Let's get down to business and just start with me, my story. I figure, if you're going to ready my views and opinions - you should know where I come from first.
I grew up in a Christian family, a dad - a mom - an older sister - a dog - and some other random pets through the years. I went to a Lutheran church all through high school and into college. I also attended the Lutheran school, preschool through 8th grade and then went to a Christian high school. From there I want to a Lutheran college as well.
I don't have that defining moment in my life where I remember accepting Christ in my heart - I was just always a Christian. It's how I grew up, it's what I knew. We had religion in school - we studyied from a religion book. I have good memories, and even better friends from my time in grade school.
High school - a lot of changes for me. We started our school day off with devotions and prayer. We had chapel now twice a week. It was a different environment for me. A friend invited me freshman year to a youth group at a non-denominational church. I went a few times here and there. It wasn't until sophomore year that I started attending this youth group on a regular basis. I made friends there and even starting going to Sunday night church at this non-denominational church with my friends. Throughout high school - youth group became a part of who I was and what I did, all the time. They taught me from the Bible, they taught me to read the Bible...or maybe better put - I got it, I needed to study the Bible on my own. I was to be reading the Word on my own and not just leave it to my teachers to read to me, or my youth pastor. I started dating this guy pretty seriously and at one point, the question came up that if we were to get married, I'd have to make a decision - Lutheran or not. It was put on the back burner.
College led me into a whole new world of experiences and lessons to be learned. I went in to study and become a Director of Christian Education - DCE. Basically I would be working in a church leading the youth of the church. I had so much fun in college, socially! :) Met some more good friends, tried new things - like getting on T Staff (focused on the transfer students) in which we put on these shows for new students and I would go into more, but I don't want the questions. Nor do I want the videos to surface! At the end of the first year, my grades had slipped low enough that I couldn't return to living on campus, so the commuting began. This was also the year that actual classes started and not just gen-ed classes...this led to some questioning. Questions about if I was really cut out for school (which I later found out clearly, I am not a school person) I had questions about the school I was going to in the way they ran things, a little contradictory to their teachings. I saw their point to an extent - a business point of view. My heart was not able to follow through. College ended after only a year and a half.
Mom was looking out for me and it was time to get a full time job and get some health insurance, since I was no longer a student and therefore no longer on their insurance. That's when I ended up working in a doctor's office at the front desk. Never did I think that 9 years later I would still be doing this type of work, but I really enjoy it.
Let's go back to that boy I was dating - we were "that" couple in the youth group. The couple that was going to get married...no, we weren't engaged. We were just "that" couple, and you know what I'm talking about. Although, I didn't realize we were "that" couple until after high school. Anyway - at one point we broke up for a while. I don't remember the exact time line anymore - I was in college when we broke up. Then I believe it was while I was working that we got back together. When that ended, I went out on a few dates here and there - but nothing serious. I'm of the firm belief that if you find you know you are not going to marry the person you are dating, then stop dating that person.
There came a point where I just told the Lord I would be single the rest of my life and that was ok with me. I said that being married isn't our purpose here on earth, it was just a blessing and so I would focus on doing what He wanted me to do and that was fine. A month later, I was leaving a friend's wedding telling God I didn't understand. I told Him "I just said I am fine with not getting married and now you put this guy in front of me." I basically knew the night I met Evan that we were going to be married. And this June we will be celebrating 6 years of marriage!
But, part of getting to the point of us getting married - came that question again. Lutheran or not? Evan was non-denominational, I wasn't attending the Lutheran church - but was still Lutheran by word and beliefs on some topics. If I was going to stay a Lutheran, we wouldn't get married. Thus began my quest for knowledge and truth. I went to the Lutheran pastor and asked him to show me IN THE BIBLE how they got some of their doctrine and either he couldn't do it on some topics, or he took things out of context. That was enough for me to no longer be Lutheran. Next, I went to the non-denominational pastor and asked him the same questions and made sure he showed me IN THE BIBLE...and he could. I then continued to pray and pray about it and finally made the switch from Lutheran to non-denominational, Bible believing. I made my faith, my own.
Here is a little internet splurb on Lutheran: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheran
and on non-denominational: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-denominational
At first, this wasn't received well by my family and some of my friends, however they all supported me. (Although not without some of our own heated discussions on these topics, such as communion and baptism) I am not saying it would be easy for my parents when I come home one day and tell them I am no longer going to be Lutheran, and on top of that I am getting baptized again. I didn't do it to go against them or hurt them, I had to do it for me. They had their questions. I am so happy that today I can say I believe what I believe because it's mine. It's not because I grew up with it and so it's what I know. It's not because it's what my husband believes. It's what I believe. I prayed, I asked God to show me, I asked the questions, I did the seeking and it was my decision. I think that says a lot about my parents too, because the Bible talks about raising your children - as I believe I referenced a passage in one of my previous blogs about what the Bible says in raising your children...Proverbs 22:6. If my parents didn't raise me according this, I wouldn't have made my faith my own.
Let me be sure to say this: denominations don't claim you as Christ's own. Being non-denominational doesn't make me a Christian. Being Lutheran didn't make me a Christian. To be written in the Book of Life there are three R's - Recognize, Repent, and Receive. Recognize that you are a sinner and that you can do no good without Christ in your life. Repent of your sins. Receive Him...the gift of salvation, His dying on the cross to save us from our sin to live eternally with Him.
So here I am - a Christian attending an Evangelical church and when asked what denomination I am, I say non-denominational - just Bible believing. I work full time in a doctor's office doing front desk work. I have been married to Evan for almost 6 years. We have a son, Elijah, in Heaven already as I miscarried in 2006 when I was 10 weeks along. We have a beautiful daughter, Liliana, who is currently 8 months. We do plan to have more children. We live for Him and He takes care of us. I am a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17) looking to serve Him the best I can.
A little more about me: I don't spell well. I never got the whole grammar thing down, in fact - eveyone tells me I write the same way I talk. I can ramble on with the best of them. I can sleep until 2pm without any problems! I am not good at picking up the phone and calling people. I'm a card/letter person! Pictures, pictures, and more pictures - I need a room of my own to just plaster with pictures, there wouldn't be one bare spot on the walls! Bike riding - something I remember doing with my dad all the time and despite all my rotten, terrible, painful falls - I still look forward to riding my bike! I have a goal of being able to do 9 pull ups by the end of '09. I can do none currently. I have worn contacts for the longest time, and over the past few months - I've gone with the glasses! I have 6 piercings. I have 4 tattoos, but have been tattooed 5 times. There is nothing like short hair. Growing up, I wanted to be a pharmacist. Cats scare me. I absolutely do not like spiders - I just stand and point to them and say "BUG" and then Evan comes and kills it. I have done very little big things (if that made sense) without someone's approval as I went from getting permission from my parent's - do discussing things with my husband. The one thing I did on my own, pierce my belly button. I shave my legs almost every day and I do not use any shave gel. Lotion is a must after a shower, and not just on my legs. I have terrible, rotting teeth - no joke here. I have friends from pre-school. I need to go to sleep.
Readers, thanks for reading. I wish you a wonderful night! Until the next time, I leave you with a picture of my two tooth baby girl!
And by the way, if you're wondering - our purpose here on earth is to glorify God. There is a lot that goes into that, but that's our purpose.
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Getting to know you!! Wow! I have been doing that for a long time, and you never cease to amaze me. You are truly God's work in progress and I love you more than I can express.
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