to major in when I go to college, and I don't know what college I want to go to, but youth ministry seems like a cool possibility. The boy I like breaks my heart the day before a big Bible study I'm leading... but God gives me strength. I know he's by my side. I'm not really sure of anything.I'm stressed and I get sad sometimes, but I need to learn to trust that God will guide me through.

19 years old: I've finished my first year of college. I wasn't as nervous as I had been for high school. College is awesome! I have the best friends ever. I learned how the people I surround myself with have a big impact on who I am. I go on my first mission trip and want to go back. I can't wait to find out what my field work church is going to be in my second year. Somehow I have gotten it into my head that Bible studies with friends and coffee go hand in hand and my Bible now has Caribou Coffee stains on the pages. I'm learning more and more about grace and how it's nothing that I can do to earn God's love - He freely gives it.

22 years old: I'm in my final year of college and internship is quickly coming. I have no idea where God is sending me. The little second family I've created for myself at school has to come together like we never have before. Dealing with doubts about our futures, relationships, faith, family, and friends. People are getting married, graduating, heading to seminary, or who knows where later. None of us feel like we really fit anywhere except with each other. We want to break tradition but still cling to our roots even though we aren't sure why. We learn that faith is a journey and sometimes stepping into the unknown.

25 years old: Life outside of the safety of school walls is different. It's hard and challenging. My friends, family, and I are all scattered throughout the country - and sometimes the world, trying to figure out this whole "being an adult" thing. We are all getting married, having kids, getting apartments, working on grad school, and facing the world of the job hunt. It's scary. Realizing that building relationships with new people, keeping the old ones healthy, and connecting to family is hard work. Sometimes even faith is hard work.

Then I write a post for a month long blog challenge about faith, where the first post is about your faith story. I realize: a simple blog post, no matter how well written or how long or short it is, can never really express the journey God has me on, how he lives in me, and how he works in my life. Any writing or blog post of mine can never fully show who he is and what he has done for me.

So... what's your story? If you're a Christian... how did you come to be one? If you have another religion - why did you choose it? If you don't have any religion - how did you come to that conclusion? I would love to hear your stories.

Emily is a city girl who after college found herself working as a youth minister in a small town. She blogs over at Love Woke Me Up This Morning  and Tweets at @LoveWokeMeUp where with a little bit of love and a little bit of coffee she walks through life one day at a time.

--
Emily Hornburg
www.lovewokemeupthismorning.com

Twitter

: @LoveWokeMeUp

Life in Faith

Hello friends!

Since I have 40 report cards to finish by Monday morning, I’m going to take a little break this week.

Never fear, because I’ve got some great guest bloggers lined up for you!

Since my goal in life is to live in the moment, I

thought it would be fun to share our Faith Walk stories this week.

That’s right, it’s Faith Walk Week here at Life in the Moment!

Today you’ll hear my personal journey.

Some of my friends and family will be joining us the rest of the week. On Saturday there will be a linky party for you to share your story with us!

Please spread the word and encourage others to join along.

My story always used to seem so simple. I grew up in a very Christian household. We attended church and Sunday school every week. My grandpa and his brothers started the Lutheran school at my church. My mom was on the school board. My dad was the chairman of the congregation…you get the idea!

I was blessed to live in a household not only with my parents but with my grandparents as well. I learned at the feet of my wise mother and grandma. My mom and grandma really shaped my early years of faith. I was able to go to them with any question. It was commonplace to discus matters of faith and the Bible throughout our day.

My grandpa became bedridden when I was in kindergarten. Our pastor would come out each week to administer communion and pray with him. This became one of my favorite times of the week. Not only did I get to see my pastor on Sunday, but now he was in my house and I could ask him QUESTIONS!

My godmother happened to be my third and fourth grade teacher. I feel that she really encouraged and lead me in my choice to become a Lutheran school teacher. She made the Bible come alive for me with the songs we would sing in choir and school musicals.

My youth group leader in high school also lead the way with her quiet dignity and strength. Her wisdom about the world opened my eyes to the hurting and dying around the globe.

On September 12, 2001 my dad almost lost his life in a horrible motorcycle accident. After he recovered, he was a changed man. He had always known Jesus and loved Him. But his faith was a more quiet personal journey. After almost meeting Jesus face to face, my dad grew into the strongest man of faith I’ve ever seen. His faith and zeal for the Gospel was outstanding. 

Because of these early role models, my faith walk lead me to my small Lutheran college.

Here I met some of my favorite people. Here it was ok to be completely in Love with Jesus. I was able to be Rachel-loud crazy girl who is sold out for Christ!

Not a bad place to be.

College rocked me in many ways. It was the first chance for me to own my faith. I had to decide to go to church on Sunday. I was questioning (in my head!) my professors opinions on matter of doctrine and theology. I finally made my faith “real”. Jesus had always been my rock, but now I needed to rely on him more and more.

After college, I moved to the other side of the country. I wasn’t scared because I knew God had called me to this crazy land called Phoenix. Here I found the rotten side of Christianity. The side that I had been warned about but was too naïve to see. I learned that even doing God’s work won’t always make you a nice person.

My faith was tested on a daily basis. I finally came to realize that God had to bring me to a place where no one was around me, where no one was encouraging me to finally make my faith real. Sure, I had trusted God and called on his name throughout my life but my first years in Arizona were the toughest most rewarding years of my journey.

I needed to find my own way of worshipping. I needed to carve my devotion time into a busy schedule.

I met a fabulous group of young woman, my sisters, who continue to shower me with love and grace every day.

These girls were some of my first really close non-Lutheran friends. It has been such a eye opener to be around a cluster of girls who just get it. They are so on fire for spreading the Gospel. I’m inspired by them each day.

This past summer, my grandmother passed away at the age of 90. To say my faith was shaken was an understatement. I know my grandma is rejoicing with our Savior in heaven, but I selfishly want her here. It is hard for me to type this and even harder to talk about it. People look at me and think I’m fine, but on the inside I’m still suffering.

(So, if you see me, it’s ok to ask how I’m doing!)  

I feel that the death of someone extremely close to you will either make you or break you.

I pray that this challenge in my life will make me stronger and closer to the Lord as a result.

Right now, I’m in a place of joyfulness. I’m happier and more content than I’ve been in a while.

My new church home has literally become a life saver. My pastor has a way of bringing home the message of the Gospel in a simple way each and every week.

I’ve come to realize that being “Lutheran” is not the end all be all of my life.

However, I won’t be leaving the church anytime soon!

So, there you have it. My faith life in a, not so short, nut shell!

I hope you have a chance to think about your faith journey this week. Can’t wait to read all about it!

Linking up to